Information for Fachschaften and Referate

Studierendenrat der Universität Heidelberg / Information for Fachschaften and Referate

=> english

As the Verfasste Studierendenschaft (VS), we represent the interests of the students with our political mandate. Therefore, even if we personally consider many things to be meaningful and important, we cannot support everything. It must be compatible with the legal basis of the VS (in particular the organizational statutes, the financial regulations and the hospitality guidelines) .

General information:

  • Events can only be financed if funds have been set aside for them in the budget plan and the specific implementation has been decided
  • Expenditures of 200 euros or more must be reported in advance to the Finanz-Team.
  • use the billing form = for billing> forms
  • all original receipts and, if applicable, proof of payment must always be submitted
  • For financial officers there is a leaflet with instructions => forms
  • Please staple related documents together

There are tried-and-tested procedures for more frequently recurring processes, for which you can find brief information here. (Detailed information: especially in the Finanzhandbuch (financial manual )

=> 1. Travel and travel expenses/subsidies (Reise- und Fahrtkostenzuschüsse)

=> 2. Food (+ information on purchase on account)

3. Budgetplans (Budgetpläne) - for Fachschaften/Autonome Referate/Doktorandenkonvent

=> Information on how to set up budget plans für Fachschaften can be found on the budget page.

You can overspend a budget item on a small scale, but only if you have enough money left in other budget items to cover the over-spend. An example: you still have money left over in the budget item for the Erstieinführung, which you will not spend in the foreseeable future, but you would need a new coffee machine and more waffle irons, but you have no money left for acquisitions. In that case, you decide that you will overdraw the item for further acquisitions (“Sonstige Anschaffungen” – item 513) and cover it with the excess funds for freshmen events (“Orientierungsveranstaltungen” – item 721). It is enough if you record this in the resolution (“Item X has been used up, so it should be covered by item Y because it will no longer be used up because of …”) and then the correct item on the statement (i.e.: other Acquisitions 513) indicated.

If you redistribute funds on a larger scale, you should decide on a new budget plan, for larger sums you have to do it anyway – otherwise you will lose track of too many overdrafts. In case of doubt, the finance department always decides when you have to decide on a new budget plan (” supplementary budget “) – so please ask beforehand. However, you do not need a supplementary budget for overdrafts of less than 100 euros.

  • Restricted reserves => #14 below

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4. Decision making (Beschlüsse)

You cannot spend money without a resolution, mentioning a planned expenditure (type) in the budget plan is not enough! Just because your budget plan lists a line item for “first-time introductions” or “printing costs,” you can’t just charge for a first-time introduction or print flyers. However, the resolution alone is not enough either: a department cannot, for example, simply decide to travel to a networking meeting if there are no budget items for the corresponding costs.

However, the responsible decision-making bodies can decide that the funds provided for in the budget or budget plan are used for measures. For this reason, the corresponding budget item is also indicated in the case of financial decisions. A justification is also indispensable, in which it is explained why an output makes sense and falls within the remit of the VS.
Please also remember that you need a vote result for each resolution (“accepted unanimously” “accepted with two abstentions” or simply “4-1-0 / yes-no abstentions”).

Resolutions can also be changed , for example because costs are higher than expected because more freshmen attended a breakfast. All you have to do is write an appropriate justification and make a decision to change it – if necessary, also retrospectively. Since you have to make decisions before the event, it is clear that you need a change decision every now and then for current adjustments.

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5. Signatures (Unterschriften)

For the approval of budget plans , you must enclose a protocol signed by the majority of the Fachschaftsrat with the resolution of the budget plan. This also applies to changes during the year .

For billing, we require the original signature of a Finanzverantwortliche*r (person responsible for the finances of the Fachschaft “financial officer”) on the bottom right of the billing form – that’s why we only accept the billing sheet in the original on paper and not as a scan.
The undersigned testify with their signature that all information and attached documents are correct. Minutes of a Fachschaftsrat (FSR) that are attached to the accounts therefore do not have to be signed, since the Finanzverantwortliche are authorized by their FSR. Resolutions of a Referat must also be signed. Allowed to sign statements:

  • for a Fachschaftsrat : a person responsible for finances of the respective Fachschaft (Finanzverantwortliche*r)
    • the Finanzverantworliche*r of a Fachschaft can also insist that the person who submits the statement/receives the money also signs (left side of the form)
  • at the Doktorandenkonvent (doctoral convention) : a Finanzverantwortliche*r of the Doktorandenkonvent
  • for a Referat (offices of the StuRa): one Referent (officer of the Referat)
    • in addition, a signed decision of the Referat must be attached => so no. 4 resolutions
    • in the case of accounts from groups that are financially supported by a Referat, the Referat can insist that a member of the group also signs on the left as the applicant
  • in the case of decisions of Refkonf, StuRa and Präsidium : a Vorsitzender of the VS (chairperson) or a member of the Präsidium (chairperson of the StuRa)
    • In the case of accounts from groups for which the StuRa has decided to provide financial support, one member of the group must sign;
  • for Ausschüsse an Kommissionen of the VS (committees and commissions) : one member of the committee/commission
    • a signed decision of the Ausschuss/Kommission must also be attached
  • there are separate regulations for decisions by the Notlagenausschuss (Hardship Commission)
  • and if you miss something here or something is unclear, get in touch…

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6. Larger events/projects (parties, conferences, etc.)

If you want to hold a major event, for example a major celebration or party, a freshman weekend, or a lecture series, etc., you need to make a Gesamtbeschluss (overall decision) about what you are going to do and approximately how much you are going to spend on it. If you have any income at the event, it must also be listed in the Gesamtbeschluss (overall listing).
You don’t have to list every type of jam at the Erstifrühstück (Freshmen breakfast), but make a plausible estimate of what you are planning, what you want to spend on food, work materials, printing costs, rent, etc. – please refer to experiences from previous events. Just deciding “800 euros for the Erstieinführungswoche (freshmen week) ” is too vague. Please note that if you spend more than 500 euros gross, you must obtain Vergleichsangebote (comparable offers)!

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7. Freshmen and other orientation events (Ersti- und andere Orientierungs-Veranstaltungen)

Fachschaften can account for orientation events (e.g. freshman events or events about professional fields). The supplementary form for orientation events can be used in addition to the normal accounting form. For larger events, you must create an overall overview (Gesamtübersicht) of the expected costs and income.

Ersti-Tüten (bags for freshmen) with information about studying and gifts such as post-its, sweets or pens 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 local economy with shopping vouchers or to spend a large part of the budget on filling the bags. So if stores give you coupons, you can put them in the bags, but you can’t buy extra coupons for them or give away office supplies to freshmen in bulk. However, on request you can get giveaways in many stores or also at institutions like the Stadtheater – we will try to have some ready for you again in the StuRa office. Therefore, the Finanzreferat has set an upper limit for the content per bag: 2.50 euros. Erstireader (freshmen guides) or informational materials do not count!

If you buy cloth bags for freshmen and want to print them yourself, you can do this in the StuRa office with the screen printing machine.

Erstiwochenenden (Freshmen weekends) should be calculated in such a way that the participants pay a contribution but 10€ per person and day can be subsidized by the Fachschaft. The amount of the personal contribution must be listed in the decision for the event (“for the Erstiwochenende a personal contribution of X Euro per person will be charged”). Contributions should be paid in cash if possible and must be deposited on the account of the VS – please clarify the exact procedure beforehand.

If there are high costs for holding an event (and payment on account is not possible), you can get an advance (Vorschuss). Under no circumstances can you use cash contributions directly to buy food for the Erstiwochenende, for example. For larger events you have to do a total calculation beforehand (Gesamtübersicht).

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8. Accommodations (Unterkünfte)

If you rent accommodation and conclude a contract, the contract must be signed by the chairpersons of the 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.

There is an overview in the StuRa-Wiki about some hostels in the Heidelberg area (with information about the equipment), contact the finance team if you want the access data.

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9. smaller celebrations (e.g. at the end of the year)

Fachschaften can hold celebrations at the end of the year as networking or cultural events – as long as these celebrations are not organized for the sake of consumption, but serve as an opportunity for discussion and exchange among each other. (Anything else would be a consumption-oriented and possibly taxable party.)

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10. Lectures (Vorträge)

Fachschaften and StuRa offices (Referate) can hold lectures in their area of responsibility. In good time before the planned date of the presentation, it must be clarified and decided which costs will be incurred and covered (travel expenses, (lecture) fees, accommodation costs, gifts — these must also be mentioned in the resolution, otherwise they cannot be reimbursed). If the lecturer is a member of the university (this applies even to honorary professors and honorary senators, etc.), no honorarium can be paid. Please note that in event announcements the Fachschaft/Referat/Doktorandenkonvent has to be indicated as the organizer and the logo of the StuRa/Fachschaft or the logo of the Doktorandenkonvent is displayed.

For lectures/presentations under 200 euros, presenters are expected to submit invoices – even private individuals who do not run a small business or similar can submit invoices. The bill is then paid by the VS. (For this purpose, submit a normal Abrechnung with the Abrechnungsformular and resolution). Please do not pay lecture fees in cash and account for fees, travel expenses, etc. separately.

For fees of 200 euros or more, a separate justification must be submitted regarding the suitability of the speakers/presenter(s) and a fee contract must be concluded in which the scope of the services and the duration of the event are specified.

For individual topics, you may want to put out a call for applications and ask everyone who is considered for the presentation to apply and then select a suitable person from among the applications.

In order to publicize the event beyond your Fachschaft/Referat, you can contact the VS public relations team, who will then advertise it on the website and social media channels: presse [ät] stura.uni-heidelberg.de

  • Invoice as PDF and as docx as a template for a formally correct invoice.
  • Info/templates on contracts (Verträge) => No. 11

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11. (Fee) contracts (for accommodations/workshops/bands/DJs etc.)/comparison offers.

In principle, the VS is represented externally by the two chairpersons, which means:Fachschaften or Referate cannot act independently in legal transactions . This also and especially applies to the conclusion of contracts. Fachschaften can conclude a small purchase contract with the bakery themselves in order to remain able to work. However, for contracts for bands, server costs, or rentals for a freshman weekend or other events, the contract must be signed by the chairs.

Procedure: The organizers clarify the contractual modalities. The responsible committees then decide on the conclusion of the contract and send the contract and the minutes of the decision and, if applicable, comparative offers (Vergleichsangebote) to finanzen [ät] stura.uni-heidelberg.de and in the CC to vorsitz [ät] stura.uni-heidelberg.de. If the financial team gives its OK, the contract will be signed by the chairmen and sent to the contractors, you will receive a scan.

For costs of €500 or more, three further comparative offers (Vergleichsangebote) must be obtained. For longer running contracts, include the cost of two years (even if the contract is shorter).

If a deposit (Anzahlung) is required, submit a completed deposit billing form with the contract and associated documents, then the deposit will be transferred from VS as soon as the contract is signed (no one needs to advance deposit privately!).

DJs, musicians for parties or other services have to be advertised publicly on the VS website (no matter how much you want to pay), you are welcome to spread the same advertisement on your pages or link to the VS page. You must have the amount of the fee approved by the finance team in advance. To do this, send the necessary information to the finance team and a copy to presse@stura.uni-heidelberg.de for publication. Please write calls for musicians in two languages, so that students who do not speak German well can also apply. The selection of musicians must be carried out by the FSR or a commission appointed by it, and the selection process must be documented. Get in touch early if you have any questions about this.

For fees over 200 €, a fee contract must be drawn up in advance, specifying the scope of the services and the duration of the event.

For larger services, contracts for work can also be concluded in exceptional cases, but this must be discussed with the finance team beforehand.

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12. Events subject to GEMA (GEMA-pflichtige Veranstaltungen)

You have to pay GEMA fees for using music at public events. The VS is a member of the fzs. thefzs eV has concluded an overall contract with GEMA for its members. With this you can claim a discount of 20% – for reasons of economy it is mandatory that you make use of this discount and book the event in advance. register with GEMA. VS access to the GEMA portal is available upon request from the finance team.

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13. Advances (Vorschüsse)

Subdivisions of the VS such as Fachschaften or Referate can apply for advance payments, e.g. for change at events or to avoid having to advance larger amounts for purchases privately. This is how it works:

1. Planning and calculation

First, consider whether an advance payment is necessary at all. It is often possible for authorities (VS is an authority – Behörde) to pay on account without anyone having to pay in advance. If an advance payment is unavoidable, create a valid and differentiated calculation of what you need money for – experience from past events is helpful here.

2. Decision and request for advance payment

In addition to the financial decision (with the justification for the issue itself), the minutes of the decision must also contain the decision that an advance payment should be made and to whom it should be transferred (including bank details!). If possible one month, but at least two weeks before you want to spend the money, you have to submit the fully completed advance payment application to us.

3. Advance Settlement

Please settle the advance directly after the event. If you had to spend more money than you received, we will transfer this money to you after receiving the statement. If you haven’t used up the advance, you have to pay in the rest – separately from any income. Attention with change advances: these must be paid in full and separately from the income.

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14. Restricted Reserves (Zweckgebundene Rücklagen)

Fachschaften or the Doctoral Convention can take over funds that they have not spent at the end of the year as earmarked reserves for the next financial year – provided that the finance department approves this upon request. The establishment of an earmarked reserve must be decided by the responsible committee (usually the Fachschaftsrat). The minutes of the resolution meeting must be submitted by email to finanzen@stura.uni-heidelberg.de by a date set by the finance department. Please inquire about the deadline if you cannot find it on the homepage.

The creation of reserves must be tied to a one-time special purpose, which requires detailed and careful justification. Reserves for regular annual events, the costs of which are foreseeable, are therefore more likely to be rejected – for a one-off event, a special modification or a purchase, the formation of a reserve is justified.

Earmarked reserves cannot be “taken along” for another year, they flow into the overall budget of the VS at the end of the year.

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15. Presents (Geschenke)

As student representatives, we are an authority and are not allowed to make presents. In special cases, however, you can use the budget item 560 to settle thank-you gifts. This is possible, for example, if someone waives a fee for a lecture or only receives a small fee of less than euros – then you can still give a bouquet of flowers or a bottle of wine. Gifts should be a sign of appreciation and not an attempt at bribery – they should therefore not exceed a maximum of 50 euros per person and should be very, very well justified. No thank you gifts are possible if someone “only” does their work – because that’s what people are paid for. However, if someone helps the Fachschaft outside of working hours and outside of official business, then you could represent a thank you gift. If you want to give a gift – e.g. if someone retires who has repeatedly supported the FS – please contact the finance team in advance and clarify the amount and whether we can accept the reason.

Under no circumstances can you, for example, give all teachers of a subject or department a gift, because then it is obviously not a question of recognizing an individual additional commitment.

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16. acquisitions

With larger purchases such as new furniture for your student council room, a student council laptop or a music system, there are a few things to consider, here are the most important ones:

  1. Expenses over 200 euros must first be clarified with the finance department by email or video chat before you buy.
  2. These must be purchases that benefit the student body (e.g. your Fachschaft) and are used in the context of their tasks – so you cannot finance new seminar furniture for the institute.
  3. They should be purchases that are not already available centrally or elsewhere. In the case of e.g. B. Music systems must be discussed with the finance department, where they should be, who is using them, how you can ensure that they are not lost, why this purchase is urgently needed and why lending the central devices does not make sense.
  4. At the latest when you spend more than 500 euros, you need comparable offers – you are welcome to get them earlier. Information on this can be found under “Verträge” (because you also need comparable offers for rents over 500 euros).
  5. In the case of furniture for student council rooms or the like, the old furniture must actually be so outdated that a new purchase is necessary. It also needs to be clarified where the old furniture is going – what are you going to do with it? You may have to decide on disposal at the same time… – you know how to reach us…

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17. services of the Zentralbereich Theoretikum (ZBT)

Via the ZBT – aka Theoretikum, the VS can make use of services such as renting cabinets or having printing jobs carried out. In order to use the offers, you have to present a Theoretikumskarte – you don’t have to pay on site, we will receive an invoice to the StuRa office and pay it (DO NOT pay with the Campus-Card!). Each FS has such a card, which can be issued every year and picked up at the StuRa office. The persons responsible for finance or persons authorized by the FSR are entitled to pick up the documents (please write down the names in the FSR protocol and bring it with you). You can pick up the tickets via the finance team or arrange a pick-up appointment via ausleihe@stura.uni-heidelberg.de.

With the card, once a decision has been made for the order, go to the appropriate place and submit the order. The finance team will receive monthly listings of what has been commissioned on which cards and will then ask you to submit the relevant resolutions – but you can also submit them in advance.

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18. in-depth info

More detailed information can be found in the financial manual (Finanzhandbuch). You can find this in the forms . Don’t shy away from the page number, you can read it selectively. It is not only aimed at those responsible for finance, but at everyone who (want to) deal with funds.

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