Subseries 6 - Faculty of Management Investigation

0.2 m of textual records

In February 1996, I was asked by the Provost, Adel Sedra, to investigate some problems in the Faculty of Management. Throughout the investigation, the president, Rob Prichard, took a very active interest in the matter. The situation was potentially explosive. A number of faculty members had complained to Simcoe Hall that one of the professors in the Faculty, Gary Latham (file 7), was being favoured in the delivery of executive programs by Soosan Daghighi (file 8), the Director of Executive Programs and with whom Latham was living. The Dean, Hugh Arnold (file 9), it was alleged, was doing nothing about this alleged favouritism. Neil Hunter, the head of the university’s internal audit team had done a preliminary report and had concluded that Latham was abusing the system, teaching very little in the degree courses and getting $2,300 a day in addition to his salary teaching in the executive programs. (See file 2).

I met with the persons directly involved and with most of the members of the faculty (files 5 and 6). I examined the relevant financial and other documents. My conclusion was similar to Neil Hunter’s. Latham was teaching too little in the degree programs and was doubling his salary by his teaching in the executive programs. The Dean was also teaching in the executive programs and appeared to be in a conflict of interest in controlling the situation. I produced a number of drafts of my report, which were commented on by the Provost, the President, and Neil Hunter (files 10 to 16). My report was presented in March, 1996 and was accepted by Simcoe Hall. It found fault with Latham, Daghighi, and Arnold and recommended a number of changes to control excessive moonlighting, particularly with respect to the executive programs. It also made recommendations on how a more collegial atmosphere could be developed in the Faculty.

The three principals had an opportunity to comment on the next-to-final draft of my report and did so (file 17). The report was not publicly released. Instead, the president and provost met with members of the faculty and told them the outlines of my report (file 18). The dean set up a Dean’s Committee, which I had recommended, and which was similar to a committee we had in the Faculty of Law (file 19). I attended the first meeting of that committee. I do not know whether it is still in existence. My involvement with the Faculty officially ended at that point. Hugh Arnold resigned as Dean about a year later and left the University. Soosan Daghighi also left the University within the last year. Gary Latham continued and in the Spring of 1997 was reappointed to his named professorship.

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