NCSU Chancellor James L. Oblinger resigned this morning after days of shifting explanations about a deal he cut for former provost Larry Nielsen when Nielsen stepped down last month.
Both men are at the heart over a controversy about how former state first lady Mary Easley gained a job at the university in 2005, then an 88-percent pay hike last year to a $170,000 salary, Andy Curliss and Jay Price report.
Last month McQueen Campbell, a friend of the Easleys who Gov. Mike Easley had appointed to the NCSU board of trustees, admitted to UNC system President Erskine Bowles that he had told Oblinger that Easley was looking for work.
Nielsen, then interim provost, then hired Easley.
After Erskine called for him to resign, Campbell did. Nielsen quickly followed, citing the stress of media scrutiny of the deal.
Then came the changing stories about Nielsen's benefit package, as reported over the weekend in the N&O.
Update: Bowles says that former UNC-Charlotte Chancellor Jim Woodward will serve as interim chancellor.
Comments
Christmas in June
June 8, 2009 - 12:56pm — cdtewI feel like I should be wearing pajamas with feet and drinking egg nog, but it's 85 outside.
No matter what though, the NC Democrat party will continue to slick off this bit of rain like water from a goose's back, and will try to turn the blame-train toward Burr and Foxx and whoever the scapegoat of the week is.
Perdue has a big problem
June 8, 2009 - 11:39am — PoliticalJunkieGerlach is essentially working for her at the non-governmental Democratic slush fund - Golden Leaf.
Andy Willis is her legislative liason.
Ruben Young is her Sec. of Crime and Public Safety.
All Perdue did was shuffle the chairs on the deck of the USS NC Democrat.
That boat is starting share some characteristics with the Titantic. I'd suggest she clean house now and get rid of all the Easley carryover.
Even Brutus had more honor
June 8, 2009 - 10:41am — cdtewMary Easley has cost 3 others their reputation and jobs -- Campbell should very well have resigned, and Nielsen and Oblinger were caught up in the after-effects of her scandal. And yet she still has the audacity to remain in her position while the lieutenants figuratively fall on their swords?
"Forget not, Zeus, the author of these crimes!"
- Brutus, before taking his own life, after his remaining co-conspirators had done the same.
Jim Woodward
June 8, 2009 - 10:19am — gercohenInterim Chancellor Jim Woodward will be great. My son graduated from UNC-Charlotte in 2005 and I had the opportunity to meet Jim Woodward several times during those four years. Woodward is A+ and it is great he has agreed to take on this task.
I think he may have taught at NC State at some time in the past as well, but I may be wrong.