Associated Students • Western Washington University

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Budget Authority

Each Budget Authority is responsible for understanding and practicing the A.S. budget policies and procedures.  There can be only one Budget Authority per organization or club.

Qualifications
The Budget Authority should be:

  • An active member of the organization
  • Conscientious and concerned with the organization’s operations
  • Easily accessible to members
  • Comfortable using forms and working with numbers and figures

Budget Authorities must be:

  • Students at WWU for clubs, or a university employee for other accounts.

Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Before a Budget Authority can authorize expenditures s/he must:
    • Attend a budget authority training meeting
    • Complete a Budget Authority Registration Form

    NOTE: If a new Budget Authority is appointed during the year, s/he must fill out a new
    registration form. In addition, the new Budget Authority must meet with the Business
    Director before s/he will be authorized to make expenditures.

  2. The Budget Authority is the only member, who can sign:
    • Expenditure Requests
    • Transfer Requests
    • Petty Cash Vouchers

  3. The Budget Authority is responsible for:
    • Receiving prior approval before placing orders, making financial commitments, or spending money.
    • Keeping their organization informed of their financial status, so funds are not exhausted prematurely.
    • Making sure all money collected is deposited with the Finance Office by the next business day.
    • Paying attention to the monthly Status Summary Report and compare to your own figures. If there is a discrepancy, the budget authority should check with the Finance Office.
    • Knowing the funding resources available and their procedures (Activities Council and the E.S.C. Steering Committee).
    • Obtaining assistance from Lisa Rosenberg, Michael Vendiola, or Casey Hayden.

 

There are several resource persons you can go to for help: The A.S. Business Director, A.S. Finance Office, A.S. Advisors, and the chairperson of your organization’s council.


REGULATIONS FOR FISCAL MANAGEMENT BY AND FOR A.S. ORGANIZATIONS
The following are required fiscal procedures for ALL A.S. organizations. Any organization or individual violating these regulations is subject to immediate censure and possible prosecution for violations of state law.

  • No person other than those specifically authorized by the A.S. Business Director may make any financial commitments in the name of their organization. Any person placing an order or purchasing goods without prior authorization of the A.S. Business Director shall assume personal, fiscal, and legal responsibility for his/her actions. BE SURE TO FILE AN EXPENDITURE REQUEST AND RECEIVE APPROVAL PRIOR TO COMMITTING YOURSELF TO ANY FINANCIAL AGREEMENT.
  • Each organization must have one (and only one) person who is designated as Budget Authority (except as noted in program coordinator job descriptions). This person is the individual who shall be held accountable for all fiscal matters concerning the A.S. organization(s) s/he is representing.
  • ALL ORGANIZATIONS (excluding religious & limited membership): Money collected via any means in the name of the A.S. organization must be turned into and accounted for through the A.S. Finance Office. Any money collected must be placed into the organization’s A.S. account by the next business day; no outside accounts are permitted. Any organizations or individual found to have violated this regulation is open to prosecution by the State of Washington.
  • RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS: Religious organizations are entitled to use all Western Washington University facilities and services on the same basis as other A.S. programs and organizations. Religious organizations are not entitled to receive state funds for any purpose. All funds raised by religious organizations, however, shall be retained by those organizations in non-university accounts, and may be expended without University approval, provided that at the time of collection it shall be indicated that those funds belong to the respective organization and not the University. Religious organizations shall retain records of the amount of funds raised on campus and provide those records on the request of the A.S.
  • LIMITED MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS: Groups with limitations on memberships may not receive A.S. funds for any purpose except in the form of a loan for events or activities. These organizations must follow all applicable A.S. policies and regulations, and utilize the VU Finance Office to deposit all funds raised.
  • Money spent on food and beverages must adhere to the Hospitality Policy.

The Budget Authority is responsible for knowing the Budget Authority Guide and ensuring that all organization members follow AS policies and procedures.

4 TIPS FOR BEING SUCCESSFUL!

  1. Be neat and complete

    2. The Business Director’s job is to approve expenditures, not to fix mistakes. Do it right the first time and you’ll save time.

  2. Keep track of your budget

    3. The balance of your account is your responsibility. The Business Director can help you to solve problems, but you need to keep records of everything you sign.

  3. Submit forms on time

    4. The best way to foster a positive relationship with the Business and Finance Offices is to recognize all the time they spend processing your requests after you have submitted them. If you submit them late, you run the risk of having your account suspended or worse.

  4. Ask Questions!

If you are unsure of how to do something, come and ask. It’s much easier for us to help you at the beginning of the process than right at the deadline.

How does this place work?
There are many steps involved in working within the University’s system. While some may see this as a bureaucracy, it is only set up to be able to process every organization’s request in a decent amount of time. Without this system we would be processing each request individually, causing a huge delay in payment.

Keeping track of your budget
When you get your monthly status summary report, check it against your records to be sure they are correct. You will receive a Status Summary Report from the Finance Office every month. This should be delivered min-month to your club mailbox. Keep this monthly report for your records.

Be sure to keep your own records of what activity occurs in your account. The finance office records may not reflect checks that have yet to clear or purchases that are still pending.  If you keep your own records, it will be much easier to recognize all of your transactions when the status summary report comes to you.