Adams State College trustees are moving to fire president Richard Wueste, charging he mismanaged the school’s finances and has “lost the trust and confidence” of his employees.
Wueste, who was placed on leave last month a little more than a year after he was hired, will have a hearing July 28 to decide whether his contract should be terminated.
A letter from board chairwoman Kathleen Eck spells out a series of problems the board found with Wueste’s management of the Alamosa school, which has about 2,500 students.
“You have failed to provide effective leadership and to provide an academic program that is consistent with available resources,” Eck wrote in the letter dated July 14.
“You have lost the trust and confidence of members of your executive team,” the letter said.
Wueste disputes all the allegations, pointing out the board increased his salary from $160,000 to $170,000 in April.
“On May 6th, the chair of the board changed,” Wueste said. “We’re dealing with a political board and people appointed by and who have a fiduciary responsibility to the governor. They come on to (the) board with own their ideas about what a board should do, and they come on with own agenda.”
Eck’s letter described the following problems with Wueste’s management:
The college’s income statement had to be adjusted by $558,000, and he submitted a 2006 fiscal year budget that had a shortfall of about $600,000.
Wueste made commitments neither budgeted nor approved by the board totaling $537,000 this year.
Wueste signed two contracts after the board directed him to make no further contractual agreements – backdating one – and committed to a project not approved by the board.
Eck declined to discuss any specifics other than to say the board began reviewing Wueste’s actions in June.
Wueste said he inherited the 2005 budget and there was never an official board directive not to sign the contracts. He utilized money earmarked for his use from the Adams State College Foundation for some contracts, he said.
He also said his executive team supported the budget, although he conceded there were difficulties because of state budget cuts.
Wueste said the board told him to concentrate on attracting students, fundraising and raising the profile of Adams State – all of which he said he did.
“With the budget, you can play with numbers in all sorts of directions,” he said. “We will be able to refute each and every one of” the allegations.
Staff writer Arthur Kane can be reached at 303-820-1626 or at akane@denverpost.com.
