Two student groups have acknowledged that they misused their annual budgets last spring, and this year, ASUO representatives are ensuring student groups know the guidelines that outline specifically what student groups can and cannot buy with the incidental fee.
The Vietnamese Student Association and MEChA student leaders verified that they have purchased inappropriate items in the past, but defended their spending and said this year they have a better understanding of the budget guidelines. Money for student groups is allocated from the student incidental fee, which totaled $2,388,579 last year.
VSA Programs Director Rob Yee said there was an incident last year when a VSA director had purchased something inappropriate. Neither Yee nor VSA Director Phuc Nguyen would confirm what the item was, and last year’s director could not be reached.
This year VSA members are better informed of their spending guidelines and the group is “doing everything by the books,” he said.
Nguyen added that ASUO has been very careful this year to make sure student groups don’t misuse the fee. He said groups are asked to itemize their purchase orders to prevent misunderstandings on spending before they happen.
“Our accounts were frozen almost all of spring term for only a $5 product,” he said.
According to a June 9, 2001 invoice from Target, MEChA spent about $50 of $319.93 on food for their end-of-year Ganas party. MEChA students involved in the Ganas program mentor junior high school students, and every year they throw an end-of-year party.
Aside from the candy, soda and chips, much of the receipt included purchases of various games, most of which went to the kids in the Ganas program, said MEChA Director David Jaimes. The rest of the games and a set of $22 golf balls are stored in a cabinet of MEChA’s office, Jaimes said.
ASUO accounting coordinator Jennifer Creighton said the most common misuse of the incidental fee is for groups that spend money on food. To avoid this, the controllers usually stamp “this fee is not valid for food service” on each purchase order before students go off to the store, but the controller had forgotten. The person who had bought the food for the MEChA party said he was unaware of the restriction, Jaimes said.
MEChA paid ASUO back with money from their fundraising account and since then, the group’s spending has been fine, Creighton said.
But former ASUO controller Justin Sibley said students should be more aware of how groups spend their money.
“MEChA does not need to be spending students’ money on $22 golf balls,” he said.
ASUO Student Sen. Mary Elizabeth Madden said student groups are allowed to use their budget for program money, office supplies and any workshops, conferences or other events. They are not, however, allowed to use the money for food, fundraising or personal expenses.
When a group violates spending guidelines, the invoices are temporarily turned over to the Office of Student Conduct and evaluated, and Creighton reviews the guidelines with the student group.
The group’s fundraising money is then used to reimburse the fund for any violations.
She added that the complexity of the system teaches student group leaders how to budget and how to organize events.
“Our system is complicated,” she said. “That is what makes the student fee unique. It gives students leadership responsibilities.”