Ohio University decided not to renew former Global Leadership Center Director, Greg Emery’s contract following an investigation into his handling of cash payments and his “conduct and supervision” while on a study abroad trip.
Documents obtained through a public records request outline two investigations into Emery’s actions, but the documents do not indicate explicitly why the university decided to not renew his contract.
An internal review found that during a May 2014 study-abroad trip to Vietnam, Emery hadn’t followed OU’s policy of using an OU purchasing card or asking for a cash advance from the university for trip expenses. Instead, Emery was found to collect cash directly from students for out-of-pocket expenses during the trip.
Still, Jeff Davis, OU’s Chief Audit Executive, “found no evidence that cash collected was not used as intended,” according to human resources documents.
OU Internal Audit reviewed a general fee of $150 from each student that Emery collected in cash directly. While the money appeared to have been used as intended, the document said university policy about cash advances was not “strictly followed” by Emery because he collected the money in cash.
The Post filed a records request Thursday afternoon with the university for Emery’s updated personnel file.
OU also investigated complaints regarding the manner of Emery’s “conduct and supervision” on the Vietnam trip and at retreats at the Burr Oak Lodge in Glouster, Ohio, but the results of the inquiry were determined to be inconclusive because of a lack of continued participation by complainants and witnesses, documents show.
“As a result, we have concluded our inquiry due to lack of information,” according to an interoffice memo signed by Michael Courtney, Director of Employee and Labor Relations for OU Human Resources.
The Post obtained a copy of the non-renewal letter sent to Emery and interoffice communication memos with information pertaining to the investigation. In November, The Post learned about the investigation after obtaining a copy of Emery’s personnel file, and was unable to obtain further records until the investigation ended.
According to the letter sent to Emery, he will remain on paid administrative leave until his contract expires June 30. His benefits will also stay in effect during this period.
Emery is set to receive a salary of $84,545 this year.
The trip was an exchange program between 19 OU students in the Global Leadership Center and students from Nha Trang University in Vietnam, according to investigation documents.
The university did not provide any investigation documents about Emery’s conduct and supervision on the Vietnam trip.
Robert Stewart, director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, has served as interim director of the GLC after the university put Emery on paid leave in October.
Emery was involved in OU’s global outreach and took students to countries in Asia multiple times in the past, according to a previous Post report.
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