*From the point of view of a full professor
PRIDE
at the College of Business at the University of Southern Mississippi*
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Our core mission reflects taking PRIDE in all we do - Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Discipline, Excellence
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Chauncey M. DePree, Jr.
Chauncey M. DePree, Jr.
For many years, a significant portion of the costs associated with Jim Crockett’s annual family vacations at Destin, FL were paid with state funds. Each year, more than a $1000 in expenses was claimed and paid. As long as Dr. Crockett was reimbursed for lower cost alternatives that were available to him while attending professional meetings, rather than the higher costs associated with a pleasant family vacation, it shouldn't be a problem. So what's the big deal?
The problem is that there are records that indicate that Dr. Crockett was permitted to pass through his higher costs. For example, even where discounted convention hotel rooms were available, Dr. Crockett was allowed to allocate the higher average nightly cost of his family vacation cottage to the state (total cost divided by the number of nights of the conference).
The problem is that there are records that indicate that Dr. Crockett was permitted to pass through his higher costs. For example, even where discounted convention hotel rooms were available, Dr. Crockett was allowed to allocate the higher average nightly cost of his family vacation cottage to the state (total cost divided by the number of nights of the conference).
Dr. James Crockett, Professor Emeritus, SAIS,
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Southern Mississippi
There are records of other expensive trips that Dr. Crockett regularly took with state funds - sometimes several in a single year. While junior faculty struggled to get funds to attend conferences to present papers and attempt to develop a publication record, Dr. Crockett was using resources, even when he did nothing but attend. In fact, it appears that in at least one instance, even when the cost of his flying out of state would have been less than mileage and extra nights of hotel rooms, these trips were approved at the higher costs.
While Dr. Crockett’s use of public funds in this fashion is not illegal and could (and probably did) pass muster in an audit, it appears to be a misuse of taxpayer dollars that USM administrators claim to be in short supply. Of course, audits do not identify the inefficiency of five employees watching one dig a hole or one administrator approving an expenditure for a vacation cottage for a fellow administrator in the guise of continuing education, research, etc. In the example of the vacation presented here, there are records tendered to the University that report “CPE Hours: 0.” Nothing on the documentation suggests that Dr. Crockett presented a paper during the Destin vacation/meeting.
While Dr. Crockett’s use of public funds in this fashion is not illegal and could (and probably did) pass muster in an audit, it appears to be a misuse of taxpayer dollars that USM administrators claim to be in short supply. Of course, audits do not identify the inefficiency of five employees watching one dig a hole or one administrator approving an expenditure for a vacation cottage for a fellow administrator in the guise of continuing education, research, etc. In the example of the vacation presented here, there are records tendered to the University that report “CPE Hours: 0.” Nothing on the documentation suggests that Dr. Crockett presented a paper during the Destin vacation/meeting.