Pond Island:--- Professors at the University of St. Martin (USM) are becoming frustrated by the day as they are constantly being paid late and to date they still do not have doctor cards. SMN News has been reliably informed that Sharon Freiburg has submitted her letter of resignation which will become effective August 1 2011. Freiburg is the division head of Education and has 32 years of experience under her sleeves.SMN News learnt that another issue facing the professors at USM is the fact that the board decided to hire someone to fill the position of President who does not have an education degree while the Acting Dean also does not have an education degree. The source said Freiburg is angry because these two persons wanted her to do things that are not ethical and legal.
SMN News also learnt that the chief finance controller Kenneth Nolan will be relieved from his job this coming week. The source said the board is claiming that Nolan's contract is up and it will not be renewed. However, sources say Nolan's contract has been up over a year now and he was kept on the job by the same board who now says he will be relieved. SMN News also learnt that the former President of USM Josianne Artsen Fleming informed Nolan in August 2010 that his contract would not be renewed that year and the board agreed but when Fleming Artsen resigned the board claimed they extended his contract.
Sources say that Kenneth Nolan is fully responsible for the financial woes the University of St. Martin is facing. They said that Nolan did not provide USM with a budget for three or four consecutive years since the CFO does not know how to prepare an annual budget. Questions are now being raised as to how government was funding the institution without a budget.
SMN News learnt that the CFO made some bogus accounting entries which USMs' former accounting firm Deloitte & Touché refused to process. The source said the board of USM then followed the CFO's advice and changed the accounting firm to Price Water Coopers where the CFO allegedly has friends working.SMN News also learnt that the treasurer of USM board discovered that a financial racket was being carried out at USM by persons who were working at USM in the past. Where at least two of the past employees were making more monies than the institutions' former President Josianne Artsen Fleming. They said the monies were being made through outside projects which were going to one of the former professors and former deans because these workers were allowed to bill USM for work they were already getting paid to do as full time workers. At one point, the board was contemplating turning over the documents the treasurer unearthed to the prosecutor's office but subsequently changed their minds because USMs' financial records were not in order for at least three years. It was also decided that if a complaint was filed then USM fundraising activities were going to be affected.
Several of the USM employees and professors were seen at the RBTT bank on Thursday June 9th trying to obtain monies from their accounts. Many of them said only on Thursday the University paid their salaries. One of the employees who spoke to SMN News anonymously said each month she is forced to pay late fees on her mortgage because USM is paying its workers late. When the employees/professors complain they are told that they should exercise patience with the institution.
The teacher said they would love to show more patience with their bosses but the banks and landlords such as St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation does not show their tenants and clients any patience and mercy at the end of the month. The said only last month they received a letter from SHDF informing them that the rents will be increased as of January 2012 and persons paying their rent late would have to pay an additional amount as late fees.
Last week Wednesday, Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell confirmed that USM sent a letter to head of the Education Department Quincy Harrigan requesting $350,000.00 from government because they were not able to make their salaries for the end of May 2011. Minister Arrindell said the Council of Ministers discussed the letter since it was forwarded to them and decided to grant USM some $45,000.00. The Minister described USMs' letter as being a "little rude." The Minister further explained that USM is a private institution and that would remain her mantra until the situation changes at USM. Minister Arrindell also expressed hope that the financial situation at USM would change since that she said would be in everyone's interest and government was working closely with the institution to find a solution.
