Franklin to Step Down as Dean of Berkeley at Yale
Episcopal News Service. December 19, 2001 [2001-357]
Jan Nunley
(ENS) R. William Franklin has announced his resignation as dean of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, effective January 1, 2002. He will become dean emeritus.
Franklin will assume a new position as Bishop's Scholar-in-Residence for the Episcopal Diocese of New York, responsible for "building links between New York's academic and civic institutions and the Episcopal Church," according to a statement issued December 18. He will also help to develop Episcopal chaplaincies at New York colleges and universities and write historical studies, including a study on the aftermath of September 11.
"When I arrived at Berkeley four years ago, my task was to strengthen Berkeley's programs and resources to help the school address the changing leadership needs of the Episcopal Church in this new century," Franklin said in the statement. "Having made great progress on these fronts, I feel this is a logical transition point for me personally as I seek to spend more time with my family, professionally as I accept a call to a new ministry in New York, and for Berkeley as it explores the future shape of its relationship with Yale."
Berkeley Divinity School, affiliated with Yale Divinity School, is a seminary of the Episcopal Church (USA) serving the Anglican Communion. Episcopal seminarians at Yale Divinity School receive their degrees from Yale University and a Diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.
Allegations 'incorrect or misleading'
Franklin's planned announcement was marred by a report in the Hartford Courant alleging that his departure was related to the findings of an internal audit of Berkeley undertaken by Yale as part of the renegotiating of the affiliation between the two institutions. According to the report, the auditors said they "identified a nearly complete lack of internal controls" over an account that contained much of the school's funds, as well as some discrepancies in Franklin's use of the account for personal matters.
The newspaper account alleges that he used the account for his daughter's Harvard Medical School tuition and dental bills, as well as receiving two personal loans and airline tickets for himself and his wife to attend the 2000 General Convention in Denver. The auditors criticized what they saw as inadequate or missing documentation for expenses submitted by Franklin and other Berkeley employees.
"The fact is that the Board of Trustees reviewed the findings of that audit earlier this autumn and concluded that none of the issues identified by the auditors involved was a cause for punitive action," said Christian Sonne, chairman of the Berkeley board of trustees, in another statement issued separately from Franklin's. "Furthermore, upon investigation, many of the matters referred to in the auditors' report have proven to be incorrect or misleading while many others have proven to be perfectly appropriate, and there has been no misappropriation of funds.
"The internal, confidential audit conducted by Yale, the first in more than 10 years, was part of an auditing process by which the University ensures that its systems and practices are uniform among its many departments and affiliates, and the auditors identified a number of instances where Berkeley's practices diverged from Yale's standards. Yale and Berkeley are addressing those issues. In addition, Berkeley has asked the firm of Deloitte & Touche to undertake an independent audit to examine issues raised by the Yale audit and to provide us with advice on ways to conform Berkeley's financial accounting systems with those of Yale."
During Franklin's three-year tenure, student enrollment more than doubled. Franklin spearheaded a successful capital campaign and increased contributions to the annual fund by 41% during his deanship. He founded the National Advisory Council, a group of prominent lay and ordained leaders which gathers twice a year to share in shaping Berkeley's programs. He also launched the award-winning Berkeley at Yale magazine.
Berkeley has begun a search process for an interim dean.