Posted on Sat, Dec. 15, 2007print email Digg it del.icio.us AIM
Ousted dean leaving Kennesaw State amid theft allegations
The Associated Press
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Kennesaw State University

KENNESAW, Ga. --Ousted dean Yiping Wan, who returned to Kennesaw State University as a professor after he was charged with stealing thousands from the school, is resigning at the end of the year.

Wan was forced out as the head of the College of Education in February and was asked to step down by President Dan Papp when an internal investigation uncovered irregular business practices with tuition waivers and low morale among faculty members in Wan's department. A review panel found that Wan merged state resources with other financial streams, funneled money through his wife's consulting firm and could not account for certain expenses.

On Sept. 20, a top state auditor concluded that Wan had been "violating multiple state laws" and that his "behavior was a violation of the public trust" and possible grounds for dismissal.

Wan's status as a tenured professor complicated how to handle his employment with Kennesaw State. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Papp asked Wan to resign on Aug. 30, but he refused. On Sept. 18, the university began the process to revoke his tenure and fire Wan. That process ended in November when Wan changed his mind and said he would quit.

Wan's resignation will take effect on Dec. 31, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Saturday. He is not teaching in the classroom this semester, but instead is working from home, teaching and developing Web-based courses as a tenured professor of educational administration.

Wan, 53, turned himself in at the Cobb County Jail on Nov. 27 after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged him with theft. He was released on bond. The GBI was asked by the state attorney general's office to investigate the case in January, and the investigation is ongoing, said GBI spokesman John Bankhead.

Kennesaw State began investigating Wan in December 2006 when faculty accused him of discrimination and misconduct.

Wan continues to earn a $100,402 salary from Kennesaw State. The school, which has nearly 20,000 students, is the state's third largest public university.