A Palm Pilot, charged to the Multicultural Student Coalition last semester by the Division of Information Technology'one that MCSC members say they never purchased'was one reason the group was forced to reallocate over $50,000 within the organization for the next semester. Members of the Student Services Finance Committee approved the reallocation with a vote of 8-1 Wednesday at their last meeting of the semester.
When a student organization seeks to shift funds within its group and the total amount being shifted exceeds 10 percent of its budget, members are required to seek approval from SSFC.
A Palm Pilot priced at $399, along with computer software and a CD burner that cost $286.95, was charged to MCSC on an invoice dated Nov. 28, 2001. According to the invoice, all items were purchased by UW-Madison alumnus and then-MCSC Chair Tshaka Barrows.
\The fact that if it was purchased, and MCSC doesn't know where it is, that's obviously a matter of concern for students because that was ultimately charged to students,"" said UW-Madison junior and SSFC Vice Chair Roman Patzner.
MCSC co-chair and UW-Madison junior Theresa Vidaurri said the group received an invoice from DoIT for more than $1,000 after MCSC had only accounted for $500 for labor on computers. MCSC members e-mailed Connie Wilson, an assistant dean of students and nonvoting SSFC member, Vidaurri said, to alert her of the discrepancy and hopefully resolve the situation.
In an e-mail response, Wilson said it was her understanding that ""when purchases are made at the DoIT Store ... the individual making the purchase needs to show a picture ID prior to making the charge."" Therefore, all indications showed the equipment was bought by Barrows and ""should be in the possession of MCSC,"" Wilson wrote.
Vidaurri said this response was insufficient and that Wilson was not doing her job.
""MCSC doesn't own a Palm Pilot; nobody in our organization even owns a Palm Pilot,"" Vidaurri said.
Vidaurri said she agreed the situation was a cause of concern for students, but was not MCSC's fault.
""This is an abuse of seg fees but it's not an abuse at MCSC's hands,"" Vidaurri said.
Other reasons MCSC asked to reallocate certain line items in its budget were due to ""administrative barriers,"" Vidaurri said. For example, no one told MCSC members they would not be able to move into their new off-campus office space until January 2003 due to restrictions related to the professional staff they will be employing, she said.
They had planned on moving in much earlier, since the budget allocated to them by SSFC goes into effect July 2002. If they are not allowed to move in until January, Vidaurri said, they could lose $70,000.
