Student Union officials have expressed concern over the administration's role in overseeing a portion of the nearly $1 million fund that finances student clubs.Interviews with group leaders and administrators indicate that the money allocated for Student Events, the campus programming group that receives nearly one-quarter of the total fund, is sitting in a University account not overseen by the one administrator authorized by the Union to do so, but rather by the department of Student Activities.

It remains unclear if this violates the Union constitution: Union officials say it does and must change, while administrators defend the practice as nothing out of the ordinary.

Most secured groups, which are guaranteed a percentage of the fee, including Student Events, have university accounts, or chargelines, in addition to off-campus bank accounts.

But the financial bookkeeping for all the money funding student clubs besides Student Events, is done by Steve Costa, a budget analyst in the Office of Students and Enrollment.

Costa's position is one described in the constitution as the "Administrator of the Student Activities Fee," and according to Union officials, his is the only administrative position authorized to manage the Student Activities Fee (SAF).

The fee, which is charged to every student, is responsible for funding nearly all student groups on campus and has recently been the focus of significant reform efforts by the Union.

But Costa, who only assumed his position this semester, told the Justice he in no way handles Student Events' money, does not issue the group's checks, and does not have access to its chargeline.

Costa said the chargeline is under the control of the department of Student Activities, which the Union officials consider a violation of the constitution.

Union President Jenny Feinberg '07 said it is important for the administration to respect students' rights to handle their own finances, and that recent revelations could be a serious breach of trust.

"We are under the expectation and assumption that our finances and our duties on campus will be respected," Feinberg said.

Both Director of Student Activities Stephanie Grimes and Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said the current financial structure is not a violation of the Union constitution, because Student Events still decides how to spend its funds. The two also said such a structure has been in place for over a decade.

If a violation has been made because Costa is not writing Student Events' checks, Sawyer said, "Boy, this violation happened a long time ago."

Union treasurer Nick Freeman '07 said he interprets constitutional stipulations to mean that Costa is the only administrator authorized to handle SAF money on his behalf.

"The problem is the Union constitution was violated, and there seems to be no one taking responsibility for doing that," Freeman said.

Helen Pekker '06, director of Student Events, said she was unaware of any constitutional violations because no changes in Student Events policy had been made during the last year.

Grimes, whose assistant director Sarah Bordeleau is a staff advisor to Student Events, also defended the current arrangement.

"As staff people, we are not regulating any policy on how people use that Student Activities Fee money," Grimes said.

Bordeleau said she signs off on check requests and provides advice to the group, but said she was unfamiliar with any constitutional provisions regarding her duties.

Rather than having its checks processed by Costa, as other groups do, Student Events checks are issued through the Office of Accounts Payable, which distributes funds to faculty and staff departments, said Wendy Silverstein '06, the group's assistant director of finance.

Silverstein said she is the primary person in control of the chargeline.

"We haven't been working with [Costa] all year," Silverstein said. "I don't see the need to start now. I am doing everything fine."

Article VII, section 4 of the Union constitution reads: "In no event shall the [Union] treasurer delegate to such member of University staff policy making and/or rule making responsibilities related to the Student Activities Fee."

Sawyer said Student Events has been getting its checks from Accounts Payable since at least 1993, when the club funding system was evolving into its current form.

Instead of having a bank account, Sawyer said, the club's leaders asked if they could have a chargeline with his office to simplify its transactions.

But Freeman said his own constitutional power has been lessened by the arrangement, citing his duty to approve secured groups' budgets, and his inability to do so under the structure.

Freeman said at the beginning of last semester, Student Events was given its SAF money before ever presenting him with a budget for approval.