Correspondence, 1938-1940

The Bursar's Division collected accounts due and deposited funds as required by law. It negotiated and supervised contracts and arrangements to secure collection of funds. The division made payments for personal services of University staff, and maintains payroll records. Other duties include certification of the University Retirement System, maintenance of accounts receivable records, administration of student aid funds from non-University sources, and handling University investments under the supervision of the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees and Comptroller.¹ The Bursar's Division originated in the division of the office of Business Manager into the offices of Comptroller, Chief Clerk, and Purchasing Agent. Business practices of the university had become clumsy or obsolete, and the Finance Committee of the Board recommended this division in 1905 and the Board incorporated it in the University Statutes in 1908.² The Chief Clerk was delegated responsibility to collect funds due the University from any source, to keep the books of the University, and to make financial reports to the University. The title was changed from Chief Clerk to Bursar in 1913.³ Since that time, the structure of the division has become more complex (e.g. a full-time payroll clerk was added in 1917)⁴ but the authority of the division derived from the power to receive funds due to the University. Since 1968-69 the Bursar's Office has been a division of the Office of Business Affairs.⁵ The functions of the Bursar's Division remained constant under the Office for Business Affairs from the late 1960's through 1975. The unit held cash handling and disbursement responsibilities, accounting payroll, student accounts receivable, student loans and day to day transactions involving gifts, grants and contracts.⁶ In 1976 the Office of Business Affairs was reorganized into separate Accounting, Payroll, and Gifts, Grants & Contracts Divisions--all functions formerly handled by the Bursar's Division. Along with the loss of these responsibilities the Bursar's Division was renamed Cashiering Operations, its functions restricted to cash handling responsibilities, student loans and student accounts receivable.⁷

In 1988 the name of the office was changed to Student Accounts and Cashiering.⁸ Its functions included the collection, deposit, control and recording of amounts due the University for goods, services, tuition, fees and student loans⁹ as well as disbursement of cash through the University's cash imprest funds.¹⁰

1. Statutes and General Rules Concerning University Organization and Procedure, 1958, p. 50.

2. Letter of Legal Counsel Sveinbjorn Johnson to President David Kinley, Board of Trustees Transactions, 35th Report, October 10, 1929, p.421; Board of Trustees Transactions, 23rd Report, September 11, 1905, p. 258; Board of Trustees Transactions, 25th Report, December 28, 1908, p. 66.

3. Board of Trustees Transactions, 27th Report, June 10, 1913, p. 256.

4. Transactions of the Board of Trustees, vol. 12, July 31, 1917, p. 467.

5. Report of the Comptroller for the Year ending June 30, 1969, p. 2.

6. Staff-Student Directory 1975-76, p. 13.

7. Staff-Student Directory 1976-77, p. 13.

8. Staff-Student Directory 1988-1989, p. 21.

9. Manual for Business and Finance. General Policy and Guidelines. sec 6-1A-100, March 1, 1987, p. 1.

10. Manual for Business and Finance. General Policy and Guidelines, sec 10-1A-100, September 21, 1977, p. 1; sec 10-1A-200, February 2, 1988, p. 1.