Ethics inquiries into hiring of chancellor’s family members passed to state office
Newly appointed Southern Illinois University chancellor Carlo Montemagno speaks about shared governance at the university Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Anthony Hall. “Shared governance is power – it provides the ability for access,” Montemagno said. (Brian Muñoz | @BrianMMunoz)
February 2, 2018
Two ethics inquiries into the hiring of SIU Chancellor Carlo Montemagno’s daughter and son-in-law as part of his hiring negotiations were referred to the Illinois Office of the Executive Inspector General on Friday.
The decision to pass the inquiries on to the state level was made to ensure an independent review, SIU President Randy Dunn said in a press release Friday. This decision comes a day after Dunn asked SIU’s Office of Internal Audit, Compliance and Ethics to open the two inquiries.
“The potential scope of the inquiry and the fact that the Office has a functional reporting line to the Board of Trustees and an administrative reporting line to the Office of the President, all who may be called upon to provide information in this review, led to this decision,” Dunn said in the release.
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News of the hirings were first reported in the Daily Egyptian earlier this week.
The first inquiry relates to the hiring of Montemagno’s daughter, Melissa Germain, and her husband, Jeffrey Germain, who were hired for university jobs created for them, that they never formally applied for and that were never advertised, documents show.
The second involves at least four individuals with whom Montemagno previously worked who have also been considered for campus positions since his appointment.
Staff writer Anna Spoerre can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @annaspoerre.
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James Smith • Mar 20, 2018 at 11:03 am
Part of Montemagno’s “mission” includes setting an example for the administrators he oversees, as well as the students who attend SIU. Unethical behavior is NEVER justified. I’m ashamed for all of the people making their comments in the various comments sections that seem to condone behavior that would get you fired in any company or educational institution in the U.S.
David Rossi • Feb 8, 2018 at 11:32 am
If hiring Chancellor’s family and acquaintances are unethical, it may still be justified. If the Chancellor needs his friends and family employed by SIU so he can do his job more effectively, then so be it! What’s important is not the means but the ends. Maybe the positions his family members get have nothing to do with his job duties, yet I’m sure all of us work more effectively armed with the knowledge that family is nearby and employed, especially in a desolate area like southern Illinois. Chancellor Montemagno has a mission to accomplish let’s put our faith in him and let him have his crew so he can accomplish his mission. I think it’s a small price to pay in order to reap the awards Chancellor Montemagno promised.