UNT president: Students won't suffer due to $75M scandal

Harry · September 28, 2014

DENTON -- The University of North Texas may have to repay more than $75 million that it was overpaid by the state.

UNT President Neal Smatresk isn't mincing words in taking accountability for years of bad accounting in the university's books.

"Were we non-compliant? Yes. Did we fail to follow proper state procedures?" Smatresk said. "We sure did."

A report from the state auditor shows UNT received more than $75 million more in funding than it should have by allegedly "manipulating payroll" and "paying employees with state funds when those employees were not eligible to be paid with state funds."

Read more: http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/education/2014/09/26/unt-state-funding-scandal-report/16246183/

greenit · September 28, 2014

Oh good. The chancellor will be handling negotiations to reduce the number. We are saved!

untbowler · September 28, 2014

Oh good. The chancellor will be handling negotiations to reduce the number. We are ROYALLY SCREWED

Fixed it

Stix · September 28, 2014

Fixed it

didn't need fixing, and it didn't even need a [sarcasm] tag - the tone it was obvious.

And... I agree

oldguystudent · September 28, 2014

What is Jackson's actual agenda? It seems everything he does is to the intentional detriment of UNT. Is he trying to kill Denton in favor of South Dallas? If there is any remote truth to that assertion, he really needs to find another line of work and right quick.

Rudy · September 28, 2014

As long as Jackson is in power, we ALL suffer.

He's kind of like the rash that just won't go away.

GreenMachine · September 28, 2014

As long as Jackson is in power, we ALL suffer.

He's kind of like the rash that just won't go away.

I never put 2 and 2 together but he is kinda like a STD.

Eagle1855 · September 28, 2014

I never put 2 and 2 together but he is kinda like a STD.

At least with an STD, there's a reasonable amount of enjoyment before you're given your sentence. What part of his tenure has been fun?

GreenMachine · September 28, 2014

At least with an STD, there's a reasonable amount of enjoyment before you're given your sentence. What part of his tenure has been fun?

very true, I am just thinking about the misery afterwards.

Rudy · September 29, 2014

So maybe an STD contracted through a needle? No enjoyment.

Ibleedgreen · September 29, 2014

What was wrong with calling it the University of North Texas School of Law in Dallas? Why must it be the University of North Texas at Dallas School of Law? Infuriating.

GL2Greatness · September 29, 2014

What was wrong with calling it the University of North Texas School of Law in Dallas? Why must it be the University of North Texas at Dallas School of Law? Infuriating.

because north Texas dallas is separate university from the one in Denton and the whole point was to have the unneeded law school eventually attached to the unneeded university in south dallas

because the whole purpose of lee and the other idiots is to use the financial backing/bonding ability of the Denton campus to secure funding for unneeded dallas economic development projects under the guise of "educational opportunity"

north Texas dallas was not needed when it was built and it is not needed now and the enrollment numbers and the repeated failures to meet often reduced "goals" proves that out......what was needed down there was a community college campus which is why a large portion of the space at north Texas dallas is used by community college students under an agreement with DCCCD

but corrupt and wasteful "my area" dallas politicians found a willing participant in the north Texas system and since that time they have been building more than is needed and wasting money with impunity and it comes at the expense and ability of the Denton campus to build and bond out their own projects

all system bonds are backed by ALL system institutions they are not independent of one another

so when a "calculated risk" is taken to build a building on south dallas that is larger than state formula funding would pay for and "belt tightening" occurs to pay for it......who do you think tightens their belt

when enrollment projections in both Denton and especially south dallas are not met who do you think feels the squeeze of that.....Denton that has needs and projects that are NEEDED

when the state does not cover the 25 million to renovate the UCD for the law school so the "system" does......who feels the squeeze of that.....Denton

when the "system" buys a residential building (against the recommendations of the THECB) and that residential building fails to attract enough student residents and then still fails to meet rental projections even when it is opened up to non-students......who covers that lack of projected income.....Denton

this is why even when the business building was needed the Denton campus had to raise a large amount of private money to build it.....because available bonding ability was all used up by dallas economic development projects

this is why when the student union was built some clown from the administration sold students (including those that will never use the new union) to pay a much larger union fee so that "greedy bankers" would not make money off of bonds......but down in south dallas they were bonding out that new building that was larger than formula funding called for and using "belt tightening" and "a calculated risk" to go ahead and build it......so it can be rented out to DCCCD mostly

this is why dorm and meal fees are going up so dramatially.....because the system is in a bind with total bonds let Vs total system income because of failed enrollment projections, "system" projects in dallas proper and now the financial improprieties......this is why the Denton campus had the "rent" jacked up by the "system" after the "system" bought the UCD building against the recommendations of the THECB

that is why Dr. B was fired.....because the "system" bought the UCD when there was no need to and the THECB said it was not a smart move.......the "system" is largely funded by the DENTON STUDENTS and then the "system" started spending a bunch of money on the UCD and elsewhere and Denton was handed increased "rent" for a building they were basically already paying for through the "system" purchase

The State of Texas does not fund "system" projects they fund SOME system administration and personnel cost.....all the rest of these "system" projects come on the backs of students in the system......and for the north Texas system that mostly means DENTON because TCOM is small and dallas is even smaller and failing massively to meet many times reduced enrollment projectons.....then there is the law school......again the VAST majority of the expenses of that are NOT state funded because of how the state funds "professional schools" like law ect

Denton is a source of bind backing for dallas economic development projects under the guies of "higher education needs"......get used to it it is only going to get worse

UNTLifer · September 29, 2014

Does he not report to the BOR? Doesn't the BOR have to answer to the alumni to some degree? I have yet to meet one person that is remotely happy with Jackson and can't understand why he is still employed as the Chancellor. It seems other school's alums are able to put pressure on school officials that don't perform, yet Jackson just continues to weaken our school. The law school mess, mkving the offices to Dallas, etc... He is a joke!

Cerebus · September 29, 2014

Does he not report to the BOR? Doesn't the BOR have to answer to the alumni to some degree? I have yet to meet one person that is remotely happy with Jackson and can't understand why he is still employed as the Chancellor. It seems other school's alums are able to put pressure on school officials that don't perform, yet Jackson just continues to weaken our school. The law school mess, mkving the offices to Dallas, etc... He is a joke!

The BOR are chosen by the Governor and they and Jackson are doing exactly what they were put there to do. Make sure NT can become "efficient" enough to handle 10,000 more students at a low a cost as possible for the state. That way the coming demographic surge can effect UT and aTm "quality" as little as possible.

UNT90 · September 29, 2014

The BOR are chosen by the Governor and they and Jackson are doing exactly what they were put there to do. Make sure NT can become "efficient" enough to handle 10,000 more students at a low a cost as possible for the state. That way the coming demographic surge can effect UT and aTm "quality" as little as possible.

So much this. Until we get more grads that actually care about UNT elected to state office, this will continue.

We have been the overflow university for years, and many, many people in Austin, including Slick Rick, want us to stay that way.

That's why the athletic fee was stripped. That's why the law school was taken away.

Cerebus · September 29, 2014

I got a -1 for that? I guess Lee Jackson does read this board.

UNT90 · September 29, 2014

Lord knows he doesn't do anything else for UNT.

Edited September 29, 2014 by UNT90

untjim1995 · September 29, 2014

The BOR is just fine with Lee Jackson--that's why he got extended. His role to them is to keep this place at a great "value" and to not do anything to hurt the Music, Arts, or Education Colleges within the university. Nothing else matters. The BOR rewards those who don't complain and do what they ask--keep costs down. If you want to argue this, then ask yourself how a guy could be in charge of a system that has been found to have taken $75 million dollars improperly and not get fired, not get fined, not even get his wrist slapped, but instead get an extension AFTER this has been made known to the public...then you can begin to understand why the premise above is the only one that makes sense. It is all about cost here--nothing more, nothing less. It always has been.