Grambling's Overdue Audit
 

GRAMBLING CLOSING? School could be out for more than just the summer.

(Jul. 29, 2002) Grambling State University is in danger of closing. You read right. According to Reuters, due to serious accounting discrepancies within the university, the school could be closing its doors.
This comes just a year after the historically black college celebrated its 100th birthday.

Founded by an association of black farmers in 1901, the Louisiana college has been unable to provide financial statements deemed acceptable for a state audit since 1997, Reuters reported. Such an audit is usually required for reaccreditation, which happens every 10 years. Grambling is reportedly 2 years overdue.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, an Atlanta -based national accrediting group, has placed Grambling on probation and has set a Sept. 16 deadline for an approved audit for the past two academic years.

Here's the problem. Without accreditation, the school loses all federal funds, including financial aid. In addition, Grambling degrees would lose value, in particular with admissions boards at other institutions or licensing boards.

The accounting problems involve a series of financial problems, including thefts and improper spending. State Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle hopes to tame the task and has doubled the auditing staff to help the school meet the deadline. He described the school's bookkeeping to Reuters as: "like saying for accounts receivable, 'several different people owe me $10,000 combined, but I don't know who they are or how much each one owes.'''

you know what ....
 

I am from a SWAC school and it ain't gonna happen...Grambling alums have too much pull....as an Alcornite I'd be willing to help because I don't want to see an HBCU suffer when we have already suffered. Besides whose head would we stomp other than J- State?:p lolololol

I thought I had posted this over @ DST, since that was where the initial thread was started. Maybe there were some technical difficulties :confused:, but oh well...

This was an email sent out to Alumni. It's imperative that both sides of the story are represented. One cannot always believe what they read or see.


We're sure you are aware of the many negative things that are being reported about GSU. There was a report that the school was closing, which is a lie. Brett Martel, of the Associated Press asked for and was granted an interview by Ms. Vickie Jackson of the school's Office of Communications and Public Affairs. Mr. Martel indicated that he wanted to interview students, faculty and other staff members to determine their feelings regarding the accreditation issue. Instead of writing the article he said he would write, Mr. Martel wrote a misleading story filled with lies. The Tom Joyner Morning Show took Mr. Martel's article off the AP wire and reported it as if was fact. Needless to say, this article and the reporting of it in the news media has caused great harm to the school.

We need your help. We are asking all GSU alumnus to write letters expressing your outrage at the lies printed about OUR SCHOOL. We are attaching a sample letter with details of Mr. Martel's story for your use as you write your letters. According to Mr. Herbert Simmons of GSU's Office of Alumni Affairs, we should write the letters before August 20, 2002. Please, please write letters to the Editor of the Associated Press in New Orleans and to the Tom Joyner Show. We do not have an address for the Tom Joyner Show, however, you can email him if you pull up his website on the internet. Search for: The Tom Joyner Show. This is our school. We can not allow anyone to discredit it, discount it's value to the Black community, dismiss it's rich history and write lies about Grambling State University without fear of retalitation from us. None of us want to be graduates of a school which no longer exists. If we don't fight this, there is a real possibility that this could happen given the negative publicity the school is receiving at this time. We want to see GSU remain as it is and not a two-year school or a school that is a part of the university system of Louisiana, but, no longer Grambling State University. WE MUST SHOW BRETT MARTEL THAT GRAMBLING'S ALUMNUS CARES DEEPLY FOR OUR SCHOOL AND WE RESENT HIS DEPICTION OF OUR SCHOOL IN HIS ARTICLE. We're counting on you.

:) We have a thread about Colleges, mainly HBCUs that I merged the Grambling article with so that is where Grambling article is. The thread is titled: Educational Development: News about HBCUs and Other School News. (one of Delta's thrusts) No technical difficulties this time. :)

I can't really blame on Tom Joyner and the morning crew. It's not really their fault. I have heard this story on all facets of media. If Tom Joyner spoke on it, it's only because the story has significance to the Black community. Grambling may have been offended because Tom and the crew crack on EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY! But it's all good-natured humor to me. Tom and his foundation does a lot to help and support HBCUs.

I support Grambling, as well as SUNO, and I hope that they get their problems together. They just need to face facts and release statements telling their side of the story. In reading the e-mail that 2D posted, they said that the part about the school closing is a lie, but that's all that they are denying. They aren't denying the accounting, personnel, licensing, etc. problems. Beyond it all, there is trouble. These stories aren't circulating for nothing.

Like the saying goes, "Tell the truth and shame the devil." If GSU wants to shame the media and shut down the lies, tell the E! True HBCU Story, and put the rumors to rest.

I am sad this happened, if what was reported is in fact lies. However, I am doubtful since the refute did not state, on the record, the truth of the situation. All the letter did was say that what was reported was not true, however the letter did not state specifically why each item reported was a lie, and the truth of Grambling's fiscal status.

That oversight leaves me wondering why...

The truth according to me.
 

The TRUTH is that school will NOT close but, they will slowly lose program accredidation if their finances are not in order everytime an audit is done. What simply needs to be done is for administrations to use money for its intended purpose. Money is allocated for various programs. If the money is to be used for the home economics department then don't use it for the band program. That way your books stay in order and everything is accounted for.

This is just my opinion. :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and to those returning to school, GOOD Luck with the new semester.

That may be true LadyLike, but if a school has several unaccreditated programs, then eventually, it will close. No one wants to partake in a program that is not accreditated and they don't want to attend a school where the value of their degree will be questioned. I hope that Grambling can pull itself together.