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Treasury Laws
of the Graduate and Professional Student Government
of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Revised on April 15, 2008
Approved by the GPSG Senate on April 16, 2008
ARTICLE I. PURPOSE AND PERSONNEL
Section 1. Purpose
The purpose of this act is to ensure accountability for and control of
Student Activity Fees entrusted to the Graduate and Professional Student
Government (GPSG).
Section 2. Supremacy
These Treasury Laws shall supersede all prior laws and all laws or
procedures of any subordinate group operating within the purview of GPSG.
Section 3. Personnel
a) Chief financial officer of the GPSG shall be referred to as the GPSG
Treasurer.
b) The GPSG Treasurer shall be treasurer of the GPSG Executive Committee
and the Senate.
c) The GPSG Treasurer shall be elected by the GPSG Senate in the Spring
semester.
Section 4. Definitions
a) The term "funded group" as used in this document shall refer to any
group of individuals receiving funds from the GPSG Senate.
b) The term "clubs and organizations" as used in this document shall
refer to any group of individuals chartered by the GPSG Senate, and shall
exclude the GPSG Senate, the GPSG Executive Board and all committees working
for either the Senate or the Executive Board.
ARTICLE II. CHARTERING AND ELIGIBILITY FOR FUNDS
Section 1. Graduate and Professional Student Government
The GPSG Executive Board, and committees working for either the Senate or
the Executive Board may propose budgets and/or receive specific funding
allocations.
Section 2. Chartered Organizations
All clubs and organizations holding a valid charter from the GPSG Senate
may propose budgets and/or be funded by GPSG.
Section 3. Non-Discrimination Policy
In keeping with university policy, SAFC regulations, and the spirit of
GPSG, under no circumstance will GPSG or any subgroup thereof ever
discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, color, national origin,
religion, disability, nor sexual orientation.
Section 4. Reregistration
Every organization must successfully register with UNC Charlotte Student
Organizations and remain fully compliant with all rules, regulations, and
policies governing student organizations that are applicable to graduate
student organizations. Failure to meet compliance with Student
Organization’s registration process will result in the immediate revocation
of all privileges assigned to the said group as a graduate organization,
including any financial disbursements or allocations. Such groups will be
compelled to seek funding as unchartered group.
Section 5. Rechartering
Every organization must submit for recharter each year. If an
organization does not complete the rechartering process by the appointed
deadlines, it will lose any funding previously allocated or pending
allocation.
ARTICLE III. AUTHORITY AND SIGNATURES
Section 1. Responsibility
After disbursement by the Student Activity Fees Commission (SAFC) all
monies held by the GPSG shall be under the purview of the GPSG Treasurer.
Section 2. Freezing of Funds
The GPSG Treasurer has the authority to temporarily freeze funds of any
funded group allocated under this Act, for violation of this Act. At its
next meeting the Finance Committee shall then determine the status of the
funds involved. The Finance Committee must either remove the freeze or
recommend to the GPSG Senate, at the next Senate meeting a course of action
to deal with the violation.
Section 3. Authorization of Check Requisitions
All check requisitions must be signed by the GPSG Treasurer and either
the GPSG President, or by the GPSG Vice-President in the President’s
absence.
Section 4. Other Requisitions
All requisitions for supplies and/or service from any on- or off-campus
organizations (including the Bookstore, Duplication, Physical Plant,
Receiving & Stores, etc.) must bear the authorizing signature of the GPSG
Treasurer
Section 5. Completion of Requisitions
Before an authorized signature may be placed on any requisition forms,
the forms must include
item(s), quantity, name of funded group expending funds and line item to
be used.
ARTICLE IV. PROCEDURES FOR LINE-ITEM TRANSFERS
Section 1. Line-Item Transfers of $50 or less
a) Line-item transfers of $50 or less shall be approved by the decision
of the GPSG Treasurer.
b) Approved transfers shall be submitted to the SAFC Business Manager no
later than three business days following their approval.
c) The responsibility of this submission lies with the GPSG Treasurer.
Section 2. Line-Item Transfers in excess of $50 but not greater than $200
a) Line-item transfers in excess of $50 but not greater than $200 shall
be submitted, passed, and recorded in the minutes of the Finance Committee
before transfers become effective.
b) Approved transfers shall be submitted to the SAFC Business Manager no
later than three business days following their approval.
c) The responsibility of this submission lies with the Chair of the
Finance Committee.
Section 3. Line-Item Transfers in excess of $200 but not greater than $500
a) Line-item transfers in excess of $200 but not greater than $500 shall
be submitted, passed, and recorded in the minutes of the Finance Committee.
Such transfers will then be brought before GPSG Senate as a formal motion,
and will be voted on accordingly.
b) Approved transfers shall be submitted to the SAFC Business Manager no
later than three business days following their approval.
c) The responsibility of this submission lies with the Chair of the
Finance Committee.
Section 4. Line-Item Transfers in excess of $500
a) Line-item transfers in excess of $500 shall be submitted, passed, and
recorded in the minutes of the Finance Committee. Such transfers will then
be brought before GPSG Senate as a formal motion, and will be voted on
accordingly.
b) Approved transfers shall be submitted to the Student Activities Fee
Commission for approval at the SAFC’s next business meeting.
c) The responsibility for this submission lies with the Chair of the
Finance Committee.
ARTICLE V. PROCEDURE FOR RECEIVING FUNDS FROM GRADUATE AND
PROFESSIONAL STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Section 1. Finance Committee Procedure for Granting Funds
a) All Finance Committee meetings shall be open to all persons, groups,
or organizations.
b) Those clubs or organizations whose budget requests for the next fiscal
year have been received before the first Monday in February deadline will be
offered the opportunity to explain their proposed budgets.
c) Those budget requests for the next fiscal year having been received
after the first Monday in February deadline, shall be deemed late and will
be considered after all other budgets for the next fiscal year have been
dealt with by the Finance Committee. This deadline is due to time
restriction GPSG has with the Student Activity Fees Commission. The Finance
Committee will not hear any budget request after the final deadline set by
the GPSG Treasurer.
d) The Finance Committee will, in keeping with institutional demands for
viewpoint neutrality, review funding applications only for compliance with
the rules dictating good standing with GPSG and appropriate application of
the GPSG funding processes. Failure to comply, as judged by a majority vote
of the GPSG Finance Committee, will prompt appropriate action by the GPSG
Treasurer to bring an organization into compliance with stated rules. If
compliance is not achieved by the first day of March, the group will not be
allowed to receive funding as a chartered organization for the fiscal year
proposed.
e) Requests approved by the Finance Committee will be scheduled for
consideration at the next regular business meeting of the GPSG Senate.
f) The GPSG Senate will be presented with the budget results each year by
the Finance Committee to demonstrate that the process has been performed
from a viewpoint neutral perspective and to give indications of the
distribution of the budget for the coming year. Any questions or concerns
with the process should be raised during this meeting. After discussion, by
majority roll call vote, the budget will be passed, either as presented or
conditional to proposed changes. Criteria for passage will consist of a
critical review for compliance with GPSG rules and regulations and the
absence of biased considerations. Such problems will be addressed
immediately by the Finance Committee, with the actions taken reviewed at the
next GPSG Senate meeting.
Section 2. Bookkeeping
a) Each club and/or organization shall be required to keep a set of books
listing receipts, disbursements, and a current balance of all monies
allocated to them by GPSG Senate. Such books are subject to audit by the
GPSG Treasurer at any time with reasonable notice. Line items on books in
the possession of each club and/or organization shall conform to the line
items as approved by the GPSG Senate.
b) A set of books, with its items conforming to the line items as
approved by the GPSG Senate, with total balances for each club and/or
organization shall be kept by the GPSG Treasurer.
Section 3. Financial Liability - Responsibility of Organizations
a) All expenditures must conform to the approved line items (e.g. monies
requested for office supplies must be used for office supplies). The
liability for deviation from this rule shall remain with the funded group
making the expenditure and such deviations shall be construed as fraud and
should be handled under SAFC policy.
b) Neither the GPSG Senate nor the GPSG Treasurer is liable or
responsible for any contractual relationship or agreement, financial or
otherwise, written or verbal, affected or entered into by any club or
organization allocated funds under this act or by any of their officers or
members.
Section 4. Revision of Incidental Allocations
All or part of any monies allocated for specific events (i.e. banquets,
social events) shall revert to the GPSG account after a period of not more
than thirty (30) days from the occurrence or non-occurrence of the
designated event. This thirty (30) day period is to allow the funded group
to submit authorization forms for the expenditures incurred. After the date
of the event the organization may no longer make commitment for the use of
the funds.
Section 5. Authorization Duty
a) All financial officers are required to complete the yearly SAFC
financial orientation. All organization officers having completed this
training are then eligible to sign financial authorization forms.
b) All receipts or requests for money by clubs or organizations must be
accompanied by an authorizing form signed by the President or Treasurer of
the club or organization. By authorizing payment the President or Treasurer
assumes responsibility for the expenditure. The form shall also include to
whom the check shall be made out, and who will pick it up and where it
should be sent.
c) All receipts must be in the possession of the GPSG Treasurer within
thirty (30) days after the expenditure in order to be processed for payment,
unless special arrangements have been made with the GPSG Treasurer.
Section 6. Submission of Budgets
a) The fiscal year of the GPSG and all funded groups shall be from July 1
to June 30, the same as that of the University Business Office.
b) Each group desiring funding shall submit to the Finance Committee one
budget which shall cover a period of exactly one (1) fiscal year. Budgets
must be submitted by the first Monday in February before the new fiscal
year, and must receive final action by the GPSG Senate by the following
third Friday in March in order to meet the deadline of the SAFC.
c) Individual allocations are only allowed for Graduate Student
recipients.
d) Any club or organization wishing to change a line item must present a
formal written request to the Finance Committee for approval. Any line item
must be recorded in the minutes of the Finance Committee meeting at which
time the change was approved.
e) Funding will include three parts: operating expenses, event funding,
and travel funding. Operating expenses do not require an itemized budget.
Allocations for event funding must include a detailed, categorized budget
estimate. Travel budgets for chartered organizations will consist of an
estimate of the number of travelers anticipated in the coming year and a
completed standardized estimate for each traveler. These will be summed and
added to an estimate of unchartered travelers as a method of anticipating
the travel budget need in the coming year.
f) The GPSG funding process does not mean that funding decisions are
guaranteed. Subject to conditions governing the process (e.g., viewpoint
neutrality, compliance with GPSG laws and regulations), all funding
decisions and/or budgets are subject to review, revision, or discontinuation
by a majority vote of the GPSG Finance Committee.
Section 7. Appropriation and Allocation of Funds
a) Any chartered group may be funded for the fiscal year. Such groups
must be in good standing with Student Organizations and GPSG. As determined
by the Finance Committee, all applications must be filled out completely and
correctly and submitted before all applicable deadlines. All amounts,
values, calculations, quotes, and other figures must be accurate and
reasonable. Each application should include enough verifying information
(e.g., price estimates) that predicted costs and expenses can be assessed.
b) No expenditure shall be approved which has the primary purpose of
pursuing or achieving institutional or programmatic demands for academic or
professional education or training purposes, except when that demand is for
the presentation of graduate student research at professional or academic
conferences. Such prohibited expenditures shall include study or training
sessions for professional exams, continuing education workshops, academic
printing (e.g., theses or dissertations), or educational/training materials
(e.g., study guides, training manuals).
c) Funding will occur in three domains: general operating expenses,
event, and travel funding.
d) Operating Expenses
i. Operating Expenses will be allocated based on compliance with GPSG
charter guidelines. Good-standing status will result in the yearly
allocation of $300 to each organization for the purposes of basic
operating expenses and organization-building events.
ii. Acceptable operating expenses will include basic office needs,
including but not expressly limited to printing, postage, office
supplies, advertising, and promotional items.
iii. Acceptable organization-building events will include small
events designed for recruitment, to build interest, or to increase
involvement in the graduate organization.
iv. Funding for any single event may not exceed $100 from this
operating fund.
v. All events must comply with the regulations of the SAFC, and may
not be for the purpose of a business meeting or be closed to any student
of UNC-Charlotte.
vi. This money shall not be eligible for transfer to travel funding.
vii. All expenditures from operating expenses must be approved with a
signature by both the organizational and divisional treasurers.
viii. By the end of the fall semester, all chartered organizations
must submit a proposal for the expenditure of all remaining operating
expenses funding. Any unallocated amounts will revert to GPSG on March
1st. All unexpended operating expenses will revert to GPSG on April 15.
ix. In cases of suspected fraud or misuse of funds, the GPSG Finance
Committee will have the right to review expenditures for inappropriate
use of funds (e.g., noncompliance with GPSG and SAFC rules and
regulations). If the Finance Committee finds by a 3/4 majority that an
organization has acted inappropriately, it shall take appropriate
action, including but not limited to the assessment of financial
penalties, revocation of the organization’s funds, or in the most severe
cases, referral to the university for legal or academic action.
e) Event Funding
i. Event funding will be granted to groups seeking to host an event
of interest or value to graduate students, as determined by the
individual organizations. These may include but are not limited to
invited talks, workshops, academic conferences, or other organizational
event, excluding events expressly prohibited by section 7b..
ii. Allocation will be made based on the estimated number of
anticipated attendees, stated as part of a thorough application that
clearly explains the event, its goals, and how it applies to the purpose
of the organization. Each application will be submitted to the GPSG
Treasurer and reviewed for approval by the Finance Committee. It must:
a. Include a completed Event Application Form.
b. Include a publication strategy with at least one sample ad.
c. A short resume/vita/biography for each speaker.
d. A Letter of Support from each cosponsor, outlining their
contributions.
e. All sources of additional funding, complete with estimated
amounts.
f. Should it be deemed necessary, one member of the group should
be willing to attend and defend the application before the Finance
Committee.
g. All events, honoraria, facilities, and food services shall be
within reasonable limits for the number of estimated attendees and
the type of event.
iii. For recurring events, estimates of attendance will be compared
for congruence with previous years’ attendance as stated on completed
post-event Conference Evaluation Forms.
iv. Events will be funded at a rate of $10/attendee, from a minimum
of $50 up to a maximum of $3000.
v. All events will be subject to a discrepancy review. Total actual
attendance must not be less by 15% of the original total estimated
attendance or 25 people, whichever is greater. The penalty for
significant underestimates will be equal to the total difference between
the estimated funding amount and the amount generated from the actual
attendance level.
vi. All events must comply with all regulations of the SAFC and the
applicable regulations of Student Organizations, including compliance
with all SAFC, Student Organizations, and state limits and policies.
Each event will be open to all students and held on-campus or in the
Charlotte Metropolitan area. All events receiving funding must
prominently display the logo of GPSG and/or the phrase “Sponsored by
GPSG” on all advertising and posters.
vii. Temporary Event Funding Guidelines
a. Temporary Revision to Section 7e-iv. Events will be funded at
a rate of $20/attendee, from a minimum of $50 up to a maximum of
$4000.
b. Sections 7e-vii-a and 7e-vii-b will expire on July 1, 2009,
whereupon section 7e-vii-c will become active.
c. Temporary Revision to Section 7e-iv. Events will be funded at
a rate of $15/attendee, from a minimum of $50 up to a maximum of
$3500.
d. Sections 7e-vii-c and 7e-vii-d will expire on July 1, 2010,
whereupon section 7e-iv will reactivate.
e. The GPSG Finance Committee has complete authority to alter,
augment, or terminate any element of section 7e-vii based on the
best interest of GPSG and its constituent organizations. Such
decisions must be made by a ¾-majority decision of the Finance
Committee and upheld by a simple majority of the GPSG Senate.
f) Travel Funding
i. Travel Funding will be granted for the purpose of helping graduate
students in their professional development while increasing the
reputation and value of graduate education at UNC-Charlotte. Such
funding will be supplied based on completion of individual applications
by graduate students to the GPSG Finance Committee. Before
consideration, all applications must be signed by both the
organizational (if a member of a chartered organization) and divisional
treasurers before being reviewed by the Finance Committee.
ii. Allocations will be based on standardized estimates of travel
expenses. The following estimates will be summed to produce a total
standardized estimate per trip.
a. Hotels will be estimated at $100 per night per person.
b. Transportation estimates are categorized as local,
nonlocal-near, or nonlocal-far based on the mileage from
UNC-Charlotte to the destination as given by a web site like
Mapquest or Google Maps.
· Local travel: A one-way
distance of 300 miles or less will be estimated as $0.50 x round
trip distance.
· Nonlocal-Near travel: A
one-way distance between 300 and 1500 miles will be estimated as
$300.
· Nonlocal-Far travel: A one-way
distance of 1500 miles or more will be estimated at $350.
c. Registration fees will be the lowest actual registration fee
charged, not including increases for late or non-member
registration, society membership fees, or special events (e.g., an
end-of-conference banquet). Proof of the value of the registration
fee shall be submitted at the time of application.
iii. These standardized estimates will be reimbursed at different
rates based on whether a graduate student is presenting or attending
(and not presenting) at an event and how distant the event is.
a. Attending, Local: Graduate students attending local events
will be reimbursed at 30% of their total standardized estimate, from
a minimum of $50 to a maximum of $250 for individuals from chartered
groups or a maximum of $200 for individuals from unchartered
departments.
b. Attending, Nonlocal: Graduate students attending nonlocal
events will be reimbursed at 30% of their total standardized
estimate, from a minimum of $50 to a maximum of $300 (chartered) or
$250 (unchartered).
c. Presenting, Local: Graduate students presenting at local
events will be reimbursed at 60% of their total standardized
estimate, from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $300 (chartered) or
$250 (unchartered).
d. Presenting, Nonlocal: Graduate students presenting at
nonlocal events will be reimbursed at 60% of their total
standardized estimate, from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $500
(chartered) or $400 (unchartered).
iv. All travel expenditures will be capped to promote an equitable
distribution of funds and to encourage graduate student participation in
GPSG.
a. Each student who is a member of a chartered organization will
be eligible to receive up to $800 per student per year.
b. Each student who is not a member of a chartered organization
will be eligible to receive up to $400 per student per year.
c. Each unchartered organization (or academic department) will be
eligible to receive up to but not exceeding $1000 per year.
v. Reimbursements will be subject to the submission of a post-travel
settlement form within 30 days of the last day of travel. Receipts must
be submitted for all claimed expenses including airfare, accommodations,
registration, and any meals claimed. No reimbursements shall be made
that will exceed the total value of these receipts.
vi. Summer travel will be reimbursed from the current year if the
travel is to take place before the 1st of July. Any summer travel
occurring on or after that date must be approved prior to the end of the
semester by a majority decision of the Finance Committee and must be
reimbursed from that same year. Otherwise, travel reimbursement requests
must be submitted by early September of the following autumn to be
reimbursed from that year. Travel applications occurring before the
summer will take precedence over pre-approved summer travel. No traveler
shall receive greater than the established GPSG caps for any single
travel event for any reason.
g) All funding or reimbursement rates, minimums, maximums or other
determinations as set forth in Article 5, Sections 7d–f are open to review
and revision by the Finance Committee at any point. Such changes will have
to be passed by a 3/4 majority vote of the Finance Committee, followed by a
majority vote of the GPSG Senate at the next senate meeting. However, no
change to any funding rate or policy shall ever cause the actual, real value
of student reimbursements to exceed the per-diem amounts set forth by the
state of North Carolina.
h) Clear cases of fraud, misrepresentation, or questionable academic
value will subject groups or individuals to disciplinary action by the
Finance Committee with advisement from SAFC staff. Any decided action will
be taken only by a unanimous vote of the Finance Committee and may include
but is not limited to the assessment of financial penalties, revocation of
the organization’s funds, or in the most severe cases, referral to the
university for legal or academic action.
Section 8. One-Time Reserve Requests
a) Special, one-time requests for funds from the GPSG Reserve may be
submitted to the GPSG Finance Committee by any chartered organization or
GPSG committee. If approved, the request will be recorded in the minutes of
the Finance Committee.
b) Upon approval by the GPSG Finance Committee, all reserve requests will
be brought before GPSG Senate as a formal motion and will be voted on
accordingly.
c) Approved transfers must then be submitted to the Student Activities
Fee Commission for approval at the SAFC’s next business meeting.
d) The responsibility for this submission lies with the Chair of the
Finance Committee.
Section 9. Appeals Process
If any graduate student wishes to dispute any decision of the GPSG
Treasurer or Finance Committee, he or she may submit such an appeal in
writing to the GPSG President. Such an appeal will be weighed and presented
to the GPSG Senate. There, with a 2/3 majority, the Senate may overrule the
decision of the Treasurer or Finance Committee. If this process is not
followed exactly or does not proceed in an impartial manner, the appellate
shall inform the GPSG Advisor of the nature and details of the situation.
Section 10. Revertment
a) Revertment as used in this document shall refer to the date on which
funded groups lose access to their funds. After revertment, a funded group
may no longer spend or incur liabilities which will require the spending of
the reverted funds. The revertment date will be the first Friday in May of
each year. All unallocated or unused funds will revert unless a special
arrangement has been made with the Finance Committee. The GPSG Treasurer
shall have thirty (30) days after the revertment in which to clear the
expenditures which occurred prior to the revertment date.
b) All invoices, receipts, etc. for liabilities incurred before the
revertment date must be submitted to the GPSG Treasurer by 5:00 p.m. on the
second Friday in June.
c) The GPSG Treasurer shall send written notice to each funded group at
least two (2) weeks prior to the revertment date.
Section 11. Audits
a) Upon resignation or replacement, the GPSG Treasurer shall request an
audit from the internal auditor of the University to cover exactly the time
period he/she has been in office.
b) If an individual serves a second term as GPSG Treasurer he/she shall
request the audit as of the date of re-appointment.
ARTICLE VI. SUSPENSION
Section 1. Suspension
Any article, section, or paragraph of this Act may be suspended by
two-third (2/3) majority vote of the active membership present at the GPSG
Senate, with the exception of those articles dictated by the SAFC.
ARTICLE VII. RATIFICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
Section 1. Ratification
This Act shall become effective immediately upon ratification by a
two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the GPSG Senate and shall supersede any
previous financial act passed by the Graduate and Professional Student
Government.
Section 2. Implementation
Upon passage of this Act, the GPSG Treasurer shall send a memorandum to
each chartered club or organization which outlines their responsibilities
under this Act and notification to attend a mandatory SAFC workshop.
Additionally during the first month of each fall semester such a memorandum
shall again be distributed to each club or organization requesting funds.
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