Letters show Bollinger, Goss disputes

By Jen Fish

Daily Staff Reporter

Although many in the University community were shocked at the resignation of former Athletic Director Tom Goss, documents released yesterday reveal the relationship between University President Lee Bollinger and Goss was marred by miscommunication and uncertain expectations as far back as August.

Bollinger refused to comment on the release of the documents, saying in a written statement that the University was only doing so because "two Freedom of Information Act requests leave us little choice."

"I have previously said I do not wish to comment further on this personnel matter and I reiterate that," Bollinger said.

University spokeswoman Julie Peterson and University Chief Financial Officer Robert Kasdin had no comment.

The documents include a letter from Bollinger dated Aug. 11 explaining why he gave Goss a 2 percent pay increase when pay raises for top University officials averaged 5.47 percent in 1998.

"For next year I am increasing your salary by 2 percent, which I know is low but I have to give some significant sign of the state of affairs," Bollinger wrote.

The "state of affairs" included concerns Bollinger had regarding the fiscal management of the department, as well as his disappointment in two of Goss' personnel appointments.

The fiscal management of the department was an ongoing problem for Goss. Last February, he announced a 30 percent increase in the price of non-student football tickets to combat revenue losses. Although Bollinger supported Goss' decision, which was later modified, he dispatched a committee to study the athletic department's finances.

The committee, whose members included current interim Athletic Director Bill Martin, issued its preliminary report in June, recommending "the most prudent path focuses on expense controls and treats the growth of revenue as a fortunate outcome rather than an important bedrock of financial stability."

But the problems continued throughout the summer, when Goss addressed a $2 million deficit at July's meeting of the University Board of Regents. At this meeting, Goss was criticized by Regent Andrea Fischer Newman (R-Ann Arbor) for his handling of the department's fiscal affairs.

In the letter, which was written just weeks after the regents meeting, Bollinger wrote "I know you are working very hard at doing well, and in many ways you are succeeding. You know, I think, how much I personally want you to succeed. But these are problems and we're going to have to address them."

In his defense, Goss wrote to Bollinger on Aug. 13 that he was frustrated with certain unnamed regents, who he saw as undermining his efforts to run the department and overstepping their authority. "I felt I could succeed with our mutually established goals in spite of the micro-management from a few regents," Goss wrote.

"The questioning of the qualifications and hiring of personnel is a dangerous precedent to set with the Regents in the athletic department or for that matter any university department. I am sure you would agree that it is not their role," Goss wrote.

But perhaps the largest problem in Goss' and Bollinger's relationship was one of communication. In the August letter, Bollinger addressed their miscommunication. "Another matter of concern for me has been not learning about issues ... until they're far along."

Goss apparently shared this concern, saying he needed to have a clearer picture of what Bollinger envisioned for the department.

"I need to have a better understanding of our relationship going forward. I need to understand when you have concerns so that they can be addressed," he wrote.

Goss added that he felt unsupported by the administration. "I expect to manage through a hostile external environment. However, internally I must know that I have a President that supports me in this role."

But the problems of miscommunication continued and culminated with the events surrounding the suspension of men's basketball guard Jamal Crawford. Bollinger was apparently unaware of the questions surrounding Crawford's living arrangement with Seattle businessman Barry Henthorn and the athletic department's investigations into the matter.

In a letter dated Feb. 2, the day after Crawford's initial suspension, Bollinger wrote he was "speechless to have found out for the first time this morning about the issues relating to Jamal Crawford and especially about the dealings with the NCAA."

"I can think of numerous questions that institutionally I should be addressing, and we should be addressing together, and yet steps have already been taken without my knowledge. I hope you can understand just how unacceptable this state of affairs is," Bollinger wrote.

Bollinger stated that the Crawford situation only added to the issues where Bollinger felt "inadequately prepared" to deal with other problems involving players.

At that time, men's basketball coach Brian Ellerbe was scrutinized for his possible intervention in an alleged theft involving three of his players.

"What is going on?" Bollinger asked at the end of the Feb. 2 letter.

Goss officially announced his resignation just six days later.