UA plans audit of campus group

The Undergraduate Assembly Budget Committee is cracking down on fund misusage. The group is conducting an audit of the International Affairs Association today. And this is just the first of more investigations to come, according to UA Treasurer and College sophomore Steve Schorr. "I think it is common knowledge that a lot of [Student Activity Council] groups do not spend money on what it is allocated for, and somebody has to see that that doesn't happen," he said. "And according to our constitution, it's the UA Budget committee." Wharton junior Tom Foldesi, who is also a member of the UA Budget Committee, said these audits are being conducted because the group has heard multiple rumors about the Association, as well as about several other SAC funded organizations. But Association Treasurer Yousef Master, an Engineering junior, said news of the audit -- which came last night in a phone call from Schorr -- was the first he heard of the situation. "The whole thing took me by surprise," the Wharton and Engineering junior said. "I don't know what is going on, if this is routine or whatnot." Master added that he is going to contact SAC to see what the procedure is, "because I have never heard of this happening before." "But I have no problem with letting them see what is going on with our club," he added. He said he is not sure why his club has been singled out. Foldesi said he does not think this type of audit is unprecedented. Schorr, who is a sports writer for The Daily Pennsylvanian, said there a lot of other groups that the Budgetary Committee plans to examine, but he would not name any other groups. They are starting with the Association because "it has one of the largest budgets of the groups we have heard about so far," he said. The organization has a budget of approximately $25,000, Schorr said. Foldesi said the Association should be submitting their financial records today. "We'll get at it right away, and hope to crank it out as quickly as possible," he added. Wharton sophomore Hester Wong, who is also a member of the UA Budget Committee, said she hopes the group will not have to conduct audits too often. "But we are going to make it a new policy for the budget committee to look at the financial statements [of SAC funded groups]," she added.