Term of Office

Your role as an officer/leader will be effective immediately and will automatically terminate at the end of the next summer quarter (Session B). If you wish to terminate your role as an officer sooner, you or another officer must remove your officer designation in Shoreline. 

Fiduciary Responsibilities

As an officer/leader, you have signature authorization for your registered campus organization, meaning you can authorize financial transactions on its behalf. Please keep in mind that you and your fellow officers are collectively liable for the finances of your organization. If your organization is in debt to the University, UCSB reserves the right to split the balance equally among the primary officers of the organization and debit each officer's BARC account. If unpaid, this debt can delay course registration or receipt of your diploma or transcripts. Fiscal responsibility is a significant aspect of organizational leadership. If you are a leader or listed officer for a registered campus organization, you are also personally financially liable for the group's expenses. It is important for your organization's reputation and your own financial well-being that your group limit its financial commitments and manage risk appropriately.

On-Campus Expenses

On-campus expenses billed to your organization can be paid in a variety of ways. If your organization has sufficient funding in an existing RCO account, an officer can submit an accounting request to SEAL to process payment. 

These bills include, but are not limited to: 

  • SEAL's annual registration or fees
    • *When an organization does not register during a current academic year, a $65 Account Maintenance Fee is assessed. Funds collected are used to defray the cost of campus organization programming. Once an account reaches a $0 balance, no additional fees are assessed and the account is permanently closed.
  • Furniture Services

  • Instructional Development (Classroom Services/Media Equipment)

  • Transportation & Parking Services

  • University Center

NOTE: RCO Accounts have been in the process of phasing out as a service and may likely have been eliminated by June 2022. 

Associated Students (A.S.) Funding Sources

Keep in mind that money allocated to your organization by A.S. entities (e.g. Finance & Business Committee, CAB, Coastal Fund, etc.) is NOT deposited into your organization's RCO account! Refer to the A.S. Finance & Business Committee for a comprehensive guide to accessing A.S. funds.

A.S. allocations do not "rollover" from year to year, so it is critically important to file any purchase orders or reimbursements in a timely manner (within two weeks of your event); otherwise, funding may be rescinded. (The fiscal year is July 1 - June 30.)

Off-Campus Bank Accounts

Registered campus organizations should meet with a banker (not teller) about potentially setting up an account with the Bank of their choice.  Bankers will be able to identify all requirements and will be best able to advise on what type of account makes the most sense. 

Things to think about from an organizational perspective

  • A plan for continuous access from year to year (the need to return to the bank to transition officers)
  • Who has access to transactions/funds, and if there are internal structures in place to hold folks accountable
  • How comprehensive records for each organization, including documentation for transactions, is stored and passed down from leader to leader
  • Accounts could be audited to ensure integrity