Rane blasts critics of board, Lowder

[Tigermike 3,055]

Auburn cleared, but Rane annoyed

Trustee applauds SACS, blasts critics of board, Lowder

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

By PHILLIP MARSHALL

Times Staff Writer pmarsh9485@msn.com

AUBURN - After a contentious year of academic probation imposed by its accrediting agency, Auburn University has been cleared. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools cited trustee micromanagement and questioned financial ties among trustees last December.

The decision to remove Auburn from probation was made at SACS' annual meeting in Atlanta on Monday and announced on Tuesday.

But scars remain.

Auburn trustee Jimmy Rane, founder and chief executive officer of Great Southern Wood in Abbeville, said the university's name was needlessly damaged, beginning when a complaint was filed with SACS in 2001 by a joint assessment committee of the Auburn University Senate.

"I'm gratified with the result," Rane said Tuesday. "It's reassuring to know that justice ultimately prevailed, but up to today, this entire process has been the gravest miscarriage of justice I've ever witnessed."

After a September visit to the Auburn campus, a SACS committee said in its report that Auburn had still not done enough to ensure that some trustees didn't improperly control or influence other board members. It specifically questioned ties between trustee Bobby Lowder, CEO of Colonial BancGroup in Montgomery, and other trustees.

Gov. Bob Riley and interim Auburn President Ed Richardson met with SACS officials Friday in Atlanta. Riley met with them again Sunday.

Rane, who sits on the Colonial board of directors, said there was never any truth to accusations that Lowder controlled Rane's or other trustees' votes.

"It's a libelous, slanderous lie," Rane said. "A fifth-grade student could look at the record and realize that is totally untrue. I speculate that lie has been perpetuated to further the aims of some folks who have kept this controversy stirred up for the 5 1/2 years I've served Auburn."

SACS placed Auburn on probation based on allegations, all related to governance, contained in a complaint filed in 2001 by a joint assessment committee of the University Senate. Probation is one step short of loss of accreditation, which would cut off federal money.

Rane said he served on Colonial's board and owned Colonial stock before he was appointed to the Auburn board. He said his only other financial tie to Colonial is a savings account. He said he has accounts with numerous banks.

"I have known Bobby like I have known a lot of people for a long time," Rane said. "We are friends. I have a lot of friends. He asked me to serve on the bank board, I guess because he liked my business acumen.

"I own stock in his bank that I bought through a broker like any other John Q. Public would," Rane said. "I bought it because the bank was very sound and is one of the top-performing financial institutions in the country. It's ridiculous that I would even have to explain such a thing."

Richardson, appointed in January after then-President William Walker resigned rather than be fired, said from the start his No. 1 priority was removing the stain of probation from Auburn's name.

"I've been confident all along that we would hear the news we have heard today," Richardson said Tuesday. "With this episode behind us, it is now time for all of us within the Auburn family - students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni - to work together and renew our efforts toward making Auburn everything it needs to be."

Richardson said numerous people put forth major effort to address SACS' concerns.

"I am extremely appreciative of the efforts of all of those who have worked extremely hard to allow us to achieve full compliance with SACS standards," Richardson said. "Most importantly, I am appreciative of each member of the board of trustees, all of whom were willing to take any and all steps I asked them to take in order to have this university's reputation completely restored ... and to Gov. Bob Riley, who has supported all our efforts and selflessly made himself available to meet with SACS on several occasions."

After its campus visit, the SACS committee's report issued in November recommended that the university establish a method of presidential evaluation; that board members individually sign documents indicating their commitment to the accreditation process; and that the board take actions to ensure that it lives up to its own code of ethics and to ensure that the board is not controlled by a minority of its members.

Auburn's response was satisfactory, according to SACS Executive Director Jim Rogers.

"They have addressed the issue," he said Tuesday. "It's been a very challenging period of time for the university."

Richardson said Auburn will be asked to submit a progress report by Sept. 22.

Huntsville Times

[cadillacattack 0]

"I own stock in his bank that I bought through a broker like any other John Q. Public would," Rane said. "I bought it because the bank was very sound and is one of the top-performing financial institutions in the country. It's ridiculous that I would even have to explain such a thing."

LMAO ..... now that the Board members are required to disclose their financial interests, all of a sudden it's "ridiculous." Where was Mr. Ranes when the Board was resisting full disclosure?

Rane should've been a politician.....