Lake Superior State University (LSSU) students returned to the 2022/23 school year to find a brand-new burgundy garage on campus, which political science student Riley Gilman felt was a “slap in the face.”
After speaking with other students on campus, Gilman decided that new mattresses, washers, and dryers should have been prioritized over a garage for administrative use.
“Conditions around campus have been going downhill for a while,” she said. “I have worked in various departments throughout campus. Every department told me the same things about funds being mismanaged. Staff were overworked and underpaid. This was a consistent theme across campus, but people who worked for the university were afraid of losing their jobs."
Gilman took matters into her own hands on Oct. 20, 2022 when she emailed LSSU Purchasing Manager Stacy Charles to request documents in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) pertaining to renovations and maintenance associated with former President Rodney S. Hanley’s on-campus residency, surrounding property, and office.
The records she received confirmed that $60,025 of the university's funds were used to build the insulated garage, $7,456 had been spent on custom blinds, and more than $18,000 went to furniture upgrades.
But Gilman said obtaining those records caused “quite a fuss.”
“They didn’t respond to the FOIA until the Monday before they rescinded it,” she said.
On Monday, Oct. 24, Charles responded via email, asking Gilman to contact Executive Assistant to the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees Lauren Pierce. Pierce was identified as the person responsible for any FOIA requests.
Gilman forwarded the FOIA request to Pierce, who then applied for a 10-day extension.
“That was ironic because they came back and said the FOIA was not specific enough,” Gilman reported.
Gilman gave Pierce the opportunity to specify why the FOIA was not specific enough in an additional email.
“She said they were not required to answer any questions and that they did not have to help me,” Gilman said. “I was like, ‘Ok, what is the next step?’”
Gilman had to appeal the university's decision. Several students, faculty, and staff around campus stepped up to cover any associated fees. However, LSSU alumni Deputy Attorney General Blake Erickson assisted Gilman through the process of appeal, pro bono.
Gilman disclosed the information obtained from the FOIA request in a letter presented to the LSSU Board of Trustees during a meeting held on Friday, Feb. 17. Fellow student Gabe Meindertsma read the letter upon Gilman's request:
“One month ago on January 17th, I addressed the board about several concerns that led me to make a FOIA request regarding the president’s office and home expenses. I would like to reiterate that the reason for pursuing this request was not to call attention to the expenses alone but to address systemic issues that faculty, staff, and students have been witnessing for years. If any member of the public would like more information about the context of this request, I urge you to read the GoFundMe page labeled “LSSU FOIA Request Fees” as it was read in the previous board meeting.
The documents that we received confirmed that it cost $60,025 to construct the president’s new insulated garage, not including electrical which was the one component to be done by LSSU staff. They also state that a total of $7,456 was spent on a set of custom blinds for the president’s home among many other upgrades in areas such as furniture and cabinetries. For the president’s office, the documents received in this area show that a total of $18,248 has been spent on new furniture since June 2018.
I and my fellow students would like to hear the board’s response to these documents along with the other concerns specified in the previous meeting. Each member was said to receive the documents at the same time that I did on January 23 so that they would have time to review them before responding today."
Students continue to adapt to the worsening conditions of costly on-campus housing including painfully old mattresses; a plumbing system that often produces brown water in some buildings; unreliable heat and air conditioning; and dirty, half-broken laundry rooms among other things.
Therefore, I would like to make it clear that we are not simply frustrated about the construction of a $60,000 garage, nor the installation of a set of $7,450 blinds, or any other expense alone. It is rather the conditions that we have to deal with in the meantime despite paying so much for something better, and the lack of communication and transparency surrounding these issues. Thank you.”
Gilman and Meindertsma said they believed the financial documents obtained through the FOIA were directly tied to Hanley’s resignation.
A special LSSU Board of Trustee meeting took place on Monday, April 3, at 11 a.m. to determine the next course of action following the former president's resignation.
As of Friday, March 31, that resignation was scheduled for June, 29, but Hanley resigned immediately at the meeting last Monday. The board of trustees formally accepted the resignation of Dr. Rodney S. Hanley. Dr. Lynn Gillette, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs was appointed interim president of LSSU that same day.
As far as Gilman’s concerns over deteriorating campus life, Dean of Admissions and Marketing Fred Pierce outlined upcoming improvements as specified during the Feb. 17 Board of Trustees meeting.
Updates are said to include new Norris Center equipment, washers and dryers, Residence Hall furniture, and other infrastructural improvements.
Pierce declined to comment on the FOIA or allegations surrounding Hanley's sudden resignation from LSSU. Hanley declined to comment.
Find the Lake Superior State University Board of Trustee minutes, here, at: https://www.lssu.edu/board-of-trustees/
