Why did the University of the District of Columbia Board of Trustees pass out bonuses for administrative staff even as they complained of an $8 million deficit and pleaded to be rescued by the city government? That’s the question many are asking.
The board had set aside as much as $3 million for “one-time merit based compensation” in lieu of salary increases. On Nov. 17, trustees approved spending about $1 million from that fund, according to UDC documents obtained by The Washington Examiner.
Meanwhile, Fox 5 News reported Tuesday that UDC President Allen Sessoms has spent tens of thousands of dollars flying first class to places like Cairo, Egypt, and Jackson Hole, Wyo. There also are questions about money for luxury hotels and the use of his credit card for personal expenses.
It must be in the water. District leaders appear to have gone wild, indiscriminately spending taxpayers’ money: Mayor Vincent Gray has hired a bunch of political cronies, providing them exorbitant salaries. Until last week, council Chairman Kwame Brown was tooling around in a “fully loaded” Lincoln Navigator, costing nearly $2,000 per month, apparently in violation of city laws. Now comes Sessoms.
“This harkens back to previous business as usual,” said one high-level UDC administrator who, like others, requested anonymity.
UDC is quasi-independent, but the District provides an annual $62 million subsidy. In a Monday letter to Sessoms, Brown said he was “troubled” by the reports of Sessoms’ travel spending. He has demanded more information by Wednesday including details about those bonuses.
Joseph Askew, UDC’s board president, couldn’t be reached for comment. Spokesman Alan Etter told me the bonuses were provided to “nonunion” workers, and the payments were unrelated to the university’s budget shortfall. He said the fiscal woes are connected to rapid growth at the community college, which was created a year ago as part of Sessoms’ strategy for strengthening its four-year programs as well as the graduate or “flagship” programs while serving other students, many of whom come academically unprepared.
“When you go to the community college, you pay a $3,000 fee,” Etter explained. “But it actually costs $11,000 to educate somebody at the community college. We have subsidized each student to the tune of $8,000.”
District elected officials urged the creation of the community college but didn’t provide any subsidy for it. The UDC board approved a tuition increase at the flagship university but kept costs nearly constant for students enrolled at the community college. That population has grown but there appears to have been a decrease in enrollment at the flagship institution.
“You might say we are a victim of our success,” Etter continued. He said the university is “confident” the District will respond favorably to its request for more money. No doubt, UDC is banking that those new revenue estimates released Tuesday by Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi will mean more money for them.
What’s that adage about not counting chickens before they hatch?
Jonetta Rose Barras’ column appears on Monday and Wednesday. She can be reached at [email protected].
