To Hintz From Nass On UW
Letter Issued on May 16, 2007 to Rep Hintz and Rep Jeffrey Smith from Rep Steve Nass regarding UW System Financial Aid Staff and Conflicts of Interest:
Dear Representatives Hintz and Smith:
I am writing in response to your request for a public hearing of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee on the potential conflicts of interest in the relationships between student loan companies and UW System financial aid staff. As you both know, the scandalous actions of some student financial aid administrators has brought national attention to this serious issue and appropriate reactions from authorities in several states and the federal government.
On May 11, 2007, the UW System Board of Regents took timely action by mandating the development of an ethics code dealing with the activities of financial aid officials within the System. While Wisconsin Ethics Law requires the UW System to already have such an ethics code in place, it is appropriate that UW System President Kevin Reilly and his staff be given reasonable time to develop a draft ethics code for financial aid staff.
I have decided that the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee will hold a public hearing on this issue in mid-July. At the July hearing, I will request the representatives of the UW System, the Wisconsin Technical College System and private higher education institutions testify on their actions to clean-up the situation in this state. The July public hearing will focus on specific steps being taken by these institutions of higher education.
I am not interested in pomp and circumstance from the leaders of higher education in this state. If the testimony from these leaders is not satisfactory, I assure you that our committee will move promptly on legislation to protect the interests of students from unsavory practices between colleges/universities and private student loan companies.
Additionally, I will require the leaders of higher education to specifically address if the questionable activities already identified at various Wisconsin institutions violated either existing campus policies or state law. Our response to this issue shouldn’t only be about going forward with reforms. It must also be about holding individual administrators accountable for past actions. A concept that is particularly foreign within higher education.
Sincerely,
Steve Nass, Chairman
Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee
Dear Representatives Hintz and Smith:
I am writing in response to your request for a public hearing of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee on the potential conflicts of interest in the relationships between student loan companies and UW System financial aid staff. As you both know, the scandalous actions of some student financial aid administrators has brought national attention to this serious issue and appropriate reactions from authorities in several states and the federal government.
On May 11, 2007, the UW System Board of Regents took timely action by mandating the development of an ethics code dealing with the activities of financial aid officials within the System. While Wisconsin Ethics Law requires the UW System to already have such an ethics code in place, it is appropriate that UW System President Kevin Reilly and his staff be given reasonable time to develop a draft ethics code for financial aid staff.
I have decided that the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee will hold a public hearing on this issue in mid-July. At the July hearing, I will request the representatives of the UW System, the Wisconsin Technical College System and private higher education institutions testify on their actions to clean-up the situation in this state. The July public hearing will focus on specific steps being taken by these institutions of higher education.
I am not interested in pomp and circumstance from the leaders of higher education in this state. If the testimony from these leaders is not satisfactory, I assure you that our committee will move promptly on legislation to protect the interests of students from unsavory practices between colleges/universities and private student loan companies.
Additionally, I will require the leaders of higher education to specifically address if the questionable activities already identified at various Wisconsin institutions violated either existing campus policies or state law. Our response to this issue shouldn’t only be about going forward with reforms. It must also be about holding individual administrators accountable for past actions. A concept that is particularly foreign within higher education.
Sincerely,
Steve Nass, Chairman
Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee
Labels: Education, Gordon Hintz
posted by Vincent at 10:11 AM
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