We need answers. The students, parents of students, alumni, and faculty at Suffolk need answers.

The Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation reports that in the calendar year of 2012 it gave Suffolk University just more than $44,000. Suffolk University has reported that in three years the foundation donated $33,000.

There is a difference to consider here because Suffolk reports donations over fiscal years rather than calendar years. If thousands of dollars are allegedly missing from a tax document for one year, what will subsequent documents reveal?

The students deserve to know how much money the foundation gave to the university.

This is not about how the group stands politically. This is not about what they are donating for. This is about knowledge and accountability. Though the Suffolk community is interested in what the Koch Foundation has donated to Suffolk because of their well-known name, this is about more than that.

Because there appears to be a difference in the math of what the Koch Foundation reported donating versus what Suffolk reports receiving, it makes one wonder if this could possibly be happening with any other grants or monetary gifts to the university. People who take an interest in the university are curious about this and deserve information.

Despite what the Koch brothers stand for and whether or not you agree with them, Suffolk should know exactly how much was donated and inform the community. Since there appears to be a difference in the two reports, there should be an answer.

This goes for any group and any donation. It’s important to have grants so the university can perform extra studies and afford speakers, and it’s important to know who is behind that.

Suffolk has taken the first step in creating a greater transparency by releasing the document of donors to the university. What we need next is clarification on why the amounts are reported differently by the Koch Foundation and the university.