LOGAN, Utah (KUTV) — A new legislative audit of Utah State University found “very serious” issues with leadership leading to millions of dollars in spending, in which “presidents, vice presidents and employees were not committed to following policy.”
Much of the spending happened during the brief tenure of former USU President Elizabeth Cantwell, but some predates her, according to Utah Legislative Auditor General Kade Minchey.
Among the findings:
- a remodeling project for the president’s office that began as a $10,000 carpet-and-paint job but ballooned into nearly a $300,000 project and included a $751 bidet toilet;
- consulting services for the president’s office in which it “spent over $200,000 on an open order and other unapproved purchases”;
- contracts entered into by “a few university leaders” for millions of dollars “in unvetted and noncompetitive services.”
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Auditors noted Utah System of Higher Education policy allows university presidents to receive “a vehicle allowance,” but USU purchased three of them: a $42,969 Toyota Highlander, a Chevy Suburban that cost nearly $75,000, and a heated golf cart that was more than $29,000.
2News reported on the golf cart and a new ceremonial staff, commissioned during Cantwell’s term, in which a jeweler donated work on the project. The staff, or mace, was not mentioned in the audit.
But “president residence upgrades” were — nearly $105,000 — and so were travel costs to Harvard, Washington, D.C., and Ireland at a combined cost of roughly $40,000.
Apparently, unauthorized spending was not only at the top.
A university department contracted with a vendor and renewed contracts for $12 million “without a documented competitive process,” according to the audit report, which also found “a former employee in a USU statewide campus was paid for two years and could not provide documentation for work completed.”
Cantwell resigned from USU to become president of Washington State University. Brad Mortensen was inaugurated as the new president just two weeks ago.
Auditors were also critical of the USU Board of Trustees, saying “limited trustee oversight contributed to past USU presidents providing unreliable and sometimes unsuccessful leadership.”
The report said “USU’s poor leadership, financial stewardship and accountability led to many of these problems.”
In a letter, President Mortensen said USU will use the audit “as a roadmap” for improvement.
“We have carefully reviewed the report in full and recognize the consistency of its core message,” he wrote. “That strong policies alone are insufficient without clear leadership expectations, consistent oversight and a culture that reinforces accountability.”
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