FCSJ President Steve Wallace's "economic sacrifice"

[tufsu1]

All I can say is wow...

Florida State College at Jacksonville President Steve Wallace said he has decided to resign in an email to board members early Tuesday and asked for their fairness in determining a “soft landing.”

“I know all of you are committed to fair treatment out of respect for my 15 years of successful leadership at the College and in recognition of the economic sacrifice my family and I will now make,” Wallace said in the email sent at 12:02 a.m.

But Wallace’s decision doesn’t mean he would leave immediately or sever ties with the college. Wallace asked the board to read a proposed contract he attached before the meeting that offers him the title of president emeritus and would keep him on through June 2014. He also wants to keep use of his car through January 2014, and is asking for salary of $477,000 between January and the following June.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-10-09/story/fscj-president-steve-wallace-resigns-email-special-meeting

[Dog Walker]

And all I can say is, "fuggetaboutit"!

[acme54321]

$477k!!!  Some resignatinon.

[TheCat]

Time line of events from Jacksonville.com

http://news.jacksonville.com/specials/fscjtimeline.html

The proposed contract:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/109468258/Proposed-contract-by-Steve-Wallace-to-the-FSCJ-board

[Tacachale]

All I can say is wow...

Florida State College at Jacksonville President Steve Wallace said he has decided to resign in an email to board members early Tuesday and asked for their fairness in determining a “soft landing.”

“I know all of you are committed to fair treatment out of respect for my 15 years of successful leadership at the College and in recognition of the economic sacrifice my family and I will now make,” Wallace said in the email sent at 12:02 a.m.

But Wallace’s decision doesn’t mean he would leave immediately or sever ties with the college. Wallace asked the board to read a proposed contract he attached before the meeting that offers him the title of president emeritus and would keep him on through June 2014. He also wants to keep use of his car through January 2014, and is asking for salary of $477,000 between January and the following June.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-10-09/story/fscj-president-steve-wallace-resigns-email-special-meeting

this man transformed our community college system into a giant in this community that has been emulated and studied around the world.

And we are driving him out, why?

+1.

[Steve_Lovett]

All I can say is wow...

Florida State College at Jacksonville President Steve Wallace said he has decided to resign in an email to board members early Tuesday and asked for their fairness in determining a “soft landing.”

“I know all of you are committed to fair treatment out of respect for my 15 years of successful leadership at the College and in recognition of the economic sacrifice my family and I will now make,” Wallace said in the email sent at 12:02 a.m.

But Wallace’s decision doesn’t mean he would leave immediately or sever ties with the college. Wallace asked the board to read a proposed contract he attached before the meeting that offers him the title of president emeritus and would keep him on through June 2014. He also wants to keep use of his car through January 2014, and is asking for salary of $477,000 between January and the following June.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-10-09/story/fscj-president-steve-wallace-resigns-email-special-meeting

this man transformed our community college system into a giant in this community that has been emulated and studied around the world.

And we are driving him out, why?

Stephen, I think it partially at least due to the following, I suppose (excerpted from Jacksonville.com):

This year, problems including questionable spending by Wallace, outside audits and reports on college operations and problems with financial aid for students have plagued FSCJ.

On Sept. 30, Gov. Rick Scott called for a “top-down” review. The previous week, the head of the state Senate Higher Education Committee, Sen. Steve Oelrich, said a grand jury should investigate FSCJ’s finances.

“I have reviewed key findings associated with recent audits of FSCJ and am concerned that lack of management and financial oversight has hurt students at the college,” Scott said. “Such findings negatively impact the school, the taxpayers and the programs necessary to help students find the best jobs in the workforce.” Visible problems emerged with a state audit issued in January that brought to light several operational issues.

The auditor general’s office deemed illegal a provision in Wallace’s contract to transfer leftover sick pay into his vacation, meaning he would be paid money if he left the college. His contracted severance pay of one year’s salary was also more than state law allowed.

Both of those sections of Wallace’s contract were changed, but Wallace’s reputation was tarnished when a Senate committee harshly questioned the high number of findings in the audit.

In March, another audit found problems with FSCJ’s financial aid appeals process that by September cost the college $4.7 million. The college’s financial aid workers approved almost 1,700 appeals to award Pell Grants or loans to students who did not qualify. The college has since asked students to provide paperwork proving they should have received the federal money or pay it back. Jacksonville attorney Bill Scheu, who was hired to examine the financial aid problems, blamed a lax culture and little staff training. He told the college that 12 staffers placed on temporary contracts since June should not be fired.

“I don’t think I’m going to assess any blame,” Scheu said in August. “I’ll just say there were institutional failures.”

At FSCJ’s October board meeting, all 12 kept their jobs but four were suspended for two weeks. The director of financial aid, Michele Bowles, was demoted to associate director of financial aid operations. Steve Bowers, the vice president of administrative services with oversight of financial aid, said this month that he would retire in June.

In April, Wallace suspended an associate vice president who did more damage to his public image when she accused FSCJ leadership of ethical breaches and mismanagement. College officials said Celine McArthur’s performance was a problem before she sent letters alleging cover-ups and wasteful spending to the governor, the college system chancellor and Wallace himself. Citing the cost of litigation, the board cancelled an administrative hearing to fire McArthur and reinstated her pay until her contract expired in June.

A Times-Union report in July showed Wallace spent about $187,000 during two years on dining and drinks, travel, technology and other job-related expenses. Wallace also asked the college’s foundation to fund $16,000 in charitable donations often made in his name. Wallace blamed clerical errors and said he did not get any credit for the donations or claim them on his personal taxes.

Board Chairman Jim McCollum changed college policy on Wallace’s spending, and McCollum required Wallace to clear travel and hospitality expenses with him in advance.

“One thing I learned long ago, probably in the military first, is you don’t have your boss surprised,” McCollum told the Times-Union in July. “I’ve been surprised a lot lately. So however we be sure that doesn’t happen again, we will take those steps.”

Tallahassee-based consulting firm MGT of America released a report in September that suggested the board continue that policy change. The report also showed that most of Wallace’s cabinet members were negative or neutral on his management practices, though he was rated very positively for job knowledge.

[Tacachale]

No doubt there are problems over there that should never have gotten so bad. However a lot of it has been overblown by the press, who've seized on every negative thing that's happened at the school while leaving out the many positives. It's really too bad.

[Steve_Lovett]

Stephen,

I don't know what's right or wrong here. I know Steve, and know he's elevated the profile of FSCJ big time. He's done a lot with the Chamber, Rotary, and other civic organizations and he has a lot of friends in the community.

It's hard to know if this is much-ado-about nothing, or not, but you asked why might he be driven out and I simply answered - knowing nothing of the circumstances other than what's been reported.

- Steve

[tufsu1]

I suggest folks that are interested read the auditors report

[Steve_Lovett]

I suggest folks that are interested read the auditors report

And I suggest that they review the two decades of progress and success that just got jettisoned with no plan of how to replace them.

Stephen,

Nothing I'm about to say is meant to imply any accusations in this instance. I'm not judge and jury in this particular case and I don't have the facts to know. But in response to your last comment I would say this.......

I suggest that two decades of progress does not justify looking the other way or excusing misguided ethics. No single person is larger than an institution - and if anything, a leader of an institution has a responsibility to adhere to the highest of ethical standards if they wish to earn the respect they feel they are due. Achievement doesn't excuse abuse of power or render anyone above the rules - at least not if the institution is to remain credible.

- Steve

[civil42806]

Those poor civil servants, sacrificing themselves for the public good.  Nothing like pigs at trough.  The suffering he went through its only right He walk away with a million dollars of the tax payers funds.

[tufsu1]

Those poor civil servants, sacrificing themselves for the public good.  Nothing like pigs at trough.  The suffering he went through its only right He walk away with a million dollars of the tax payers funds.

let's not confuse this with your average civil servant.....these are the top-level civil service people...you know, the ones that people argue the private sector pays a lot more and we need to pay x to keep them...and just like top brass in the private sector, they get a golden parachute.

[civil42806]

Those poor civil servants, sacrificing themselves for the public good.  Nothing like pigs at trough.  The suffering he went through its only right He walk away with a million dollars of the tax payers funds.

let's not confuse this with your average civil servant.....these are the top-level civil service people...you know, the ones that people argue the private sector pays a lot more and we need to pay x to keep them...and just like top brass in the private sector, they get a golden parachute.

difference is private sector isn't  directly out of my and every taxpayers pocket.  Fire his ass and be done with it

[Noone]

Cha-Ching.
Front page of the 12/26/13 TU

[Noone]

Visit Jacksonville! This is all positive.