by Ronna Sweeney, KUAM News Wednesday, December 12, 2007 Subscribe to Ronna's newsfeed   E-mail this article Printable version KUAM Toolbar Web Widgets Get RSS headlines

KUAM Video requires Flash 8. download it Here.

University of Guam officials and lawmakers will come face-to-face Thursday morning in an oversight hearing called by Senator Frank Ishizaki (R). On the agenda will be the procurement of legal services by UOG, employee benefits, and as the use of official government vehicles.

"It'll be interesting to hear some of the questions and comments," Cathleen Moore-Linn told KUAM News, looking ahead to the gathering. "We've provided all of the documentation and we're ready to answer the questions." UOG's integrated communications and marketing director says numerous Freedom of Information Act requests have come out of Senator Ishizaki's office to the university in recent months. She says it all began with the freshman policymaker wanting to see the Cancer Center Grant, for which university president Dr. Harold Allen is principle investigator.

From there document requests have been made on a variety of topics, from wanting to see all minutes from every board of regents meeting since Dr. Allen was chosen as president to financial aid documents, and more. "One of them is with the president's contract and whether or not the president should be earning eight hours of leave per pay period," continued Moore-Linn. "The board and administration feel that the president's contract is a solid contract."

Though less specific, the senator does say employee benefits as well as the use of official vehicles are on tap for discussion at the oversight hearing. Moore-Linn notes that the vehicle in question is a Toyota Highlander issued to President Allen as part of his contract. In regards the procurement of legal services, Ishizaki has stated some concern, saying, "The main thing we were looking at originally with the student financial aid program. We found a lot of resistance to any requests, and what really got us going was the university has an off-island attorney who is not licensed to practice law on Guam."

Moore-Linn notes that the university has had a nine-year relationship with the San Francisco-based attorney, who has worked on a variety of the institution's Equal Employment Opportunity cases. "I know the senator was concerned whether or not he was practicing law on Guam<' she commented, "And maybe, I don't know if that determination will be made in the oversight hearing, but we'll see what happens with that."

Added the senator, "I can only worry about laws and how it impacts different departments and the government as a whole."

Thursday's oversight hearing begins at 9am at the Guam Legislature Building in Hagatna.