Misunderstanding over diversity fee resolved

Four Front expects return of redirected funds.

By Eva Dou

Published Jan. 30, 2009

Student government members aired their complaints last month when they believed the Department of Student Life had misdirected $30,771 from the diversity fee to a fund to cover moving expenses.

But Student Life Director Mark Lucas said the office was only following standard practice in shifting leftover money to a general fund.

Student fees at MU, such as the $3.18 diversity fee, cannot be left unused in a student group's account at the end of a fiscal year, Lucas said.

"Those student fees should be used in the same year because that's when they were paid," he said.

If organizations don't make arrangements to have surplus funds carry-over for another term, the money is put into a general account at the end of the fiscal year. This is what happened with the extra money from the diversity fee, Lucas said.

The diversity fee was established to support campus minority groups in Four Front, an umbrella minority coalition, said the group's Co-Chairwoman Bria Scudder. These organizations include the Legion of Black Collegians, the Hispanic American Leadership Organization, the Asian American Association and the Triangle Coalition.

Controversy arose last semester when Missouri Students Association Senate Speaker Jonathan Mays observed the fund shift on a Department of Student Life budget sheet. He brought up the issue during a Student Fee Review Committee meeting.

When Mays learned Scudder and other Four Front members did not know about the shift, "that's when I became concerned," he said.

The Student Fee Review Committee and MSA Senate members talked with Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs on Monday and came to an agreement, Mays said. The student groups plan to recommend that MU maintain Student Life's level of student fee funding. At the same time, he said the students expect the $30,000 to be returned.

"That is the mutual understanding that I believe we left the meeting on Monday with," Mays said.

Lucas said he was not informed of this deal and that the money had already been spent. He said it was possible money could be taken from the general fund to give to Four Front.

Scroggs did not respond to questions by time of press.

Lucas said it hurt to be accused of wrongfully taking the money.

"There was no selfishness," he said. "Everything we do is for students anyway."

The carry-over from the diversity fee ended up going mainly to moving expenses, when the social justice offices switched house from Brady Commons to Memorial Union, Lucas said. The remaining $8,000 went to moving the Wellness Resource Center.

Lucas said student groups can arrange to have surplus funds carry-over to another term if they petition in writing. This has been done before.

For instance, MSA President Jordan Paul arranged to carry over funds from the student readership fee to fund a summer readership program.

Scudder and other students said they didn't know about this option. Four Front Adviser Pablo Mendoza declined to comment.