Monday, October 16, 2006
UW System can't control its spending, audit says
Another audit has shown that UW System President Kevin Reilly and the Board of Regents are out of control when it comes to spending the money of hard-working taxpayers and hard-working students.
Some of the highlights include:
- Faculty reported using considerably less sick leave than other types of staff.
- Many unclassified staff within UW System reported using little or no vacation time.
- Policy changes related to back-up positions will require continued scrutiny.
- Some consultants’ salaries exceeded the pay ranges for positions with similar responsibilities.
And the key facts:
- In 2005, 45.2 percent of all UW System employees who earned sick leave reported using none.
- Reported sick leave use by UW System employees declined since 2003.
- In 2005, retirees from UW System generally converted more sick leave to health insurance credits than other state employees did.
- Back-up or concurrent positions provide job protections for limited appointees.
- Despite policy changes, the number of employees with back-up positions is unlikely to decrease rapidly.
- In September 2005, 134 unclassified UW System staff had the position title of consultant.
Of course, this being released during election season means that everyone will have an opinion on it.
Future Gov. Mark Green, a graduate of UW-Eau Claire and UW-Madison linked the audit's finding to soon-to-be-jobless Jim Doyle.
Jim Doyle can try and pass the buck all he wants, but he appoints the Board of Regents, he’s the governor and he’s sat by as these scandals continue to unfold.
If Jim Doyle had made accountability and oversight his priorities at the UW instead raising tuition for Wisconsin kids by 50 percent and trying to hand tuition breaks to illegal immigrants, we wouldn't be in this mess.
Green is right. It starts at the governor, then trickles down to the Board of Regents, then to System administration, then to the chancellors at the individual campuses. It is the job of the Board of Regents to make system policies so that abuse like this doesn't take place.
Of course, long-time critic Rep. Steven Nass (R-Whitewater) is also upset at the finding. (And rightfully so.)
The audit findings clearly suggest abuse of sick leave and vacation reporting equirements. It also verifies suspicions regarding the use of back-up positions as a golden parachute. However, the entire audit is proof that the Board of Regents and UW System administrators have failed to perform their managerial duties
...
The UW System spin machine will do everything possible to downplay the serious problems identified by the audit. The bigger question is how the legislature will respond to this audit. I hope that the UW apologists within the legislature will now join with those of us fighting for reforming the UW System.
Reforming the UW System is right. It should start during the 2007-09 budget cycle, and the legislature should legislate removing the Board of Regents as an executive appointed board to an elected board--much like how school boards are elected in local governments. That way the Regent is held responsible to the people--not the governor.
The spin machine that is always turning in Van Hise Hall in Madison says that UW System Administration is taking the necessary steps already to fix the problems in the finding.
"The university's work with the Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) on this report signifies our commitment to being responsive to requests from legislators and others for clarification of UW System employment policies and practices," Reilly said. He pointed out that the LAB report reinforces several recent Board of Regents actions to reform personnel policies and practices and that the report "is another step in our ongoing process to improve our accountability in this area.
"UW employees consistently exceed my high expectations of them," Reilly noted. "Their roles in cutting-edge research, quality teaching, and exceptional public service are central to the future competitiveness, economic health, and reputation of this state. We will ensure that our employment policies both encourage that work and assure Wisconsin citizens that public dollars are well spent in support of it.
Is it any wonder why there is so much tension between the UW System and the legislature? No one in the System is smart enough for even small reform measures. If they get the reform as Nass suggests, how will these Regents and Administration react? Afterall, both of them can't understand that don't keep raising tuition while top-level executives get pay raises.
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