The Utah Board of Higher Education has some housecleaning to do, and steps taken so far are not encouraging.
The board voted a couple of weeks ago to modify a policy that used to allow the presidents of the state’s institutions of higher learning to walk away from their jobs with some substantial perks, up to a year’s continued salary and to keep living in their official residences.
Now those bennies will only go to presidents who aren’t leaving under a cloud of suspicion. Such as former Utah Tech University President Richard “Biff” Williams, who left the St. George campus in disarray and facing lawsuits and investigations over the alleged toxic culture that belittled and harassed university staff who were trying to enforce anti-discrimination laws.
Williams collected six months’ worth of his $357,000 annual pay, and maintained his official digs, until he moved to a new gig leading Missouri State University.
The new post-presidency policy is a minuscule step in the right direction. And it does nothing to clear the air at Utah Tech. As demonstrated by a no-confidence vote by the Utah Tech Faculty Senate.
Tech’s top in-house attorney, Becky Broadbent, was escorted off campus more than nine months ago in apparent retaliation for her complaints. Even though the official internal investigation is supposedly closed — allegedly made moot by Williams’ departure — Broadbent has been offered no apology, explanation or even the courtesy of contact from university or Utah System of Higher Education officials.
The actions by Utah Tech leadership, trustees and USHE officials seem to indicate that a toxic culture is not that big a deal. That belittlement and harassment of those who actually do their job and expose violations of laws is OK.
The state board has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that each of the state’s institutions of higher learning earns the confidence of faculty, staff, students and taxpayers.
A simple vote to stop paying their problems to go away is not enough.
