Outgoing Northern Illinois University President Doug Baker shouldn't be rewarded for financial mismanagement, Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) contended in a statement posted recently by the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW).
Baker is expected to be paid $600,000 plus benefits after resigning in the wake of a state investigation that determined he had mismanaged the school's employment. The inspector general's report, which was released on May 31, said jobs filled under Baker's leadership were not given proper classification to avoid having to be let out for bidding.
“As students across the state of Illinois are struggling to pay tuition and fees, our public higher education institutions are handing out golden parachutes to disgraced administrators for violating taxpayers’ trust,” Cullerton said in the statement. “What message are we sending? This needs to stop now. Illinois needs to get out of the business of paying university administrators off for their mismanagement and failing to comply with state laws.”
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