Shumaker, John—Noncompetitive Contract—Educational Marketing Group

In September 2002 President Shumaker sent a campus-wide email to announce the hiring of Educational Marketing Group of Aurora, Colorado, to assist in improving the academic image of UT. Shumaker had hired the firm to create a marketing campaign for the University of Louisville in 1995, during the time he was president of the institution. In April 2003 the Tennessee State comptroller’s office released an audit of the hiring, indicating that the awarding of the contract without going through proper bid procedures was improper. In 2001 the Ingram Group, a Nashville-based public relations firm, did a similar project for UT, donating their work. Company officials estimated a donation of about $100,000.