Dental News - Dean of new US dental school resigns over expenses charges

Daniel Zimmermann, DTI

Thu. 18 August 2011

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NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: Students and staff of America’s newest dental school at the East Carolina University have been shocked by the sudden resignation of its dean, Dr James R. Hupp. According to university chancellor Dr Steve Ballard, who held a press conference on Tuesday, Hupp recently stepped down over violation of his contract, which required him to report additional income received from other assignments while holding deanship of ECU’s School of Dental Medicine between 2008 and August 2011.

The news comes at a bad time, as the school was expected to start classes at the beginning of next week. Ballard said that educational plans would not change, as the school has three associate deans with excellent credentials who could fill the post. State auditors will now look into the US$90,000 expenses submitted by Hubb and four other school members for travel within the U.S. and internationally that took place after he had been appointed dean in 2008 and which lacked adequate documentation.

“While travel is essential to start a new school, so is following proper procedures,” Ballard commented. “We absolutely must address these reporting issues.”

American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons fellow Hubb, who holds medical, law and business degrees from four different universities in the U.S., is also accused of having failed to report income he received by working part-time at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is however said to have disclosed compensation by working as Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Hubb has not commented on the matter publicly but has apparently repaid approximately $5,000 to the state. He will remain a member of the school’s faculty, Ballard said.

ECU’s School of Dental Medicine was approved by state administrators in 2006 in order to address the shortage of dentists in North Carolina, which ranks only 47th among the other states in the dentist-to-patient ratio according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The school is estimated to have received funding of over $70 million from taxpayers and private donations since 2006.

Currently, 52 students are enrolled in the school, which offers a four-year Doctor of Dental Medicine program.

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