Show us where the money goes

Student leaders deserve to see a line-by-line break down of the General Fee without having to bring in a federal agency. There is no reason that students shouldn't have access to information regarding how tuition they pay to the University is divided -- especially the funds earmarked for student use. It's ridiculous that the Student Activities Council even has to consider requesting a federal agency to look at the University's budget under the Freedom of Information Act. Administrators should have provided the desired information when it was first requested two years ago. The Undergraduate Assembly, the Graduate and Professional Student Association and SAC, have all been asking administrators what the $25.5 million of the General Fee that is not given to student groups is spent on. With their backs to the wall, student government has taken the action necessary to view line-by-line allocations of the General Fee. But student leaders shouldn't have to use funding that could be appropriated to a student group. While the University is probably using the money for projects and activities that benefit students, students should be able to find out what those activities are. Administrators should honor this reasonable request before students have to use General Fee funds for a federal inquiry. And administrators should easily be able to generate a budget report within the next two weeks.