The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "College officials" ...
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For-Profit-College Business Model Breeds Exploitative Marketing Tactics
In the first radio piece: Interviews with former recruiters, faculty, administrators and students of a small group of for-profit colleges in Minnesota paint a picture of schools that are exploiting unsophisticated students for their financial-aid money. Analysis points to a high-enrollment, high-dropout business model that earns the company millions but provides questionable return on taxpayer investment. In the second radio piece: Political differences at the federal level make it unclear how much the government will regulate for-profit colleges. At the Minnesota state level, the leading official for higher-ed says his agency doesn’t have the resources to go after problem colleges – and isn’t sure whether beefing up enforcement would be the best use of higher-education funding.
Tags: Non-profit colleges; financial aid; business models; for-profit colleges
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IJEC: Mental health on campus
After the mass shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois, legislatures and university officials nationwide said they were taking extra measures to upgrade mental health treatment for students and to improve security on campuses The Investigative Journalism Education Consortium – a group of faculty and students at Midwest universities - decided to examine what actually had been done. What they found is that the number of college students seeking mental health care from their universities is soaring as is the severity of the mental health problems students have when they arrive on campus. The consortium also found most campuses do not have the number of counselors and resources needed. In addition, we found some universities have moved slowly or not at all to improve security and to develop effective building evacuation plans.
Tags: Mental health; health care; counselors; Midwest universities
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"Fiesta Bowl Under Fire" "BCS The Money. The Games"
Discovery of violations of state and federal campaign finance laws at the Fiesta Bowl and widespread financial mismanagement, including employees being reimbursed for taking luxurious out-of-town trips and visits to strip clubs. The investigation of the BCS found that public universities lose money playing in BCS games; bowls spend heavily on gifts for schools' top athletic officials; pay for the highest executives at the BCS bowls more than doubled since they reunited in the late 1990s; and three of the top bowls accepted large government subsidies even as their revenue and assets have grown.
Tags: BCS; Fiesta Bowl; college; football; fraud; financial mismanagement
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Doubt Cast on Police Shooting
In conjunction with the Chicago Tribune, Columbia College journalism students found evidence that questioned whether a Columbia Police shooting was justified. The man who was shot, Seneca Smith, was sent to prison for 35 years for attempted murder of a police officer. Yet, the reporters found evidence that contradicted the official police statements that led to his conviction.
Tags: Columbia police; police shooting; Seneca Smith; convicted; evidence
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The rise and fall of Ray Sansom, speaker of the Florida House
Ray Sansom, the speaker of the Florida House, gave the state college “$35 million in two years”. These two years he oversaw the House budget, but wasn’t the speaker quite yet. Furthermore, these millions of dollars were added outside the normal budget method. Additionally, he worked with the college president to help maneuver the funds to the college.
Tags: government; politics; money; state government; Jay Odom; local officials; Northwest Florida State; college trustees
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Abuse of Power
This series is an investigation into former CSUPD Chief Dexter Yarbrough. Before the investigation began, he had been placed on paid administrative leave and this raised suspicion from J. David McSwane. After much research and interviewing, David revealed a number of cases of misconduct by Yarbrough. These cases of misconduct included sexual harassment and other illegal behaviors. After everything was revealed, Yarbrough resigned and now hiring of university officials and police personnel is highly assessed.
Tags: Colorado State University (CSU); law enforcement; education; college; universities; police officer; Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity(OEOD)
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Colleges Use Cheap Loans to Lure Stars to Faculty
“Although colleges and universities have often provided housing for officials to live on campuses, in recent years they have also begun to use low-interest or no-interest mortgage loans as a recruiting tool, sometimes from their own endowments”.
Tags: education; students; faculty members; professors; teachers; money; compensation; perks; tax forms
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Clout Goes to College
University of Illinois officials violated their own admission policy's merit-based criteria by circumventing the process for politically-connected applicants. The violations granted admission to students who wouldn't have been accepted otherwise.
Tags: University of Illinois; campus; applicants; admissions; governor; legislators; students; clout; political; connections;
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State Employees Salaries (Balancing Act)
This series analyzes the salaries of Minnesota's state employees and found that in the year before the governor instituted a state hiring freeze, about a third of the state work force earned more than $50 million in overtime pay. A handful of employees earned more in overtime pay than in regular wages. The analysis supported claims by employee unions that understaffing was driving up overtime costs. The series also revealed that faculty at state colleges and universities are earning significant bonuses for teaching online courses beyond their full-time course load. Two St. Cloud State University professors rank among the highest-paid state employees in Minnesota.
Tags: salary records; state government; state officials; hiring freeze; understaffing; wages; overtime costs; employee compensation
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Behind the Politics of Alabama's Community Colleges
"Alabama legislators received jobs and contracts from the state's two-year colleges, often for work that included their legislative duties. it's not clear from system records what lawmakers did for the money the received from the colleges, and in some cases system officials could not determine if any work was performed."
Tags: colleges; higher education; legislatures; state government; public records