Associated Students, Inc. officials said last week that they are satisfied with the accounting procedures used to examine student-run programs, which are triple-checked to see where they spend their money.

Questions over how some ASI programs spend student money arose after Sacramento State?s intercollegiate athletics marketing and promotions director, Damon Dukakis, publicly questioned the effectiveness of the $30,000-per-year Green Thunder program.

“I don?t know where the $30,000 goes,” Dukakis said shortly after he voiced his concerns at ASI?s April 3 meeting. “I don?t see it in promos.”

Green Thunder is the student-directed school spirit program that, among other things, manages appearances of the Herky the Hornet mascot at some home games and rallies.

According to ASI Executive Director Pat Worley, all programs have a triple-check system in place to review expenditures.

All invoices have to be signed off by a person with authorization to purchase and receive goods or services. That proof of purchase goes to the ASI business office where it is examined again before a check is cut.

After the checks are cut, Worley gets a listing of expenditures and reviews it.

ASI student-run programs are measured by their effectiveness and are evaluated over the year in relationship to what their mission statement is and by working within their budget, Worley said.

The directors of the student-run programs report to two students, ASI Director of Campus Life Jennifer Millsap, and ASI Director of Community Service Megan Story, Worley said.

Gilbert Associates, Inc. will audit ASI?s fiscal 2001-02 records in June. ASI?s budget for the year is more than $8 million.

Auditors do not examine every program, but randomly sample a handful of items picked from a trial balance sheet they are sent from ASI, said ASI Director of Finance and Administration Randolph Morgan.

If the samples reveal irregularities, the auditors delve more deeply into the books to see if what they?ve found is a fluke or a trend, he said.

“Audits are tests,” Morgan said. “They look at big ticket items, look for signatures, and see if items are charged to the right department, but the auditors also look at midrange items.”

“We?ve got nothing to hide, and we?re not trying to hide anything. We don?t know where they?re going to look. They can look at Green Thunder, The State Hornet, student activities, or any place else they want,” Morgan said.

“Everybody gets the same fair shake in an audit,” Worley said.The larger programs the auditors look at include the Children?s Center, Peak Adventures, the Aquatic Center, and the Business Office because that?s where most of the money is spent, Morgan said.

The ASI student run programs such as Mall Hall, KSSU, Green Thunder, Sting Team, Safe Rides, and the Student Access Center where the students handle the finances do not get special attention to see where their funds are going and fall under the same guidelines as the rest of the ASI programs as far as audits are concerned, Morgan said.

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