The UT-AAUP continues to be flooded with a large number of inquiries concerning the W2 problems. It is difficult to respond to all of the emails. Meanwhile, David Dabney, UT CFO and VP for Finance, sent out an email on Friday, March 16, 2012 with the Jacobs Administration answers to the W2 fiasco.
Mr. Dabney appeared at Faculty Senate late Tuesday afternoon on March 13 to explain the W2 problems. He also distributed to Senate a letter dated March 14, 2012 which is essentially the same as his email of March 16.
Mr. Dabney informed the Senate that corrected W2s will be issued for the past three years -2011, 2010, and 2009. He said that the corrected W2 for 2011 would be online soon, but he did not know when the corrected 2009 and 2010 W2s would be available. Mr. Dabney did not mention the status of W2s prior to 2009, but there appear to have been errors in W2s dating to the time of the merger of UT & MCO.
Mr. Dabney conveniently blames the W2 errors on the Banner software system and prior Bancroft campus employees no longer at UT. According to Mr. Dabney, these employees entered data incorrectly and/or pushed the wrong keys. Information Technology sources close to UT-AAUP confirm that the errors may be due to Banner and may be difficult to fix. However, they go on to say, that the merger of the financial systems between the former Medical University of Ohio and the University of Toledo was poorly executed. Existing payroll and accounting problems in the Health Science campus systems were passed to the Bancroft campus systems. Then the Jacobs Administration began laying off and reassigning people familiar with the financial systems thereby removing the very people who would be able to fix these problems.
The continued reduction in personnel in both the Finance and the Information Technology areas has resulted in continued problems in the information services that are needed by this University. These sources further advise that all UT software systems have had continuing problems including the new parking system and Blackboard. The parking system was purchased last summer, but was not operative during Fall Semester 2011. Although the parking system was reported operative in February, there still are problems. The continuing UT system software problems raise questions as to the accuracy, validity, and reliability of all UT financial accounts and payroll records including W2s since the merger.
The keeping of payroll records and the accurate recording of tax receipts is one of the most important business functions of any organization. People go to jail "in the real world" for violating the principles underlying these functions. This Administration has been callous with finances in all areas and has actively undermined the UT finance and accounting systems by firing, by laying off, by transferring people from critical positions, by withholding information, and by intimidating persons who would question the Administration's execution of the financial obligations required by law of the institution. The cavalier way they have treated the W2s and their lack of responsiveness are indicative of the way that all finances at the University are treated by the Administration.
The Jacobs Administration regularly rewards itself with both large pay increases and large bonuses saying they are rewarding the people who have the highest risks. Meanwhile, the Administration continues to chop employees at the bottom of the UT food chain. Now the Administration blames the victims - the chopped employees. Many of these chopped employees have years of service to UT. When will the Administration take the risk of being honest and admit they caused the problems?
Whatever happened to "the buck stops here"?
