A student works at the office for Forensics. | Hannah Laamoumi/The Daily Cougar
The Student Fees Advisory Committee report submitted by the UH Forensics Program incorrectly showed the organization had a budget deficit of $10,000.
Mike Fain, Director of Forensics, said the miscalculation was the result of a spreadsheet error. He said he was surprised by the The Daily Cougar’s report.
“This was the first time ever I had not had a chance to review the documents before they were released,” Fain said. “I was really surprised. I thought the spreadsheet was resolved in time, but we are not in the red anymore.”
The initial deficit was eventually resolved using funds obtained from on-campus events.
Last year, the program experienced a cut in its budget but was still able to participate in tournaments.
“I believe we have close to a $100,000 travel budget to travel nationally and compete nationally,” said Alex Lacamu, senior captain of Forensics.
Funds are used to host college and high school tournaments on campus, Lacamu said. Part of the money from SFAC helps compensate the judges who assist in these tournaments. The program also provides food for UH students who help judge, and they might earn $150 for a weekend event.
“We don’t spend SFAC money on two-thirds of our organization, which is pretty much our volunteering and hosting. We use it on half of the hosting, but we also have elementary and middle school tournaments,” Lacamu said.
The SFAC form has been updated to reflect a projected $2,277 surplus for Fiscal Year 2013.
