Following a financial review and audit of the Student Union's finances last semester, the Union is preparing to complete the drafting of a new amendment to the constitution that aims to enable the student government to keep better track of its funds."I think there are going to be some amendments proposed because of the year-long review of SAF; it has just come to action stage," Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said. "The University is going to take some action and make some recommendations in terms of how the money is collected and controlled."

Attorney Ronald Goldstein '89, who owns and manages Paradise Agency, a property management and real estate development firm, conducted the financial review and has been working with student leadership on the drafting of a constitutional amendment.

"It's been put on the back-burner for a little while because we have been trying to focus on the audit," Student Union Treasurer Josh Brandfon '05 said. "Now that the audit is complete we can turn our attention toward the amendment again ... we may have to go back now and re-focus the amendment."

The purpose of the amendment is for the student government to keep better track of its allocations and purchases. "Clubs will have to turn in an inventory...we want to make sure we are using our resources correctly," Brandfon said. He added that the inventory will most likely only be for items over a set amount, such as $250. He said the goal of the inventory is to track major purchases such as computer equipment and costumes, rather than minor items such as pens and paper.

Clubs will also be required to have a financial liaison who will be responsible for the club's finances, and will attend a training seminar.

"A lot of it is just a re-write with more details," Brandfon said. "It changes the structure of finances a little bit; it creates a union government fund, a major media fun, a union organizations fund. So, it's creating these funds with names, but not really changing the amounts. The percentages will look different ... but in reality none of the allocations have changed."

"We're not changing the amounts of money that anyone is getting, we're not taking money away or giving money to any group. We're eliminating loopholes that are present in the constitution," Brandfon added.

The University has also been seriously considering hiring a staff assistant to the Student Union treasurer. According to Sawyer, the responsibility of student handling of the money has become extreme.

"Student government money needs professional handling; a certain portion of SAF (Student Activities Fee) funds may be directed to having a professional financial manager to work with student government -- not in decision making, but in a functional way," he said.

Sawyer said there may be a series of amendments to the constitution and bylaws to accommodate the recommendations from the financial review.

"We are interested in protecting the tradition of student responsibility," Sawyer said, adding, "the treasurer's position will have to be re-drawn."

"Obviously, we're working very hard to keep the boundaries between ourselves and administration very clear-cut. We're going to be the ones making policy, and that person will just be administering that policy," Brandfon said. "They're legally responsible for us ... we want to make sure that we still have control over what we're doing ... so it's really a delicate process."