Elnora D. Daniel, the former president of Chicago State University who resigned after she was criticized for controversial spending practices, signed off on the publication of a coffee-table book honoring herself before she left office June 30, the Chicago Tribune reported today.

The glossy, 52-page book cost $18,000 and was paid for out of the university president’s account. It features photos of Ms. Daniel with politicians and her family and is titled “A Retrospective: Ten Years of Vision and Leadership.”

It was mailed to about 400 people, including donors and faculty members, according to documents obtained by the Tribune.

A state audit criticized Ms. Daniel for spending more than $15,000 of university money on travel with five family members to a leadership conference aboard a Caribbean cruise ship.

Ms. Daniel announced earlier this year that she would resign when her contract ended at the end of June ( See Chronicle coverage). According to the Tribune, her contract allows her to receive her $241,025 salary and benefits for another year. —Kathryn Masterson