In an e-mail directed to faculty and staff, Sidney Ribeau, University president, decided to let others know why he thinks spousal hires are acceptable and why his wife, Paula Whetsel-Ribeau was hired this year.

The faculty’s response to last week’s e-mail is unclear because of the sensitivity of the issue, while many students say they are unaware of the hiring.

Before school started this fall, President Ribeau’s wife was hired into the Office of Student Affairs as an interim assistant to the vice president of Student Affairs, making $66,000 per year.

Late yesterday afternoon The BG News approached 20 students to find out what they knew about Whetsel-Ribeau’s interim position.

Fifteen students didn’t know she was now employed on campus, and the five who did said the information they had heard was negative.

One said he heard she was making $65,000 per year to “follow the president around.” Another student said her mother told her about the hiring after reading the negative editorial written in The Blade.

Spousal hiring has become controversial lately as more and more university presidents and faculty members alike are being joined by their spouses.

Just this year, Ohio University began paying their new president $275,000 a year and his wife $25,000 for the job of first lady while, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio pays the president’s wife $1 each year for liability insurance.

But, this is a different situation entirely, because Ribeau’s wife has an administrative job, said Edward Whipple, vice president of Student Affairs who is responsible for hiring Whetsel-Ribeau. Whipple who hired Whetsel-Ribeau knew her when she worked at the University years ago.

“She is the type of individual that is philosophically right where we are headed in Student Affairs,” Whipple said. “I wish I could have hired her 10 years ago.”

A decade ago, Whetsel-Ribeau left the University after working for four years in the Office of Residence Life.

Since that time, she has worked in residence life at the Ohio State University and prior to coming back to BGSU, worked for Dublin City Schools for 11 years, her final position being coordinator for student services.

Her new position was offered to her alone, because it was an invitation-only position. There was a need to fill and she was perfect to fill it, Whipple said.

“I needed someone specifically for retention initiatives and diversity training,” Whipple said. “I could not afford to spend three or four months on a job search.”

Whipple said, that Whetsel-Ribeau, who is black, can bring experience to the staff in Student Affairs, especially in diversity training. He said her understanding of people and seriousness about student success matches her well to this position.

“We’re looking at having a freshman class that is 13 percent of color, the largest in history,” Whipple said. “Training our staff is critical and we don’t have very many staff members who are colored.”

Last year, 86 percent of the faculty in the Office of Student Affairs was Caucasian, according to Bill Knight, director of planning in the Office of Institutional Research. This, Whipple said, is part of the issue.

“We need to find people who realize there is a bigger world out there than before, we have a changing student body with different needs that we need to be responsive to, and Paula can do that,” Whipple said.

The Student Affairs office has hired a total of 17 new employees in administrative jobs since June, Whetsel-Ribeau included, because the “selective” hiring freeze was lifted in May.

Her position was created to fill three full-time voids in Student Affairs, belonging to others who had assisted Whipple in the past, he said.

A specific part of her job description has been met with criticism from local and state media sources, including The Blade.

In an editorial written Aug. 22 the newspaper commented on the part of the job description that reads, “represent the University and/or President at major institution fundraising and public relation events.”

The Blade wrote, “But isn’t that what spouses of university presidents traditionally do? … taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay separate salaries to both partners of the first couple.”

Whipple said he was upset by The Blade’s take on the issue and said he can assure nearly 100 percent of her jobs are things she had done as first lady.

“If her name was Paula Whetsel and she did not know President Ribeau, everybody would be saying, ‘wow, this is great, how did you snag her?” Whipple said.

President Ribeau, said he is just sorry people cannot judge the hiring on merit and the facts.

“This is somebody who has prepared for 20 years, went to school, was an excellent student who was active in clubs and organizations.

This is her alma mater — and she can’t be judged by her credentials,” Ribeau said. “That to me is an issue.”

In his letter to faculty and staff he said spousal hires at the University predate this situation with his wife and are becoming a “reality of normal society”. In our interview he elaborated on this issue.

“I thought and still think it is an issue of merit,” Ribeau said. “If you have a candidate for the position that is qualified for the position, with academic preparation and a good track record, that should be the criteria.

I say that for any employee of this University — if they were my wife, or if they weren’t my wife.”

search.”

Whipple said, that Whetsel-Ribeau, who is black, can bring experience to the staff in Student Affairs, especially in diversity training. He said her understanding of people and seriousness about student success matches her well to this position.

“We’re looking at having a freshman class that is 13 percent of color, the largest in history,” Whipple said. “Training our staff is critical and we don’t have very many staff members who are colored.”

Last year, 86 percent of the faculty in the Office of Student Affairs was Caucasian, according to Bill Knight, director of planning in the Office of Institutional Research. This, Whipple said, is part of the issue.

“We need to find people who realize there is a bigger world out there than before, we have a changing student body with different needs that we need to be responsive to, and Paula can do that,” Whipple said.

The Student Affairs office has hired a total of 17 new employees in administrative jobs since June, Whetsel-Ribeau included, because the “selective” hiring freeze was lifted in May.

Her position was created to fill three full-time voids in Student Affairs, belonging to others who had assisted Whipple in the past, he said.

A specific part of her job description has been met with criticism from local and state media sources, including The Blade.

In an editorial written Aug. 22 the newspaper commented on the part of the job description that reads, “represent the University and/or President at major institution fundraising and public relation events.”

The Blade wrote, “But isn’t that what spouses of university presidents traditionally do? … taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay separate salaries to both partners of the first couple.”

Whipple said he was upset by The Blade’s take on the issue and said he can assure nearly 100 percent of her jobs are things she had done as first lady.

“If her name was Paula Whetsel and she did not know President Ribeau, everybody would be saying, ‘wow, this is great, how did you snag her?” Whipple said.

President Ribeau, said he is just sorry people cannot judge the hiring on merit and the facts.

“This is somebody who has prepared for 20 years, went to school, was an excellent student who was active in clubs and organizations. This is her alma mater — and she can’t be judged by her credentials,” Ribeau said. “That to me is an issue.”

In his letter to faculty and staff he said spousal hires at the University predate this situation with his wife and are becoming a “reality of normal society”. In our interview he elaborated on this issue.

“I thought and still think it is an issue of merit,” Ribeau said. “If you have a candidate for the position that is qualified for the position, with academic preparation and a good track record, that should be the criteria. I say that for any employee of this University — if they were my wife, or if they weren’t my wife.”