DeKalb Co. (ECWd) –
With all the recent attention brought to light with the College of DuPage and their now banned-from-campus President and his love for alcohol, you would think others would get the message.
Not the case for Northern Illinois University President and board members who have taken the liberty of enjoying alcohol purchased through the Holmes Student Center accounting department.
I could not find anything in the Northern Illinois University statute that authorized the president to order wine, beer and booze to have in his office or home but that is exactly what is going on at NIU to include drinking while working.
The request: “all receipts for liquor purchased by the President’s office through NIU Foundation accounts since June 1, 2013
The results:
- $267.73- in alcohol for President’s Office – President’s Home
- $196.00- for the Diversity Task Force
- $302.27- for Women in Administration
- $184.00 -NIU Foundation Board – President’s House Reception
- $62.00- President’s Office – Dinner w/President & BOT Members
- $430.00-New Faculty Dinner
- $ 297.95 -Presidents Office
- $ 329.55 -Presidents Office
- $848.00- Presidents Office
- $124.00 -Presidents Office / Provost Search
- $64.00 – Presidents Office – Dinner with Provost Candidate
- $93.00 – Presidents Office – Provost Candidate
- $513.81 -Presidents Office
- $489.82 Presidents Office/Home
- $97.00 President/Higher Learning Commission Steering Committee
- $250.95 Presidents Home – includes Bartender Fee!
- $463.91 -President’s Staff Party
- $570.99 -President Home/Office Holiday Party
- $1,239.09 -Presidents Office
- $149.00 – President Office/Dinner – Working Meeting
- $1,349.08 – Presidents Office/Akron Game
There are many more you can view below but I think with this snap shot of what is being consumed by the University President, Board members, staff and candidates for the top-cop spot, most will agree, this must stop!
We are unsure as to who actually paid for all this, but we know it was ordered through the Holmes Student Center Foundation. Most college related foundations were intended to benefit the students, but it would appear the case in NIU is not much different than what we saw at the College of DuPage.
Total Alcohol/Bartender purchased since June of 2013- $17,929.82
[gview file=”https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/NIU-Booze-invoices.pdf” save=”1″]
6 Comments
Sharon May
Posted at 11:00h, 03 MayAlcohol may help in lubricating rusty cheque book hinges, but working dinner? Staff parties? Holiday parties? When the world was in an uproar over the lowly staffers wanting a cup of coffee?
jannie
Posted at 10:43h, 03 Mayinteresting. I do think that some alcohol purchases for some functions is appropriate, but some of this seems excessive. President Office, Holiday Party, etc. If the “dinners” provost search etc. were strictly dinners that payment would be appropriate – the alcohol would not.
Michael Haji-Sheikh
Posted at 07:42h, 03 MayState accounts cannot be used for alcohol. Only private money. The NIU Foundation has been a method used by the top administration as a way to get around this. Interestingly enough, the Colleges were told that they could not use there private foundation accounts for similar uses several years back. The Administration feels that they have a different set of rules. The accounts have been blacked out to prevent scrutiny of the source of the money. The use of the HSC caterers for an event at a private residence is unusual and questionable.
Steve
Posted at 06:51h, 03 MayThank you for shining a light on this. I can see liquor purchases by a university’s president’s office for various events that help the school. Fundraising events or receptions for big donors or politicians (yes, even them I’m afraid) who control the pursestrings. However, as you suggest, the purchases should be transparent and accounted for appropriately. I do object to the student center foundation being the source account. Those purchases should come from a president’s office account.
jmkraft
Posted at 07:00h, 03 MayThe president’s office acct is paid for by the taxpayers of this state – we should never be buying any alcoholic beverage for any purpose.
ECWDogs
Posted at 22:06h, 02 MayNIU – More Booze for School Leaders … http://t.co/GI7mJiEamZ