Lincoln University leaders seeking ‘structured’ relationship with alumni association after cutting ties in June

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Lincoln University Board of Curators met on Thursday to discuss the future with its national alumni association. 

In June, the university announced in a letter that it had cut ties with the Lincoln University of Missouri National Alumni Association, citing “concerns about the finances, management, and options" of the LUAA.

The board on Thursday authorized the president, vice president and secretary of the Board of Curators, along with University President John Moseley, to engage in conversations with the LUAA. 

“I feel like the board was clear in its initial communication that they want a relationship, but in a structured way," Moseley said in an interview after the meeting. "And so, now we've progressed, we've gotten through a few of the initial things that were requested of the board by the alumni association, and now we're at the point where it's important that we engage in conversation directly with them to talk about the issues that that potentially could be in place that have strained the relationship."

Records obtained by ABC 17 News show several email communications between Moseley and LUAA president Sherman Bonds dating back to 2022. The two sides worked on a Memorandum of Understanding between Lincoln University’s Board of Curators and LUAA beginning in 2022.  

An August 22, 2022 email from Bonds called the curators' requests for an MOU “an unprecedented position” later writing in the email “...to my knowledge the LUAA has never held a written MOU with the university. Our role and function has never been questioned or needed a formalized agreement.”  The email went on to ask why the university would need such an agreement. 

In April, Board of Curators President Victor Pasely wrote Bonds a three-page letter in which he criticized a letter that was sent to the board on March 21 that he claims “inaccurately portrays Lincoln as a university in dire straights and stagnating under President Moseley’s leadership.” 

"We've had tremendous academic gains over the last two years," Moseley told ABC 17 News on Thursday. "We've got nearly $65 million worth of construction taking place on our campus as we speak today. The students are moving back into the residence halls. You feel their energy on campus when they're here."

When the university announced that the alumni association’s affiliation with LU was suspended in June, the board wrote in a letter that LUAA will not be allowed to use the school’s name, logo or emblems.

According to the letter, to become affiliated with the school again, LUAA must:

• Have an independent CPA perform an audit of the association for its two most recent fiscal years and submit it to the university no later than Sept. 1.
• Create an independent mailing address no later than July 1.
• Create an independent financial management system outside of the university to receive payments. and donations online no later than July 1.
• Immediately begin acting as a 501(c)3 organization.
• Not “publicly disparage” the University or its representatives.

Moseley says the Board of Curators is committed to making sure it has a relationship with its alumni. However, they want to ensure there is a structure in place to do so. 

“As an institution, it's important to any affiliated organization that represents the institution of Lincoln University in this matter to have some structure in place to do so," Moseley said. "We have similar structures in place already with the 62nd and 65th Regiment's Legacy Foundation as well as the Blue Tiger Athletic Club. I'm trying to make sure that we are in alignment  with any organization outside of the institution that's representing us.” 

ABC 17 News reached out to Bonds but has yet to hear back.