Frequently Asked Questions

Visit the “How to Start a New Student Organization” webpage and be sure to read the Registration Guidelines. 

Secure ten (10) currently enrolled Pitt students as initial members. You will need at least 1 president, vice president, and business manager to start. 

Secure a full-time faculty or staff member at the University to serve as your advisor. 

Write a constitution for your organization following the Constitution Requirements.  You can also use our helpful constitution template. 

Attend a “New Student Organization Orientation” Workshop. 

The Business Manager of an organization can view your group’s account balance by following the steps below: 

Go to Student Organization Resource Center and click on the “Organization Directory” tab. This will take you to Engage, our student organization management database. 

Log in with your my.pitt.edu log in info. 

Click on your organizations under My Memberships. 

Click on the Finance tab in your organization site’s menu bar. 

Click on Accounts, then on Transactions. 

The deposit process has been updated during the pandemic.  Please be sure to review! 

Process for depositing cash: Go to SORC with your cash in the largest bills possible. Make sure to count your cash beforehand so that we can make sure it is the same when counted at SORC. When you arrive, you will be given a deposit remittance form. Fill out all fields, including Student Total. Leave SORC Total and SORC Signature blank. You will be given a receipt for the funds deposited. Please allow 7 days for processing.

Process for depositing checks: All checks should be made payable to the University of Pittsburgh and have the individual’s name and mailing address in the top left corner of the check. The name of your organization can be written on the Memo line. Do not endorse your checks. We’ll do it for you with your organization’s account number. Bring all checks to SORC counter to be deposited. Please wait for a moment while a SORC employee counts everything and gives you a receipt. Please allow 7 days for processing.

A reimbursement form is a form used for reimbursing any individual for expenses they have already paid on behalf of their organization. Reimbursements are not used to pay for any unpaid invoices or expenses.

Under Forms & Policies page, you will see a link and directions for the Online Reimbursement Form. Click on the link for the Online Reimbursement Form and log in using a Google account. Follow the directions, and don’t forget to attach receipts as well as any other supporting document(s)! If you have not filled out a W-9 form for the academic year and you are not a University of Pittsburgh employee, visit the SORC office to fill out the W-9 form. Reimbursement requests are sent to the Business Manager of your organization for approval. Once the Business Manger approves your request, you can expect your reimbursement to arrive in approximately 4 weeks. 

On average you will receive your reimbursement check within 4-6 weeks. However, it can take longer during high volume times, such as before breaks and at the end of the school year. It can also take longer is the proper documents have been submitted.

The SORC office has credit cards that student organizations can use for online and over-the-phone purchases.  The Travel Card (T-Card) is used for travel expenses and registration fees; the Purchase Card (P-Card) is used for all other purchases. These credit cards CANNOT be used to purchase any form of ground transportation, food, or software. If you are using the T-Card or the P-Card, all purchases must be made in the SORC office by the Business Manager of your organization during P-Card hours (please refer to our homepage). You will need to fill out a form with information of your order, and upon completing the transaction, you must print out a receipt or confirmations from the order. Funds will then be taken out of your organization’s account.

The Allocations Committee holds the responsibility of allocating funds to undergraduate student organizations for approved programs and purposes according to established policies and procedures. Each organization is assigned an Allocations Committee liaison to assist them in determining eligibility of funding and creating requests. 

Please reference the Allocations Manual available on the SGB website for further information on SGB funding policies and the Allocations procedural guidelines. 

Any time a service is being provided. This includes speakers (including panelists), bands, musicians, dance groups, comedians, poets, coaches, referees, sound/light companies, instructional workshops/trainings/lessons, facilities, DJs. All contracts are due to the SORC 21 days prior to the event.

A contract waiver is a document that replaces the full contract. It is available only for speakers at on-campus or virtual events who are not being paid or reimbursed for any expenses by anyone, do not require extensive set-up or use of University resources, and do not have other special requirements. Waivers are found on the SORC website and are processed through DocuSign. *No waivers are needed for unpaid Pitt Oakland campus faculty, staff or students.

The Primary Contact of your organization will be the only individual with access to re-register your organization, register to participate in the undergraduate Activities Fair, and will have his/her name and contact info listed as the main contact for your organization in the Student Organization Directory. 

1. Enter the Student Organization Directory.
2. Sign In with your Pitt username and password.
3. Navigate to your organization’s page by using the Search tool or by clicking under My Organizations.
4. Click on the Finance tab in your organization’s site menu bar.
5. Click Accounts.
6. Click on the name of your student organization.
7. Click on Transactions to see a list of all processed transactions within that account.