Dear Editor,
Wow.ÿSo Ben Ladner signs a contract that was never approved by the Board of Directors, then rips the school off for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars, until the scandal is discovered and he is fired.ÿ Now the board wants to give him an extra $4 million?ÿ Way to get tough, guys.ÿ Is this how the high-profile VIPs on the board usually deal with someone who rips them off?ÿ Can I sign an unapproved contract with these people?ÿ I'll even guarantee that after I rip them off, I'll settle for a $2 million severance package.ÿ Is this Enron?ÿ Who are these clowns, and how on earth did they end up in charge of this place?
I applied for admission to NYU, U of Pittsburgh, and U of Washington in addition to AU.ÿI decided to come here because I felt that this place was as good a school as the rest of them, with the extra opportunities that DC offers.ÿ Academically, that's still true, but if I had known that AU was run this poorly, I never would have come here.ÿ At this point I just want to get my degree and leave.ÿ This is my school, not Ladner's (or anyone else's) piggy bank.ÿ Until they put people in charge who agree with that basic statement, AU can forget about me ever giving a dime to this place.
By the way, AU has about 10,000 students.ÿ That averages out to about $400 from each of us to reward Ladner for ripping us off so well.
George Wilson
MS Candidate
SIS, 2006
