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TO: Members of the Wells College Alumnae Association
FROM: Patti Callahan '79, WCAA President
DATE: May 21, 2004
In keeping with our ongoing commitment to open communication - the WCAA Board's highest priority initiative for the last 3 years - I am writing to share information with you which was received on Monday, May 17 with regard to an incident described in the enclosed letter from President Ryerson.
The WCAA Executive Committee convened by conference call on May 18 to review the situation and we reached the following conclusions: the Wells Director of Alumnae Relations, Pam Sheradin '86, is not the staff member described in the memo; the person in question had a job-related duty that compelled and justified her access to the ballots; the person in question has been removed from this task; the matter has been thoroughly investigated as described in the enclosed letter; we will continue to review procedures governing the election process.
Though it is unfortunate this incident occurred, after speaking with Wells Executive staff and College counsel, we remain confident in the integrity of the WCAA election.
If you would like to confirm that your ballot has been received by the Wells Alumnae Office, please feel free to contact Pam Sheradin at Wells College, 170 Main Street, Aurora, NY 13026 or 315-364-3200 or [email protected].
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May 17, 2004
Patti Wenzel Callahan '79
President
Wells College Alumnae Association
Megan Donovan '88
Nominating Vice President
Wells College Alumnae Association
Dear Patti and Megan:
I am writing to advise you of a matter involving the Alumnae Association election which recently came to my attention.
Apparently, on Monday, May 10, a member of the External Relations staff let curiosity get the better of her while sorting election ballot envelopes that arrived by mail that day. Specifically, she held a small number of them up to the light, so that she could see through the envelope, to see how the voting was progressing. This was the first day that ballots were received by mail. No envelopes were opened and no ballots were tampered with. Over the next day or two, she commented to her supervisor and three other employees in the Development office "the voting trend" she noticed in these first ballots.
This indiscretion was first reported to Vice President for External Affairs Ann Rollo on Wednesday evening (Ann had been out sick during the day). Ann contacted the college's outside legal counsel to seek their advice first thing Thursday morning. I was subsequently advised by Ann that an issue had arisen with respect to the staff members actions and that counsel had been alerted. We made the decision early Friday morning to have outside counsel directly interview the staff member involved, as well as the individuals she had spoken with, and report back to me. John Gaal, a senior partner from Bond, Schoeneck, and King experienced in Higher Education matters, arrived on campus midday Friday, interviewed these employees, and reported to me later that afternoon. He continued his review over the weekend and concluded it just this morning. (Even before these interviews were undertaken, the staff member had been removed from any further sorting of the ballot envelopes.)
Following his interviews, John concluded that the staff member's inappropriate actions had been limited to her review of those first ballots revcieved by mail on Monday and her comments to that small number of co-workers (all but one of whom is a supervisor or director). He also concluded, based upon the information provided that the staff member had not discussed her observations with any other person, and indeed had been instructed that she was not to engage in such conduct again nor was she to further disclose her observations. John also found no reason to believe that ballots had been in any way tampered with or opened. (He has physically inspected all ballot envelopes received through Friday, May 14, 2004, to confirm that no ballot envelopes were tampered with.) Nor was there any indication of any malicious or malevolent intent on the part of the staff member; rather, the incident reflected an unfortunate lapse of judgment by a support staff person. Finally, each of the individuals to whom the staff member had noted her observations confirmed that they had not disclosed the incident or those observations to anyone, other than in reporting the matter to supervisory personnel. Each person has been reminded of the importance of maintaining confidentiality with respect to this election process and has been specifically advised of the importance of not repeating the staff members observations about those initial ballots.
This, obviously, is an unfortunate incident. However, a senior administrator took quick and appropriate action upon learning of this lapse in judgment by contacting counsel, who quickly conducted a review of the matter. In addition, I will be reviewing with Ann Rollo the appropriate personnel action to take with respect to the staff member. While I regret that the incident occurred, I am confident that the ballots involved were not effected and the integrity of the process is in tact.
Nonetheless, I thought it important to bring this matter to your attention. It is also is my advice that you inform the candidates running for election of these events. I believe that they should know both that this incident occurred, and that it was promptly addressed and steps have been taken to remove that person from further contact with the process. I would also urge you to consider providing notification of this incident to the electorate at large. This election is, of course, an important event and I believe that it is in the best interests of the process that accurate information about this matter and the college's response be provided directly to alumnae at the earliest possible date. Please feel free to share this letter with the candidates and the alumnae at large.
If you would like to discuss this matter or my recommendations, please call me.
Regards,
Lisa Marsh Ryerson
President
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