Student Treasurer's Handbook 2006-2007
Student Treasurer's Office - Wilder 316 x 58119
Hollie Webb - SFC Treasurer
Student Accounts Office - Carnigie 122 x58457
This is where you collect cash reimbursement under $25.00
Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, closed from 12 PM - 1 PM
Controller's Office - Service Building x58428
This is where you pick up checks for reimbursement over $25.00 and all cash advance
Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Purchasing Department - Service Building x58440
Hours: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, usually closed from 12 PM- 1 PM
Rick Snodgrass - Buyer x58080
Student Union Office x58106
Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, closed from 12 PM - 1 PM
Chris Baymiller - Asst. Director of the Student Union
Tina Zwegat - Asst. Director of the Student Union
Tom Reid- Asst. Director of the Student Union x58565
Kathleen Drennan - Scheduling Manager Student Union
Introduction
The Treasurer's Office and its money
The Treasurer's Office administers and regulates the allocation of the Student Activities Fee. This fee is collected from every student at Oberlin College, excluding those participating in an off campus study program. This fee was designed for the creation of social, cultural, religious, and educational activities for students, for the improvement of student life, and to augment the general student welfare. The Treasurer's Office reviews all student organization transactions, maintaining control over the use of the Student Activity Fee. The office may not approve any request they feel does not have the proper required support or is an unsuitable expenditure for the particular organization.
The Treasurers
The Student Treasurer is responsible for managing the finances of the Association of Students of Oberlin College. The Student Treasurer and Assistant Student Treasurer are chosen by members of the Student Finance Committee, the Dean of Students, and the Student Treasurer. The SFC accepts applications from the student body at large for the position of Assistant Student Treasurer. From the applications received and an interviewing process which involves the Student Senate and the Dean of Student Life’s Office, the SFC chooses an Assistant Student Treasurer. He or she is expected to serve for two years; learning the job from the current Student Treasurer, then serving as Student Treasurer the following year. The Assistant Student Treasurer and Student Treasurer can not be first years or an officer of another student organization on campus.
The Student Finance Committee
Student Finance Committee Member
The members of the Student Finance Committee (SFC) will be appointed by the Student Senate. Members are chosen from the student body at large, with the exception of a co-chair, who will be the Organizational Coordinator of the Senate. The SFC reviews every budget proposal in the spring and allocates the Student Activity Fee according to the procedures and regulations outlined in this manual and the SFC Policy pages. The SFC looks at need, previous expenditures, and available resources to determine every allocation and expenditure. The SFC is an objective body.
Yearly Budget Allocation
Every year each organization is given a chance to submit a budget proposal. The SFC reviews all budget proposals and decides budget allocation under the SFC charter and guidelines.
Budget Appeals & Ad Hoc
A portion of the Student Activities Fee is not allocated and held over for the following year. This money is used for unexpected needs (Ad hocs) during the budget year and funding for new organizations. In the year (1998-99) the money requested for the Student Senator stipends was taken out of the ad hoc funds. There is also money set aside for budget appeals. Budget appeals are held during the fall semester for organizations to appeal the allocation dictated by the SFC the prior spring semester. New budgets are given priority over budgets that have already received funding.
Each organization must keep records of all their transactions that take place during the year. The Treasurer’s Office, as stated in the SFC charter, is allowed to request an organization’s financial records at any time. Each organization and dorm must maintain accounting records that the Treasurer's Office or the SFC can request at any time. These records should have lists of all transactions and a current balance. No organization will be allowed to spend into a deficit situation. Deficit spending will be severely punished, and groups will be held responsible in the following year for any deficit that has occurred. The Treasurer's Office and the SFC expect that organization officers and signatories will maintain a sense of integrity, responsibility, honesty and professionalism in all dealings with the Treasurer's Office and the Oberlin community (see general policies on debt).
Authorized Signatory
Any organization that does not have a signatory (usually the treasurer of the organization) registered with the Treasurer's Office will have its account frozen: The Treasurer's Office can not honor transactions made during the time that the organization did not have a signatory, even after the signatory is registered with the office.
Contact between the Treasurer's Office and your organization is necessary to keep the Treasurer's Office informed on your organization's activities and expenditures, this way the Treasurer's Office is better able to help you. The Treasurer's Office tries to set an example of fairness and equal application of all rules and regulations that their office must follow.
Job Descriptions
Treasurer
The Treasurer acts as a student financial system liaison to College administration as well as to the student body. The Treasurer attends every meeting of the SFC and acts as a non-voting student advisor to the committee. He or she is also responsible for training the treasurers of student organizations, providing accessibility to information and aid on matters of the student financial system, and keeping records of the student organization accounts. The treasurer is one of two people who is able to sign Request for Payment forms, Event Worksheets, Cash Advances, Requisition forms, and Intra-college expenditure forms. The Treasurer has regular office hours; please feel free to contact him or her with any questions, comments, or suggestions you might have about training, forms, and any other issues pertaining to the Treasurer's Office.
Assistant Treasurer
The Assistant Treasurer also acts as a liaison between the student body, the administration and the SFC, acting as a non-voting member of the committee. The assistant treasurer is one of two people who can sign and authorize Request for Payment forms, Event Worksheets, Cash Advances, Requisition Forms, and Intra-college expenditure forms. He or she can also answer any questions you might have pertaining to student organization finances.
Student Finance Committee Members
SFC members can not sign forms. Members are able to answer questions about committee procedures (i.e.: ad hoc, budget appeals, budget proposals) but are not as familiar with specific expenditures as the Treasurer's Office is. Committee members act as liaisons to the student organizations, helping them with their finances and the writing of their budget proposal in the spring.
Rules and Regulations
1. SFC Authorization Forms
1.1 Any student planning on being a signatory must attend the Treasurer's Night meeting in September and in February. The Budget Meeting in the Spring (see the Treasurer's door and the Oberlin Review for exact times and locations). Each organization may have no more than two signatories (typically the treasurer or co-treasurers of the organization). The accounts of any organization which does not attend these meetings shall be frozen by the Treasurer's Office until such time as the organizational representative meets with the Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer.
1.2 After the Treasurer's meeting, the student(s) who attended must complete the SFC authorization form, if they haven't already done so, before any transactions can take place.
1.3 By signing as a signatory, the student acknowledges that he or she has read this manual; that he or she understands and agrees to adhere to all procedures and responsibilities outlined here. Any violations of this agreement will be grounds for disciplinary action in accordance with these regulations.
1.4 Signatories are responsible for funds withdrawn, deposited or transferred to/from their organization's account, and will be held personally responsible and fiscally responsible for any violations of the Treasurer's Office procedures.
1.5 Any account that does not have a signatory, authorized by the Treasurer's Office will be frozen, and any funds spent or committed during this time will not be reimbursed by the Treasurer's Office under any circumstances.
2 Expenditures
2.1 All expenditures made by an organization must be represented in its budget for the year, unless the expenditure is made from ad hoc funds or the organization has approval of the Treasurer and/or the SFC. Expenditures must be appropriate for the organization; for example: The Ultimate Team can not bring a music group to campus because musical entertainment is not in the scope of Ultimate's charter.
2.2 Any ad hoc funding must be spent in the same fiscally conservative manner as regular budget funding.
3 Request for Payment Forms (RPFs)
3.1 RPFs are to be used for reimbursing someone, paying for an invoice, paying individuals for services rendered, and transferring money to other campus accounts.
3.2 A completed RPF includes: name and address of payee, social security or federal tax ID number of payee (a social security number is required when reimbursing an individual), organization name, account number, appropriate account code, date, method in which to be handled, advisor's signature (if over $25.00), and organization signatory's signature. If any one of these pieces of information is missing, the request will not be processed.
3.3 In addition to a completed RPF, the treasurer must also present valid, original receipts or invoices from the current fiscal year for the exact amount of the services or goods rendered. All receipts must be itemized and original. If a credit card is used to purchase items, the purchaser sometimes receives his or her credit card receipt separately from the cash register (itemized) receipt - do not submit the credit card receipt without the cash register receipt, if it lists only the total amount spent. If you receive a hand written receipt, please include a contact name and phone number of the store/supplier. Faxes and copies of invoices and receipts will not be accepted. Lastly, statements of purchases can not act as adequate back up for a RPF. This rule is to insure that nothing is paid twice.
3.4 Expenses incurred during periods when an account is frozen (such as when the group does not have a signatory, an allocation or its charter) will not be reimbursed whether or not such expenses were budgeted.
4 Intra-college Transactions (Transfers)
4.1 Funded organizations can make payments or transfers of funds to other college departments or organizations through the use of the Request for Payment Form (RPF).
4.2 The Guarantee of Payment Form (GPF) should be used when requesting supplies and/or services from an on campus vendor, for over $25.00. These vendors include, but are not limited to, the following: Graphic Services, CDS, Transportation, Stockroom, Stenographic Services, AV, Mailroom, and Wilder Student Union.
4.3 To process a GPF form, the signatory must fill in applicable information such as organization name, contact name, account number and appropriate account code, services required, etc.; also the signatory must include an estimated final cost. After the Treasurer's Office approves the payment, the signatory may take it to the appropriate department.
4.4 Signatories can not sign GPFs - as with all other forms the payment must first be approved by the Treasurer's Office before it can be processed. If a GPF is processed without the Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer's authorization, it will not be honored by the Treasurer's Office or the SFC; the individual that signed the form will be held financially responsible.
5 Contracts and Event Worksheets
5.1 Any time your organization would like to bring a group or individual to perform a service, a contract must be completed. Oberlin College does not exclusively use its own contracts, a contract provided by the performer(s) is acceptable. Contracts are necessary for the following types of events: speakers, lecturers, performers, DJs, and bands. The previous list includes common types of events organizations plan that would require signing a contract before hand. However, this list is not all inclusive, if you have any questions regarding contracts, feel free to direct them towards either the Treasurer's Office or the Student Union office.
5.2 These contracts must be accompanied by an Event Worksheet. The Event Worksheet will help you realize all of the event costs and is filled out with the help of one of the two Directors of Student Activities, Tina Zwegat or Chris Baymiller. All contracts must be accompanied by a completed event worksheet, these forms must be presented to the Treasurer's Office two weeks prior to the event. The Treasurer's Office and the SFC will not honor any agreements that were not authorized beforehand in the proper manner. Any student signing a contract without the proper authorization will be held personally and financially responsible for the event.
5.3 Between the contract and the Event Worksheet the following information must be provided: description and date of the event; the signature, name, address, phone number, and social security/federal ID number of the party being contracted; the name, account number and sub-code, the advisor and signatory authorization of the organization being charged; the signature of the Student Treasurer; as well as the signature of either Tina Zwegat or Chris Baymiller.
5.4 Payment for services rendered will not be processed until all of the proper forms have been filled out and submitted to the Treasurer's Office.
5.5 These rules and regulations are here to protect students, Student Finance Committee organizations, and the College.
5.6 According to federal income tax laws, it is necessary to fill out a 1099 form when hiring any person(s) to perform a specific job or provide a specific service. The Controller's Office issues the 1099 forms at the end of the year to all parties hired by the college in the preceding year. Violation of this regulation would put the Treasurer's Office and Oberlin College in conflict with the Internal Revenue Service, jeopardizing all student organizations on campus. Therefore, no RPF for services rendered will be processed without their social security/federal ID number, address, and phone number.
6 Cash Advances
6.1 In the event that your organization needs a cash advance, the Treasurer's Office is able to authorize one.
6.2 A cash advance is basically a short term loan where the collateral is a student's term bill. If receipts totaling at least the amount of the cash advance are not received in the Treasurer's Office within 10 working days, the amount of the cash advance will be added to the student's term bill. No exceptions will be made!
6.3 Extra cash left over, must be turned into Wilder Desk using a Misc. Deposit form, this form should be included in the receipts turned into the Treasurer's Office.
6.4 The organization's advisor's and signatory's signatures must be on the form; as well as the name of the person receiving the cash advance, the organization's name, and account number with the appropriate account code. Without this information the cash advance will not be authorized by the Treasurer's Office.
6.5 Cash advances are only given in necessary circumstances, it is the decision of the Treasurer's Office whether a cash advance will be authorized.
6.6 The cash advance will take between 2-3 business days to process. The party receiving the cash advance can then pick it up at the Controller's Office (2nd floor of the Service Building). Checks are cut only twice a week in the Controller's Office. So, if you want a check by Wednesday, turn in the request to the Treasurer's Office by Friday of the previous week. If you want a check by Friday, have a request in the Treasurer's Office by Tuesday. No exceptions will be made! So, always plan ahead!
7 Requisition Forms
7.1 Requisition Forms are to be used anytime your organization would like to make a purchase. Req. forms can be used for ordering supplies, films, and high priced items.
7.2 This form will then be sent to the Purchasing Department, they will find the best price for the product, issue a Purchase Order (P.O.), buy it, and then bill your organization for it.
7.3 This process does not take a long time (usually 3-4 days), it is to your organization's benefit to use the purchasing procedures of the College. The purchase order will be issued to the vendor on the same (or following) day that the requisition is received.
7.4 The department keeps a list of over 1,700 vendors for various materials and products, this information is used to make the best purchase possible, it is also available to you and your organization. The Purchasing department makes a purchase based on price, quality, reliability of vendor, and delivery time.
7.5 The requisition need not be attached to an RPF any longer. This is due to the new Banner Accounting System that is discussed in the appendix section of this handbook.
8 Local Vendor/Departmental Purchasing Order Forms
8.1 Local vendor forms are to be used when an organization is purchasing items form vendors located in town.
8.2 This form acts as an IOU to the vendor. This is not a payment form.
8.3 To pay the vendor rendered, a Request for Payment (RPF) must be filled out as listed in section 3 of this document in conjunction with the Local Vendor Form/ Departmental Purchase Order and all original receipts.
9 Income and Deposits
9.1 Many organizations make money during the year through various activities and events they sponsor.
9.2 All income, whether as a result of a donation or event proceeds must be deposited at Wilder Desk.
9.3 Cash Boxes and Misc. Deposits must be accompanied by the appropriate form and the deposit is then authorized by the Wilder Desk Monitor. These forms must include the name of your organization, its account number, and the name of the event from which the money came.
9.4 Cash income collected, will be handled by the Student Union bookkeeping staff and the Treasurer's Office will receive a copy of the deposit form that was filled out.
9.5 Any checks collected as income must be made payable to Oberlin College.
9.6 Cash income can not be used to pay for an event: the purchase of any supplies or payment to a performer must be done using a RPF.
9.7 Money left over from a cash advance must also be deposited at Wilder Desk, using a Misc. Deposit Form. The golden rod copy of this form must be included in your receipts backing up the cash advance.
9.8 Any organization may use income from outside sources to give to an outside charity organization. However, any improper use of income will result in disciplinary action against the organization: although the organization may have raised the money through their own efforts, the original capital was from the Student Activities Fee and, therefore, the money must be spent following the Treasurer's office's rules and regulations, as well as the policies of the SFC.
10 Donations
10.1 The Student Activities Fee is meant to enrich the Oberlin campus, donations and/or gifts with these funds is strictly prohibited.
10.2 If an organization has non-budgeted income from an activity (the income is not needed to help pay for the activity) they may donate it to an outside organization. It is in an organization's best interest not to donate funds until all costs have been paid, to insure that future costs will not cause the organization debt.
10.3 Transfer payments made to an organization from another student organization are not considered income. This money is still from the Student Activity Fee, therefore it can not be used for donation purposes.
11 Ad Hoc Funding
11.1 Each year the SFC allocates a portion of the Student Activities Fee to act as a sort of emergency fund for unforeseen or emergency expenditures. This fund is also used to fund newly recognized organizations. The Ad Hoc Fund is set at $50,000 for the 1998-99 year.
11.2 Ad Hoc funding will not be granted retroactively (i.e.: for an item or event that has already occurred).
11.3 Ad hoc funding should be used as a last resort. If your organization wishes to apply for ad hoc funds, you should come to the Treasurer's Office, during office hours, and discuss all the options. The SFC will not grant ad hoc funding to those organizations which have not explored other means of fund raising. For example: co-sponsorship with other organizations, dorm grants, Forum Board, academic departments, etc..
11.4 Ad hoc funds can also be granted to individuals in some cases, who are working on independent projects, such as: films, plays, a specific speaker, etc.. These funds are granted if the SFC feels that the event will be beneficial to the Oberlin College community.
11.5 An organization wishing to apply for ad hoc funding must follow the following procedure:
11.6 The ad hoc request form must be submitted to the Treasurer's Office at least 48 hours before the next SFC meeting.
11.6.4 If the organization desires, it has the right to appeal the SFC decision to the Student Senate, as outlined in the Senate Charter.
11.7 An organizational officer must be able to attend the ad hoc hearing that is held when the SFC reviews the request.
11.8 The SFC will review the request and make an allocation; the allocation will be posted outside the Treasurer's Office the morning after the meeting or send in a formal e-mail.
12 Capital Expenditures
12.1 Capital expenditures refers to any large purchase that your organization desires to make. These expenditures should be budgeted for.
12.2 If the Treasurer's Office is unsure about the request, the decision on whether to fund the request will be made by the SFC.
13 Appeals
13.1 Every organization has the right to appeal any decision made by the Treasurer's Office or the SFC except the Student Senate.
13.2 A written statement must be given to the Treasurer's Office.
13.3 If the situation can not be resolved between the organization and the Treasurer's Office, the decision will go to the entire Student Finance Committee.
13.4 If the organization remains unsatisfied with the decision, it can be appealed to the Student Senate.
13.5 The Senate constitution clearly states that the Senate has a right to refuse any appeal. In order to preserve the legitimacy of the SFC and the Student Senate, the Senate will only hear appeals when the organization feels that the SFC has used its power in an arbitrary fashion. Members of the SFC and the organization's officers are to be present when the appeal is presented to Senate.
13.6 If the Senate finds that the appeal is warranted, it will return the decision to the SFC with suggestions.
13.7 If the SFC fails to respond to the recommendations the appeal will be brought back to Senate, who will then make the final decision.
14 Accounting
14.1 All organizations and residence halls are required to submit at least two accounting reports to the Treasurer’s Office each year.
14.2 The dates of these reports will be announced to all treasurer’s at least 3 weeks before the due date.
14.3 The Reports shall include a list of all transactions (expenditures and income) that occurred during the previous fiscal period.
14.4 Organizations and dorms that submit late reports shall be subject to fines (which do not exceed 1% of the organization’s yearly budget) for each report.
14.5 The above rule is as mandated by the Student Finance Committee’s charter. It is in place to maintain the integrity of Student Finance’s.
Expenditure Guidelines
Conferences
The number of attendees to a conference is usually limited to two members, unless the organization can show justification for allowing more people to go. Food on these trips is not generally paid for. Retreats that involve large groups of people, will be evaluated on a case by case basis, usually determined by how integral the event is to the organization.
Equipment
All equipment purchased with Student Activities Fee moneys will remain the property of the SFC, and may be moved and transferred at any time.
Food
The SFC and the Treasurer's Office will not fund or reimburse more than $25 per year for food at meetings. This money is not guaranteed, but is a standard allocation that the SFC gives organizations. Organizations will be considered for funding for food when they are in the position of serving an ethnic, religious and/or cultural purpose/service to the Oberlin College community.
Honoraria and Speaker Fees
The SFC will not award more than 35% of a honorarium or speaker fee. The organization is expected to get cosponsors, grants from other student organizations or college departments, and/or to go to Forum Board.
Speaker fees and honoraria are limited to $1500. If the amount is above that, SFC will fund no more than $525 of the honorarium and 35% of the speaker's expenses. No more than $20 will be funded for a speaker reception.
Organizations sometimes wish to sponsor master classes, these do not fall under speaker guidelines and will be looked at on a case by case basis by the SFC. However, only certain organizations are authorized to receive master class funding.
When requesting honoraria checks, please note that checks are cut only twice a week in the Controller's Office. If you want a check by the time the guest arrives, plan ahead!
The schedule for cutting checks is as follows:
Request in by | Ready by: Friday | Tuesday,
Wednesday | Friday
Magazines, Books, and Periodicals
Generally the SFC will not give funds for a book, magazine or periodical that is available in Mudd, the Art, Conservatory, or Science libraries. However, the SFC may fund organizations wishing to create a library of their own, or if they show adequate reason for needing their own copy and/or subscription. These decisions are made by the SFC on a case by case basis.
Office Supplies
Organizations are generally given a standard allocation of $15.00, unless they can show a greater need. It is encouraged that you look for the cheapest price, and not go directly to the Co-op Bookstore for all your office supply needs. The Stockroom, located on the first floor of the Service Building can get you almost anything you need for a much better price.
Other Information
Monthly Reports
The Treasurer's Office keeps a computerized record of all student organization transactions. While you are expected to keep your own records of your organization's finances, the Treasurer's Office will send out Bi monthly financial reports. These reports will be sent to the Wilder Student Organization mailboxes (located next to the information desk), and residence halls' reports will go to the mailboxes located on the east side of the second floor in Wilder. In the case that your organization does not have a Wilder Box, it will be sent to the student on file as the organizational treasurer's OCMR.
Please check the reports over to look for any discrepancies or mistakes. If you find any, please report them to the Treasurer's Office immediately. These are not meant to replace an organization's own records, just to be a check of your records as well as the Treasurer’s Office records.
Telephone Bills
If your organization has an office with a telephone, be aware that the Central Telephone System of the College charges $23.43/month for each line that you have.
ACUS numbers are given to some organizations. To receive one, your organization has to apply through the SFC and subsequently be authorized by the Treasurer's Office. Not all organizations have a need for an ACUS number; therefore it is the discretion of the SFC and the Treasurer's Office whether approval will be given.
Disciplinary Procedures
Financial mismanagement will not be tolerated by the Treasurer's Office or the SFC. The Treasurer's Office has been entrusted to monitor and approve all expenditures made by student organizations from the Student Activities Fee. Disciplinary action against the organization and/or the signatories of the organization will be taken if any of the following occurs: violations of the Treasurer’s Office regulations and/or SFC policies, violations of Student Senate Constitution, and violations of College policy.
Any violations pertaining to the Treasurer's Office's or the Student Finance Committee's policies will be dealt with by the Treasurer's Office and the SFC. The Treasurer's Office can, and will, freeze an organization's account anytime if there is a question as to the validity of expenditure. If it is determined that the charge is legitimate, the Treasurer's Office and the SFC will investigate such charge. There will be a hearing with the accused party and the SFC. At the conclusion of the hearing the SFC will make a recommendation as to the proper disciplinary action that should be taken. This decision must be reached through a majority plus one vote.
Organizations will be warned on their first offense. Depending on the seriousness of the offense, the organization's accounts may be frozen. If necessary, the SFC and Treasurer's Office will retrieve losses due to financial mismanagement, from the signatory's term bill. In extreme cases, the SFC and the Treasurer's Office hold the right to eliminate funding to an organization that has committed a large violation of the policies and procedures.
Any violation of College regulations will be forwarded to the Dean of Students Office. Such violations include, but are not limited to: fraud, theft, and embezzlement of Student Activities funds.
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