Cab Fare
Cash Advances
Cash Collections
Fines
Purchase Orders
Reimbursements

Communication Services for Student Organizations

The Student Activities Business Office (SABO) is the office that prepares all of the financial materials for student organizations, such as Purchase Orders, requisitions, checks, cash collection materials, etc. After your paperwork is submitted to SAO, it is approved and forwarded to SABO where everything is prepared.

SABO is located on the 1st floor of the Sargent Activities Center at 1 University Road, and is open Monday-Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, ticket sales end daily at 4:00 p.m.

When you pick up your materials from SABO, be sure to bring your University ID, for you will need to present it to sign out materials. This procedure is intended to protect your student organization from fraud by someone outside the organization.


Cab Fare

Pertinent Information:

• Vouchers for use with Metro Cab are available through the SABO.

• Complete a purchase order for the number of vouchers needed and an estimated amount of cab fare to be used.
• When picking up the purchase order at SABO, you will receive the number of vouchers requested.
• Call Metro Cab and arrange for a pick up. Inform them that you will be using a voucher.
• At the end of the trip, write the amount of the tip and the fare on the voucher. Keep the yellow copy of the voucher and bring it back to SABO in order to ensure proper billing.
• Unused vouchers must be returned to SABO. Lost vouchers are the responsibility of the organization.

• If a student organization unexpectedly needs the use of a cab and does not have time to follow the above procedures, arrangements can be made so that the voucher can be signed out to a treasurer immediately. In this case, the treasurer must see a Coordinator of Programs.

• Cash advances are only for group trips and may be used only for gas, parking and tolls.

• Complete a check request to a member of your group. This person will be the cash advance custodian.
• When picking up the check, the custodian needs to set an appointment to reconcile the cash advance with a SABO representative.
• Receipts for all purchases must be collected for reconciliation.
• Any funds remaining from the cash advance must be deposited in SABO on the first business day after the trip.
• Failure to reconcile Cash Advances will result a daily fine and a suspended SABO Account until reconciliation is complete.

• Any time money is to be collected a Cash Bag must be used.
• Complete a Cash Collection Request Form to obtain a cash bag, cash box, change, receipt books, roll of tickets and/or locked donation box.
• Boston University Police may be necessary to ensure safety of cash collection.
• All money collected must be deposited in SABO or at the GSU Administration Office immediately following sale or event. BUPD will provide escorts as part of the requisitioned police detail. Money collected must reconcile accurately - Do not spend any of the cash collected.
• SABO reserves the right to require that a cash register be used for the sale to provide increased accountability for sales.

• Count the number of items/tickets and have this number verified by an SABO employee.
• Pick up cash collection materials the day of the event if the event is held Monday through Friday. If the event is on a Saturday or Sunday, the materials should be verified and signed for on Friday. Materials can then be brought to the Union Information Desk on the second floor of the GSU for safekeeping. The student group can then pick up materials at Union Information before the program begins.
• Complimentary tickets should be accounted for prior to sales as well as being stamped "complimentary." Keep a written log of all complimentary items given and to whom.
• The Treasurer or other group member responsible for ticket sales and reconciliation must make an appointment with SABO to complete reconciliation when materials are picked up.

• Verify beginning cash.
• Write down the beginning number of tickets/items.
• Sell tickets in numerical order from lowest to highest number.
• Do not throw out unsold tickets.
• Use a cash box at all times.
• Always verify change given to a customer.

• Deposit ticket money after each day of selling and/or put bag in GSU drop safe: open Sun – Thurs until 10:30 p.m. and Fri and Sat until 12:30 a.m.
• Complete final deposit at SABO on the first business day after the event. Return all receipts, unsold tickets, etc. at that time.

• If SABO is closed, drop the cash bag and box at Union Information. KEEP THE KEY TO THE CASH BAG. Bring the key to SABO the next morning to pick up the box and make the deposit.
• Make a deposit into the organization's account after each day of selling.
• Reconcile the beginning and ending items/ticket numbers with the revenue being deposited into the account (See Reconciliation Section Below for more information). An organization must be able to account for all items/tickets.

• The group member responsible must attend a reconciliation appointment with SABO representative, complete reconciliation and account for any discrepancies.
• Return undistributed (not sold or given away) items to SABO for verification, if not returned with final deposit.
• A written log of complimentary items/tickets must be submitted with deposit.
• Use the following formulae to keep track of the information for reconciliation. Keep separate records for each type of item/tickets differently priced.
  Beginning # - Complimentary - Ending # = Number Sold
  Number Sold x Price = Sales
  Sales - Deposit = (over/short)
  
• Submit a written explanation of any discrepancies.
• If the price changes (from "advance" sales to "door" sales), an organization member must reconcile prior to selling tickets at a different price.
• Failure to reconcile cash collection will result in a daily fine and the suspension of the group’s SABO account. Paperwork will not be accepted until reconciliation takes place.

• When purchasing goods, and most services, student organizations are required to use Purchase Orders.
• A Purchase Order is an agreement by the University to pay a quoted price upon delivery of the promised good from the vendor.
• When choosing vendors, check the SAO Vendor List to identify a vendor who accepts Boston University SAO Purchase Orders.
• If the vendor does not appear on this list it can be added providing the vendor understands the policies regarding Purchase Orders. If a vendor needs information about Purchase Orders and payment procedures, the vendor may contact SABO directly.
• SAO reserves the right to identify an alternate vendor for you if one can be found.
• When the vendor sends the invoice to SABO, the bill will be paid and the student organization account will be debited. If the invoice is for an amount over 10% of the Purchase Order, the organization treasurer will be contacted and will have 15 days to provide an explanation or contest the bill. After 15 days the invoice will be paid, and any applicable fines may be charged to the organization.
• Any Purchase Orders that are not used must be returned to SABO so that they may be voided and credited back to the student organization account.

• Used for emergency or unexpected situations. The Purchase Order can be picked up after 2:00 p.m. the following business day.
• There is a daily limit of fifteen quickies that can be processed in one day and only two are allowed per group per day.
• Quickie Purchase Orders/Requisitions may not be used to process paperwork for a program.

• All equipment purchased by student organization funds must be used for organizational use only.
• All equipment is the property of Boston University.
• Equipment must be kept on University property.
• Equipment must be presented upon request of the Student Activities Office.
• For items over $1000.00, you must secure three written quotes for the item to be purchased. All three quotes must be submitted with your Purchase Order request form.

• Fill out PO Request Form for equipment and any accessories that may be necessary to secure the equipment.
• State where item will be stored.
• For large ticket items, SAO may refer the organization to the University's Procurement Office for advice on vendors and pricing.
• Arrange with the vendor for time, date and location of delivery.
• Arrange for an organization member to be available to accept delivery.
• Notify the Assistant Director of Finance in SABO of receipt of any equipment with a value in excess of $1000.00. She/he will then notify the Property Management Office to inventory and tag the equipment.
• Properly secure the equipment.
• Follow organizational guidelines for use of equipment.

• 1 week to generate Purchase Order. Make allowances for delivery time.

Reimbursements:

• Reimbursements are primarily intended to be used with vendors that will not accept POs or checks or for last-minute expenses. Reimbursements are to be used only for the purchase of goods, never for services.
• Itemized receipts must be attached. Credit card receipts with just the total listed will not be accepted.
• For small amounts (under $100), a Small Dollar Reimbursement Form must be completed and turned directly into SABO in exchange for cash.
• There is a limit of 10 small dollar reimbursements per semester per group.
  For reimbursements over $100, a check request must be completed and have the approval of an SAO Programmer.
• Approval for reimbursements over $100 should be sought BEFORE personal money is spent. Approving reimbursements is done at the discretion of the Programmer. For items funded by the Allocations Board, approval to transfer funds is also at the discretion of the AB.

Deadlines:

• 1 week for check requests. Small dollar reimbursements are done immediately in SABO and fully processed within 1 week.

Communication Services for Student Organizations - E-Mail Service:

Student organizations may apply for an E-mail account for their organization.

Procedure:

• Submit a Guest Account Application at the SAO Front Desk.
• A letter from the Assistant Director will be ready for pick up the next day.
• Take both the letter and the application to Information Technology.

• Submit a REQ Request Form to Telecommunications detailing the type of phone and services requested.
• The organization’s account will be billed on a monthly basis.
• If more than one organization shares a phone, the charges will be apportioned equally to each organization.
• If an organization continues telephone services from the prior academic year and does not submit a Funds Transfer Form by the end of September, the telephone will automatically be disconnected and the organization will be charged for all associated charges.

• Long distance access codes are available for student groups who do not have their own phone or wish to limit access to long distance calling.
• Fill out a long distance request form that can be obtained from the Assistant Director of Finance in SABO. Make sure the person responsible for the code is specified.
• Submit a Funds Transfer Form to transfer the estimated amount that will be used in long distance calls for the entire year.
• The group will be charged for all calls on this access number.
• All long distance access codes will be terminated at the end of the academic year.

• For groups with a phone line:
  Complete a Voice Mail Authorization Form in SAO. You will be informed when Voice Mail is activated.
• For groups without a phone line:
  Complete a Voice Mail Authorization Form in SAO.
  You will be assigned a phantom line to access Voice Mail.
  You will be informed when Voice Mail is activated and how to access your account.

• Need to apply for a Group E-Mail account for access to this service.
• Must be connected to http://people.bu.edu.
• Must adhere to the University Publication Policy - see Program Policies.
• You may request to have a link to the website on the SAO page by sending an e-mail to saoweb@bu.edu

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