CSU spends $60,000 on food
According to a recent article in the Fort Collins Coloradoan, Colorado State University “workers with university-issued purchasing cards spent more than $60,000 on everything from pizzas, coffee and bottled water to steak, seafood and sushi — all in a single month.”
Some of the expenditures were well justified by CSU employees. For example:
CSU Athletic Director Paul Kowalczyk took a slew of current and potential donors out to lunch at Bahama Breeze in Las Vegas, spending $322.28 on everything from sodas and shrimp salads to grilled tilapia, crispy chicken and salmon tostada. Unlike most spending justifications, Kowalczyk provided a detailed listing of with whom he had lunch and why…Among the guests were longtime donors who own real estate and casino interests. The justification notes how much each guest has given to CSU over the years, and how much “capacity” they have to give more.
Others were not.
A recently released internal audit of top-level administrators’ offices at CSU noted the literal rubber-stamping of some spending authorizations and numerous purchasing card violations in the Division of Advancement and Strategic Initiatives. That audit found no evidence of misspending, but a lack of appropriate oversight.
Higher education desperately needs more transparency.