From Deseret News archives:
No irregularities found in UVSC campus audit
Heber City administrators had been placed on leave
An "exit audit" was done just days after the campus' two top administrators were placed on leave, according to a letter obtained Wednesday by the Deseret Morning News.
Brent Turner, UVSC's chief internal auditor, dated the letter to the college's president William Sederburg Nov. 13.
That's about a week after J.D. Davidson, the Heber City campus' dean, and Kimberly Beck, associate dean for community development, were placed on paid administrative leave.
The college has maintained that Davidson and Beck are not being disciplined.
"This was a situation where the administration felt there needed to be a change in leadership and administration at the Wasatch Campus," college spokesman Chris Taylor said.
Reasons for the necessary leadership change are anticipated growth at the campus and a need for more community involvement.
"This shouldn't be construed (as) anything more than that, than a change in leadership," Taylor said.
Beck will begin a new position Monday in UVSC's Advancement Office, Taylor said.
She will raise money for the school from residents and business owners in Wasatch and Summit counties, as well as raise money for the School of Education.
Beck has not returned phone calls from the Deseret Morning News, but said in a prepared statement released by the college on Wednesday that she was excited about the new job.
"I look forward to continuing to work with many of the same people in the areas of Wasatch and Summit counties and to be taking on additional fund-raising responsibilities for that area of the state," she said. "In addition, I'm thrilled about the opportunity to raise funds in the area of education. I'm an educator at heart. Raising funds for education is a fun proposition, particularly in Utah, where people feel so passionately about educating their kids and about developing teachers to teach their kids."
The Deseret Morning News also has been unable to reach Davidson, a tenured English professor at UVSC, who has the option to return to teaching but has not announced whether he intends to do so.
Turner studied financial transactions from July 2005 through November 2006, specifically transfers from the campus and transactions within campus accounts.
The "exit audit ... was a benchmark for the future leadership of the Wasatch Campus," Taylor said. "So we know where we are now, going forward ... that we know the condition of the Wasatch Campus."
For now, Cory Duckworth, UVSC vice president of student affairs, is running the Wasatch Campus. He will decide the "future administrative structure" campus, Taylor said, which means deciding whether the campus will be operated by a dean, vice president or director or other position.
The campus, established in 2003, is one building that serves about 350 students. In the future it could have a series of buildings to serve 10,000 students, Taylor said.
E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com
