Retiring LSU dean arrested, freed

• By JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 30, 2009 - Page: 5A

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

Longtime LSU Dean Carolyn Collins was recently arrested for alleged felony theft on campus.

Collins, associate vice chancellor and University College dean, is accused of transferring more than $5,000 of state funds into her “Tiger Card account” for personal use on campus from 2003 to 2008.

Collins retires today.

The alleged misappropriations by Collins — an LSU dean for 20 years — surfaced in a May internal audit and the matter was handed over to LSU Police.

Collins turned herself in for arrest June 19 and was released, according to the LSU Police incident report. The arrest was not logged until Thursday, June 25.

Collins could not be reached for comment Monday.

Collins is accused of theft of $5,050, and she has repaid $1,200, according to the report. She allegedly used another $875 in 2003 and 2004, but it extended beyond the legal statute of limitations.

Purchases ranged from more than $1,000 at the LSU Faculty Club to $1,100 at the LSU Student Union over time.

Collins claimed the dollars were transferred from the accounts for the Summer Opportunity Program and Summer Scholars mentoring programs in order to buy meals for program staffers, according to the police and audit reports.

The police report noted those programs run during June and July and that Collins did not have supporting documentation concerning her Tiger Card, which is essentially an on-campus debit card for her personal TigerCASH account.

“It is clearly demonstrated … that Carolyn Collins used the program funds throughout the year, not just June and July,” according to the police report.

In a written response to the internal audit, LSU Chancellor Michael Martin stated: “The university has concluded that there is all indication of a misappropriation of funds, that meals/food were procured for personal use using state funds … The university has a zero tolerance for misuse of funds.”

Following police action, Martin wrote the matter would be forwarded to the state legislative auditor, the Louisiana Board of Ethics and the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office.