Quincy College under fire.

One Massachusetts college is coping with multiple scandals because of investigations into reportedly unusual budgeting practices, an alleged lack of administrative checks and balances, allegations that the president embezzled funds, and a questionable surgical technology program.

The U.S. Inspector General's Office is considering conducting an audit of the city of Quincy, according to recent reports, and may require Quincy College to return sizeable federal grants plus pay fines. President Sean Barry is accused of dipping into the Quincy College Foundation, a private fund that awards scholarships and provides support to the college that had reportedly dwindled by 95 percent over a 16-month period. Barry had been put on paid leave in May, and countered by suing the board of governors for allegedly not allowing his lawyer to attend closed-door sessions. Currently, Martha Sue Harris has stepped in to be Quincy's acting president.

The city's investigation into the matter found the possible avoidance of a competitive bidding process, which is required by law of public institutions. It also claims to have discovered that Barry may have spent $32,000 at the Marriott hotel chain, where a relative works, to accrue rewards on a personal account.

Last year, the director of the surgical technology program was indicted on charges of stealing more than $100,000 from the school by putting ghost instructors on the payroll

Chief Financial Officer Steve Higgins was quoted as saying that past budgets "sort of misrepresent reality." According to Higgins, the college seemed to be hiding $230,000 in the depreciation line. In an e-mail exchange obtained by The Boston Globe, Vice President Thomas DeSantes emailed Higgins and tom him that they "used lines to hide revenue and raises. If you want to succeed here, you need to communicate with the President." Higgins later told the Globe that the problem had been fixed and that he does not approve of such practices. The board of governor's chairwoman Theresa Lord Piatelli told the Globe that the fact that the in-house counsel retired is "significant" and she didn't think DeSantes could operate in his current position.

But according to Sheldon Steinbach, general counsel at the American Council on Education, these types of allegations are "extraordinarily rare." He says that the allegation against Barry is unusual considering there are 3,600 not-for-profit IHEs in the U.S. and the number of presidents that actually dip into the till is "miniscule."

Such allegations, however, are not unheard of in recent times. Several college presidents have been accused of using funds for personal expenses including most recently Holmes Community College (Miss.) President Starkey Morgan, who is accused of buying dog food, among other items, with college funds. Steinbach explains that usually the illegal activity involves a president or another higher-up using school funds for personal expenses, rather than a group of people involved in a scheme.

"When instances like this occur, it's almost universally individual," he says. "They don't have companions in pursuit of the embezzlement."