University of Missouri defends $2.4M in extra payments for top administrators after critical audit

[TexasTowelie]

University of Missouri officials and State Auditor Nicole Galloway offered different interpretations Monday of an audit questioning the legality of $1.2 million in incentive money paid to administrators since July 1, 2014.

"These actions show a complete lack of awareness from a group of administrators who have forgotten who they serve," Galloway said during a news conference about the audit's findings in her Jefferson City office. "System leaders must work to accept responsibilities for their actions and regain the public's confidence instead of listing off excuses."

In response, the university defended the incentive program and criticized Galloway for focusing on an off-payroll program that has paid out $2.4 million over the past three years after spending most of last year on an audit of all system administration activities.

The incentive payments to 18 top UM System and campus administrators ranged from $23,574 to Board of Curators Secretary Cindy Harmon to $120,694 for General Counsel Steve Owens. Among top administrators, only interim President Mike Middleton did not receive any incentive payments.

Read more: http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/education/university-of-missouri-defends-million-in-extra-payments-for-top/article_3900db36-0206-11e7-b9be-db9badbdb541.html

[Bozvotros]

1. Article indicates this is common university practice

And it is. While tuition, books and room and board costs are exploding they are reducing tenured professors, making it harder to get tenure, hiring contract associate "professors" with no benefits, increasing class size including more internet and video classrooms, milking student athletes for all they are worth, raking in large tax break endowments and rewarding big donors with free tickets, box seats etc.

All universities should be audited with a special emphasis on bonuses and incentives and how they get disbursed to administrators and regents.