A recent investigation found that MRC Greenwood, the former
second-ranked University of California official, violated conflict
of interest policies. This finding is another point of discussion
for UC officials in their examination of UC practices in coming
months.
The former UC provost, who resigned in November amid controversy
about her hiring decisions, had hired a business partner for a
newly created UC management position. This hiring was inconsistent
with the university’s conflict of interest policy, according
to the findings of a UC investigation released on Dec. 21,
2005.
Linda Goff, who according to the investigation had an
“ongoing business relationship” with Greenwood, was
hired in 2003 as director of the UC Science and Math Initiative,
which aims to bring more math and science teachers to California
classrooms. The two were listed as co-mortgagees on a bank loan and
had joint ownership of a house at the time.
The UC was prompted to examine its practices by criticisms
regarding this case of misconduct as well as other recent
accusations that the UC doled out millions more in compensation
packages than was publicly reported.
“(Greenwood’s) case, along with others like it, will
certainly be the kind of thing that the recently established groups
… will look at to see if we need to establish new policies and
practices or refine to existing ones,” said UC spokesman Paul
Schwartz.
The investigation found that such a relationship was
unacceptable, but Greenwood has denied any intentional
wrongdoing.
“I honestly believed I had taken the necessary steps to
dissolve the real estate partnership in keeping with the UC
conflicts policy,” she said in a statement.
“I regret that I made an unfortunate and inadvertent
mistake in how I handled the dissolution of that partnership in my
efforts to avoid running afoul of UC’s conflicts
policy,” she said in the statement.
A related investigation, also released on Dec. 21, 2005, found
that Winston Doby, UC vice president of student affairs, illegally
created a post for Greenwood’s son James.
James Greenwood, who was hired for a $45,000-a-year internship,
was the only candidate for the job at UC Merced, and the report
found that the internship was formed with him in mind. In that
instance, Greenwood was found to have no involvement in the hiring
decision.
Greenwood will face no sanctions, as removal from her post as
provost would have been the harshest punishment UC President Robert
Dynes could have imposed, Schwartz said.
The former provost will return to the UC as a member of the UC
Davis faculty in the College of Agriculture and receive a yearly
salary of $163,800.
Additionally, a separation agreement between Greenwood and the
UC, which was signed several weeks before the findings of the
investigation were released, gives Greenwood a year sabbatical at
her former $301,840 yearly salary and three months of paid leave
following the sabbatical.
When Greenwood retires, she will do so with a title of
chancellor emeritus.