Bad. The devastating state audit, long expected to be full of bad news, was every bit of that based on the detailed account in today’s Democrat-Gazette. More improper expenditures on athletics (with money laundered through the school’s PR firm). More questions about bonuses to former President Lu Hardin. New questions about cash advances to the prestigious campus resident, Oxford American.
Questions have been referred for prosecutorial review, not a finding of guilt but not a good report card.
A question arises from all this: What was the university attorney reviewing while the scholarshp funny business and housing funny business and the website funny business (mentioned by a Blog reader here months ago) and all the etc. going on? He’s Tom Courtway, currently UCA interim president. Presumably, it was all hidden from him and he’s as squeaky clean as all his admirers and promoters for state lottery czar insist. But didn’t he ever have the slightest suspicion something was amiss in what looks for all the world like a big collegiate Ponzi scheme?