CONWAY — An internal investigation of the University of Central Arkansas’ international programs has ended, the school’s outgoing provost said Tuesday.
Lance Grahn, who was demoted from provost to a history professor on Monday, commented about the status of the investigation, which began in October, during an interview.
He said there have been no additional major findings.
In mid-October, UCA President Tom Courtway told trustees in a text message that the university had received “several complaints from the Office of International Programs and, in particular, about Dr. Alex Chen” over the past few weeks.
Courtway told the trustees he had decided a “comprehensive review of the entire international programs office” should be conducted.
The investigation led to Chen’s demotion from associate vice president for international engagement to a professor Nov. 2.
It also prompted Courtway to notify U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that same day that some Chinese students had worked more than visa regulations allow and, in some cases, without compensation. The letter noted that Chen, the target of the allegations, had been reassigned.
UCA spokesman Jeff Pitchford said in an e-mail Tuesday that federal officials have not responded to Courtway’s letter.
Chen and Allen Meadors, the UCA president who resigned in September, previously also had come under criticism after the two men spent two nights in Cancun, Mexico, at UCA expense during a time they had planned to visit a Mexican college more than 200 miles from the coastal resort town.
By the time the matter was reported, Meadors had already resigned over another unrelated issue involving UCA’s food vendor.
Asked Tuesday if any disciplinary action was ever taken against Chen over the Cancun trip and if either Chen or Meadors was ever asked to repay any of the money they spent in Cancun, Pitchford replied in an e-mail, “No and no.”
On another matter, Pitchford said, “We are working with the U.S. Department of State ... and the Arkansas Department of Education concerning the Chinese teacher program.”
In November, the State Department had taken UCA officials by surprise with an e-mail advising them that UCA-affiliated Chinese instructors teaching Mandarin in secondary public schools were in the United States under an “inappropriate” visa category and “should be terminated immediately” and sent back to China.
About three weeks later, though, the State Department notified UCA that the Chinese instructors could remain in the United States this academic year.
Grahn has said previously that the category issue resulted a few years ago from “a clerical error.” UCA quickly began working to resolve the problem.
John Parrack, an associate professor of Spanish, was named interim director of international programs after Chen’s demotion.
UCA spokesman Venita Jenkins said Tuesday that the university is accepting applications for the permanent position. The application deadline is March 15.
Arkansas, Pages 14 on 02/29/2012