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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Please post the article below. Thanks, </span></font></p>
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12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Don Harter</span></font></p>
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12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>June 22, 2005<br>
<?/bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily><?fontfamily><?param Times New Roman><?bigger><?bigger> <br>
<?/bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily><?fontfamily><?param Times New Roman><?bigger><?bigger>Interesting
Solutions to UI’s Budget Shortfall<br>
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Resulting from the University of Idaho’s use of the “golden
parachute” during a financial crisis, an interesting situation evolved at
Auburn University (AU). As reported in Vera White’s excellent column<?color><?param 0000,0000,8080>s<?/color>
in the April 8<?color><?param 0000,0000,8080> and May 27<?/color> <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>Daily News</span></i>, faculty in the College of
Agriculture had been in limbo for weeks, asking department leaders and
officials about the whereabouts of Michael J Weiss, dean of agriculture at
Auburn University.<br>
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Weiss was named dean July 16, 2004. He had resigned from a professorship
at the University of Idaho in 2003, citing “personal reasons” and
“health concerns”<?color><?param 0000,0000,8080> as reported in
UI’s November 12 news release<?/color>. <br>
<?/bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily><?fontfamily><?param Times New Roman><?bigger><?bigger>
On March 15, <?color><?param 0000,0000,8080>an Alabama<?/color> <?color><?param 0000,0000,8080>community
<?/color>newspaper<?color><?param 0000,0000,8080>, the <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>Opelika-Auburn News</span></i>, <?/color>reported
that Weiss was “under investigation” and had been put on
administrative leave, according to a statement issued by AU Interim President
Ed Richardson.<br>
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Weiss joined the UI faculty in 1998 as a professor of entomology and head of
the Department of Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences. He was named
acting head of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences March 1, 2003, and
was appointed to the permanent position on June 2, following a national
search. He returned to a faculty position until heading for AU.<br>
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However, after Weiss returned to a faculty role, former Provost Brian Pitcher
gave Weiss a “golden parachute” by granting him four months of
administrative leave with pay. Remember now that UI then was experiencing
a major budget crisis.<br>
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UI’s cover story of “personal and health reasons” was less
than completely truthful. I make the following allegation. Weiss
was under fire at UI for the same kind of concerns now being investigated by AU.<br>
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When terminating UI faculty and staff it is illegal to give severance pay but
it is legal to offer a “golden parachute”. In this regard,
the competency of Weiss in managing the budget shortfall was equal to that of
Pitcher.<br>
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Weiss, during his tenure as Dean, gave final approval to offer a “golden
parachute” to Shelly Thrope, County Extension Educator, prior to her UI
resignation. She received five months of administrative leave with
pay. The cover story circulated within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences was that Ms. Thrope needed five months to regain her health.<br>
<?/bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily><?fontfamily><?param Times New Roman><?bigger><?bigger> <br>
<?/bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily><?fontfamily><?param Times New Roman><?bigger><?bigger>Dr.
Don Harter<br>
<?/bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily><?fontfamily><?param Times New Roman><?bigger><?bigger>1129
E. 7<?/bigger><?/bigger><?x-tad-bigger>th<?/x-tad-bigger><?bigger><?bigger>
St.<br>
<?/bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily><?fontfamily><?param Times New Roman><?bigger><?bigger>Moscow,
ID 83843-3721<br>
<?/bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily><?fontfamily><?param Times New Roman><?bigger><?bigger>E_mail:
<a href="mailto:dharter@moscow.com"><?color><?param 0000,0000,FFFF>dharter@moscow.com</a></span></font></p>
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