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Athletics hires risk management firm
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Monday, Januar y 14, 2019 | Vo l u m e 1 2 3 | I s s u e 3 5
How the Legislature might affect UNM By Madison Spratto @Madi_Spratto This article is part of the Daily Lobo’s 2019 New Mexico State Legislature coverage.
Courtesy Photo
Photo courtesy of Ian Halperin/Big 12
By Danielle Prokop @ProkopDani The Daily Lobo previously reported, the Dan Beebe Group was hired by the University of New Mexico to help “foster safe work, educational and athletics environments” for student athletes, staff and coaches, according to their contract. But who exactly is Dan Beebe? Beebe runs a firm offering services for universities to analyze policies and procedures. The firm also provides training, assessment and consulting services to deal with alleged discrimination, retaliation, bullying, sexual misconduct, hazing, NCAA violations, academic fraud and financial impropriety. In short, the Dan Beebe Group (DGB) is a fixer for athletic departments who have faced scandals or are looking to avoid one — for a price. Beebe said DBG offers a vital independent service to vet UNM’s policies. “We want to be able to stand in front of people we can say, ‘Hey don’t take New Mexico’s word for it; we don’t live here, we don’t work here, we didn’t get our degrees from here, we’re not season ticket holders — we don’t have a dog in this fight. Let us tell you all the things we’ve learned about (and) what you can do if you have an issue,’” Beebe said. Beebe himself has worn many hats in the world of college athletics. Right out of college in 1982 until 1986 he worked as a NCAA enforcer. He then spent one year at Wichita State Athletics as assistant athletic director. From 1987 through 1989 Beebe was the NCAA’s director of enforcement and oversaw one of the strictest sanctions ever handed out by the organization. The “Death Penalty” against Southern Methodist University — a one-year ban on the football program — was implemented because of continual violations of paying players under the table since the 1970s. He was the former commissioner of the Big 12 conference
from 2007 through 2011 when he was ousted during the tumultuous departures of four schools from the conference. Beebe moved into the risk management business after the ouster, joining with experienced risk managers Mike McCall and Mark Thompson. Dan Beebe Group According to Beebe, DBG (also known as BMT Risk Management) has worked with over 20 universities, including some with high profile scandals, such as Illinois and Louisville. University of Illinois hired DBG in August 2015 after former athletes alleged mistreatment by coaches. DBG was brought in to help the school "prevent, identify and appropriately respond to misconduct" costing $50,000 for a year. Notably, their hiring came eight days prior to the firing of Tim Beckman as head football coach for mishandling injuries. In 2016, the group was brought in at the University of Louisville after the 2015 basketball escort scandal to provide training and assessment of UL’s policies. DBG’s contract was for $40,000, and not to exceed $75,000 for costs, including travel. Beebe downplayed DBG’s involvement in university decisions, he said a separate law firm had investigated the claims against Beckman. “At all these places, people were afraid to talk because they were afraid what was going to happen to them, or the leadership never got ahold of the problem to address it,” Beebe said. In July 2016, Louisiana State University officials said they hired the Dan Beebe Group to get ahead of sexual assault scandals, according to The Advocate. LSU paid $30,000 for a creation of sexual assault curriculum for student athletes. Current UNM Director of Athletics Eddie Nuñez was deputy director of LSU athletics at the time. Beebe said that’s where he and Nuñez had met. Beebe said one of the most important aspects of his work is maintaining independence
The first session for the 54th New Mexico Legislature will have its opening day Jan. 15, beginning at noon. As part of opening day Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will be giving her first State of the State address and new legislators will be sworn into office. Several bills introduced could directly affect the University of New Mexico community. The lottery scholarship is up for discussion and vote again this session. Representative Debra Sariñana, sponsored House Bill 146 which proposes the Lottery Scholarship be a full scholarship based on financial need. from the universities. “I think we’re as independent as you could probably get without having a government agency that does what we do,” Beebe said. “We’re still going to get paid by the clients, but my livelihood doesn’t depend on if New Mexico hires me or LSU or anybody in particular, I have a breadth of clients that I work with.” UNM Connection This is not the first time outside firms have been brought in to look at the Athletics Department and coach misconduct at UNM. In 2018, head football coach Bob Davie was suspended for 30 days after a report by Hogan, Marron, Babbo & Rose, a Chicago law firm that investigated a range of claims against him for $24,292. Another investigation this past summer was done by Helen Grant Consulting — paid $6,000 — that determined the Athletics Department was not compliant with Title IX. Beebe said he would prefer not to comment on either of the circumstances that brought him to UNM, or the work he did specifically for the Athletics Department. Back in March of 2018, an agreement was signed by the University and BMT Risk Management for a four-phase service plan to “assist (UNM) to maintain an effective human relations risk management program and culture that helps foster safe work, educational and athletics environments” for student athletes, staff and coaches, according to the contract obtained by the Daily Lobo. There are four phases to be completed by the 2018 through 2019 academic year. The cost (which did not specify if travel or other expenses would be paid) is reported as $25,000 broken into three categories. Phases III and IV are combined for the payment stage.
see
Beebe page 10
To qualify, students need to be a New Mexico resident, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and take 15 credit hours at a four-year institution or 12 credits at a two-year institution. A new provision in the proposed bill would mean students whose family contributes less than 150 percent of the total cost of attendance — as calculated by the financial aid officer of the school — qualify for full tuition as well. According to a previous Daily Lobo article, for the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 semesters Lottery Scholarship recipients received $2,294 at research institutions, $1,560 at comprehensive institutions and $581 at community college. A UNM full-time, state resident can expect to pay $3,661 in tuition and fees for Spring 2019. Also addressing the Lottery Scholarship is Senate Bill 80, sponsored by Senator William Soules. If passed, this bill would allocate unclaimed prize money
from the New Mexico lottery to the lottery tuition fund instead of to the prize fund, as it is now. HB 127 is sponsored by Representative G. Andrés Romero, and if passed, would amend the College Affordability Act, which allots scholarships to eligible students, by raising the maximum money awarded from $1,000 to $1,500. SB 81 asks for the same amends. SB 67, sponsored by former Senator Cisco McSorley, proposes a $160,000 appropriation to support the engineering internship program at the UNM board of regents for fiscal year 2020. Any unused money will revert to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year. Madison Spratto is the news editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Madi_Spratto.
Keller gives State of the City speech
By Justin Garcia/ @Just516garc/ Daily Lobo
Tim Keller speaks as Albuquerque Police officers and supporters look on.
By Justin Garcia and Anthony Jackson @Just516garc @ TonyAnjackson As the opening riff to Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” thundered throughout the room, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller walked to the lectern, to give his first State of the City Address. Keller lauded what he said were many accomplishments of his administration, including improved crime rates, police reforms and an improved economic outlook. “We woke up a few years ago to a city that had gradually slipped behind, worked our way to the top of the bad rankings and bottom of the good,” Keller said. He cited Albuquerque’s 2018 crime statistics which saw a nearly 30 percent decrease in auto burglaries, a 30 percent decrease in auto theft, and an almost 20
percent decrease in commercial and residential burglary. Homicide and robbery saw about a 10 percent decrease according to a 2018 report compiled by the City of Albuquerque. However, violent crimes like homicide and rape did not see as much of a decrease. Homicides dropped 10 percent and rape saw a four percent decrease. Nonfatal shootings rose four percent. Keller cited the hiring of 89 new officers and the appointment of 20 new leaders in the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) as the cause of the drop in crime. On the campaign trail, Keller said he wanted to hire 400 more officers. In 2018, Keller pushed for raises for APD officers, according to an article in the Albuquerque Journal. During Saturday’s address, he highlighted the need to continue hiring officers. “We are committed to bring 400
see City Address page 10
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