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SRU council asks PASSHE for review results

Council requested results in 2 weeks

SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock University’s Council of Trustees voted Friday to request the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s board of governors release the results of the forensic review done in April.

The results have not been released to the trustees, despite numerous requests, according to council member Jeff Smith.

The review was conducted following complaints from former SRU President’s Cabinet member Amir Mohammadi in February and found “no evidence of wrongdoing,” according to Kevin Hensil, director of media relations at PASSHE.

Smith said Council of Trustees chairman Matt Lautman made three requests for the results on behalf of council to PASSHE chancellor Dan Greenstein. All three requests were denied.

“We’re asking the board of governors to direct the chancellor to share the results,” he said. “Three times, they declined to share it.”

Smith read the resolution for the request aloud to council during the Friday meeting.

“This resolution is to enable the Council of Trustees to receive information they feel is important in their role and the protection of the rights and responsibilities of the Council of Trustees in the state system,” he said. “We ask the PASSHE board of governors to direct the chancellor to provide the scope and results of the investigation in 14 days.”

Should the state system not respond within that time, Smith said they will pursue other avenues to obtain the information.

“We’re taking it one step at a time,” he said. “We feel it’s our right to see the report to perform our duty. We’d act accordingly.”

The motion was passed by council.

Other Actions

Council also voted to table two action items regarding financial matters at the university. One was a proposed 3.5% increase to the base prices of student meal plans.

Depending on the plan, the change could result in an increase of $18 to $54.

Trustee Robert Taylor motioned to table the decision until financial contributions from the state system were finalized, to which council voted accordingly.

The trustees then tabled a resolution involving the university’s Green Fund for the same reason. The fund was created by students in 2008 and supports a commitment to sustainability and environmental education.

The Green Fund resolution proposed that the traditional $5 added to the fund for every full-time student twice a year would be paused until the reserves fall below $50,000.

The fund currently has $470,000 in reserves, according to Carrie Birckbichler, vice president of finance and administration. The resolution states that excess reserves would be “appropriately allocated to address university needs as directed by the University President.”

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