Spring '89 grads most ever! Barring unfavorable weather, convocation for Central State University's 1989 spring convocation—CSU's largest graduating class ever with 1,736 students— will be held at 7:30 p.m. May 12 in CSU's Wantland Stadium. Eight graduating seniors at Central State University with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages have been named as class marshals for the convocation. Class marshals are Suan-Teen Heah, Stillwater; Cynthia Ann Honeycutt, McLoud; Tania Lei Main and Toni Lin Main, both of Oklahoma City; Barbara
Johnson Roden, Oklahoma City; Richard Rose, Edmond; Mehdi Shaaf, Edmond; and Michael Diane White, Paden. Class marshals were recognized at the President's Dinner for graduates on April 28 and will be responsible for leading their graduating class into Wantland Stadium for convocation. Heah, the daughter of Madame Irene Tan of Benang, West Malaysia, is a management science major and a graduate of Convent Secondary, Bukit Mertajam in Malaysia. She is a past recipient of the Management
Departmental Scholarship, several Regents Scholarships, the Management Faculty Scholastic Achievement Award, the International Office and First Baptist Church scholastic achievement award, and the Oklahoma Resident House Association scholastic achievement award. She has been a member of Alpha Chi and of Mortar Board honor societies, president of the Malaysian Students Association, program director of the Management Club, recorder-historian of the Decision Sciences Club and a member of the American Production and Inventory Control Society.
She has been listed on the President's Honor Roll every semester at CSU while completing her degree requirements in less than four years. Honeycutt is the daughter of Roy McMahon of Meeker and the wife of Hal Honeycutt of McLoud. She is a 1974 graduate of Tecumseh High School and is majoring in elementary education. She has been a member of Alpha Chi and Kappa Delta Pi. She has been the recipient of a CSU College of Education scholarship and a Junior College Transfer Scholarship Please see Graduation on page 8.
THE VISTA
May 4, 1988 Vol. 87, No. 53
Thursday Edition
Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma
New health plan criticized
State to insure CSU?
The Bronze Broncho in front of Broncho Fieldhouse greets many visitors to athletic events. (Photo by Andrew Smith)
OSBI home search flawed, lawyer says By Laurel Anquoe Student Writer Stephen Jones, attorney for former Physical Plant Director Nimrod Chapel, said yesterday that information contained in a court affidavit that prompted an April 24 search of Chapel's home by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was based on incorrect Labor Department records and that affidavits discrediting the information in the records were not made available to the court. He also said these affidavits were known to Central State University administration since Chapel's employee review hearing in March. CSU President Bill Lillard refused comment on the allegation. According to OSBI agent Denita Watkins' affidavit, which was used to obtain the search warrant, OSBI agent Scott Behenna reviewed state Labor Department records and found evidence that indicated at least three CSU employees were working for
Chapel's 4-C Systems asbestos removal company when their CSU time cards indicated they were supposed to be working for the university. OSBI agents searched Chapel's home and seized records pertaining to 4-C Systems based on Watkins' affidavit, said Paul Renfrow, public relations officer. Jones said he has affidavits from three CSU employees listed in the affidavit that refute the OSBI allegations. He also said he believes that if the judge issuing the search warrant had seen the affidavits, there would have been no probable cause for the search. Chapel was terminated from CSU March 31 for insubordination and failure to provide sufficient documentation about the alleged conflict of interest between Chapel's maintenance duties and his private business. Jones said the university had no right to Chapel's private business records.
By Valli Covert Editor in chief Central State University, along with the five other state regional universities, effective July 1 has opted for employee health insurance with the State Education and Employee Insurance Program, despite reports of threatened increases in co-payments and premiums with a reduction in benefits offered. Charles Johnson, assistant vice president of administration and personnel servics, said CSU is currently insured with American Fidelity Insurance Co. Once an entity signs a contract under the state plan, the entity may never withdraw from it. Some CSU personnel contacted The Vista expressing concern about the plan because of reports that the premiums for the family health plan may go up as much as double the $124.20 indicated in a brochure employees were given explaining costs of the plan. Disagreement over whether the plan is solvent has also caused employees to become concerned. Officials with the state plan have confirmed that benefits will decrease and co-payments and deductibles will increase in an attempt to keep the insurance plan solvent. The state auditor and inspector's office found problems with the plan in an audit conducted for fiscal year ending June 30, 1988, Odie Nance, director of investigative audit division, said. "We found that...their record keeping was not adequate." Apparently there was approximately a $7-8 million loss last year, and from July 1, 1988, to present the plan has incurred $19 million in losses, Nance
said. State Sen. Mark Snyder of Edmond said the plan was "probably headed toward insolvency," and apparently the board governing the plan did not do its job. Poor management of the plan has apparently caused financial problems, he said. "I feel if the state has erred, the state should pick up the difference," Snyder said in regard to the proposed increases of premiums and deductibles. The state legislature, in a joint-house agreement, has indicated they will propose to freeze rate increases until Jan. 1, 1990, after investigations are complete. A committee is in the process of being formed to investigate the problems associated with the fund, Shirley Spence, administrative assistant to Sen. Jim Barker, said. Gerald Hoeltzel, state superintendent of public institutions and a member of the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges, said he was not aware of any discussion of reduction in benefits, but was concerned about the cost increases that may be incurred by the employees. Hoeltzel is also a member of the insurance board. Johnson, who has acted as spokesperson for staff at CSU, said he was not officially aware of the financial problems of the insurance fluid, but assumed staff and faculty had read reports of the possible problems as he had. The regents have said they intend to sign the contact unless new circumstances arise which indicate the plan may not be in the best interest of employees.
Annual audit expanded By Laurel Anquoe Student Writer The Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges has increased specifications of the annual audit procedures conducted at Central State University and other regional universities, said Linda Grantham, chairwoman of the regents' audit committee, at the regents' regular monthly meeting April 21 at the State Capitol Complex. The regents are also considering hiring a permanent full-time internal auditor, who would be directly accountable to the regents, to monitor the universities, she said. In effect, the universities would be audited from three different
sources: the external auditing firms hired annually by the regents, the internal auditor, and the state investigative audit that is conducted every four years. The audit process reinforcement follows a much-publicized state investigative audit of CSU that revealed improper diversion of university monies to CSU Foundation accounts, and that questioned employment practices and reported overtime hours within the university's physical plant. The external auditors will be required to apply the new specifications to the general audit of the universities. The auditors will examine financial management compliance with state statutes and
federal compliance related to campus-based student financial aids programs, according to the regents' solicitation of bids for auditing services. The auditors will also be required to report findings of weakness in accounting procedures and internal control of the entity audited, and to particularly examine revenue bond systems, athletic department activities, property accounts, and response to prior-year recommendations. With the additional specifications, the audit process is more extensive and time-consuming, and therefore more expensive, Grantham said. The cost for auditing services is expected to triple, she added.