DePaulia (DePaul University, Chicago, IL), 1992-04-03

              1992-93 TUITION RATES Undergraduate Tuition Per Credit Hour Commerce LA&S, Education, and SNL Music $202 Theatre (1-11 hours) $273 Undergraduate Annual Full-Time Tuition & Fees (16 credit hours per quarter) Commerce LA&S, & Education Music Theatre By Gregory Sherwin Editor-in-Chief An internal investigation of the men's basketball program is being conducted by DePaul, following allegations that were recently printed in the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. According to the March 27 issue of the Sun-Times, players received a variety of benefits exceeding $100,000 between 19821989 from Jeffery Tassani, a former athletic booster. Tassani was in charge of First Chicago's administration department. He is currently serving a 2 1/2 year prison sentence for bank fraud. The Sun-Times named several former top players who allegedly accepted benefits from Tassani, which included Dallas Comegys, Kevin Holmes, Kevin Edwards and Rod Strickland. "We have notified the NCAA that we are doing the internal investigation and we have indicated to them that we will provide them with full discloser at the conclusion of the study," said Jim Doyle, vice president of student affairs and faculty representee for athletics. "I'll be very surprised if there is anything to the allegations," said Richard Farkas, chairperson of the athletic board. Allegations first surfaced in a story in Feb. 14 in which the SunTimes reported that the FBI was investigating a link between Tassani and the men's basketball program. The next day the 1991-92 1992-93 RATES RATES INCREASE} $194 $208 $208 $218 $293 $194 7.2 7.2 7.9 7.3 $9,342 $10,014 7.2 $9,342 $10,014 7.2 $9,726 $10,494 7.9 $10,989 $11,789 7.3 source: Fr. Richardson's letter to the community DePaul strikes back Administration defends basketball program Tribune followed with a story on the Tassani-DePaul connection. On March 27, the Sun-Times then printed a story which quoted unidentified sources stating that former players received benefits over $100,000 from Tassani. "The bank is not investigating us. The FBI is not investigating us. The NCAA is not investigating us. We have cooperated with the bank, the FBI, and we will cooperate with the NCAA if they should initiate anything," said Doyle. "It's all coming out of the Tassani case, which has been in the courts a couple of years now," said Doyle. "The DePaul allegations are only a small part of what he was involved in. The activity he had in the bank was of greater significance dollar-wise." Tassani was fired from his position at First Chicago when evidence pointed that he had received over $1 million in kickbacks on various bank contracts. Media critized Both Doyle and Farkas are upset with the media's portrayal of the allegations. "I'm really kind of aggravated and alarmed at the lack of responsibility in the local media. I think both (Tribune and Sun-Times) are using techniques which are professionally below them," said Farkas. "It's Enquirer kind of reporting they splash the headline (See Probe, page 15) "DePaulia DePaul University's Official Student Newspaper Vol. 70, No. 19 DePaul University April 3, 1992 By Jennifer Tomshack Managing Editor A 7.2% increase in undergraduate tuition will be implemented next year for all full-time Commerce, Liberal Arts, Education, and School for New Learning students. Tuition per credit hour has increased for these students from $194 to $208, bringing the total full-time tuition up to $10,014. The Schools of Music and Theatre, as well as the graduate programs, will experience approximately a 7% increase in tuition also. According to Rev. John T. Richardson, C.M., president,in a letter to the DePaul community, the tuition increase was required to make necessary improvements and maintain faculty and class sizes as well as academic support. The 7.2% increase in tuition places DePaul at around the national average of tuition in­ against Apartment use. Parents of certain players also used the apartments when they came to town to watch games. Sometimes, the benefits extended beyond the players' DePaul careers. For example, guests stayed in bank apartments for the 1987 wedding of Kevin Holme*, who leftDePaui and NCAA jurisdiction in 1986, sources said. *Meals. The apartments were intended to be used by bank executive who were relocating to Chicago or prospective employees flown in for interviews. Tuition increased over seven percent for 1992-93 school year creases. "The average increases we are seeing from other schools is between 6-10% we are right there in the middle," said James Doyle, vice president of student affairs. -..Ill 1 11 In light of the recent state and federal cutbacks, the tuition hike would place an additional financial burden on students. However, DePaul is increasing aid by 12% to compensate for both with a total of $10.8 million in support. Tassani also arranged for players who were working at the bank during their summer vactions to have free meals at Wally's Great Foods, a restaurant on bank property, according to a source familiar with the investigation. NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from receiving benefits not available to the general student body. The NCAA judges violationstobpmajor if its infraction committee finds repeating offenses that demonstrate a "lack of institutional control." •Jobs for recruits. The following is an excerpt of the allegations surfacing around the DePaul Men's basketball team and Jeffery Tassani. Tassani, then a high ranking employee at First Chicago, allegedly treated former DePaul basketball players to several benefits from 1982-1989. He is currently serving a 21/2 year sentence for bank fraud. DePaul is now conducting an internal investigation into the allegations. The following was a copyrighted story in the Chicago Sun-Times, March 27.1992 written by Susan Chandler. Reprinting of the article is granted with permission by the Chicago Sun-Times and Susan Chandler. A number of DePaul extended periods in the summer and for weekends during the spring and the fail during the seven-year period:, according to sources familiar with the inves- Tassani also played a role in getting key recruits to sign with DePaul, according to a source formerly close to the program. Important recruits were transported to Tassani's office downtown where they were offered summer jobs, the source said. "He was our right-hand man," said the source. "Whatever we needed, we'd go to Tassani. He was always in the basketball office, he used to be on the buses, he used to ask questions about who was healthy and who was hurt." At least 10 players were employed by the bank "The cutbacks in government aid coupled with the tuition increase prompted us to increase the amount of aid available to students accordingly," said Ken McHugh, vice president of buisness and finance. Projected enrollment is another major factor in determining the price per credit hour projection. "We've had substantial growth, but we want to moderate that growth and keep it at about 1% a year," said McHugh. McHugh commented that tuition rates definitely impact the retention and attraction of students, but doesn't anticipate any major changes in these areas because of the increase. "What we charge definitely determines what students come here and we don't want to force students away. The increase in (See Tuition, page 4) newspaper allegations during the mid-'80s, many of them working in areas under Tassani's control, according to sources. NCAA rules prohibit contact between potential recruits and boosters before the recruit signs on to the team, said Rick Evrard, NCAA director of legislative services. Boosters are allowed to offer employment to recruits alter a lets or of intent is signed, he said. DePaul previously has confirmed that players worked at First Chicago during the summet. and said the program complied with NCAA rules. Those rules also prohibit players from getting paid more than the going rate or for getting paid without working. But it appeal's the players were not paid exorbitant salaries and actually performed work at the bank, said a source close to the bank. •Banquets, films. The big-ticket items were an annual post-season banquet: after six seasons and films about the program and the season's highlights, according to sources familiar with the program and the investigations. Banquets were held on First Chicago's 57th floor at the Mid-Day Club, a posh private club in the First Chicago building a Park Ridge country club where Tassani was a member and StreetSide restaurant, another restaurant on bank property. Although NCAA rules allow a booster to pay for a banquet, the money must flow through the athletic department's budget so cost controls can be maintained, said NCAA's Evrard. Without the knowledge of the bank's top management, Tassani paid for the banquets with his expense account at the bank, said a source close to the bank. Tassani also had the bank's media department produce two films each year of DePaul basketball. One film was about the program, while the other was a season highlight film. The media department at the bank reported to Tassani.