ASUP miscalculated funds in 2007 and will use the savings from this semester to offset the error
By Abby Black
ASUP is making some changes in its budgeting system from last year. In 2007, ASUP leaders apparently forgot they had budgeted a portion of their "carry-over" funds to the organization's general budget, causing those dollars to be counted twice, an $11,000 oversight.
ASUP advisor Jeromy Koffler said the oversight was caught in early September of this year, early enough to keep ASUP from falling into debt.
"ASUP will simply use the savings from this semester to offset the miscalculation and readjust the budget to where it needs to be," Koffler said, "There could also potentially be a small carry over for the next semester."
ASUP receives approximately $195,000 from student government fees per semester. This amount is distributed throughout the clubs and organizations on campus. However, there is a "carry-over" each year from the previous year. This is helpful in keeping the budget from falling into debt. Since the funds for each group are rarely entirely used, the excess funds usually become the carry-over for the next semester.
This year, preparations are being made so that this type of scenario does not happen again. ASUP treasurer, senior Ben Taketa, brought together a finance committee to help with the streamlining of the budget to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of the accounting.
"They won't happen in my administr-ation and I want to make sure it doesn't happen again after I am gone," Taketa said. Some of the duties of the committee will include making recommendations back to ASUP on how this mistake could be avoided in the future.
Taketa feels that the committee has been working very well as a team and is confident in the new plan that will be presented to the Senate. "In finance today there is a cry for more transparency and I think the new proposed budget will be an example of how things can change for the better," Taketa said.
Taketa said the organizations on campus will feel this change. This will not be in the form of cutbacks in clubs or organizations funds. The budget will be clearer, and all organizations will be well informed of this change. Taketa said he is planning on publishing the notes from the budget online to help organizations be more informed.
