Student Government Association (SGA) Treasurer Gaby Baum ‘21 and SGA advisor Steve Dutton introduced a new digital funding request system called SCORE at a Sept.12 meeting for club treasurers in Miller Forum, Moyer Hall.
SCORE- which stands for Student Club Organization Request for Expenses – is a digital replacement for the paper warrant system that clubs used previously. Each SCORE is an if-then Google form that can be accessed from the student organizations web page under forms. Dutton and Baum designed SCORE over the summer to make requesting funds easier for clubs.
“As times have evolved the school has started to go digital into a lot of different platforms,” said Baum, “and we found that this was the perfect opportunity to bring a lot of the club and organizations into a digital platform as well to make it easier and more accommodating for them to access overall.”
Each SCORE form contains the information previously found on the warrant, such as club name and account, name of payee, brief explanation of expenses, along with three methods of payment: the college credit card, check, or reimbursement.
Baum hopes students will make use of the credit card.
“We really want to get everything mainstreamed to a credit card,” said Baum, “so students don’t have to put their own funds on the table and wait to be reimbursed.”
The college credit card can be used to order items online. When using the credit card option, students should enter the date by which the item is needed in the “payment deadline” option and attach a screenshot of their shopping cart to the form.
The checks are cut by the controller’s office, and will either be held for pickup at that location or mailed to the payee upon request.
Finally, reimbursement requests must be filled out on SCORE prior to the purchase of any items. After purchase, students then fill out a second SCORE to cut a check to the person needing reimbursement. As Dutton pointed out, this should be the last option pursued by clubs.
“I do not want the burden of carrying debt of any amount to fall onto students or advisors, even for a short period of time,” said Dutton. “I do not want to discourage students from holding a leadership position within their organization because there’s an inherent responsibility to have to put personal money upfront for expenses. If at all possible, using the college credit card should be the first option, followed by having a check sent, then lastly, requesting a reimbursement.”
Once submitted, the form goes to Baum and Dutton, than the club’s advisor for a signature, before finally bouncing back to Baum and Dutton.
Baum gets back to students the day she receives a SCORE, and at times gets about five a week.
The only prohibitions are that SGA funds are not to be used to purchase anything illegal, as donations to charities, gifts for individual club members, or to be used for games of chance.
Deposits must still be made with paper slips.
Any questions regarding the SCORE form or SGA funding in general can be directed to Baum at SGAfinance@muhlenberg.edu.
