91¶ÌÊÓƵ

Each ASUM-recognized student group must have a faculty or classified staff advisor. Teaching assistants cannot serve as advisors. The role and level of involvement of the faculty/staff advisor will vary from group to group, but advisors do have responsibilities and, at a minimum, are expected to:

1. Have their name and university contact information listed as the group advisor on the groups Griz Hub and respond to inquiries as necessary.
2. Advise and participate in the conduct of formal meetings and elections to ensure proper procedures are followed.
3. Advise the group on the expenditure of ASUM allocated funds, if requested. It is expected that student members themselves will handle and be accountable for all of the group's business and finances.
4. Assist the group in preparation of the Annual Spring Budgeting Allocation request, if requested.
5. Assist the group with the completion of the ASUM Recognition Application, if requested, and keep a copy of the completed form on file.
6. Be fully familiar with the nature of the group's activities, the risks associated with those activities, and the precautions needed to ensure the safety of members and others involved with group activities.

Advisors must be fully familiar with University Drug and Alcohol Policies, the Student Conduct Code, Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Stalking, and Retaliation Policies, University Emergency Procedures, and fulfill Campus Security Authority (CSA) requirements.

Additionally, Advisors must be prepared to enforce these policies with regard to group activities.

Advisor's Role

As a Student Group Advisor, you have the opportunity to enhance students' educational experience by sharing your expertise and enthusiasm. The role of the advisor is to provide advice, counsel, and serve as a mentor & role model.

ASUM-recognized student groups are intended to be student defined and student driven.

Advisors are encouraged to help student group leaders in brainstorming and developing ideas for club events or discussions while ensuring that the students voices are loudest.

It is not appropriate for advisors to steer the group in a direction that serves the purpose or beliefs of the advisor.

Advisors are to assist student groups in ways that are relevant to the purpose of the group.

Student groups are meant to provide experiential learning, allowing the opportunity for development that club members cannot access inside the classroom.

It is inappropriate for advisors to address personal or academic matters that are irrelevant to the activities or business of the group in a club setting.

Groups should compliment learning, culture, interest, and support rather than subsidize academics or class time.

Advisors may assist in fundraising and provide suggestions on student group accounts, however students will maintain the final say on spending.

All ASUM Allocated Funds are from student fee dollars and many groups work very hard conducting fundraisers throughout the year for their specific spending.

It is inappropriate for advisors to spend group funds, make purchases on behalf of student groups, or to influence groups into spending on behalf of a program or a department.

Departmental, Procard, or other Purchases made through a department without communication to ASUM and verification from the President and/or Treasurer in advance of the purchase will not be reimbursed. 

Should an Advisor find the need to resign their position due to over commitment, leave of absence or sabbatical, or a change in position / availability, ASUM should be notified immediately. Additionally, if student members are dissatisfied with their participation or lack thereof, the group retains the right to seek a new advisor. 

In the event of either an advisor being replaced or resigning from the position, please email the ASUM Office Manager.

In these documents, you will find policies and expectations regarding the use and possession of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. These policies apply to all faculty, staff, and students: 1) on University property; 2) at University-sponsored events; or 3) at events sponsored by University-recognized organizations.

The University recognizes its responsibility to provide educational and prevention programs, and also recognizes the importance of individual and group responsibility for compliance. The 91¶ÌÊÓƵ does not assume responsibility for individual acts and group activities.

The Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 prohibits "the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance" in the workplace. Personnel actions consistent with University policy and all applicable state and federal laws will be taken against any violator of this Act.

The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989 prohibit, at a minimum, "the unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees" on school and campus property or as part of any school or campus activity. Standards that are more rigid than those required by this Act may be imposed. Personnel and Student Conduct Code action will be taken against any violator of this Act.

View UM Policies Website

• Drug/Alcohol Policies and Reports

Alcohol

Groups must receive permission in advance for consumption of alcoholic beverages during ASUM-recognized student group sponsored activities and events. Consumption of alcohol during student group activities and/or events without advance permission is prohibited by the University Alcohol Policy.

ASUM Indexes may not be used for the purchase of alcohol. This includes ASUM Allocations & Student Generated Funds. Groups must adhere to UM Drug and Alcohol Policies and the Student Conduct Code when sponsoring activities and events. Violation of these policies may result in loss of group recognition or more severe sanctions imposed by either or both ASUM and The 91¶ÌÊÓƵ. For more information, please view our Alcohol & Drug Policies page.

Groups with gift accounts (accounts reimbursed by the UM Foundation,) can use those funds to purchase alcohol by utilizing GrizMart and billing through a non-ASUM Index.

Only Student Group funds through the UM Foundation can be used to pay licensed vendors or authorized servers if approval is secured prior to the event. A non-ASUM Index must be used to pay for any alcohol.

ASUM Indexes may not be used for the purchase of alcohol. Tis includes ASUM Allocations & Student Generated Funds. Groups must adhere to UM Drug and Alcohol Policies and the Student Conduct Code when sponsoring activities and events. Violation of these policies may result in loss of group recognition or more severe sanctions imposed by either or both ASUM and The 91¶ÌÊÓƵ. For more information, please view our Alcohol & Drug Policies page.

To recap:

1. Groups must receive advance permission for events where alcohol is present.
2. ASUM-recognized groups can only hire licensed vendors or authorized servers with funds from a pre-established gift account to be reimbursed from the club's UM Foundation account.
3. Billing must happen through a non-ASUM Index.
4. Attendees of the event who are of age may then use their own money to purchase a drink.

Contact the ASUM Office Manager at least three weeks in advance to make the necessary arrangements for each event that involves the availability of alcohol. Please complete the Entertainment/Alcohol Request in advance of this meeting.

Drugs

THe 91¶ÌÊÓƵ remains a drug free campus. Please see above policies regarding the use of drugs on campus.

Violations

Violations of University alcohol regulations are also violations of The 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Student Conduct Code. Violators are subject to disciplinary action pursuant to the Code. The University, including ASUM, may deny privileges to a student organization or impose other sanctions for alcohol violations.

All groups must follow the below travel requirements regardless of funding received by ASUM for the trip. ASUM Allocated funds cannot be used for travel UNLESS funds are through the Travel Allocation Process; Student Generated Funds are allowed for travel.

1. Fill out paperwork in the ASUM office BEFORE your trip.
2. Enjoy your trip!
3. Once you return, bring all appropriate itemized receipts back to ASUM.
4. Reimbursement check will be ordered and mailed to you from the state.

Read below for more information on travel rates, options, and requirements.

Travel Guidelines

When an individual member, or several members, of a group want to make travel arrangements by making use of their group's own funds or ASUM Travel Allocation funds, several steps need to be taken:

All student groups that are planning to travel MUST contact the ASUM Office Manager at least two weeks prior to travel in order to allow time to prepare the necessary paperwork. Groups will be assisted in completion of their Request and Authorization to Travel (R.A.T.) Form AND select at least one CSA in attendance of the trip in order to receive reimbursement.

1. PRE-Travel: Regardless of funds expected from the ASUM Travel account or Club Generated Funds, all ASUM Groups participating in UM related travel are required to complete the R.A.T. form with ASUM Office Manager before travel. The RAT form is a worksheet for known travel expenses and secures authorization to travel on behalf of The University. The Prime Traveler (student in charge of the trip) will need to complete these forms. Additional forms to be completed at that time include the Travel Safety Plan.
2. FUNDING: Make sure your group has sufficient funds in your ASUM account, or that funds will be forthcoming from other University departments, to cover all expenses and reimbursements.
   • Groups can only use their own funds for travel -- No ASUM funds can be used unless awarded by the ASUM Senate as a Travel Allocation.
   • Departmental travel will only be covered if arrangements have been made between the Department and ASUM prior to travel -- It is the student's job to ensure that this funding has been confirmed.
     
3. PRIME TRAVELER: Designate a primary traveler (PT) if more than one member will be traveling. This should be the person who will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses during the trip. This person needs to provide the ASUM Office Manager with the following information:
   
   • PT Name, 790, Mailing Address, & Phone Number
   • Destination & Dates of the Trip
   • Name, student ID number, and emergency contact of each traveler (use Travel Safety Form)
   • Mode of Travel
   • Detailed List of Expenses
   • How Much is to be Reimbursed
   • The student identified as Prime Traveler must take online CSA Training prior to any travel.
     
     1. The Office Manager will verify with the Clery Compliance Officer that the CSA Training was completed.
     2. If CSA Training is not completed prior to travel, ASUM is prohibited from reimbursing any part of the trip.
     3. If CSA Training is incomplete, sanctions may be put in place against the club.
4. R.A.T. AND SAFETY FORMS: The PT must visit the ASUM Office Manager in UC 112 to provide the necessary information, assist in filling out, and sign the Request and Authorization to Travel (RAT) form, the Clery Trip form, and the Travel Safety Plan prior to the trip.
   If not completed and signed by the Prime Traveler in advance of the trip, ASUM is under no obligation to process reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses.
   
5. RESERVATIONS: Travelers are responsible for making all their own arrangements but the Office Manager is able to pay for a variety of expenses with a UM-issued credit card (ProCard), as well as arrange for reimbursements. Group members need to plan in advance (i.e. reserve flights, make reservations for lodging, have previously researched websites, etc.) then provide the Office Manager the reservation information so payment can be made with the credit card. Motel or hotel reservations, conference registrations, rental cars, etc. can all be paid for or reserved in advance by the ASUM Office Manager. Once these payments have been made, however, it is incumbent upon the traveler(s) to confirm payments and reservations. Groups should seek lodging that does not exceed the  when traveling out of state, or the state per diem rate when traveling within Montana.
6. LODGING: Per UM Policy all lodging needs to be paid for on the ProCard in advance of Travel. UM ProCard can only be utilized for hotel / motel. ASUM does not allow groups to book with third parties (i.e. Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia, hotels.com, etc.) Exceptions can only be granted in advance with notice. Lodging can only be requested from ASUM at the rate of $30 / student / night. If costs exceed that amount, the club must provide fundraised funds to cover the remaining costs.
7. PERSONAL CAR: If a traveler is driving a personal car and wants to be reimbursed for gas, they may be paid by the ASUM mileage reimbursement rate of .20 per mile. Be aware that neither students nor any private vehicles are covered by University insurance. 
8. REGISTRATION FEES: Registration fees for conferences, etc. may be paid in advance via ProCard by the ASUM Office Manager on behalf of group members provided that the funds are available in Student Group Indexes at the time of registration.
9. OUT-OF-POCKET REIMBURSEMENT: Out-of-pocket incidentals, such as taxis, parking, tolls and shuttles, may also be reimbursed as long as original itemized receipts are provided and an adequate estimate was included in the RAT form. Reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses, including prepayment of major expenses that have not been charged to the Office Manager's credit card, cannot be made until the trip is completed.
10. RENTAL CARS: The 91¶ÌÊÓƵ contracts with Enterprise for reduced rates for those traveling on University business, including student groups who have signed the R.A.T. Please plan on booking any rental cars through the Office Manager.
    Student group funds cannot be used to pay for supplemental insurance. Individuals may do so at their own expense.|
    WARNING: Should you choose to travel in a rented vehicle without ASUM pre-approval or signed R.A.T. on file and you are involved in an accident, THE INDIVIDUAL WHO SIGNS FOR THE CAR RENTAL WILL BE PERSONALLY FINANCIALLY LIABLE FOR ALL DAMAGES AND LIABILITY COSTS. UM’s auto/rental insurance will not cover your vehicle rental risk unless every ASUM pre-travel requirement is completed.
11. RECEIPTS AND REPORTS: POST-Travel, the Prime Traveler will bring any/all receipts or other documents required to the ASUM Office Manager. 
    • If the club is not receiving funding: the Prime Traveler will verify that no funds are expected to be returned to club members.
    • If the club is receiving funding: the Prime Traveler will also complete the Travel Expense Report (TER) and Check Request Form. Checks can take up to 3 weeks to process and are only mailed from the State on Thursdays.
      • The T.E.R. must be completed within 90 days or the club waives any and all funding per State and University Policy. (Travel Guidelines/Procedures – UM Business Services)
12. International Travel: International Travel requires additional steps and collaboration with the UM Global Engagement Office, including but not limited to: registering international travel; additional Safety Planning; additional Risk Forms from all individuals attending; and purchasing international insurance.
    Please plan on meeting with the Office Manager an extra week in advance if planning International Travel.

If all required pre-approval travel forms and permissions are not completed before the date of your travel, the student group waive rights to reimbursement, regardless of funding source, and waives any and all liability coverage that might be extended as part of traveling on a UM Sponsored trip. Additionally, due to the severity of risk, groups that travel without pre-approval are subject to sanction by the ASUM Senate.

Recognized student groups that don't already have an account with ASUM may be assigned one at any time. We call these your ASUM Index, though you may have heard them called "MST Account" because they begin with the letters MST and are followed by three numbers. Your ASUM Index provide the means for your group to request money from your group's ASUM account to purchase items and pay for services.

The ASUM Office Manager is available to help groups conduct their business and understand their financial statements but it is up to the groups themselves to monitor and keep track of all their own deposits and payment activities and the balance of their account. ASUM assumes no financial responsibility for groups that incur debt.

All monies collected for a group must be deposited into their ASUM account prior to dispersal.

A group cannot make arrangements to spend money it doesn't already have in its account. If a group is anticipating funding for an event from other sources, the ASUM Office Manager must be informed in advance. If such arrangements are not made, and funds are lacking, the Office Manager reserves the right to withhold approval for an event/purchase/payment/travel arrangement to go forward.

Note from your friendly neighborhood Office Manager: I might not always be able or available to assist you with a last-minute crisis due to lack of planning. Plan ahead and keep me informed. When in doubt, seek me out!

Financial Transactions

Deposits

All Student Groups must deposit all cash or checks with ASUM. If a group does not have an ASUM Index established, please meet with the ASUM Office Manager to get one started. For Deposits, the member will be asked to complete a deposit form and will be issued a receipt.

Reimbursements

Once there are sufficient funds in an account there are four ways members can access their group's funds:

1. Petty Cash Reimbursement: When an authorized group member (Club President, Treasurer, or their designee) covers expenses on behalf of a group up to $100.00, they may bring an itemized receipt to the ASUM Office Manager to be reimbursed with cash from your student group account.
   1. Petty Cash Reimbursements must be requested within 60 days of the purchase.
   2. Petty Cash Reimbursements for food/entertainment require additional documentation (i.e. Entertainment Request completed in advance AND list of attendees with 790's). This is required for all food reimbursements.
   3. Petty Cash Reimbursements are not available for travel or contract expenses (see subsequent sections)
   4. Credit Card receipts that show a total but do not show details of what was purchased do not qualify.
2. Check Payment Requests: The Office Manager will submit check payment requests for members needing to be reimbursed for more than $100.00 or to a member who has receipts more than 60 days old. To process check reimbursements for out-of-pocket expenses, you'll need to provide the Office Manager with the name, student ID number, phone number, email address, and current mailing address for the person to be reimbursed.
   1. Reimbursement Checks can take up to three (3) weeks to be fully processed.
   2. The state issues and mails checks on Thursdays only.
   3. Reimbursement checks must be cashed within 180 days of issue.
   4. Student groups waive the right for reimbursement for expenses older than 90 days.
3. Procard Purchases: The Office Manager has a University-issued credit card (ProCard) that can be utilized for making online purchases/payments or for paying business invoices. Use of the credit card is also the best way to pay for some travel expenses (see Travel Requirements). For Clubs to make a purchase with the ProCard, please arrange a time to complete the purchase with the ASUM Office Manager.
4. On-campus Payments: Groups can use their Index/MST Account to pay for products and services on campus, such as at Paw Print and Conference and Event Services or UM Catering. These departments charge the Index / MST account directly.
   1. Please communicate in advance with the ASUM Office Manager if you intend for your index code to be charged.
   2. Student Groups are responsible for spending charged to their accounts.
   3. Overdrawn accounts will result in locking of student group accounts.
   4. NOTE:  Departmental spending for events in conjunction with a student group MUST BE PRE-APPROVED. Charges that have not been pre-approved and/or initiated by the student group leaders will be denied.

Paying for Contrated Services 

Payment requests for persons, whether students, UM faculty or staff, coaches, independent contractors, guest speakers, referees, contest judges, etc. require additional paperwork and extra time to process. All student groups planning to host an event that includes a contracted service MUST meet with the ASUM Office Manager PRIOR to the event. 

The University has specific guidelines and procedures for making payments to individuals who are hired by a student group to provide a service. Depending on the situation, an individual may need to be hired by The University as a student employee or temporary classified staff. The ASUM Office Manager must receive the necessary documentation THREE (3) WEEKS in advance of the service being performed or payment cannot be guaranteed.

Here are examples of situations when student groups might make payments to individuals. An example of the corresponding required paperwork is also included:

• Independent Contractors are individuals who are not students or employees of the University that have some form of expertise and provide their services for a limited period of time, such as a DJ, referee, graphic designer, guest speaker, or contest judge. Two forms must be submitted to the ASUM Office Manager advance: the Statement of Work form completed by the group and the invoice provided by the Independent Contractor. These documents must be submitted at least three weeks before the independent contractor performs services for the student group.
• Students who are to be paid for providing a service must be hired by The University and are paid through ASUM's student payroll. Contact the ASUM Office Manager about the required paperwork.
• Faculty or staff also must be paid as employees of The University. Contact the ASUM Office Manager about the required paperwork.
• Individuals with no UM affiliation who are not hired for any particular skill or expertise, such as security personnel for an event, must be hired by The University and paid through ASUM's payroll roster as temporary employees. Contact the ASUM Office Manager about the required paperwork.

Off-campus Checking Accounts

Groups are not allowed to have outside checking, savings, Venmo, or PayPal accounts. This policy ensures year to year financial accountability, responsibility and transparency. It is in place to protect individual student group members, ASUM, and groups themselves. All groups are required to disclose if they have said accounts currently open.

Financial Statements

There are two financial statements detailing a group's ASUM financial activity that can be emailed: 

To request emails with a group's financial statements contact the ASUM Office Manager.