Restricted and Agency Funds
Operating or Restricted?
Liquor, flowers, and travel are some of the common expenditures flowing through these accounts.
Many departments and schools of the University are fortunate beneficiaries of support from alumni and other interested parties. This has provided an alternate source of funds when the University's operating budget has been insufficient to meet departmental needs. However, since these funds are expended outside of the operating budget, it is nearly impossible to determine the actual operating expenses for a department or school. These expenditures also receive less scrutiny for appropriateness.
While the source of funds is frequently from donors, there are several occasions where operating funds are transferred to these accounts. Then the expenditures are also outside the scope of public review. Operating funds are also transferred to these restricted funds so that they are not "lost" at the end of the fiscal year, but rather rolled over to be spent in subsequent fiscal years.
Annual Giving Campaign
Proceeds from the Annual Giving Campaign (pdf) fundraising effort are distributed into various restricted accounts. The methodology for distributing these funds has not been disclosed, nor is it subject to any public review. The Annual Giving Campaign distributions may indicate the priorty placed on your area, since the distribution seems to be entirely discretionary on the University's part. These funds (of an undetermined amount in some years, but around $70,000 in 1998) are most likely co-mingled with other miscellaneous unrestricted donations. However, that is impossible to tell from the University's published reports. One can only guess at the source of other funds, such as the $35,000 for Governmental Relations or the $41,000 in Special Educational and General Projects.