Last week, the Arizona Daily Star reported that UA assistant dean for African American student affairs Jesse Hargrove sent out letters, on university letterhead, asking area businesses to sponsor a five-day event, including a photographic exhibition and a scholarship fund.
One problem: the event would primarily serve as a reunion for Hargrove's extended family Ÿ not, as was implied in the letters, a public function, aside from a few "workshops" on families. The photographs would highlight his family. The scholarship fund would be for members of his family.
The UA is requesting that Hargrove pay the institution back for letters sent out through university mail. But some sort of larger apology is needed.
This conduct is particularly shocking for someone who has been a well-respected member of the Tucson community for quite some time. Every year, all state employees Ÿ including university employees Ÿ are required to view a video detailing, among other things, what is and is not considered "ethical." Since the video frowns upon using work telephones for personal calls, using official letterhead to solicit donations for a private affair is more obviously wrong.
Hargrove's stated purpose in asking for the donations was to ease the burden on far-traveling members of his family, which is understandable Ÿ but instead, people who reap no benefit at all from the event would foot the bill.
Hargrove's reasoning was undoubtedly not malicious. Now, to show his good intentions, he needs to apologize to the public whose trust he abused.