News 09-27.Indd

INSIDE Catch up on In the Bubble 2 baseball’s fall Crime Log 2 practice Opinion 6 page 8 THETHE VOICEVOICE OFOF VANDERBILTVANDERBILT SINCESINCE 18881888 Sports 8 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2006 • 118 TH YEAR, NO. 57 Fun & Games 10 ADMINISTRATION Chancellor Gordon Gee responds to questions from The Vanderbilt Hustler regarding the highly-anticipated Braeburn under fi re Sept. 26 article in the Wall Street Journal. Allison Malone Glenna DeRoy EDITOR - IN-CHIEF NEWS EDITOR At Vanderbilt University, the board is trying to VANDERBILT HUSTLER: Are you surprised about any rein in star chancellor information that was in the Wall Street Journal article? E. Gordon Gee, without GORDON GEE: When you’re at a great university and when you running him off . are a very senior university president like I am, you have a target on your chest, and you take that for both its good and ill points. VH: Is all the information in the article factual? Vanderbilt paid more GG: Well, I mean, let me just say that I plead guilty in the sense than $6 million, never that yes, I am the highest paid university president in the country, approved by the full I am also the senior university president in the country, yes, we board, to renovate live in a very big home, and we do a lot of entertaining, so I and enlarge Braeburn, plead guilty to all of those, and the other part of the information the Greek-revival for which I plead guilty to is the fact the we have raised lots of university-owned money and the university is doing incredibly well, which all ties mansion where Mr. Gee together in my view. and his wife, Constance, live. The university pays VH: How do you think that the new subcommittees will impact for the Gees’ frequent JONATHAN DIETZ / The Vanderbilt Hustler Braeburn, the chancellor’s residence located in Belle Meade, underwent over $6 million in renovations upon Gee’s arrival. the way the university spends money? parties and personal GG: I think always the issue is one of transparency, which The chef there. Front-page article in the Sept. 26 Wall Street Journal sparks response from Hustler has talked about, and which I agree with, and the second members of the Vanderbilt community, Nashville residents and alumni. issue is making certain that there is a balance between the general offi ces of the university being able to do what they do at the same time making certain that we have that transparency Some trustees’ concern Student Reaction with the board. The lawyers that we have hired to work with us was aroused when they “To anyone, $6 “I was unaware of “Th e allegations “Th e marijuana issue over the last year tell us that we are on the very cutting edge of million seems like a the allegations leveled regarding Constance Gee was kind of surprising. governance in private institutions. learned that Mrs. Gee lot, but in light of what toward Constance Gee, were pretty unrelated to I actually had more was using marijuana he has done for the but that is a personal the topic of spending at problems with that than at the mansion. The university, I think he is matter for the Gees to the university. I see it as what was said about VH: Do you think that members of the Board of Trust feel as if chancellor told some fairly compensated. If he resolve. Th ere wasn’t a personal matter and Chancellor Gee. It’s they are “in the loop” most of the time? trustees she was using it were to leave because of anything else that I think that the students just very unbecoming GG: There are 41 of them, and there’s one of me and that’s one the outcry, it would cost would say surprised will understand that. because she is such a of the challenges I face as university chancellor. And there are for an inner-ear ailment. he university much more me to a considerable I fi nd that the Board strong representative of To these trustees, the than $6 million. It’s not degree. I think the of Trust’s measures to the university.” 10,000 students and one of me, and there’s 20,000 faculty and incident demonstrated like he stole money from article actually shows increase transparency by staff and there’s one of me, so the question is does everyone feel that Mr. Gee needed to the university. I think that Vanderbilt has a monitoring Chancellor —sophomore Maggie like they’re in the loop? No. Do we have a procedure to make be more accountable to he was justifi ed in his place among the most Gee’s spending is Morrow certain that we are following best practices in terms of informing spending.” elite universities. We’re evidence of good people? We do have that. the board. going to be subjected to business practices, not an —sophomore Luke scrutiny more than we admission of guilt.” Bidikov expect, and I think the VH: What corporate boards do you plan to leave? university will be able to — senior Devin GG: I’ve sat for a long time on fi ve corporate boards, and there respond to it.” Donovan, Interhall Now change is afoot. was a recommendation made by corporate governance groups president that individuals probably should not sit on any more than three Trustees recently — senior Kyle Southern created a subcommittee boards, so I agreed with my new letter of agreement that I would to monitor Mr. Gee’s move back to three and I haven’t decided which of those that I’m spending. For the fi rst University Reaction going to move on from. I’m an unusual person in that sitting on a “Th ere has always been “I think the article is terrible journalism. “Vanderbilt has certainly corporate board has been like playing golf to me. It is my hobby. time, the full board a pretty thorough process Th e article engages in guilt by association taken a hard hit, but one must will get reports about for review of expenditures by detailing all of these other instances of realize this is any issue that faces his expenditures and and other fi nancial academic scandal. We don’t have any instances universities across the country. VH: What other changes were made to your letter of agreement? pay package. A second matters. What we are of academic scandal here. Second, there is We are not the only ones under GG: Well, it just further extends my time and my commitment new board committee doing now is making it a lot of use of unattributed sources. Th at is scrutiny. As one can read from to the university for the next fi ve years. When I came, I had a more rigorous and more always problematic in journalism. Last, it is the article, the Board of Trust is scrutinizing potential letter of agreement and in that letter it talked about my duties in-depth.” very gossipy. So from the standpoint of good has and is making changes as and responsibilities and the duties and the responsibilities of the confl icts of interest. journalism, I would say some people would we speak to bring some clarity —Michael Schoenfeld, question the ethics of it.” to the issue.” university to me, and after fi ve years, the Board felt that it was —from Sept. 26 Wall Vice Chancellor for Public time to revisit that and make certain that I was happy and that Street Journal article Aff airs —Paul Dokecki, Human and Organizational —Alice Ji, Young Alumni they were happy, and so we have a new letter of agreement, “Vanderbilt Reins in Development professor Trustee which is very affi rming to me, and I hope to the university and Lavish Spending by to the Board. Star Chancellor” For more reactions from the media, alumni and parents, see WALL STREET JOURNAL page 3. VH: We were wondering about the allegations in the WSJ article concerning your wife and the use of marijuana. ADMINISTRATION GG: Well I don’t talk about those issues. Those are personal issues and I will say that my wife has been very ill with Meniere’s Constance Gee accused of marijuana use disease over the last several years, in fact it’s just been two years, and it’s a very debilitating disease, and she spent about almost Article links allegations of drugs in mansion to medicinal purposes. four months on our bathroom fl oor with vertigo, and I just don’t comment on those issues. Other than to say that she’s feeling By Allison Smith inner ear that aff ects hearing and balance. ASST NEWS EDITOR better, and we have addressed her health concerns, and I’m According to WebMD.com, the disease causes sudden attacks of vertigo, tinnitus grateful for that. In a Wall Street Journal article and temporary loss of hearing. printed Sept. 26, the reporters wrote that According to CNN.com, nine states VH: Is there a confl ict between Vanderbilt’s alcohol and drug subcommittees to monitor Chancellor have passed laws that allow marijuana for policies and the resolution of this incident? Gordon Gee’s spending were formed after medicinal use. Tennessee is not one of GG: I can say this, the procedures that we follow for every faculty some trustees learned that the chancellor’s those states. Doctors in the Otolaryngology wife, Constance Gee was using marijuana Department at Vanderbilt University and staff member at the university, and my wife is a faculty in their Belle Meade mansion.

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