Evidence Mounts Against New UC Chancellor
California Desk
July 03, 2009
SACRAMENTO – Today´s Chicago Tribune directly connects Linda Katehi, the incoming University of California, Davis chancellor, with the admissions scandal at the University of Illinois, which is currently being investigated by federal authorities. Despite early declaring she knew nothing about the university´s secret admissions system for well-connected students, the Tribune has detailed how Katehi – currently the University of Illinois provost – helped facilitate admissions for a student she referred to as "the daughter of a fairly prominent Greek family in Chicago."
Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), who is an alumnus of UC Berkeley and has frequently advocated for greater transparency at the University of California, is calling on UC President Mark Yudof to put an immediate hold on Katehi´s UC Davis offer.
A recent Tribune investigation found that hundreds of applicants over the past five years may have been admitted to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign despite weak academic records after influential people sent emails and placed calls on their behalf. As provost, Katehi oversees the admissions department that authorized the "Category I" admissions policy.
Today´s Tribune highlights an email exchange between Katehi, a politically connected Greek Orthodox priest, a campaign advisor to the Illinois State Treasurer, and Katehi´s staff. At the request of the priest, the campaign advisor emailed information about the student to Katehi in February 2009. Katehi then forward the information to her vice provost and wrote, "Endy Zemenedis is the campaign manager for the State Treasurer. This is the application of the daughter of a fairly prominent Greek family in Chicago."
After Katehi´s inquiry, the admissions office decided to admit the student, whose candidacy had only qualified for the waiting list. When Keith Marshall, the university´s associate provost, notified Katehi that the well-connected student would be admitted in May, she responded to the email by writing, "Excellent!"
"This is not the type of leadership we need at the helm of UC Davis," said Yee. "Again, I encourage President Yudof to uphold the integrity of the university and immediately put a hold on Ms. Katehi´s offer and determine if it should be completely rescinded."
The latest information on the scandal comes after Katehi gave contradictory responses to her involvement. Yudof has refused to even look into the matter. However, the U.S. attorney's office has launched a formal investigation and issued subpoenas seeking records of communications between campus officials.
"President Yudof needs to take his head out of the sand," said Yee. "Continuing this ´don´t ask, don´t tell´ policy will severely damage the University of California. The taxpayers and students deserve better from their public university administration."
On June 12, Katehi sent an email to UC Davis officials stating that she had no knowledge of the corrupt admissions process and that such decisions were "handled at a higher level in the institution." However, documents were later published completely contradicting her email to UC officials. In fact, it was Katehi´s own staff that facilitated most of the scandalous admissions.
It was also later unveiled that Katehi´s name appears about 50 times in documents related to the case and that she was often in the distribution chain on such correspondence. The San Francisco Chronicle and Sacramento Bee reported that Katehi even personally forwarded such correspondence to the assistant of the associate provost for enrollment, who later forwarded the email with a preface of "For the Cat I file."
In May, the UC Board of Regents approved a $400,000 salary for Katehi. The salary equates to a 27 percent hike from her predecessor and a 12.4 percent increase from her current position at Illinois. Her compensation package also includes a University provided house, $9,000 per year automobile allowance, relocation expenses now and upon exiting the position, faculty position after leaving the Chancellor´s office, a low-interest home loan after serving as Chancellor, and a generous pension and health care package, among other benefits. Katehi´s husband, Spyros Tseregounis, is also expected to receive a faculty position at UC Davis.
"There is absolutely no justification for such a bloated salary," said Yee. "The Regents have again arrogantly violated the public trust by lining the pockets of their executives while disregarding taxpayers, students, and all economic reality."
Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), who is an alumnus of UC Berkeley and has frequently advocated for greater transparency at the University of California, is calling on UC President Mark Yudof to put an immediate hold on Katehi´s UC Davis offer.
A recent Tribune investigation found that hundreds of applicants over the past five years may have been admitted to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign despite weak academic records after influential people sent emails and placed calls on their behalf. As provost, Katehi oversees the admissions department that authorized the "Category I" admissions policy.
Today´s Tribune highlights an email exchange between Katehi, a politically connected Greek Orthodox priest, a campaign advisor to the Illinois State Treasurer, and Katehi´s staff. At the request of the priest, the campaign advisor emailed information about the student to Katehi in February 2009. Katehi then forward the information to her vice provost and wrote, "Endy Zemenedis is the campaign manager for the State Treasurer. This is the application of the daughter of a fairly prominent Greek family in Chicago."
After Katehi´s inquiry, the admissions office decided to admit the student, whose candidacy had only qualified for the waiting list. When Keith Marshall, the university´s associate provost, notified Katehi that the well-connected student would be admitted in May, she responded to the email by writing, "Excellent!"
"This is not the type of leadership we need at the helm of UC Davis," said Yee. "Again, I encourage President Yudof to uphold the integrity of the university and immediately put a hold on Ms. Katehi´s offer and determine if it should be completely rescinded."
The latest information on the scandal comes after Katehi gave contradictory responses to her involvement. Yudof has refused to even look into the matter. However, the U.S. attorney's office has launched a formal investigation and issued subpoenas seeking records of communications between campus officials.
"President Yudof needs to take his head out of the sand," said Yee. "Continuing this ´don´t ask, don´t tell´ policy will severely damage the University of California. The taxpayers and students deserve better from their public university administration."
On June 12, Katehi sent an email to UC Davis officials stating that she had no knowledge of the corrupt admissions process and that such decisions were "handled at a higher level in the institution." However, documents were later published completely contradicting her email to UC officials. In fact, it was Katehi´s own staff that facilitated most of the scandalous admissions.
It was also later unveiled that Katehi´s name appears about 50 times in documents related to the case and that she was often in the distribution chain on such correspondence. The San Francisco Chronicle and Sacramento Bee reported that Katehi even personally forwarded such correspondence to the assistant of the associate provost for enrollment, who later forwarded the email with a preface of "For the Cat I file."
In May, the UC Board of Regents approved a $400,000 salary for Katehi. The salary equates to a 27 percent hike from her predecessor and a 12.4 percent increase from her current position at Illinois. Her compensation package also includes a University provided house, $9,000 per year automobile allowance, relocation expenses now and upon exiting the position, faculty position after leaving the Chancellor´s office, a low-interest home loan after serving as Chancellor, and a generous pension and health care package, among other benefits. Katehi´s husband, Spyros Tseregounis, is also expected to receive a faculty position at UC Davis.
"There is absolutely no justification for such a bloated salary," said Yee. "The Regents have again arrogantly violated the public trust by lining the pockets of their executives while disregarding taxpayers, students, and all economic reality."
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