Spending of ASU Funds Draws Criticism

A donation of $4,000 by the Associated Student Union to Valley College President Tyree Wieder's retirement party has lead incoming ASU president Josh Wible to raise concerns about the budgeting of student funds.

"This is nothing to do with Tyree," Wible said. I think she deserves a wonderful party and many congratulations and thanks for the job she has done here. But that's my $7 in fees to be a member of the ASU and help support the ASU in their efforts to help benefit students on campus. When I hear such a large portion of their budget went to an administrative personnel's retirement party, I just question the integrity of that decision."

Wible said he found out about the donation while talking with the current ASU president Mari Kiridjian. According to the budget request, the $4,000 will pay for audiovisual equipment, flowers and entertainment.

When submitting a budget request to the Finance Committee, the person submitting the request must state how the money will benefit the student body of the college. Yasmin Delahoussaye, vice president of student services, signed the budget request and says that while she understands why Wible may have concerns about where the ASU funds are going, the money will be coming back to the students.

"[Wieder's retirement gala is] a huge fundraiser for student scholarships," Delahoussaye said. "At the end of the evening, we are going to present her with all the money that has been raised for student scholarships, and the scholarships will be in her name. I never thought that anyone would raise this concern, just knowing how much she has done for the students…. That $4,000 is going to pale in comparison to the amount of money that's raised."

The Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor's Office administrative regulations states that ASU funds are to be "expended in such a way as to benefit the current and long-term interest of students."

Outgoing president Mari Kiridjian stands by the ASU's decision to donate the money, saying that their contribution to Wieder's retirement is a benefit to the students because Wieder has given so much to the Valley community during her presidency.

"I don't see it as a party . . . We were going to have something for her anyway," Kiridjian said. "I'm not giving students' money to a party . . . A decision was made, and if anyone had any oppositions to that, they were more than welcome to come [to the ASU meetings]."

Wible said that he does not understand how this amount was donated to a retirement party when services on campus, such as the Writing Center and Math Lab are having their hours cut because of reduced funding.

"The ASU has certain guidelines to follow about what they can and can't spend their funds on and this does not seem as if it falls within those parameters," Wible said. "This spending of money does not benefit the students immediate or long-term interests . . .I don't understand how it could have went through, or how nobody threw a flag up when it happened."

Delahoussaye says that the donation of the ASU funds will benefit the students because of all the scholarship money that will be raised. She also said it is hard to tell how much of the donated funds will be used and it may be that all the money is unused and goes to the scholarship fund.

"I think what is happening is maybe [Wible] doesn't understand the full mechanics of it. Delahoussaye said. "He may not understand that whenever we do something at Valley, we do it with the students' interests at heart."

The vice president of student services, who is heading the committee to plan the retirement gala, echoed the words of Mari Kiridjian, saying that the ASU funds were not just being spent without thought.

"Since [Wieder] has been here, 14 years ago, we weren't handing out any scholarships, and the endowment has grown," she said. "At the end of the day, this is all going to come back to the students."