OUR OPINION: The administration must trust the decisions Student Government makes and students should be the ones holding student leaders accountable.

Former Student Body Treasurer Scott Lassiter, along with the comptroller, associate treasurer and appropriations support specialist, resigned last week.

The situation suggests that there was a drastic change that convinced these student leaders to give up their positions.

The administration announced shortly before Lassiter and the treasury board resigned that the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Tom Stafford now is in charge of approving any expenditures, and according to Lassiter, this has never happened in the more than 100 of years Student Government. This means Stafford must approve appropriations for student groups.

Though we thank the administration for wanting to see funds used effectively, taking the power out of Student Government’s hands is going too far. The budget cuts we are facing are severe, but the administration’s actions suggests it does not trust Student Government to handle its own funds. Also, students should hold Student Government accountable, not the administration.

This change in power is supposed to be temporary, and we hope after budget problems Student Government can be held accountable for itself without having the administration hovering over it.

Last year, some groups were given funding and never gave proof that it was spent appropriately. Though they will not receive funding until they give receipts, the treasury must look more into where funds are going and be more proactive. Even if these groups are not getting more money in the future, the treasurer must look into where the money was spent in the first place and pressure groups to send in receipts as soon as possible.

Though this change shows that the administration does not have complete faith in student leaders, we hope funds are allocated and used effectively.

Students who are concerned with the administration’s decision should talk to their student senators and voice their opinions. The administration should take into consideration the amount of work that goes into evaluating every single penny that is spent in Student Government and how much effort it needs to take to effectively appropriate money to groups. Stafford should listen to the opinions of the Appropriations Committee and not take its advice for granted.