Texas Southern University President Dr. Priscilla Slade has been accused of misusing school funds for personal expenses, in a situation similar to the misuse of American University funds by former President Benjamin Ladner.
Slade was fired by the university for allegedly spending state funds amounting to $86,000 on furnishing her home, $138,000 on landscaping and exterior improvements and $56,000 on security-related equipment and labor, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The case with Slade is similar to that of Ladner, who spent $517,000 of university funds for vacations, a personal chef and catered food, as previously reported in The Eagle.
Unlike AU, where Ladner spent university funds, Slade spent state funds because TSU is a state school funded by taxpayers' money.
Slade has appealed the firing, saying some of the funds were necessary to entertain donors.
Winifred King, communications director at TSU, said Slade, like Ladner, claimed she was using the funds to entertain donors for the university. Due to Slade's donors, TSU moved from a state-supported to a state-assisted school, which receives more private funding and less state funding, King said.
"In order to make the money, you really have to spend it," King said, noting that at times, "the lines were becoming very blurry."
Because TSU does not provide its president with housing, Slade was building a new home closer to campus, King said. Slade invited a member of the Board of Regents to see her home, who commented on her nice furnishings. Slade replied that the university had paid for the furnishings.
King said the university had paid for the furnishings, but the decision was made without the board's approval. Slade defended herself, saying she didn't think the board's approval was necessary because she considered the house an extension of her university office, she said.
Slade was also within the dollar amount that did not need the board's approval. Slade spent reportedly $86,000 on her furnishings, which is under the $100,000 limit necessary for the board's approval.
The landscaper Slade hired accidentally sent the bill to the university and not Slade. Since the university used the same landscaper, they paid for the bill, King said.
The Board of Regents plans to terminate Slade's presidency; however, her contract entitles her to a hearing first, King said. Slade is appealing the firing, but is technically still president, King said. However, she is currently suspended with pay until a court date is set.
Since Slade's suspension, TSU's provost, Dr. Bobby Wilson, has stepped in to take care of the day-to-day operations of the university, King said.
Because TSU is mostly a commuter school, "there has not been much of an outcry one way or the other from the students," King said.
"When students are living on campuses, they tend to be more active, involved and vocal," King said. "[At TSU,] they do have lives outside of the university ... and tend to not pay as close attention as other universities."
AU students had strong feelings about Ladner's misuse of school funds.
Miriam Wood, a freshman in the School of International Service, said, "I think the events occurring show the need for greater transparency for the budget. Greater accountability is needed."
King said Slade accomplished some positive changes during her time as TSU's president, citing enrollment increases and more building construction.
TSU's Board of Regents is selected by the governor, unlike AU's board of trustees, whose members are appointed by the board itself. Also, unlike AU, TSU has a student representative who attends Board of Regents meetings, although the student is not a voting member, according to King.
King said that compared to AU's board of trustees, at TSU, "there is a lot more scrutiny because this is taxpayer money." King also said the Board of Regents' meetings are open to the public unless they deal with personnel or litigation.
Another large difference between AU and TSU is the president's salaries, considering AU and TSU are similarly sized schools with a student bodies of approximately 11,000 students each. The Eagle previously reported that Ladner was paid $633,000 in 2004, compared to Slade's salary of $250,000 in 2005, according to King.
Michael Blumenthal, a freshman in the Kogod School of Business, said he believes these presidents should be held more accountable for their spending, but the university is partially at fault.
"[The university] need[s] to clearly define the borders of what university presidents can spend," Blumenthal said. "It's all about accountability. It's not about the specific rules, it's about the rules being enforced"
