Hillary Clinton
Related: About this forumJANE SANDERS RESIGNS PRESIDENCY OF BURLINGTON COLLEGE, REACHES SETTLEMENT (HRC GP)
According to Sanders, her decision to leave is the result of differences with the trustees over the colleges direction and future. During her seven years as president, new academic majors and an institutional aid fund for students have been developed. However, the recent property purchase, combined with rising tuition and difficulties expanding enrollment, has intensified financial, management and academic pressures.
Until recently, Sanders, wife of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, hoped to continue as president for another four years. But negotiations over a new contract stalled as doubts emerged about her plans and fundraising. In August, the board voted to negotiate an early exit package.
Last week, after a VTDigger.org story described the challenges facing the school, the agenda for a special Board of Trustees meeting, held at the Sheraton Hotel on Monday, was leaked. The agenda revealed that the trustees would be discussing the removal of the president. Lawyers for Sanders and the college have since reached a settlement that includes her resignation effective in three weeks, the title of President Emeritus and a year-long-paid sabbatical.
Purchase of the 200-student colleges new campus has created opportunities to significantly grow the student body and fully realize the expansion of academic programs, according to the announcement of Sanders departure. But her goal of doubling enrollment before the end of the decade could be tough to achieve, and millions of dollars more need to be raised to complete the new campus renovations.
After Sanders became college president in 2004, Burlington College initially experienced a decline in enrollment and, after a few years, faculty discontent. In an open letter to the trustees released on Sept. 21, former faculty member Genese Grill described the atmosphere in harsh terms. Staff, faculty and students have been reduced to silence and fear of retribution by what can only be described as a pattern of intimidation, spying, and targeting of critical voices, she wrote.
Grill described a closed and hostile environment, claiming that Sanders frequently yelled at staff and managed to eliminate anyone who voiced criticism. In the letter, Grill claims that many concerned voices were forced out by continual abuse and by eventually being offered humiliating and unfair contracts in which they were demoted below people who were, in many cases, less qualified for their positions.
In the last six years, about 40 people have left the school, Grill estimates, most (if not all) deeply disillusioned with the institution and its processes, most harboring bitterness and deep regret.
Since word began to circulate that Sanders might be leaving, both bitterness and hope have resurfaced in emails and website comments about the school. Grill believes that it will be a good deal easier for the devoted and well-qualified instructors and staff at Burlington College to do their good work without Jane Sanders obstructions.
The Board of Trustees has consistently declined to comment, in part due to confidentiality rules. But its official announcement says that Sanders will consult with the college on fundraising and other issues as the board develops an interim leadership plan and looks for a new president.
Despite her abrupt departure as president, Sanders promises to remain involved with the college forever.
Filed Under: Education
Tagged With: Burlington College, Jane Sanders
Greg Guma
Greg Guma is a longtime Vermont journalist. Starting as a Bennington Banner reporter in 1968, he was the editor of the Vanguard Press from 1978 to 1982, and published a syndicated column in the 1980s and 90s
Her Sister
(6,444 posts)JANE SANDERS RESIGNS PRESIDENCY OF BURLINGTON COLLEGE, REACHES SETTLEMENT
http://vtdigger.org/2011/09/27/jane-sanders-resigns-presidency-of-burlington-college-reaches-settlement/
EileenFB
(360 posts)to say the least:
(posted 4 years 6 months ago)
now to get rid of bernie-the-pork and life would be so much better for all concerned.
back to brooklyn with them!
Cha
(295,899 posts)DURHAM D
(32,595 posts)he is a guy and doesn't need to be vetted because... well... he is a guy.
Her Sister
(6,444 posts)Sanders told Peoples United Bank that the college had $2.6 million in pledged donations to support the purchase of the former Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington property on North Avenue. The college, however, received only $676,000 in actual donations from 2010 through 2014, according to figures provided by Burlington College.
Thats far less than the $5 million Sanders listed as likely pledges in the loan agreement, and less than a third of the $2.14 million Sanders had promised Peoples Bank the college would collect in cash during the four-year period.
Two people whose pledges are listed as confirmed in the loan agreement told VTDigger that their personal financial records show their pledges were overstated. Neither were aware that the pledges were used to secure the loan.
Burlington College also cited a $1 million bequest as a pledged donation that would be paid out over six years, even though the money would only be available after the donors death.
http://vtdigger.org/2015/09/13/jane-sanders-overstated-donation-amounts-in-loan-application-for-burlington-college/
LiberalFighter
(50,491 posts)NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)I'm not a lawyer, so I can only give my opinion. Even if it doesn't rise to meet the legal definition of fraud, it certainly has the risk of appearing to be fraud to the average citizen who may not fully understand what fraud means in the eyes of the law. Sometimes what people call fraud, or what they perceive to fraud (or fraudulent) is merely just their opinion based on watching Perry Mason on TV. Defenders may argue that it was probably just "bad judgement" and not strictly out-and-out "fraud" as it would be viewed by a court. But, as they say, appearances matter, and I can certainly see why Sanderses are eager to keep this information way in the background.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,207 posts)be concerned about a possible investigation of her own. Definitely sounds like fraud to me, and sounds a whole like the "I've been too busy to find my tax returns".
2naSalit
(86,048 posts)the front runner, is looking a lot like deflection so that nobody will be looking for dirt in her background.
Nice try Ms. Sanders... another swing and a miss.
Jitter65
(3,089 posts)Cha
(295,899 posts)Things the public needs to know about Mrs BS.. who's all over the place, faux included, asking the FBI to indict Hillary(who does that?) and talking about "Transparency on Hillary"..
There needs to be a big ol Spot Light shinin' on her.
SharonClark
(10,005 posts)200 students? What kind of 'college' is that?
Fla Dem
(23,347 posts)I wouldn't diminish the college because JS was associated with it. After all they did get rid of her.
https://www.burlington.edu/
jmowreader
(50,447 posts)...to pick up a sheepskin before they come home to be groomed to inherit the family business, that's what kind. This college is very expensive and grads earn about what a high school grad makes.
Her Sister
(6,444 posts)http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/bernie-sanders-jane-vermont-burlington-college-219114
http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/burlington-college-students-press-for-changes-after-profs-dismissal/Content?oid=2135730
Leave a reply
From Tim Johnson Burlington Free Press
Financial questions dog Burlington College
TIM JOHNSON9:05 p.m. EDT August 15, 2014
The Open House No One Attended. Expensive Jane Sanders Plan to Recruit Students From China Failed. https://smartvt.wordpress.com/2014/07/07/college-on-financial-watch-list-formerly-led-by-jane-sanders-wife-of-potential-pres-candidate/
George II
(67,782 posts)"When Bernie Sanders' wife was in charge of small, private Burlington College in Vermont, it sank into debt."
Her Sister
(6,444 posts)Decided OK let's look into her.
Jitter65
(3,089 posts)BlueMTexpat
(15,349 posts)Jane's role in creating them, so frankly have not had much respect for her financial acumen.
But THIS I had not heard before.
Grill described a closed and hostile environment, claiming that Sanders frequently yelled at staff and managed to eliminate anyone who voiced criticism. In the letter, Grill claims that many concerned voices were forced out by continual abuse and by eventually being offered humiliating and unfair contracts in which they were demoted below people who were, in many cases, less qualified for their positions.
In the last six years, about 40 people have left the school, Grill estimates, most (if not all) deeply disillusioned with the institution and its processes, most harboring bitterness and deep regret.
Just And
It appears that Jane is perhaps as tone-deaf and as stubborn as her husband. We hear all sorts of ominous hints from some that Hillary goes after people with a vengeance - something for which there is absolutely NO proof whatsoever - and yet this is how faculty members were treated during Jane's tenure as president. Sheesh!
I had also heard about the $200,000 golden parachute. But a title of "President Emeritus" and a year-long-paid sabbatical as well?
Just
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)Dumping in Texas. influence by who?
BlueMTexpat
(15,349 posts)strongly supported Hillary!
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)LisaM
(27,758 posts)and another quote I read where she claims the college was 'too small' to offer tenure. Tenure, after all, was set up to guarantee academic freedom for professors. Doesn't sound as if that was happening much at Burlington College.
BlueMTexpat
(15,349 posts)Jane, the more I realize how much of a bullet we dodged. Whew!
Of course, there is still Trump. And HE is more like a guided missile containing cluster bombs.
Koinos
(2,792 posts)"Financial questions dog Burlington College" (by Tim Johnson -- August 18, 2014)
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/education/2014/08/15/financial-questions-dog-burlington-college/14117505/
A school with their financial rating probably should never have gotten the loan. The loan's approval depended on pledges of money that never happened.
misterhighwasted
(9,148 posts)Genese Grill described the atmosphere in harsh terms. Staff, faculty and students have been reduced to silence and fear of retribution by what can only be described as a pattern of intimidation, spying, and targeting of critical voices, she wrote.
Grill described a closed and hostile environment, claiming that Sanders frequently yelled at staff and managed to eliminate anyone who voiced criticism. In the letter, Grill claims that many concerned voices were forced out by continual abuse and by eventually being offered humiliating and unfair contracts in which they were demoted below people who were, in many cases, less qualified for their positions.
In the last six years, about 40 people have left the school, Grill estimates, most (if not all) deeply disillusioned with the institution and its processes, most harboring bitterness and deep regret.
---------
Well wtf is wrong with a person when it takes a $200,000 pay off just to get their miserable ass kicked out the f'king door!
Both of them are running a scam on the American people & laughing at the fools who bought their lie.
Jane Sanders..what a piece of work.
With Jane in charge of the family tax returns, is it any wonder why she doesn't want them revealed.
Where'd the $10 million campaign donation come from JANE?
FEC is right to be suspicious of this two-faced backstabbing couple.
Together they make Bernie Madoff look like an amature
Buyer beware
Demsrule86
(68,347 posts)The less I like them.
misterhighwasted
(9,148 posts)Welcome to the barf buffet, presented to America by Bernie & Jane Sanders. We have'nt even gotten to the IRS & the FEC .
BeyondGeography
(39,278 posts)factor in $200K in please-go-away money and I wonder how much fun Trump would have with all that.
LiberalFighter
(50,491 posts)That includes revoking her emeritus status.
KewlKat
(5,624 posts)I posted links to this info on JS..........
Fla Dem
(23,347 posts)You did your best.
Koinos
(2,792 posts)Her Sister
(6,444 posts)Early into her time as Burlington Colleges president, Ms. Sanders focused on increasing enrollment. In a current bio, Ms. Sanders advertises significantly expanding its campus and degree programs. The purchase of diocese land was a key part of that plan.
Adam Dantzscher, who then served as chair of Burlington Colleges board of directors, tells Heat Street that at the time, buying the land looked like a huge opportunity for the school to expand its campus on ideal property for a bargain price.
Despite Ms. Sanders ambitions for expanding the college, she received mixed reviews during her tenure. Several of her staffers described her to local press as an energetic visionary. But by 2008, 74 students and nearly a dozen faculty sought an emergency meeting to address a crisis of leadership.
VTDigger.org reported one faculty member as saying there was a pattern of intimidation, spying and targeting of critical voices on campus. She later told Seven Days that as much as I want Bernie to win, the idea of [Jane Sanders] in the White House or having any power at all is deeply disturbing. The professor did not respond to Heat Streets multiple queries. (Another issue that has raised some questions about her tenure: In at least a couple of instances, family members or friends of Jane Sanders won contracts with the school. See this story for more details.)
Ms. Sanders left in September 2011, taking with her a $200,000 severance package. Meanwhile, the college faltered.
The diocese began imposing heavy penalties, claiming the college had defaulted on its loan. Burlington College disagreed, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported, saying that Peoples United Bank has not authorized the college to make payments to the diocese.
By 2014, the regional accrediting agency placed Burlington College on probation for two years, citing its unstable finances and running deficits. After reviewing the colleges audit, the accrediting agency also raised questions about whether Burlington could even make summer payroll, according to Seven Days.
Ms. Sanders said at the time that she had left Burlington College with a thorough plan to pay off the purchase. They didnt carry it out, she told VTDigger.org.
Ultimately, the college avoided bankruptcy by selling off 27 acres of the former diocese property to a real-estate developer, VTDigger.org reported.
Her Sister
(6,444 posts)VEDA Board of Directors
VEDA is fortunate to have a Board of Directors comprised of thoughtful and dedicated Vermonters who bring a wealth of experience to the work of the Authority.
?t=1461867539445
of Burlington has spent much of her career in public service, primarily with a focus on community development. Currently, Jane represents Vermont on the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission. Most recently, she served as President of Burlington College, significantly expanding its campus and degree programs, and earlier, as Provost and Interim President of Goddard College, her alma mater. As a municipal Department Head in the City of Burlington, Jane founded many programs and non-profits for children and families that continue today. She has also worked in the U.S. Congress, been elected as a School Board Commissioner, and run her own small business as a media and educational consultant. Jane earned her Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies at Union Institute & University.
Her Sister
(6,444 posts)Bernie Sanders wife, Jane, ran Burlington College from 2004 to 2011, eventually leaving as the small Vermont college came under financial pressure. Part of the reason for the schools fiscal strain was a real-estate deal gone bad. Some local Catholic parishioners have now accused her of loan fraud in connection with the deal.
But there were other worrisome allegations against Jane Sanders from her time at the college. The Washington Free Beacon recently broke news that under Ms. Sanders leadership, the college enrolled students at a Vermont woodworking school run by Ms. Sanders daughter. Between 2009 and 2011, the college paid more than $328,000 to the woodworking school, Burlington disclosed in its tax filings.
And between 2009 and 2011, the school also spent more than $77,000 at a resort in the Bahamas owned by a board member who was also a friend and trusted adviser to Bernie Sanders, the colleges tax filings show.
Court records show students went on trips there, snorkeling and taking boat tours. Watchdog.org reported that the same old friend, Jonathan Leopold, was a key broker on an ambitious acquisition of Roman Catholic diocese property that left Burlington in dire financial straits. (This Heat Street separate story delves into the allegations that Jane Sanders committed loan fraud as part of the purchase of this desirable property. )
Shortly after Ms. Sanders departed, taking a $200,000 severance package with her, Burlington College stopped spending money at both her daughters woodworking school and the resort owned by Leopolds son.
In response to a Vanity Fair inquiry, Bernie Sanders campaign manager called the claims in the Washington Free Beacon rehashed, discredited Republican attacks, adding that just because a partisan source regurgitates them does not make it news.
Leopold could not be reached for comment. A Burlington phone number under his name had been disconnected, and no one returned a message left on the resorts answering machine requesting an interview.
ADVERTISEMENT
Neither the Sanders campaign nor Jane Sanders had responded to Heat Streets queries by deadline.
Jillian Kay Melchior writes for Heat Street and is a fellow for the Steamboat Institute.
BlueMTexpat
(15,349 posts)that included ALL family members, these bits are interesting:
Court records show students went on trips there, snorkeling and taking boat tours. Watchdog.org reported that the same old friend, Jonathan Leopold, was a key broker on an ambitious acquisition of Roman Catholic diocese property that left Burlington in dire financial straits.
But I also caution that Heat Street is a libertarian website backed by Rupert Murdoch. Just sayin' ... see http://variety.com/2016/digital/global/news-corp-conservative-website-heat-street-1201708107/
If this is what is starting to come out now, just imagine if Bernie had been the Dem nominee! Both he and Jane would have been crucified in the GE. This is just the tip of the iceberg insofar as RW GOPer-types are concerned.
Not vetted and not ready ... definitely not ready for Prime Time in the most powerful position in the world.
pandr32
(11,446 posts)It is too bad that they just all allowed her to walk away without charges, because they just wanted her to leave so badly, and likely because the college had actually hired her in the first place and didn't want the publicity of a nasty legal battle
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)Response to Her Sister (Original post)
Post removed
Her Sister
(6,444 posts)Koinos
(2,792 posts)workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)RandySF
(57,618 posts)liberal N proud
(60,300 posts)If they were that important and influential in a College, why were they charging $23,546/year to students?
They would be a lot more credible if they had lead by example.
pandr32
(11,446 posts)She sounds as difficult to work with as her husband is in the Senate. In Jane's case, though, she is also abusive and creates an intimidating work environment. No wonder she can smear Hillary Clinton while smiling sweetly in media interviews. She's had lots of practice.
Since Jane is the "senior adviser" of Bernie's campaign, his closest confidant, and the one that handles the taxes and winds up with her children (all grown and married now) and grandchildren flying all over the country (and once to Rome) I see a controlling person in her. She may well be the one pushing Sanders onward.
Also her system of "spying" on others, while President of Burlington College, makes me think that she would have been at the top end of that data theft of Hillary Clinton sensitive campaign data. The staffers would have been reporting to her. Ditto for many of the other dirty tricks such as impersonating union workers and claiming false endorsements, but her vengeful streak outlined in the article, may also be responsible for the way the campaign negatively went after progressive groups like Planned Parenthood after they endorsed Clinton (many other examples not used here).
Watch out for Jane.
Her Sister
(6,444 posts)" No wonder she can smear Hillary Clinton while smiling sweetly in media interviews. She's had lots of practice. "
pandr32
(11,446 posts)Walk away
(9,494 posts)Bernie's judgement is really faulty if he lets someone with this track record handle his finances. Does anyone know if Jane has anything to do with Bernie's campaign fraud that the FEC is investigating???
Her Sister
(6,444 posts)"You know, what's interesting is we released the 2014," Sanders said. "Hillary Clinton hasn't released a transcript yet."
She then confirmed that she'll provide the returns when Clinton publishes her Wall Street transcripts, before trying to turn the interview away from the topic.
"Honestly, Wolf, these are not the issues that are of concern to the American people," she said. "I implore you as a leading, wonderful host of a major show, please talk about the issues that concern the American people instead of delegate math and who can win or who can lose."
RELEASE THE TAX RETURNS JANE!!!
Her Sister
(6,444 posts)The wife of Bernie Sanders appeared Thursday morning on MSNBCs Morning Joe program, where she explained why she thought the Vermont senator had not attracted much minority support in spite of his campaign theme of income inequality, reported Mediaite.
I think if he was running against anybody but Hillary Clinton, who was the anointed, who is the most well-known person running for office in this country, in the world she has a good relationship with the African-American community that goes back decades, Sanders said. That hurts us, helps her.
She insisted her husbands campaign, which will cut hundreds of staffers after suffering four defeats in Tuesdays primary elections, is making inroads among younger voters and non-white voters.
Cha
(295,899 posts)gawd if there was ever anybody that doesn't deserve to be First Lady it's this person.
madaboutharry
(40,149 posts)Wow. I've been there. I'm sure many of you have too.
Hekate
(90,189 posts)...that you have a line on The Truth and that you are 100% right because of that. Being an ideologue is pretty much like Religion and means never having to say you're sorry.
If your allegiance is to The Truth as you see it, that may preclude joining forces with lesser mortals to achieve ends that are not 100% in alignment with your own goals.
It remains to be seen whether we will get any help out of the Sanders's or whether they will go down swinging and try to take Hillary and the Party with them.
Oh, and where exactly are those tax returns, Jane?