Discrepancies persist over diversity fee money

Nearly a quarter of the diversity fee was moved to a reserve fund.

By Amanda Wysocki

Published Feb. 19, 2009

Confusion persists over what caused $30,771 of the diversity fee account to be transferred to a Student Life Department equipment reserve fund.

Missouri Students Association Senate Speaker Jonathan Mays first became aware in December that the money had been transferred.

"We found in our budget review that more than $30,000 had been moved and the students that managed the fee weren't aware of it," Mays said. "That they weren't aware of it was my primary concern."

In an article in the Jan. 30 issue of The Maneater, Student Life Director Mark Lucas said the money that was moved to the equipment fund had already been spent.

Recent budget reports show the money from the diversity fee was never spent and was moved back into the diversity fund Feb. 9.

Lucas said that any university account with money left at the end of the year gets the remaining funds placed into a reserve fund.

"You can't leave money in any university account," Lucas said. "We didn't spend the $30,000. We haven't really spent any of that money because it's supposed to be used for moving into the new student center. It's no different than MSA putting money into moving into the student center."

Lucas said there is nothing dramatic or wrong in moving the money to the reserve fund.

"We have more money in it than just what was left from the diversity fee," Lucas said.

Cathy Hurst of the Student Life Department said they were trying to be fiscally responsible by moving the money into the equipment reserve fund for the new student center.

"When the students asked us to put it back into the diversity fund, we did," Hurst said.

Lucas said the methods behind moving the money are the same for any account with leftover funds at the end of the year.

"This is why the university has a system to deal with end balances," Lucas said.

Lucas said the transfer of the funds is simpler than people think.

"It's become so complicated and it's not a complicated thing," Lucas said. "There's no drama to it. The money is back in the diversity fee."

MSA had previously drafted legislation to cut the student fee for Student Life and increase funding to the diversity fee in order to correct the difference. Now that the money has been returned to its original fund, the bill will be amended next week to keep funding for both groups at its current level.

"That recommendation was one way to move the $30,000 back and now that that is done, we will adjust our recommendation," Mays said.

Mays also plans to meet with Four Front and other diversity groups in order to come up with a plan for future carryover.

"We want to make sure they don't have any surprises with their carryover in the future," Mays said.

The diversity fee was first created in 2006, and the 2008 fiscal year was the first time it was actually in place, Mays said.

Along with the $30,000 from the diversity fee, $22,000 of carryover from Associated Students of the University of Missouri was also moved to the equipment reserve fund.

"ASUM consented to it," Mays said. "Our only concern with that was in how we could help them keep their budget in line with their actual expenses."