Missing Records: What are SG leaders and administrators hiding?
Over the last eight months the University Press has grown quite fond of public requests. But some of those requests have gone unfilled, which begs the question “what are SG leaders and administrators trying to hide?”
In December, four months after some of the requests were made, Kristine McGrath, director of media relations for FAU and the person in charge of handling public requests sent a suspicious e-mail to my FAU account that said, “The university has provided you with all the documents that exist that are responsive to your requests. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.”
I call the e-mail suspicious and point out that it was sent to my FAU account because I have never corresponded with McGrath from that account.
Here are a list of those requests that the university says do not exist:
1. (submitted Aug. 11) All information related to last year's (2005) book voucher program (The university did provide me with the 2006 records).
Does the university take me for a fool? It would be very hard to convince me that not one document exists from 2005 that mentions the book voucher program. The university must have some sort of financial records of a $15,000 purchase.
2. (submitted July 29) I need the minutes for all UWC meetings held since July 1.
According to Florida State law (which trumps SG’s rules by the way) minutes have to be kept for public meetings. This clearly was not done or they were just never handed over to me. While I have to yet to find any legal cases regarding missing minutes I have spoke to lawyers that specialize in open records laws who have told me that if a public meeting is held privately, any decisions made could be invalidated in a court of law. But what happens if there are no records of the decisions made? Could all of those decisions be invalidated as well? If that were the case then the third election for student body president held over the summer would not be legitimate.
1. (submitted Aug. 10) I need all documents and records relating to Student Government's Scholarship program (not Kaplan, a $30,000 program in which students get $500 at the beginning of each semester), including a list applicants, recipients, rules and eligibility requirements, financial records and any other information that can be obtained.
As for this request no one that I have spoken even knows what I am talking about.
So I will ask the question again “what are SG leaders and administrators trying to hide?”
In December, four months after some of the requests were made, Kristine McGrath, director of media relations for FAU and the person in charge of handling public requests sent a suspicious e-mail to my FAU account that said, “The university has provided you with all the documents that exist that are responsive to your requests. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.”
I call the e-mail suspicious and point out that it was sent to my FAU account because I have never corresponded with McGrath from that account.
Here are a list of those requests that the university says do not exist:
1. (submitted Aug. 11) All information related to last year's (2005) book voucher program (The university did provide me with the 2006 records).
Does the university take me for a fool? It would be very hard to convince me that not one document exists from 2005 that mentions the book voucher program. The university must have some sort of financial records of a $15,000 purchase.
2. (submitted July 29) I need the minutes for all UWC meetings held since July 1.
According to Florida State law (which trumps SG’s rules by the way) minutes have to be kept for public meetings. This clearly was not done or they were just never handed over to me. While I have to yet to find any legal cases regarding missing minutes I have spoke to lawyers that specialize in open records laws who have told me that if a public meeting is held privately, any decisions made could be invalidated in a court of law. But what happens if there are no records of the decisions made? Could all of those decisions be invalidated as well? If that were the case then the third election for student body president held over the summer would not be legitimate.
1. (submitted Aug. 10) I need all documents and records relating to Student Government's Scholarship program (not Kaplan, a $30,000 program in which students get $500 at the beginning of each semester), including a list applicants, recipients, rules and eligibility requirements, financial records and any other information that can be obtained.
As for this request no one that I have spoken even knows what I am talking about.
So I will ask the question again “what are SG leaders and administrators trying to hide?”
posted by J.P. at
12:30 AM
6 Comments:
SG received the public information request from Student Affairs and forwarded all documentation regarding the book voucher program to the Dean of Student’s Office.
The SG Scholarship Program is funded from the interest earned from the cash account in which the A&S fees are held until spent. This program is not administered by Student Government it is run by Financial Aid with SG input. Students' applications for the scholarship are collected by the Financial Aid Office. The applications then get voted on by a panel consisting of Student Affairs administrators and Student Government officials. This panel was held last during the Fall semester prior to a UWC meeting held at the Treasure Coast Campus.
Concerning the UWC minutes there was no secretary appointed for the UWC for a considerable portion of the Summer and Fall semesters. While those meetings were recorded I doubt that the minutes were ever transcribed nor voted on to make them official. Now that the UWC has been eliminated I believe the only recourse is to ask for the actual recordings.
F. Michael Hallenstein
Former UWC Controller
Hallenstein:
Thanks for your input. Let me address each of your points:
1. SG Scholarship Program: Why are you the only one in SG who actually remembers this program? Student Affairs signs off on everything so it would seem they would know what I was talking about.
2. I received all of the book voucher documentation from 2006. I also requested 2005. I never received any records from 2005. If you forwarded them along then may I ask you for those records?
3. As for the UWC minutes: State law doesn't care whether or not a secretary was approved or not. They require minutes to be kept. If there are recorded minutes no one ever informed me of this.
The SGA Scholarship ...go talk to financial aid and they can tell you who was chosen in the Fall 06. 2 incoming freshman and 2 incoming juniors were chosen. meaning 1 was chosen for each with a back up person for each. They are chosen based on their past leadership experiences and financial need.
Jason:
I wasn't the controller for 05-06. I know that $15,000 was spent on gift cards. I don't recall seeing any further documentation as to who the gift cards were handed to. Last year, I beleive, the applications were held by the SG Senior Secretary. I will look at the 05-06 Book Voucher file to see what's in it when I'm in the office on Friday. If there are any applications or other documents that show who received the cards or how they were given out I will copy them and drop them off at the UP office.
Will that do?
Hallenstein
That would be great. Thanks a lot...
Hallenstein, what are doing talking on a college news paper bulb? Shouldn't have a family by now? Aren’t you like 45? Ooo wait... who the fuck would marry you?
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