A major renovation of the President’s Residence was completed in summer 2001, at a total cost of $787,597. When Dr. Shumaker was hired, he was told by board of trustees members that additional improvements would be made to the president’s residence. Shumaker requested that unfinished space be turned into two bedrooms for his sons, which was done at a cost of $77,270; that a sunroom and more closet space be built off the master bedroom, which was done at a cost of $97,350; and that a kitchenette be added to the second floor, which was done at a cost of $20,000. In addition, interior lighting, furnishings, a new telephone system, and entertainment systems were added, at a cost of $493,137. A substantial number of the furnishings purchased were located in the bedrooms, rather than on the first floor of the house, which is the portion generally considered to be the responsibility of UT.
Some items, such as the $7,000 oriental rug; $4,822 gas grill purchased for the patio; and the armoire reworked for television and stereo system costing $3,760 and replaced by one constructed by Facilities Services at a cost of $7,152 were widely believed to be excessively costly. The Special Review of the President’s Office, conducted by UT Audit and Consulting Services and issued August 15, 2003, concluded that the scope of the residence renovations was not known at the outset and the costs were, therefore, not submitted for approval to the State Building Commission; many items were purchased in violation of purchasing procedures, and procurement cards were used to split transactions to avoid the $2,000 single-purchase limit; and payment for the commercial Internet connection was specifically prohibited in Shumaker’s contract.