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March
5, 2002 (Lexington, Ky.) --
1. Reorganize
the athletics board, reduce its size, and convert
it into a real governing body over the athletics program.
A. Appoint
a budget committee of the board, with the University's
Controller and Treasurer as an ex officio voting member.
Use that committee (1) to prepare a detailed athletics
department budget for submission to and approval by
the athletics board (and ultimately the Board of Trustees)
and (2) to monitor the implementation of that budget.
B. Appoint
a ticket committee of the board and give that committee
the responsibility for developing sound policies and
practices concerning the distribution of tickets for
basketball and football games and the responsibility
for monitoring the use of such tickets in accordance
with those policies and practices. Require the athletic
department's ticket manager to report to this committee
as needed and as requested.
C. Require
that all athletics department employment contracts
(regular and/or consulting), and any significant modifications
thereof, be submitted to the athletics board for final
approval.
2. At least
the following actions, beyond the formation of a strong
ticket committee as recommended above, are needed
to address concerns about the use of tickets to basketball
and football games:
A. The
tickets-for-cars program should be terminated (subject
to requirements in existing contracts). The needs
for transportation for performance of duties by members
of the department should be provided in accordance
with policies generally applicable to others in the
University, except as otherwise explicitly approved
by the President.
B. The
allotment of basketball tickets under the control
of the athletics director should be reduced to 8 from
a number that presently exceeds 165 and in the recent
past has exceeded 220.
C. Recent
actions within the athletics department serving to
establish priorities over tickets (especially basketball
tickets) should be reviewed by the ticket committee
for the purpose of determining if such actions complied
with proper policies and practices of the department
and advanced the interests of the University at large
and to reverse any such actions that fail to meet
these standards.
D. To
the extent that it can be done without impairing the
financial health of the athletics program, a plan
should be formulated by the ticket committee to allow
for the use of tickets by academic departments to
enhance the quality of their programs through fundraising
and other activities.
3. The
following actions should be undertaken with respect
to the athletics department:
A. Require
full compliance by the athletics department with all
regulations, policies, procedures, and practices of
the University of Kentucky.
B. Formulate
and adopt standards of professional and ethical conduct
for the athletics director and other employees of
the department, including policies concerning receipt
of personal gifts and conflicts of interest.
C. Consider
the possibility of having the director of the C.A.T.S.
program (the academic support program for student-athletes)
report to the associate provost for undergraduate
education rather than the director of athletics.
D. Review
the athletic department's blue-white program and require
stronger coordination and cooperation between that
program and the University's general development program
and office.
E. Require
strict oversight of all booster organizations by the
department's compliance officer and an annual report
to the athletics board on all booster club expenditures
on behalf of the athletics program, including any
expenditures on behalf of athletics department employees
or former employees.
4. The
following actions are needed to bring the department's
relationship with former athletics director C.M. Newton
into line with the requirements of the formal contract
that governs that relationship:
A. The
contract is an employment contract, specifically providing
that the University agrees to "employ the Officer
[Mr. Newton] as a Special Assistant to the Athletics
Director for a term of four (4) years …" The contract
is clearly not a contract for consulting services
and it is not a contract providing deferred compensation
for past services. The payments being made to Mr.
Newton under the contract should cease immediately
since he has no current employment relationship with
the athletics department. He should be given a reasonable
period of time to decide if he wishes to exercise
his contractual right to have full-time employment
with the department as a special assistant to the
athletics director.
B. The
priority lists for tickets in Rupp Arena should be
modified to provide Mr. Newton (or members of his
family) only the basketball tickets to which he is
entitled under the terms of the contract.
5. Larry
Ivy should be removed from the position of athletics
director.
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