Financial information for the work with freshmen of Fachschaften for the Winter Semester 2023/24

Composed student body, Finanzen, News, Sport and culture

English

Dear Fachschaften,

1. Decisions (Beschlüsse)

You cannot spend money without a Beschluss. It is not enough that the budget plan says “catering”, “printing costs” or “freshman orientation” to organize a freshman breakfast or print a freshman reader/booklet! Therefore, if you haven’t already done so, you should decide in the next few weeks which event(s) you will hold and how much you will spend on them and, if applicable, how much money you will raise (e.g., at freshman parties or weekends).

Please make an“Gesamtbeschluss” for your first year project and list everything you want to do and spend/receive for it and justify it. Just writing “800 euros for the first-year work” into the protocols is too vague, and deciding on the expenses for a first-year weekend one by one over three meetings makes the process too confusing. If something changes/is added later — e.g. because more first-year students come than you expected or you visit the university museum instead of a city rally — you make a (justified) Änderungsbeschluss in which you please summarize all expenses again and cancel the old ones.

You must inform the Finance Team in advance of any Beschlüsse over 200 Euros, and we will contact you if there is a need for clarification. We will set up an online form for this purpose.

For expenditures over 500 Euros (for an expenditure e.g. for the printing of a first edition or for the rent of accommodations) you need three additional comparative offers, these must be available before the Beschluss is passed, they are just as much a part of the Beschluss as the justification.

2. catering (Verpflegung)

There are upper limits per person/meal for meal expenses as set forth in the Berichtungswirtlinie. It also states what portion of your FS budget you are allowed to spend on food in total per year and how much alcohol is allowed per person.

The Nachhaltigkeitsrichtlinie (sustainability guideline) regulates what you should look for when purchasing catering. Meat, for example, may only be bought with VS money in exceptional cases (and must be discussed with the finance team in advance), but you can pass on meat at cost price.

3. Accommodations/Locations (e.g. for weekend trips or parties)

Huts/Halls: If you rent a housing/location and enter into a contract for it, the contract must be signed by the Vorsitz of the Verfasste Studierendenschaft (VS). To do this, you negotiate everything with the providers and send us the contract ready for signature, complete Beschluss (Gesamtbeschluss, not only the accommodation + justification) – by email is enough. For costs over 500 euros, think about the three comparative offers.

If a deposit is required, please do not pay it yourself! You can enclose the Abrechnungsformular for the deposit at the same time as the contract documents (we need this printed out and signed) and the deposit will then be paid directly by VS.

The VS has a card for Jugenherbergen (youth hostels), so you can use the Jugendherbergen in Gemany. There is a QR code on the card, which you download to your phone using an app and show at the youth hostel. You can do this at the Finanzsprechstunde (financial consultation hour) or make an appointment to scan via ausleihe@stura.uni-heidelberg.de.

4. printing costs

Smaller quantities (up to about 30 pieces) of flyers and posters (A3 and smaller) can be printed at the StuRa office. The easiest way is to drop by during the financial office hours (see above) – or try your luck and see if someone is there.

Larger quantities will need to be printed at a print shop/copy store. Remember the comparative offers for printing costs over 500 Euro (see above – 1. resolutions)

You can also use the print shop in the Central Theoretical Department (ZBT). This is rather more expensive in comparison, but you don’t have to pay by cash as the VS gets an invoice. To be able to place the print order, you need a card for the central area. Every Fachschaft has such a card – maybe you haven’t picked it up at the StuRa office yet.

5. VS info materials for freshman orientation events.

The student body (VS) has some informational materials that you can pick up and display for free at the StuRa office or put in freshman bags. Sometimes we also have pencils, Post-Its or candy to hand out.

The sooner you order, the better, because then we can reprint in the StuRa office if needed or have more printed right away. Theoretically, you can also have the things sent to you within the university – unfortunately, it can take a long time to send them, so order early.

6. freshman bags

Ersti-Tüten with information about studying and some useful extras such as glucose or pencils are a great thing to have at the beginning of your studies. With the logo of the Fachschaft, they also draw attention to the Fachschaft throughout the semester. However, it is not the task of the VS to stimulate the economy in Heidelberg by purchasing shopping vouchers or to spend a large part of the budget on the contents of Ersti-Tüten. You are therefore allowed to spend a maximum of 2.50 on the contents of a Ersti-Tüte – tobacco products or alcohol may not be purchased for the bags.

First-year readers or information flyers about your studies are excluded from the 2.50 fee. You can pay for these additionally or they will be printed and paid for centrally by the VS anyway. Note: it is often not practical to put every flyer in every bag, as not everyone wants/needs all the information. It is therefore often useful to display flyers during introductory events so that first-year students can gather the flyers they want themselves.

If stores give you coupons or donate items, you can fill the bags with them. Upon request, you can receive giveaways at many stores or even at establishments such as the Stadttheater. We also try to organize promotional gifts centrally. Attention: The acceptance of donations must also be decided within a Beschluss!

If you want to print bags, try to print sensible quantities, especially with small Fachschaften it is often worthwhile to print for two or three semesters, because with 30 bags the unit price when printing is much cheaper than with 10 bags. If you want to print cloth bags yourself, you can do this in the StuRa office on the Siebdruckmaschine.

7. rent cars (e.g. for shopping, material transport)

Fachschaften can rent Stadtmobil cars through the VS. As soon as you have a Beschluss, you can start booking – at least 3-4 weeks before, better earlier. If you rent other cars than Stadtmobil or want to use your own cars, you also need a Beschluss and permission from the finance department beforehand, otherwise the costs can often not be covered.

8. lending/acquisition of equipment (such as dishes, waffle irons).

In the StuRa office you can borrow dishes, waffle irons, games, pavilions or speakers for your events free of charge. Apply early – these things are in high demand. Of course, you can also purchase things and then continue to use them – or suggest that the StuRa purchases things that you then use. Please don’t buy junk and keep an inventory list.

  • Information about the loan
  • Note: the math, physics and computer science departments as well as Japanese studies also have a collection of games.

9. purchase on account

Try to buy on account for higher amounts, then no one has to advance the money, but it is transferred directly from the VS once delivered. You can’t do this at the supermarket around the corner, but as a Fachschaft you can order groceries on account at Rewe, for example. Many bakeries in Heidelberg also deliver rolls on account – ask at the bakery or ask us which bakeries come into question. Although not as worthwhile for small amounts, it becomes relevant for larger amounts. However, if you purchase on account, you will definitely save the Zahlungsnachweise (proof of payment) and you will not have to wait for the money yourself.

Many online print stores and some copy stores in Heidelberg, for example, allow printing on account. Get in touch if you have any problems or need info on where to print on account.

We have an order account with Rewe. To order from Rewe, make an appointment at the StuRa office (einkauf@stura.uni-heidelberg.de) (after you have made a Beschluss – you cannot order without a decision) and order there, delivery will be made to the location of your event.

10. advances

Preliminary note: An advance has nothing to do with prepayment (prepayment means that you pay for a service before it has been provided, e.g. you pay a rent before the event has taken place. We are not allowed to do this anyway, we are only allowed to pay after the fact.

Even if you try to buy everything on account, it can happen that someone has to advance money (from 300€) – e.g. because you buy food for the first weekend in the supermarket or the printer with the best offer does not print on account. For such cases, you can apply for an advance: you will then receive money before the purchase and, after you have spent it, you will make a Abrechnung.

Also for advances you need a complete Beschluss with reasons and a valid and differentiated list of what you need the money for and when, as well as the name and bank details of the person to whom it should be transferred. This person must then also prepare a normal statement of account with proof of payment, bank statements, etc.

Please apply for advances at least three weeks in advance – earlier is preferred.

11. Eigenbeteiligungen (deductibles)

If you want to charge a personal contribution to the participants, it has to be stated in the resolution (“e.g. for the first weekend a personal contribution of X Euro per person will be charged”) and the money has to be paid or transferred to the account of the “Verfasste Studierendenschaft”. Since many deposits are received there and many Fachschaften organize events for freshmen, please choose the subject for transfers so that an assignment is easily possible: so not: “First-year introduction with the student council”, rather “FSNAME-ErstiWE-Sommer”. Please check with the finance team beforehand!

12. parties

You can find more information about renting a location (No. 3). DJs or bands have to be announced on the VS page – send an email to presse@stura.uni-heidelberg.de, the selection process has to be traceable and documented – i.e. the student council or a selection committee appointed by them chooses who is allowed to play the music. For fees over 200 Euro you have to sign contracts.

13. awareness and security

For larger events (weekends, parties) you need an awareness concept, which you submit with the Gesamtbeschluss – even for smaller events it is worthwhile to think about how to protect people from psychological or physical injuries. For suggestions you can contact the AK Strukturen. For parties we also recommend the trainings of nachtsam to sensitize you for critical situations. Nachtsam is also coming to the FS meeting because the more people who are informed, the better.

Please support and lighten the load of your Finanzverantwortlichen – the more you prepare and follow up together, the better the introductions will be. It is not always the Finanzverantwortliche who have to take care of everything related to money. For example, the FSR is responsible for decent Beschlüsse and not the financiers!

Your finance team

Spoiler: the next general finance training is on Thu, 26th of October 23, the finance training on budget plans: on Thu, 16th of November 23, both tentatively at 18:00 in the StuRa lecture hall.

Disclaimer: the finance team is not responsible for QSM. But we’ll tell you when the QSM training is: on Thu, 23th of November, 7 pm also in the StuRa lecture hall.

PS: the following Fachschaften still need corrections to the budget plan – get in touch so we can clarify:

  • American Studies
  • Musikwissenschaften
  • PoWi
  • Semitic studies
  • Sportwissenschaften
  • SAI