[Theresa Kelly]

I'm a student reporter at West Chester University, and this week, I am covering the issue of Kim's "reassignment" to full-time teaching, as well as the Poetry Conference's cancellation for the student newspaper, The Quad. I am, of course, trying to track down the facts of the case as they come up. If anyone on this forum (Anna, the thread-creator, perhaps) would like to provide any official on-the-record comments/quotes/information for my article, I would appreciate it. Even if you do not have official information on what is going on, I would love to talk to some people who know of Professor Bridgford's good work at the conference, who have attended and enjoyed the conference, etc. My article is due Saturday, so please email me at TK780615@wcupa.edu as soon as possible.

[Terese Coe]

For the record:

My posts here have been either simple statements of fact or questions. A simple statement of fact is neither attack nor slander.

So much for the quest for transparency.

[Quincy Lehr]

(Actually, how about I don't rise to the bait , even obliquely?)

[Alex Pepple]

Concern has been expressed about some post in this thread tending toward or being outright slanderous. Given the potential legal ramifications, I'll advise everyone to refrain from making non-factual and/or unproven accusations against the parties involved here. Furthermore, keep Eratosphere's guidelines in mind and refrain from ad hominem attacks in your posts. I'd hate to take action that removes or restricts this thread since most of the discussions involved are useful and necessary.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Cheers,
...Alex

[Gail White]

And if you think things are getting bad here, check out the discussion on Allison Joseph's Facebook page. Here, we have pretty well confined ourselves to the financial aspect of things. There, you will find charges of political agendas, sexism, racism, and all kinds of worms coming out of the woodwork. None of this, of course, is Allison's fault, but it is fairly appalling reading. And backs up something I've always said -- that for seeing the genuine pettiness of human nature, there's nothing like belonging to a church or a school.

[Lorna Blake]

I am a member of the West Chester University Poetry Center Advisory Board and serve as its newly-designated Finance Committee Chair. Advisory Board members are appointed by the President of the University upon the recommendation of current Advisory Board members for a three year term and our names are listed on the Center’s website. I can confirm Pat Valdata’s account of the Advisory Board meeting that took place on August 25, 2014. The Advisory Board did, in fact, recommend that the Poetry Center’s Director proceed with a request for an independent audit of the Center’s finances for reasons of generally accepted financial best practices and because such an audit might prove useful in the Center’s future fundraising efforts. The motion to proceed was unanimously approved by the Advisory Board.

[Pat Valdata]

<sigh> If I wrote anything unclear, I am sorry for that, but I don't understand Sam's confusion. I didn't request an audit, although I have requested that individuals who write on Kim's behalf also write in support of an audit.

I reread my post and can't see where I wrote that Kim requested the audit; I thought it was clear that the request came from the finance committee of the Poetry Center Advisory Board ("Kim's Board," a different group from the WCU Foundation Board). I am not sure how members actually get on the board, although several names were suggested as possible members at that last meeting. The board members belong to various committees, like finance, and publicity, and work on behalf of the Poetry Center, as so many boards do.

Thank you, Lorna, for your clarity.

[R. S. Gwynn]

"Sam, I was taking minutes on August 25 at the Poetry Center's 3rd quarter Advisory Board meeting (for the rest of you, I was there as a temporary employee from mid-February through August 29). The board's financial committee requested an audit for two reasons: (1) it is good financial practice for every organization to be audited on a regular basis and (2) audits are required on most grant applications. The Center had never been audited, so it was long overdue. The advisory board approved the audit, quite enthusiastically, I might add.

"As soon as the meeting concluded, the dean left the room like she was shot out of a cannon, without a word to any of us. Three weeks later, Kim was removed, ostensibly because she didn't "work closely enough" with the WCU Foundation, which is ridiculous.

"I think it is extremely strange that she was removed for that reason right after requesting the audit, which would have involved both the Center and the Foundation, since the Foundation holds all of the Center's funds that are received through donations (except for the Poet's Prize, which has its own account). I question both the timing and the reason for her removal, hence my request to open the books. Others agree with me, which has resulted in the groundswell of requests for financial transparency. Kim and her advisory board were all in favor of it--it seems that the university and its foundation are the ones who are uncomfortable with the concept."

[Robin-Kemp]

see above.

Thanks, Pat and Lorna.

I hope these first-person accounts and the links satisfy those who wish to pursue their own research. That was my original reason for sharing them. It certainly was not to be harassed by posts and private messages.

I hope that, when everything comes to light, no one connected with the conference is to blame. As I have said publicly elsewhere, Mike opened his home and press to us and built the conference. As I have said elsewhere, Kim is getting a typical academic scapegoating. I hope both are fully restored. But on other ridiculous matters, I have never said that Mike somehow treated women or gay people or people of color poorly. I do not and never have thought such a thing. Perhaps someone mixed me up with someone else. No matter.

I do not repeat hearsay. I do not repeat all that I hear. I hope this is clear now.

What a disappointment on so many levels.

[Wendy Sloan]

So, I take it no audit has been done since August 25th?