UNLV might have shortchanged student government

Jennifer Knight and Ed Koch

Thursday, June 28, 2001 | 10:47 a.m.

Administrators at UNLV are digging through 15 years of documents to determine whether school officials inadvertently shortchanged the student government of about $359,000 this year.

A potential funding disparity was raised by UNLV Student Body President Paul Moradkhan, who, after reviewing next year's budget, said that student government is not being funded according to an agreement with school officials.

"I knew in the wake of budget cuts, (the student government) would be under pressure to use our limited resources to finance more and more student activities," he said. "What I found was that the money we are getting did not jell with what we were supposed to be getting."

Appropriations to student government the past 15 years have remained stagnant, despite several tuition increases, Moradkhan said.

Student government, he said, should be receiving 5 percent of tuition -- $76.50 per credit hour. Using those numbers, the 2001-02 student government budget would be about $1.1 million, not $733,800, as Moradkhan found. That's a shortfall of about $359,000, he said.

However, UNLV finance officials say the amount appropriated to students has always been $2.40 per credit hour for full-time students, not 5 percent of tuition.

"We're all scratching our heads trying to figure this one out," said Louis DuBois, UNLV's controller. "If it happens that we do owe the money, it will be a big problem."

Student government uses the money to fund student activities, such as clubs and organizations and special events. It spends about $100,000 of its annual allocation on scholarships, Moradkhan said.

"They have always gotten $2.40," said George Scaduto, UNLV's associate vice president of finance. "Any tuition increase always goes back to the state."

Nevertheless, UNLV officials have begun the lengthy task of combing 15 years of archived documents to ensure they have been correct in allocating money to student government.

The answer may lie with the Board of Regents; Nevada's higher education governing body gives final approval on increases to student fees and sets the terms regarding how that money is allocated.

UNLV officials must determine whether regents intended to give student government a 5 percent cut of full-time tuition or whether the flat fee was their original intention.

Regent Dorothy Gallagher, who was on the board at the time, says she remembers that vote.

"I think we only voted to have (a percentage) taken from the (tuition) at the time, not have it extend to all other increases," Gallagher said.

Said Moradkhan, "We don't think there is anything sinister about this. It appears to be just an oversight. We are working closely with the administration to resolve this matter. They are being very cooperative with us."