Student Organization Purchasing & Spending

Student Purchasing & Spending  

This page is an explanation of the policies and procedures for Student Organizations (officers or advisors) who wish to do any of the following:   

 

Purchase goods / Make a payment 

• Purchase goods or items 
• Make a payment to a vendor (via contracts, quotes, or invoices) 
• Make a payment to another student for services (DJ, graphic design, photography, etc.) 
• Get an advance to make a payment – Request a Focus Blue Card (temporary use for students only) 
• Request access to a university purchasing card (pcard) to make payment or deposit to a vendor 

Request A Reimbursement 

• Pre-Spend Authorization – spend $300 or more of their own money expecting to be reimbursed  
• Student Reimbursement (Zelle)  
• Advisor Reimbursement (Zelle) 

 

These procedures apply to all organizations that use funding from the student activity fee.  Student organizations are required to use Student Involvement’s student organization financial forms to access funds.  Unless otherwise designated, Student Involvement acts as both buyer and approver for student organization-related spending.  All Club Sports are designated to work with Recreational Sports as their buyer for student organization-related spending.  X-treme Fans is designated to work with Xavier Athletics as their buyer for student organization-related spending. 

The first step in accessing any funding – whether it be for an event or travel (trip) - is to get your activity approved through EngageXU.  No payments, reimbursements, or deposits will be made for an event or trip that has not been submitted and approved.  Student organizations should submit their events in EngageXU for approval and trips should be submitted using the Student Domestic Travel Form.  All events and trips must be submitted at least two weeks in advance although it is highly recommended you submit even further in advance.  It is also important to note that all requests from student organizations are first routed to your advisor for approval.  Until the advisor reviews and approves the request, Student Involvement is not notified that your request has been submitted. 

 

Purchasing Definitions: 

XavierBuy – Xavier’s purchasing system – is used to process any type of order (ex. Amazon, Brown Enterprise Solution, Apparel, Photographers, DJs, Venues etc.). This does not include payments made to current students for services (DJ, graphic design, etc.). 

Purchase Order (P.O.) is a document issued by Xavier and sent to vendors with details of items to be purchased and it is a guarantee for payment to the vendor.  

Retrofit Order is used when a quote is not submitted in advance into XavierBuy and there is no existing purchase order issued for items or services. If an invoice is provided without a Purchase Order created then the vendor will not be paid for 60 days.  This is a university practice and we have no way to expedite payment.  

Independent Contractor Form (ICF) is a contractual form used for an individual who does business with Xavier. Examples of an independent contractor may include: photographers, DJs, performers etc. An independent contractor may be a student or Xavier employee performing approved service outside of their role with the University and/or student organization.  

Focus Blue is a pre–loaded card like a visa gift card and can be loaded with up to $300. Focus Blue cards may be used to purchase goods at point-of-sale locations such as Kroger, Target, Whole Foods, Meijer, etc. 

 

Purchasing 

 The university’s finance department reviews all purchasing requisitions over $500, and this review happens once per week.  Although student organizations must submit all requests at least two weeks in advance, we strongly recommend you submit them further in advance to ensure minimal delay in processing.   

• Amazon or Brown Enterprise Solution (similar to Office Depot)  
• Xavier has business accounts with these companies. Students must submit a shopping list with their items ordered in the Student Org Purchase Form at least two weeks before the approved event. OSI will submit the order through our business account in XavierBuy. Please note that our Amazon Business Prime account does take longer to receive items than a personal Amazon account – there is another layer of approval in our purchasing system XavierBuy after the Student Org Purchase Form is approved.   

Paying Vendors  

• A vendor includes – apparel, bus rental, venue/space rental, dues, entry fees, catering etc. 
• If the vendor is already in XavierBuy and setup for payment: 
• A quote must be provided in the Student Org Purchase form along with contact information for the vendor. Once the form is approved by the org advisor and OSI, it’s entered into XavierBuy and a purchase order will be created and sent to the vendor. The PO is automatically sent directly to the vendor, and the originating org officer will not receive a copy. 
• If the vendor is not already in XavierBuy as a vendor: 
• A quote must be provided in the Student Org Purchase form along with contact information for the vendor. Once the form is approved by the org advisor and OSI a supplier request in XavierBuy will be submitted. The vendor will receive an email from xuvendorsetup@xavier.edu within 1-2 days of the request. The vendor needs to follow the account setup steps in the email, once they finish their setup then their quote can be submitted and a purchase order will be created.  Nearly all delays in vendor setup involve the vendor not completing their portion and following instructions from the automated email and process.  
• Getting a vendor set-up can take 1-2 weeks minimum, sometimes longer depending on the response times from the vendor. 

Student Involvement has a set of preferred vendors we require Student Organizations to use:

Venues  

• Contact Student Involvement (xuinvolvement@xavier.edu) directly for a list of venues. 

Buses 

• Universal Transportation System (UTS) - yellow school buses (45 seats on a standard or 27 seats on an accessible) 
• Executive Transportation – Shuttle Vans (10 passengers) 
• Executive Transportation – Coach Buses (56 passenger motorcoach) 

Caterers  

• Contact Student Involvement (xuinvolvement@xavier.edu) directly for a list of caterers. 

Apparel  

• Student orgs are required to select from only our approved vendors, please visit our Ordering Promotional Materials and Apparel website.  

 

Payment to Independent Contractors 

• Independent Contractors include – DJs, Photographers, Performers etc. 
• If the Independent Contractor is already in XavierBuy and setup for payment: 
• A quote must be provided in the Student Org Purchase form along with contact information for the vendor. OSI will reach out directly to the Independent Contractor to have them fill out the ICF and sign it. Once the ICF is completed OSI will submit it into XavierBuy and a purchase order will be created.  
• If the vendor is not already in XavierBuy as a vendor: 
• A quote must be provided in the Student Org Purchase form along with contact information for the Independent Contractor. Once the form is approved by the org advisor and OSI a supplier request in XavierBuy will be submitted. OSI will reach out directly to the Independent Contractor to have them fill out the ICF and sign it. The Independent Contractor will receive an email from xuvendorsetup@xavier.edu within 1-2 days of the request. They need to follow the account setup steps in the email, once they finish their setup then their quote can be submitted and a purchase order will be created. 
• Getting a vendor set-up can take 1-2 weeks minimum, sometimes longer depending on the response times from the vendor. 
• Student organization leaders and/or advisors should not sign any independent contractors 
• Advisors may also not be hired or compensated for additional services to your organization as this is considered a conflict of interest.  For example, student organizations cannot compensate an advisor to speak or facilitate content with your group nor can an advisor’s external business be hired for goods or services. 

 

*Please note that the purchase form is not used to hire students. If your organization needs to hire a student for DJ, graphic design etc. please contact xuinvolvement@xavier.edu. Students must be setup for student employment / payroll and will need to complete additional paperwork with Xavier student employment if this is their first time working for the university.  Students may fill out the ICF form as a contract with the University; payment comes from student employment. Students cannot be paid by gift card or any other means besides student employment. 

 

Pre-Spend Authorization 

• The Pre-Spend Authorization form must be completed when a student intends to spend over $300 of personal funds towards a purchase on a student organization's behalf. Authorization is required prior to your spending to ensure that there are no simpler means of making the purchase on your behalf, such as using a university p-card and that the expense is an approved University expense.  Additionally, there is concern about extensive spending and expectations for reimbursement if an event is not already approved.  

• Note: If anyone makes a purchase of more than $300 without completing and receiving approval for both the activity in EngageXU and the purchase via this form, the expense will not be reimbursed.  Please submit this form in advance as it routes to the advisor for approval first and then to Student Involvement.  Purchases should not be made until the form is fully approved. 

• If the expense is less than $300 and you are uncertain if your expense would be approved, you can consult with the Office of Student Involvement. 

• Note: even with a pre-spend authorization form, student organizations are not reimbursed for tax. 

 

Payment Advance (Focus Blue Card) 

• Student organizations with a university fund may get approval to access up to $300 in a payment advance through this form.  Once submitted, your advisor will be asked to login to EngageXU and approve your form followed by final approval from the Office of Student Involvement.  Once the form has been final approved, your student organization / club can receive their Focus Blue card from the Bursar's Office located in the Musketeer Mezzanine. Students will need to bring their All Card or driver's license as identification to claim the Focus Blue Card.   

 

Club sports have limited approval for select expenses that require cash payment.  No other student organizations have permission for cash expenses. 
 
The student listed in this advance is responsible for the Focus Blue Card. This includes returning receipts, any unspent cash and the Focus Blue Card back to the Bursar's Office to close out the advance within 7 days of receiving the advance.   
 
Failure to return receipts and unspent cash or Focus Blue Card will prevent the organization from receiving future payment advances.  The student with the advance may have the amount posted to their Bursar bill if receipts and Focus Blue Card are not returned. A Missing Receipt Form will not be accepted to close an advance.  Submitted receipts should be detailed and itemized, when possible. Please make sure that the full amount that was spent is on the receipt (if you leave a tip at a restaurant, please include the tip amount and total on the receipt you turn in) 
 
Each organization is permitted to take one advance at a time (regardless of the amount).  It is strongly recommended that student organization officers communicate and coordinate with one another if multiple advances will be needed in a short timeframe.  There also may be other ways of making payments, beyond Focus Blue Card.  Please communicate with your advisor and/or the Office of Student Involvement if you need assistance with expenditure planning. 
 
Payment advances may be used to purchase goods at point-of-sale locations such as Kroger, Target, Whole Foods, Meijer, etc. but cannot be used to pay individuals (such as DJs, photographers, other students, graphic designers) or any other professional or contractual service.  Advances may also not be used as a deposit or toward any sort of rental - which would be deemed a contractual service. 

Note: even with a pre-spend authorization form, student organizations are not reimbursed for tax. Please note, Xavier does not reimburse sales tax because we are a tax-exempt organization. Please use the Xavier Tax Exempt Form when making purchases to have your tax exempted. 

 

Zelle Reimbursement (Student) 

• Students may be reimbursed for purchases made on behalf of their student organization for approved events and activities. Students must have a Zelle account to be reimbursed. In very rare cases, some credit unions do not have the ability to connect with Zelle. In this case please contact flanneryr2@xavier.edu for another method of reimbursement. 
• Students can only be reimbursed for purchases under $300. If students submit a reimbursement for a purchase over $300 the Pre-Spend Authorization Form must be submitted and approved. Failure to do this will result in the student not being reimbursed. 
• Receipts or itemized proof of purchase must be submitted through this form. Missing Receipt Forms will not be accepted.  Please note, Xavier does not reimburse sales tax because we are a tax-exempt organization. Please use the Xavier Tax Exempt Form when making purchases to have your tax exempted. 
• Please note - anything that is a deposit (such as space or catering rental) or payment for professional services (contractual agreement or performer) should be made by Xavier check and not by a student to be reimbursed.  Please submit the Student Organization Purchase Form for these purchases. 
• There will be no reimbursements for purchases made from individuals personal Amazon accounts. Xavier has a business prime Amazon account that student organizations can use through the Student Org Purchase Form. 

 

Zelle Reimbursement (Advisor) 

• Advisors may be reimbursed for purchases made on behalf of their student organization for approved events and activities. Advisors must have a Zelle account to be reimbursed. In very rare cases, some credit unions do not have the ability to connect with Zelle. In this case please contact flanneryr2@xavier.edu for another method of reimbursement. 
• Advisors can only be reimbursed for any purchases under $300. If advisors submit a reimbursement for a purchase over $300 the Pre-Spend Authorization Form must be submitted and approved. Failure to do this will result in the advisor not being reimbursed. 
• Receipts or itemized proof of purchase must be submitted through this form. Missing Receipt Forms will not be accepted.  Please note, Xavier does not reimburse sales tax because we are a tax-exempt organization. Please use the Xavier Tax Exempt Form when making purchases to have your tax exempted. 
• Please note - anything that is a deposit (such as space or catering rental) or payment for professional services (contractual agreement or performer) should be made by Xavier check and not by a student to be reimbursed.  Please submit the Student Organization Purchase Form for these purchases. 
• There will be no reimbursements for purchases made from individuals personal Amazon accounts. Xavier has a business prime Amazon account that student organizations can use through the Student Org Purchase Form. 

University Purchasing Card (Pcard) 

• The Pcard is a university issued credit card that allows direct purchases of goods from suppliers, especially if the goods being purchased, are a one-time instance.  
• Pcard requests must be made 2 weeks in advance, there is only one pcard available in Student Involvement.  Student organizations can request to use the pcard through the Student Org Purchase form.  
• The pcard cannot be taken out of OSI  – the purchases being made must be online or over the phone.  
• Acceptable purchases: Catering deposit or full payment (if a one-time purchase and not tied to a venue caterer), dues, ticket sales, meals/food for meetings,  items from Kroger, Target etc.,  
• Unacceptable purchases: Service Contracts (ex. DJs, Photographers), Amazon, office supplies, any items that involve the Xavier “X” (promo items, t-shirts, etc.). 

 

Deliveries/Pick-Up 

• When a student organization orders items that are delivered to OSI (ex. Amazon, Brown Enterprise Solution, Apparel etc.) Student Involvement will email the student who submitted the purchase form with instructions on where to pick items up. 

• Items will be placed on the black and grey storage table against the windows in OSI (Gallagher Student Center Suite 210). Student organizations must pick up their items within 48 hours of receiving the email from OSI. Student Involvement is open Monday-Friday from 8:30am-5pm. Osi is not responsible for any items that are damaged or lost. 

FedEx Ordering 

• FedEx offers discounted printing for Xavier Student Organizations and can charge printing directly to a student organization fund. For more information on how to order items from FedEx please go to our copy and printing website.  

Promo/Apparel 

• When a student organization needs to order promotional materials or apparel please visit the Ordering Promotional Materials & Apparel website for further instruction. 

Student Travel  

• When a student organization is planning an overnight trip or beyond 35 miles (outside of greater Cincinnati) please visit our Student Travel website for further information. 

Prizes & Gifts 

In order to maximize access to student activity fee resources, student organizations are expected to follow specific guidelines for appropriate spending for both prizes at events and gifts for members, advisors, and guests (such as guest speakers). 

• Gift cards for event prizes are considered taxable income and the university has issued guidance to all employees that gift cards used as prizes related to an event should individually be for $50 or less and that the total amount given away for a single program should not exceed $500.  For example, if your organization hosted a bingo event, you could request to purchase 25 x $10 gift cards and still be within the limits (total being $250 in this example).  
  • As a reminder, gift cards can never be used to pay for goods or services – such as paying a DJ or a student for graphic design services. 
• Advisor(s) thank you gifts purchased with student organization funding is not an appropriate purchase.  Advisors are paid employees and volunteer their time to support your organization.  A thank-you gift, while appreciated, should not be purchased by the organization for your advisor(s). Additionally, gifts of monetary value have to be reported as part of their total compensation to the IRS. 
• Student thank you gifts, which includes graduating seniors, should be no more than $25 in value.  This includes gift cards.  Regalia including honors cords and stoles cannot be purchased for graduating students (see next section).   
• Please note, it is also not required or suggested that you purchase a thank you gift.  
• Regalia for graduating seniors, such as honors cords or stoles, should not be purchased by the organization.  Individual seniors will need to purchase their own regalia to be used for Commencement or related purposes. Your organization can coordinate the purchase as a group but individual students will need to pay for their regalia; student org funding should not be used for this purpose.   
  • Follett is the official partner for Xavier University Commencement and all regalia is required to be purchased through Follett. 
  • Purchases made from Amazon or other vendors are prohibited unless the regalia is licensed and sold directly by a national organization of which your student org is a chapter.  An example would be Delta Sigma Pi Fraternity produces their own regalia for graduating members and requires chapters (and students) to purchase directly from their website. 

 

Apparel Purchases 

As a reminder, all apparel purchases must follow the steps listed on the apparel site, including the use of one of our university-approved vendors for apparel and promotional materials.  Apparel purchased by an organization for an individual student should not exceed $35 in total.  Expenses beyond $35 per individual should be supplemented by the individual student.  If the intended apparel surpasses $35 in cost per person, students can either contribute partially or wholly toward their individual apparel purchase using a storefront in EngageXU.  For example, your student organization could decide to purchase short sleeve t-shirts for members and later want to purchase fleece sweatshirts for members as well.  If the t-shirts are $10 each and the fleece sweatshirts are $30 each, individual students should be asked to contribute at least $5 toward the sweatshirt.  

The total value of what a student receives from apparel with their organization should not exceed $35 per organization per student.  

This particular rule does not apply to competition uniforms for a team/club sport where a specific branded competitive uniform is required to participate in the sport. 

Please note, student organizations are also prohibited from purchasing apparel for individual students that may be required or suggested attire for either initiation into the organization or professional functions (such as buying suits, dresses, or business attire for your members).  Xavier has several services that support students who may see this type of purchase as a financial barrier. Please contact a member of our staff for more information or a referral to one of these services if the need arises. 

  

Equipment Purchases 

Purchases made for equipment (hardware such as audio / speaker systems, software, digital cameras, lighting systems, computers / tablets, wagons/carts, bulletin boards, sporting equipment, or outdoor furnishings such as furniture and fire pits) are prohibited.  Nearly all of these items are available for use and checkout with various campus departments.   

 

If you believe your organization could benefit from access to equipment, please communicate your need with xuinvolvement@xavier.edu and our office can assist with referring you to a campus department or office who may be able to loan or rent these items to you.