Minnesota State College Southeast president reprimanded and ordered to pay more than $5,000 in restitution

Minnesota State College Southeast President Marsha Danielson was reprimanded and paid more than $5,000 in restitution after an investigation found she violated system procedures.

Minnesota’s state college and university system also requires Danielson to improve his leadership and communication skills to help create a more inclusive, confident and respectful workplace, according to a statement from spokesperson Doug Anderson. .

Danielson declined to comment on Friday. She has worked since July 2021 as president of Minnesota State College Southeast, a technical and community college that has campuses in Red Wing and Winona.

An investigation by the system’s internal auditors found that Danielson had improperly used university-owned cars for trips between campuses and his home. The system said she was not entitled to it because she received an $833 per month transportation and communication allowance as part of her contract. Anderson said the system required him to pay $4,921.62 in reimbursement, a figure based on about 86 round trips at 97.4 miles each.

The system also required him to pay $225 to cover the value of a Minnesota Wild ticket package. Danielson had told investigators the event was a work function that would allow him to meet with community leaders — a notion that internal auditors disputed.

Anderson said Danielson paid for both.

The system also asked an outside firm to investigate allegations that Danielson used foul, racist and sexist language and invoked stereotypes in his work. In some cases, Danielson denied making the remarks, but an investigator wrote that witnesses who described the behavior were “deemed more credible.”

Anderson said the system requires Danielson to undergo another evaluation in the fall and share the data with the chancellor and vice-chancellor of human resources. “The actions and plans developed to improve his performance and overall effectiveness in ensuring and demonstrating mutual trust, respect, care and appreciation among employees will be discussed at his next performance review,” he said. -he declares.