Over the summer, there were many changes at Fairfield University: the relocation of several offices, the completion of the Bannow Science Center, the new smoking policy in the dorms- all of which the student body was made aware.
However, after Fairfield University’s unwavering support of Arthur Andersen throughout the scandals of last year, it may surprise students to see the once “Andersen Interactive Class room” has been renamed. Just last year, the classroom was named after Arthur Andersen, one of the largest accounting firms in the nation, and formerly one of the most prestigious.
At Friday’s faculty meeting, Dr. Norman A. Solomon, dean of the School of Business, formally announced the classroom name change.
Chris Huntley, professor of Information Systems and Operations Management, said, “Dean Solomon said at the faculty meeting that he contacted the primary donors, Joe Berardino and John O’Neil, and they mutually agreed to change the name.”
When asked to comment on the decision, Dr. Solomon said, “Given that, as an entity, the accounting firm Andersen no longer exists, and the difficult circumstances surrounding its demise, we believed that the name change was the right thing to do. We are very pleased that Joe Berardino, former Andersen CEO and a university trustee, most graciously understood our decision.”
A small plaque inside the classroom supposedly clears up any confusion the name change might have caused. “Basically, the plaque explains that the room was a gift from Andersen employees who are alumni, not from the firm itself,” Dr. Solomon said. However, all that remains of the plaque at the moment is the clear indication of the place where it used to hang, to the left of the entrance to the room. Professor Huntley, when asked to comment on the missing plaque, said that as far as he knows, “There is no official reason why it’s not still there.”
Fairfield’s own connection to the Enron scandal is the former Chief Executive Officer of Arthur Andersen Worldwide, Joseph F. Berardino: a Fairfield University alumnus, as well as a member of the board of trustees here. He also happens to be one of the primary donors of the multimedia classroom. Berardino, who appeared before Congress acknowledging Andersen’s accountability in December, resigned from the firm in March of this year.
The Arthur Andersen Fellows program, begun in January of 2001 to recognize faculty for their achievements, is also being discontinued after this year. Joe Berardino was quoted in Campus Currents in January of 2001, right after the first Fellows was announced. He said, “The Arthur Andersen Fellows program is intended to acknowledge outstanding scholarship and teaching on the part of faculty. We have been very pleased with the Fairfield University graduates who work for Arthur Andersen and want to recognize and support the continued commitment we see at the Dolan School of Business to innovation and technical competency, so necessary in today’s business environment.”
Arthur Andersen’s reputation has suffered greatly over the last year as a result of its involvement with the Enron scandal, and this summer the multimedia classroom located next to room 106 in the Dolan School of Business was renamed “The Alumni Interactive Classroom.”
Arthur Andersen LLP, a member firm of Andersen Worldwide, had a contract with Enron, the energy giant that made headlines last year for creating false profits of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Andersen LLP performed audits for, and signed the audit opinions of, Enron. Following Enron’s bankruptcy, Arthur Andersen was named in an indictment filed by the U.S. Department of Justice for obstruction of justice.
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