EDITORIAL: Long-term misrepresentation, not miscommunication
By Editorial Board on May 23, 2012 9:00 am / 5 comments
How many times will we have to go through this?
Just a few months ago, the public was given the run around by Central Michigan University’s administration about its $10 million allocation to the Events Center. At the time, University President George Ross pushed blame to his predecessor, saying he couldn’t be blamed for actions taken and plans made when he was not here.
This time, however, the egg is not only on Ross’ face but drips on to public relations, the Office of Information Technology and general counsel.
Six months ago, Central Michigan Life sent a Freedom of Information Act request seeking “all contracts regarding the cmich.edu redesign,” and we were given a single contract with Ohio-based Blue Chip Consulting Group for $550,000 plus travel expenses. As months went on, we repeatedly checked up on the status of the project.
“It’s coming soon,” we were told over and over. When a CM Life reporter asked Roger Rehm, Vice President of the Office of Information Technology, right before the April 9 launch whether the costs would exceed the stated $550,000, the answer was no.
After the April 9 launch, we followed up with a second FOIA request, this time wording it a bit differently: “seeking any and all emails and contracts containing the final terms and contract with the Blue Chip Consulting Group in regards to the new Central Michigan University website.”
And in a Friday afternoon meeting, we were clued in on the real amount: $956,950, most of which went to Blue Chip.
To the university’s credit, it followed with an email to faculty and staff breaking down the costs, but it does not excuse months of providing inaccurate information to the public. In the meeting, Rehm and Ross categorized the situation as “miscommunication.”
In reality, it was a blatant act of long-term misrepresentation.
There were ample opportunities to come clean, and they simply did not. University Communications never hesitates to correct us on smaller mistakes, so why did they let this clear untruth — that the cost we were given and repeatedly reported was only slightly more than half the total expense — be presented to the public for months?
This begs the question, if the FOIA requests were not sent out, would the public have ever known the project cost more than $550,000?
How can the public rely on this university to be trustworthy when pertinent documents are still being hidden after FOIA requests, which are seemingly the only means of shining sunlight on the murky inner workings of CMU?
It’s hard to laud Ross for finally meeting with CM Life’s editorial board when seemingly the only reason he did so was to save face on a six-month manipulation of the truth.
This isn’t the way a public university is run, nor should ever be run.
While wary steps have been taken to improve the administration’s transparency, these half-truths will linger in people’s minds for years when listening to new plans from it.
So, we will say again what has been reiterated many times in our editorials: Tell the truth.
Students and tax-payers don’t like paying six-figure salaries to people who think deceiving the public is part of their jobs.
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5 Comments
Perfectly written. Why do people feel the need to lie, mislead or cover up facts? Just do the right thing in the first place, and be honest and straightforward about what you’re doing. This really should be standard procedure for everyone, shouldn’t it?
At this point I’ve been so maligned by CMU that I will never, ever give any sort of donation as an alumnus. Do all universities blatantly lie to their students and treat them like incompetent children, or is it unique to Central?
Yes, Kevin. Universities are run by liberals with no management experience. (Sounds like Obama). They’ve never run a corporation or a business so they don’t understand how to control costs and raise revenues without having to raise tuition.
Most of these presidents never even ran a lemonade stand.
The former president of MSU, Peter McPherson, did a great job at MSU. But, he served several years as a bank president. Had a nice conversation with him after I think it was the 1998 CMU game down there. He was a corporate business type.
Gilmour, the Wayne State president, was the chief financial guru for Ford Motor for years.
Purdue is trying something unique tomorrow. They’re reportedly hiring the outgoing Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, who served many years as a vice-president for Eli Lilly.
Kevin, look at the Federal Government or at New York City under Mayor Bloomberg who wants to ban soda and popcorn. Liberals think people are too stupid to make decisions for themselves. That’s why they love big government so government can run people’s lives. That’s why they treat people like incompetent children. Unique to Central? Nope, it’s liberal mentality! Just like a socialist or marxist country!
Universities used to be run by the faculty, with administrators who had teaching experience, and for fifty years we had the best system of higher education in the world. Then the idea that universities should be run like businesses caught on, and now you’re starting to see the consequences of that.
Guest, there is one problem.
Prior to the 1970s or so, universities were run with lean staffs. That’s when we had the best universities in the world. I agree with you.
Look at CMU, for example. Take a look at how many people worked in our athletic department the first year we went Division I vs. today. It’s mind-boggling how much our overhead there has skyrocketed.
We didn’t have multicultural, diversity, political correct staffs like we have today.
We didn’t pay guest speakers, $30,000 to $60,000 for a canned speech, plus first-class airfare, expensive hotel rooms, etc. I remember when the Chieftain was the best hotel in town.
We didn’t have all these staff people in every academic department.
We didn’t have all this focus on research. CMU focused on being a great undergraduate school.
I remember when you had the PR department was a small staff. Look at it today.
Look at how much Plachta made in his final year as president compared to the outrageous salary and benefits George Ross makes today…and compare that to the typical private sector worker.
Plus, all these plush unionized pensions are costing us millions of dollars. We can’t afford it.
We didn’t have 1 million dollar websites.
Look at how many people work for Kathy Wilbur. It’s mind-blogging.
Guest, what I’m getting at is this……expenses have so skyrocketed from the 1940′s, 50′s, 60s, 70s………….that you need administrators who can be good businesspeople to find monies. Tomorrow, Guest, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels will be named the new president of Purdue. As the media is pointing out, his connections with corporations and with his political friends in Indianapolis and Washington, will bring more money to Purdue. If Romney wins, Daniels is probably the only college president that can walk in and get an appointment with the President.
One more example. Look at the Big Ten TV Network. In the old days, at a Big Ten school, the AD was a former coach. At UM, Dave Brandon came from the private sector. At MSU, Mark Hollis was never a coach. And, look at the $$$$$ the Big Ten TV Network is providing each school. I think it’s over 20 million dollars now. That would pay a lot of bills at CMU. But, the Big Ten now is a marketing machine, not a Bo and Woody Show.
Like it or not, you need a top-flight CEO type to run a college today unless you’re willing to be politically incorrect and cut expenses. If George had me up to CMU, I’d cut 40 million to 60 million in one day. We’d get CMU back to a lean and more effective university. One you talked about in the old days.