* From SIU Carbondale’s Daily Egyptian…
Chancellor Carlo Montemagno’s daughter and son-in-law were hired for university jobs created for them, that they never formally applied for and that were never advertised, documents show.
While the chancellor proposes campus-wide cuts, his daughter, Melissa Germain, and her husband, Jeffrey Germain, began working in newly created positions.
“It’s not unusual because that’s part of what you do to negotiate to get the people you want here,” Communications and Marketing Director Rae Goldsmith said of a verbal agreement between Montemagno and SIU President Randy Dunn to bring aboard family.
Faculty Association President Dave Johnson said spousal hires are not uncommon in academia. However, he said, this is the first time he has heard of an administrator bringing a child and her spouse on board.
“I’m not a lawyer and I don’t understand all the legalities involved, but I do take the ethics test on a yearly basis and it says you can’t hire people just because they’re family members,” Johnson said. “They have to be the best people for the position. It would be surprising if the new chancellor’s daughter and son-in-law suddenly became the best people for positions in the weeks and months after he was hired.”
Montemagno’s appointment was approved by the Board of Trustees on July 13. On July 24, Montemagno sent his daughter’s resume to Goldsmith, according to documents obtained by the Daily Egyptian. Two weeks later Melissa Germain signed her new contract, making her assistant director of university communications.
It’s difficult enough to advocate for the interests of higher education without stuff like this happening. They create two new jobs for the dude’s kid and son-in-law as part of his hiring package?
Do better, please.
*** UPDATE *** From the DE…
SIU’s Office of Internal Audit, Compliance and Ethics on Thursday opened two inquiries related to the hirings of Chancellor Carlo Montemagno’s daughter and son-in-law, as well as searches involving previous coworkers.
SIU President Randy Dunn also tried to explain why the two were hired…
But the decision to allow for this agreement was not easily reached, said Dunn, who added he was given a directive by the Board of Trustees that “I needed to do whatever I could to make this [hire] happen.”
After wrestling with this directive and coming to a consensus with the board that the decision was not illegal, unethical or immoral, Montemagno’s request was supported, he said.
“Legally, it looked like we were probably OK with a broad reading of nepotism law,” Dunn said. “Then I went ahead and moved forward.” […]
“We’ve had a campus that’s come through the worst two years fiscally speaking that it’s ever seen since its founding days,” Dunn said, referring to the budget impasse that left hundreds of positions at SIU unfilled. “In some cases, departments were barely hanging on, so to think that the irony that we’re going to bring in two new people for jobs that may or may not exist at that point was a tough one for me.”
- Sir Reel - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:08 am:
Just when people started feeling bad about plight of public universities in the state, SIU goes and does this.
- Not a Billionaire - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:09 am:
These administrators are taking over from the gov in destroying public higher ed.
- PJ - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:10 am:
The amount of money American universities spend on empty suits is staggering. If they aren’t professors or other people integral to the actual functions of research and student education … why are they employed?
- Flapdoodle - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:11 am:
==“It’s not unusual because that’s part of what you do to negotiate to get the people you want here,” Communications and Marketing Director Rae Goldsmith said of a verbal agreement between Montemagno and SIU President Randy Dunn to bring aboard family.==
34 years in higher ed at five universities around the country and this is the first time I’ve ever heard of an arrangement like this. A spouse, yes. But a daughter and (especially) a son-in-law?? Never. And In a job cut environment?? Very bad form.
- Perrid - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:14 am:
PJ, Universities do a lot more than just teach and we want them to do a lot more than just teach. Stories like this give everyone a bad name, but not all non-faculty jobs are useless.
- LXB - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:14 am:
The nepotism is bad, but interfering with faculty searches to get your cronies in (and then having them demand unprecedented start-up packages) is worse, IMO.
- Mike McFadden - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:16 am:
It appears the daughter and son in law got positions very where this guy went. Is this common practice? You actually see a lot of this nepotism in college athletics, especially football, but I didn’t believe it occurred administrativion or academia
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:16 am:
Spousal hires for open positions for which the spouse is fully qualified. Not exactly the same as creating a new job for a son or daughter. And this from a guy who is promoting himself as s change agent who will be reducing administrative bloat.
- PJ - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:20 am:
=== Universities do a lot more than just teach and we want them to do a lot more than just teach===
That’s why I said research and others integral to student education. Career counselors? Sure. Deans? Yes. People directly involved with improving the quality of the life for the student population are great.
But, sorry, administrative bloat is real. I went to the University of Michigan, where we have dozens and dozens of 6 figure administrators with no clear function. The deputy director for faculty communication who makes $120,000 per annum is being subsidized by comically bloated and unsustainable tuition prices. These people exist in a slowly bursting bubble.
- The Sheriff - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:21 am:
No way! Can’t be! I’ve been reading here for years how funding for the way too numerous state colleges and community colleges is essential to Illinois economic health.
This guy shouldn’t be president of SIU, he should be Cook County Assessor with that record of nepotism.
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:22 am:
What really troubles me about these kind of stories is the growing fear that my kids will never leave and I’ll have to deal with them all of their adult lives.
- DuPage Saint - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:22 am:
Meanwhile at the Illinois Tollway according to the Daily Herald:
It seems pretty clear that the Illinois Tollway got a bargain when it hired Laura Durkin as general manager of engineering. The previous person in that role was paid more than $120,000 a year; Durkin is making a little more than $80,000. But what’s not so clear is how well qualified Durkin is for a job she won over nine competing applicants.
Dan Proft ad to follow?
- Because I Said So.... - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:23 am:
This give all higher ed a black eye. It shouldn’t because it’s not happening on every campus.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:29 am:
Michelle, your comment just gave old AA another thing to worry about lol.
To the Post, I’m amazed that Randy Dunn, Blago’s State School Super, is still SIU President. Hinky deals like this aren’t gonna help his longevity.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:34 am:
This stinks to the roof. It betrays everyone who’s been fighting the gutting of state universities.
The whole lot of them should be sacked. They obviously ain’t got stuff for brains, pulling this stunt now.
Where have we been finding these university administrators in recent years, last call at the tavern? SIU, ISU, U of I, NIU, they’ve all had their kooks and grifters.
- Terry Salad - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:35 am:
“I’m not a lawyer and I don’t understand all the legalities involved, but I do take the ethics test on a yearly basis and it says you can’t hire people just because they’re family members,” Johnson said”
I take that same damn online ethics exercise every year. It is required by the State. What is it about Administrators that the lessons don’t sink in? Or, do they just believe the rules don’t apply to them?
No professor could do this (they can negotiate a position for a qualified spouse — not always a slam dunk). No professor could even try.
- Not It - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:36 am:
The House Higer Ed Committee should have a subject matter hearing into political and crony hiring at our universities.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:39 am:
===The House Higer Ed Committee should have a subject matter hearing into political and crony hiring at our universities.===
Lol, if they did, they’d probably learn that most of the political hiring and cronyism involves members of the General Assembly.
I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that hearing.
- Father Ted - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:42 am:
Right after taxpayers, I always feel worst for the spokespeople in these situations. There may or may not (most often the latter) be a reasonable explanation, but you’re in a no-win situation. You have to explain the (often) unexplainable and your bosses judge you on your ability to cover for their questionable decisions.
- Last Bull Moose - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:43 am:
This is not acceptable. The Trustees should have outside counsel review.
- Civil Service University Employee - disgrutled! - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:45 am:
When NEIU laid off 160 employees very few were administrators. Civil service staff do four jobs at once as a result. Departments have been merged. Six figure VPs remained untouched. Students are leaving because it takes too long to graduate due to teacher cuts made by chocking registration and class offerings to not allow room for expansion. Sharon Hahs ruined NEIU after a provosts’s gig at SIU where all the unions, faculty and staff, gave her a no-ciondidance vote. The incompetents get kicked upstairs or moved to better jobs at other locations and then hire the cronies, while us at the bottom who actually assist and speak to students worry if we will have a job when the next Springfield Budget Impasse begins.
- Rogue Roni - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:46 am:
What a hypocrite. Wanted to radically restructure and cut staff but in end is the biggest nepotist of all.
- Annonin' - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:49 am:
Guessin’ Dunn smarter than this, but lets give the GovJunk members of the board some credit for this kinky deal.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:52 am:
===Wanted to radically restructure and cut staff===
Ding ding ding. The knives are out for him precisely because he wants to radically restructure the faculty. He is threatening the status quo and that won’t be tolerated without a fight.
While it is SOP for spouses to be given jobs, it is odd that his daughter and her husband were hired, so that’s a target he put on his own back. I’m sure the Board OK’d this prior to hiring him, because it sounds like that was the arrangement at his previous school.
The knives are out for him, that’s to be expected. And he’s made himself an easier target by operating this way. But look at it this way: if he can successfully bend the faculty to his will, he won’t have any friends left. Having his wife and kids around will at least give him someone to have lunch with.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:53 am:
==administrative bloat is real==
It sure is, and Montemagno claims he will be slimming tand trimming administrative bloat. Now, we learn had two new admin positions created for his daughter and her husband. They aren’t filling open positions, they are filling NEW positions created just for them.
The whole article is worth reading. We learn that the son-in-law’s “hourly rate of $45 is more than twice as much as the pay of any other extra help position at the university in the last 10 years.” And that this is because he “was getting paid a considerably high salary at his previous Ingenuity Lab position so the university offered him a competitive salary.” Seriously? He’s following his father-in-law and wife, this is not a competitive situation, its a favor. If he and his spose don’t like the salaries offered, they can stay where they are.
It also appears that Montemagno is bringing in other friends and disrupting searches to pop in his preferred candidates AND give them extra sweet deals.
Great reporting by the Daily Egyptian! Still my favorite newspaper!
- Steve - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:55 am:
Hopefully public universities will eventually be federally taxed to make these situations more difficult to pull off. There is much waste in higher education … today..
- Anon III - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:58 am:
The sad reality for decades has been that politics is a family business in Illinois. Now, Universities also.
- Huh? - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 11:58 am:
Well as long as the job title wasn’t “Executive Associate Assistant Vice Chancellor”, I’m ok with the nepotism. /s PS. Actual 1980’s job title at UIC.
- Rich's Mom - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 12:08 pm:
You lose all your creds as a change agent when you do something like this.
- Domas - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 12:14 pm:
I must be even dumber than I look. SOP to give a job to the spouse??? Three posters here seem to be fine with that. How is that not nepotism as well, or at least gaming the system?
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 12:20 pm:
I’ve worked in higher ed for over 20 years in Illinois and have often defended policies and practices here, but this one turns my stomach and more but I’m sure my post would be blocked if I expressed my true feelings. It blows a hole in the credibility of all our public institutions and destroys morale for those who have to work there.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 12:21 pm:
===SOP to give a job to the spouse===
I’m not defending this instance, merely pointing out that there is a whole cottage industry involved with “executive recruitment” and a nice job for a spouse is a common part of the compensation package, just like a “relocation” bonus.
- Aldyth - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 12:29 pm:
Illinois career over in 3…2…1
- Scamp640 - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 12:30 pm:
I have been a strong advocate for higher education on this website. But the actions by Chancellor Montemagno are just wrong. What kind of leader engages in nepotism during periods of economic stress? This is just the worst kind of message to be sending out to the tax payers and legislators of Illinois.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 12:34 pm:
Domas - I can’t speak for all of higher ed as the policy varies from place to place, and does not even exist in some places, but there are usually some rules in place. They typically don’t create a new job for the spouse but fill an open slot, and the spouse does have to verify that he/she is qualified for the job. The spouse’s pay is in line with others of the same title/experience as well. If WIU or EIU wants to recruit a faculty member from one of the coasts, why on Earth would that person and his/her spouse want to move to Macomb or Charleston without a professional opportunity for the spouse as well?
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 12:35 pm:
==SOP to give a job to the spouse??? Three posters here seem to be fine with that. How is that not nepotism as well, or at least gaming the system?==
In a typical spousal hire, a spouse is given a preference for an open position they are fully qualified to take. This helps recruit faculty to college towns where the opportunities for an academic couple can be slim. Spousal hires are not guarantees of continued employment, they are more like a foot in the door. The spousal hire may not even be tenure-track; it might be a lecturer (non-tenure track with teaching-only load).
I have never heard of hiring offspring or other relatives. I’ve never heard of spousal hires getting a salary boost like the son-in-law received. I’ve never heard of new positions created for spouses. This is all new territory.
- Honeybear - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 12:38 pm:
Privilege right there. What made this guy think it was okay.
This is why we have unions to challenge this kind of bullcrap.
He needs to be fired not allowed to resign.
- Just Me - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 12:46 pm:
47th Ward - I think that was snark.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/28/madigan-son-in-law-jordan_n_829243.html
- Truckin' On - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 12:47 pm:
Dunn is way smarter than this one. Trustees forced the deal to get Montemagnano.
- Ginhouse Tommy - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 1:01 pm:
Poor leadership and self centered decisions like this are some of the reasons for the universities decline. They have no one to blame but themselves for the universities sad situation.
- G'Kar - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 1:13 pm:
Sad to say that there is nothing new here. Nepotism like this has long existed at SIUC. Not as high up as the Chancellor’s office, but in other staff positions, such as in the physical plant. Doesn’t make it right, though.
- Steve Rogers - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 1:14 pm:
Ugh. This SIUC alum is very disappointed. So combined, their salary is around $145,000, provided Mr. Germain works full time hours. Perhaps it’s time for the Germains to cut the cord and start to live their own lives rather than riding dad’s coattails at Cincinnati, Ingenuity, and now SIUC.
- Saluki - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 1:22 pm:
Randy Dunn should resign. The Chancellor should resign. Rae Goldsmith should resign. This is completely unacceptable. If $300,000 wasn’t enough to get the Chancellor, then we should have re-advertised the job opening. SIUC deserves serious leadership, not this type of half baked integrity eroding silliness.
- 13th - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 1:32 pm:
Is Dunn one of Govs superstars?
or maybe Dunn just following gov lead on hiring staff that have to create positions for
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 1:57 pm:
I lost my job at WIU to make room for a spousal hire. I had excellent teaching evaluations and they gave me good references when I applied elsewhere afterwards. But that was one case where a job wasn’t exactly created for a spouse, it was just ripped away from someone else.
- Old Carbondaler - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 1:59 pm:
===Guessin’ Dunn smarter than this, but lets give the GovJunk members of the board some credit for this kinky deal.===
The least kept secret in Carbondale is the fact that the C-dale trustees wanted Carlos as the savior for the university. Everybody in town knows he’s their guy and they did everything to get him there. Now we’re learning what that was. Yep, Dunn enabled it, but that’s on him. Your right @Anonin’ 11:49 Rauner put those trustees on there. Of course all haven’t gotten a Senate vote. May not now.
- Just Sayin' - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 2:00 pm:
The part of this that really smells is that Montemagno is using intimidation of SIU emps (holding the reorg plan over their heads) to hire his former coworkers. The board hired him and approved his contract after a long search and Dunn warning against it. Hope they’re proud of their new golden boy. SIU students deserve better than this!
- Salukitoo - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 2:02 pm:
Yet again - my poor(ly run) school.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 2:22 pm:
If this cat can stop SIUC from going extinct, then he can add about a dozen more relatives.
- pskila - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 2:23 pm:
My poor alma mater..hasn’t got it right in 25 years yet…
- Jimmy H - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 3:11 pm:
As a SIUC alum, I am stunned. I hope Randy Dunn didn’t have anything to do with the arrangement and it is the Board of Trustees completely to blame for this farce. Hearing about this just after learning of the rehiring of former coach Jerry Kill as an “ambassador”, with a sweet deal for him at $140,000 a year, totally stinks. Btw, there’s a former SIUC quarterback on the Board of Trustees… The demoralizing of the SIUC staff proceeds in overdrive. While staff have not had a raise in years they see sweet deals being handed out like candy at a parade. Not to mention that most staff have taken on additional job duties for the hundreds of positions left unfilled over the last several years.
In addition to these new revelations, Chancellor Carlo Montemagno’s tone deaf, if not belligerent, crusade to instigate his “vision” is creating negative consequences for SIUC students. Over the objections of staff and faculty, who actually know something about student needs, the Administration continues to hand down policy change ultimatums at the peril of the student body.
There was a time when the University emphasized fundamentals, how it has eroded into gimmicks and pie-in-the-sky gambles is beyond me. SIUC is fundamentally strong in many ways and it does not take some new scheme to build on that great foundation. Staff and faculty do great things at SIUC every day. They have an investment in the success of the University and its students. Chancellor Carlo Montemagno should recognize and respect this investment and learn about what is great about SIUC in order to build on these strengths instead of his current trajectory of throwing the baby out with the bath water.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 3:28 pm:
Jimmy II, Holy Cow that’s a lot of money for Ambassador Kill. What a morale killer, pardon the expression, for the rank and file.
If this is on the Board and not Dunn as folks are saying, then they need to go and Dunn needs to hunker down.
- Ryan - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 3:38 pm:
Just announced: SIU spring enrollment down 8.8%
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 3:54 pm:
It is the way government in Illinois works and that is the reason people are fleeing Madiganistan in droives
- Vote Quimby! - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 3:57 pm:
==Just announced: SIU spring enrollment down 8.8%==
Does that mean SIUE has passed SIUC? It’s awful close…
- Blue dog dem - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 4:16 pm:
Ryan@3:38. Think anyone at SIUC has been smart enough to ask the kids why they’re not enrolling? I have. It aint pretty.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 4:32 pm:
==It is the way government in Illinois works and that is the reason people are fleeing Madiganistan in droives==
Madigan! And the Board of Trustees he appointed!
(It appears Gov. Rauner’s staff has time to post on CapFax. LOL)
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 4:35 pm:
To the Update, Dunn didn’t just throw the Board under the bus, he backed up and ran ‘em over again. Wow.
- Annonin' - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 4:43 pm:
Hopefully Carlo dud not toss the boxes after unpacking
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 5:07 pm:
I guess Dunn didn’t get the memo that he was supposed to take the fall for this. We’ll see if the trustees start turning on each other now.
- blue dog dem - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 5:55 pm:
Apparently some micro-managing of our state universities is in order. I volunteer. And down here at SIUC, there will be more than two positions eliminated.
- Anon - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 7:17 pm:
The fact that the decision required some “wrestling” should have been a “red flag.”
- Anon - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 7:25 pm:
Is that Assistant Director or Assistant To the Director?
- cannon649 - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 8:16 pm:
Is this the reason he came to SIU - the story sticks and Carlos needs to get ahead of it or leave.
The more these (all of Illinois higher education) the worst this going look.
- Checkers - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 10:35 pm:
Bad for business. I feel sorry for the students,faculty/staff and community for the board hire of the chancellor. The search pool must have been pretty thin if he was the final decision. As an alum, this was a decision the board couldn’t afford to mess up and finally get some true stability in the chancellor role.
Meanwhile,SIU spring enrollment is down another 8.8%, but tuition continues to increase. Seems like a great marketing tool. EIU enrollment was up nearly 5% and they were in a much worse situation.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 1, 18 @ 10:47 pm:
==The search pool must have been pretty thin if he was the final decision.==
Or the Board wanted him for some other reason. It looks like Dunn and others wanted someone else. The Board answers to Rauner. It would be interesting to know who wanted this guy so bad…the Board or Rauner.