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* Um, wouldn’t it be better if they just worked out their problems with the guy and keep him around? I mean, for crying out loud the university has been screaming about the lack of money for well over a year, just laid off a ton of staff, and now they’re gonna shell out big bucks to get rid of a guy who has received high marks from faculty and other leaders? This makes no sense…
Sources: severance for outgoing #CSU president Calhoun, let go after 9 months on job, could be as high as $600,000 #ChicagoTonight
— Paris Schutz (@paschutz) September 15, 2016
…Adding… Some back story…
Faculty members say Calhoun’s hands were tied when he was hired. The board of trustees created a four-person management team that consisted of Calhoun and three other administrators that would make all the administrative decisions. The professors we spoke to say those other administrators are close with the trustees and with the university’s former president, Wayne Watson – whose own tenure was marked by scandal, but who was being paid severance and is currently on the board. They believe Watson and other trustees wanted to call the hiring and spending shots, and that Calhoun suffered from one fatal flaw.
…Adding More… Tribune…
Rauner said this week that his administration will look closely at appointing new trustees to the board. Four trustees’ terms are up in January.
“I’m still trying to sort out, our team’s trying to sort out, exactly what’s going on there,” Rauner said Thursday. “We’re going to do a thoughtful process to try to find highly qualified individuals to serve on that board. The second thing I’ll say is, Chicago State is a very important institution. We’d like to see them do well. I would like to be very supportive of them. But in the past, for many years, they’ve had management problems and they’ve had significant financial difficulties. And I’d like to see them better run.”
*** UPDATE *** Done deal…
Trustees at financially troubled Chicago State University voted Friday to approve a separation agreement with President Thomas Calhoun Jr. that includes a $600,000 payment.
The vote was 6-1 to accept Calhoun’s resignation. Trustees are scheduled to choose an interim president later Friday.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:36 am
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this is an outrage.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:40 am
The corrupt board and their cronies can’t help themselves. Such an embarrassing situation. I feel for the students. Can’t pin this one on Rauner. Hopefully he intervenes and figures out a way to take control of the situation.
Comment by Chicagonk Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:40 am
This makes me intensely crabby.
Comment by Honeybear Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:41 am
Unreal. Governor Rauner what is going on ? Why the urgency to get rid of this guy at all costs ? There must be some public disclosure to explain why. The lack of transparency is not helpful.
At least COD had well documented reasons to get rid of Robert Waterleaf Breuder.
Comment by siriusly Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:43 am
If you look at his CV, he’s simply not qualified to be a college/university president. He never should have been hired.
Comment by Ryan Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:45 am
This is why we can’t have nice things
Comment by AlfondoGonz Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:46 am
The CSU Board is playing right into the hands of the people who want to put them out of business. That’s on the Board, alone.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:47 am
Fumigate that Board.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:48 am
“Calhoun suffered from one fatal flaw. He’s not politically connected in Chicago…”
That kind of says it all. It didn’t help that they most recently fires president was still on their board of trustees. Calhoun was on his way out there door before he walked in for the first time. He just didn’t know it yet.
Comment by Huh? Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:52 am
===Can’t pin this one on Rauner.===
When Rauner uses this… mess… as one of many excuses to close CSU, Rauner will still own the closing of a state university.
Pouncing on this now, Rauner will look “predatory”, not statesman-like.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:54 am
—
Pouncing on this now, Rauner will look “predatory”, not statesman-like.
—
No future tense needed, no simile necessary.
Rauner *is* predatory. And that’s exactly why he’s no statesman.
Comment by Bobby Catalpa Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 9:56 am
Pouncing on this now, Rauner will look “predatory”, not statesman-like.
I agree OW. But what is the Guv’s nature? I would say the former and assume there will be a statement issued exploiting this situation for his political ends.
Comment by Henry Francis Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:00 am
Where are the GA hearings on this? What power does the Governor have to intervene?
It is difficult to believe that fiduciary duty is not being breached with this action.
Comment by Last Bull Moose Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:00 am
===No future tense needed, no simile necessary.===
Considering Rauner hasn’t done anything here currently, I think, no, I know, I’m happy with why tense usage.
“Don’t wait for it to happen. Don’t even want it to happen. Just watch what does happen.” Officer Jim Malone
Thanks.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:01 am
And, I, too, am happy: Rauner *is* predatory. No need to wait for the future to prove it.
Comment by Bobby Catalpa Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:02 am
The Chicago State University Board of Trustees is loaded with Quinn appointees who are aligned with Wayne Watson. Rauner appointed only one member of the current board.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:02 am
I agree with Rich’s opening statement. But Senator Donne Trotter disagrees, and I, for one, would like to hear more from the Senator on exactly why he is so eager to throw Calhoun under the bus. Calhoun came into a contentious situation, and Rauner’s “fiscal management plan” did not help the situation one iota. Hopefully more sunshine will be thrown by the press, students, and other supporters of CSU on those who are driving CSU toward the cliff intentionally.
From the posted article:
One lawmaker close to the school, state Sen. Donne Trotter (D-Chicago) disagrees. He says the president and the board simply didn’t see eye to eye, and that Calhoun couldn’t handle the fact that the school was running out of money.
“They need a so-called ‘war time’ president, given the state of affairs, and that wasn’t Calhoun,” Trotter said.
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:05 am
Votes are in- 6-1, and he has resigned…
http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/chicago-state-university-signs-off-on-presidents-departure/
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:09 am
Tone deaf board with delusions that they can bail themselves out by crying racism whenever someone calls them out on incredibly poor decisions.
Comment by phocion Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:09 am
Calhoun was a great hire for CSU. Someone without local politics and who genuinely just wanted what was best for the institution. But he was never even able to even be the actual President. He didn’t get to do the job he moved here for. You’re not the president of a university if you need sign-off from multiple subordinates in order to decide who you hire and fire. Sadly, this is only the most recent example of the depths of corruption, politics and incompetence that have for too long crippled an institution which could and should be a beacon of opportunity for so many.
Comment by DownStateGrl Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:10 am
===If you look at his CV, he’s simply not qualified to be a college/university president. He never should have been hired.===
https://www.csu.edu/president/presidentbio.htm
Looks like he has administrative experience at several academic institutions. That’s stronger qualifications than Purdue and Iowa’s Presidents last time I checked.
Comment by Graduated College Student Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:13 am
The university is struggling, but it will soon be paying two years of severance pay to its newest former president (Calhoun) and undeserved salary to its scandal plagued prior president (Watson) and a salary to an interim president.
The entire board of trustees needs to be replaced.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:15 am
===No need to wait for the future to prove it.===
So “Because Rauner”? Ugh.
As the resident “Rauner Apologist”, waiting to see the Administration’s reaction, (if there is any today) might seem prudent.
To the Post,
===“I’m still trying to sort out, our team’s trying to sort out, exactly what’s going on there,” Rauner said Thursday. “We’re going to do a thoughtful process to try to find highly qualified individuals to serve on that board. The second thing I’ll say is, Chicago State is a very important institution. We’d like to see them do well. I would like to be very supportive of them. But in the past, for many years, they’ve had management problems and they’ve had significant financial difficulties. And I’d like to see them better run.”===
That’s a statesman’s response for this specific moment. It just is. Now let’s see if his actions mirror these thoughtful words.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:20 am
A “softer, gentler” Rauner??? Or, just all part of the plan to make CSU “better run”???
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/01/21/rauner-says-chicago-state-university-throwing-money-down-the-toilet/
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:22 am
—
As the resident “Rauner Apologist”, waiting to see the Administration’s reaction, (if there is any today) might seem prudent.
—
Huh?
Anyway, I suspect(ed) the ‘Adding More…’ update is what’s happening. Which is why — yep … you guessed it.
Thanks.
Comment by Bobby Catalpa Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:23 am
I’m the resident Rauner Apologist…
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:26 am
From the CSU Faculty Voice site:
http://csufacultyvoice.blogspot.com/
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:27 am
Why do we keep funding this money pit?
Comment by Ron Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:33 am
Dont we taxpayers pay something like $100,000 for a secretary for his wife? How much for his so-called superstars?
Most people have smartphones with a calendar on them. Doesnt she?
Please spare me the faux outrage.
Comment by Randy Novatino Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:35 am
They need somebody that nobody sent AFTER they get the board straightened out. Pretty sure Rauner won’t pounce right now. Too close to the election. Might want votes more than points right now.
Comment by Sense of a Goose Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:36 am
You know who this also doesn’t help? The House black caucus. They played hardball to get more money for CSU and will surely have this thrown back at them at some point.
Comment by Big Muddy Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:48 am
The fired president still on the Board? Whoever agreed to that needs to be gone. Paying the last pres, now paying the newest last pres, and going to be paying someone to step in. Excellent financial choices when bucks are dropping fast. There could couldn’t possibily be any politics here, could there?
Comment by zatoichi Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 10:50 am
–If you look at his CV, he’s simply not qualified to be a college/university president. He never should have been hired.–
Other than the fact that they are throwing money at former presidents like drunken sailors, why would anyone qualified want that job?
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 11:01 am
Correction: former CSU President Watson is still on campus with an office and a salary compliments of his supine followers on the board of trustees. He retired on his own terms, but still exercises considerable influence on the administration and his cronies were working to undermine his successor Calhoun, so a Watson candidate could be installed at a later date. That will probably occur later today.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 11:01 am
“We’re going to do a thoughtful process to try to find highly qualified individuals to serve on that board.”
Well that sounds like the days of the 4 members up in January are numbered. We’ll see if the new blood does better.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 11:12 am
>Why do we keep funding this money pit?
This and others are the questions on which we should be having the debate. Do we need all of our state universities and, if so, what should be the purpose of each. Do we need to provide the social services we have now and fund them in the way we do now? Is the state government run in an effective and efficient manner. At what level of benefits and wages do we want our state workforce paid? These are some fantastic issues on which to debate.
Instead, we have Rauner destroying these things and distracting people from his actions very effectively on both counts. So much could be done for the state if we fought it all out openly, including work comp and other reforms, and completed a grand bargain that will bring the state into financial stability.
Comment by Earnest Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 11:14 am
Dr. Calhoun was the right hire for CSU. The BOT let him go without cause. Students, faculty, and staff are outraged. CSU is not a money pit. That is an insult to the students, faculty, and staff who work hard to provide services. It is “led” by people with power who have their own agenda. The entire BOT needs to be removed so the school has a chance to achieve its mission.
Comment by Anon Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 11:26 am
Earnest, those are some nice words. Unfortunately, they’re just words. When did the Democrats ever seriously consider cutting social services when they controlled Springfield for 12 years? When did they seriously consider making meaningful reforms to a workers compensation system that still is among the costliest in the nation? There is a debate now. Now that the Democrats have to actually face one. To blame Rauner is silly. His victory scared the Democrats enough for them to finally acknowledge that the system is broken.
Comment by phocion Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 11:36 am
When Chicago State University conducted its most recent graduation ceremony (the university has an 11% graduate rate), the guest speaker was Pat Quinn!
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 11:44 am
===To blame Rauner is silly.===
No Illinois Governor since 1857 funded Higher Ed at a lever of… ZERO.
Not one.
Blaming Rauner for exacerbating a situation to close state universities is ALL on Rauner.
Oh, to be crystal clear…
You don’t fund things at a level of zero you want… as a governor. Ever.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 11:49 am
Chicago State University received $20 million in Stop Gap money.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 11:56 am
Hmm… Stopgap, not budgeted or signed.
Rauner signed K-12 funding and vetoed everything, including Higher Ed.
Rauner chose… no money for Higher Ed…
Until the stopgap, which isn’t a Rauner budget.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:01 pm
OW - What are you going on about? Which state university has closed? Where has Rauner said he wanted to close Chicago State?
Comment by Chicagonk Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:09 pm
- Chicagonk -
Rauner himself has refused to fund Higher Ed.
If you can explain how a governor funds something at a level of zero… and wants that “something” to exist, have at it, LOL
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:14 pm
If enrollment at Chicago State continues to decline, it may be a moot point point before Rauner acts. How many other state universities have enrollments of fewer than 3,600?
The ratio of faculty and administrators at Chicago State University is insane! One administrator for every 18 students; one faculty member for every 13 students.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:35 pm
I have no further interest in CSU being “saved”. It is not an institution of higher learning by any stretch. A degree from there has little value to employers. Close it down and help current students matriculate at another Illinois school. The ridiculous decision making, accreditation issues, and board scandals coupled with an unconscionably poor graduation rate makes it easy to see that students from that community who want to better themselves would be much much better served elsewhere.
Comment by Responsa Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 12:40 pm
-If enrollment at Chicago State continues to decline, it may be a moot point point before Rauner acts. How many other state universities have enrollments of fewer than 3,600?-
How many state universities with enrollment below 5,000 have a $38m, 7,000 seat basketball arena (which never draws more than 2,000) named after Emil Jones?
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 1:06 pm
$600,000 is outrageous. I would agree to not be president of CSU or even UIUC for less than half of that amount.
“Voluntarily” paying that much may come back to haunt them. They might have done better for the university to simply fire him (or accept his resignation) with zero severance, knowing that they were going to get sued and lose and probably pay a lot more in severance and attorneys fees, but that would have avoided the appearance of a bunch of corrupt insiders looking after their own in the middle of a budget crunch that is harming so many others.
Comment by Whatever Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 1:08 pm
Yes, and the Chicago State Cougars basketball team plays in the Western Athletic Conference which requires the team to travel to the Rocky Mountains and the West Coast constantly for road games.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 1:11 pm
The Trustees of all Illinois public universities should be turned over ASAP. The tone-deaf and irresponsible financial decisions of these hacks are reprehensible. Eminent domain in concert with a private real estate developer at Northeastern Illinois University, fraud at College of DuPage, crazy severance at Chicago State. BTW, does anyone get that the average middle class family in Illinois only pays about $2,500 in state income tax. That means nearly 250 families had to pay for one appointee’s severance package. Let the guy quit for no severance or let him take an unpaid leave of absence for the rest of his term if he’s that bad. But why pay him out? This is misuse of public money, plain and simple.
Comment by Oh Really? Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 1:57 pm
While education funding and this ridiculous payout are two separate issues, it is hard to sympathize when this happens. How can the board possibly think this is a good thing after the College of DuPage debacle?
Comment by DuPage Dolt Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 3:46 pm
I can say with 100% accuracy that this is not on Rauner and there is no secret reason Calhoun had to leave. This is Trustee Nikki Zollar protecting her friends who Calhoun wanted to fire, with good reason.
Comment by Signal & Noise Friday, Sep 16, 16 @ 3:59 pm