Module 6 - Performing Administrative Tasks at WCU

This module provides an overview of common administrative functions and processes that support the daily operations of the university. Whether you serve in an Administrative Support role or another position that involves administrative responsibilities, this module will introduce you to key tasks, systems, and resources that will help you navigate university processes and perform your work effectively and efficiently.

Electronic Security Request (Building Access)

The Public Safety Department Electronic Security Services Division (DPS ESS) oversees Security Technology for our campus community including installation and oversight of all access-controlled doors.  

Use the Electronic Security Request form to notify Public Safety of your ESS related issues or needs.

  • Card Access Request Form - If you need to add/remove or make changes to a room, lab, office, gate, or building.
  • Contractor Cards Request Form - If you need to have a card made for contractors to have access to a building.
  • Report a Problem Form - If you have an issue regarding card readers, cameras, door contact, panic alarm and burglar alarms.
  • New Equipment Request Form - If you would like to get a quote for new devices, equipment, items.
  • Schedule Door Events Request Form - If you would like to schedule a new date and time on a door, room, lab, office or building. If you require the building to be open after -hours, the building administrator must submit a "Schedule Door Events" request through the Department of Public Safety's online form. This submission should include the specific dates (e.g., 2/18-5/9) and times (e.g., 8:00 AM-2:00 PM) for which the building needs to be open.

Learn more about The Department of Public Safety.

Facilities Information

In supporting the mission of West Chester University, the Facilities Division designs, constructs and maintains a dynamic, safe, and sustainable campus to continually advance its nationally benchmarked living and learning community.  Visit the Facilities Division web page to view services and learn more.

Requesting Services

TMA Work Control
  • Maintenance Request - for non-emergency maintenance, grounds, custodial, furniture repair, or moving services request, submit a TMA Work Control request at iService Desk.  
  • Furniture Request – for new furniture requests, submit a TMA Work Control request at iService Desk.
  • Move Request – for movement of furniture and assets from one campus location to another, providing lockable toters for shredding of confidential paper, or archiving of important university records for specified time limits, submit a TMA Work Control request at iService Desk.

The form will require the submitter to complete basic site and other information (name, phone number, email address, building) and select what type of service is being requested (event support, custodial, moving, furniture, grounds, or project).  Please specify the action(s) requested in as much detail as possible.  

A cost center / funds center code will be required for all non-maintenance issues.  

A TMA confirmation email will be sent after your request has been submitted. 

EVENTS

Facilities offers support for numerous events at West Chester University.  Our department provides this support through cleanup before or after events, providing tables, chairs, tents, and extra waste receptacles, unlocking and temperature controlling spaces, and more.  Please submit a Facilities Event Form and include all relevant information related to both the setup and removal of the event.

EMERGENCIES

During Work Control hours (M-F, 8:00am – 4:00pm) please call 610-436-2444.  For emergencies after hours, and on weekends, please call Public Safety at 610-436-3311.  For prompt response to an emergency, do not send an email or leave a voicemail.  Please talk directly with a Work Control Technician. 

Surplus Property

As a State institution, the University uses property to its best advantage and realizes the maximum value possible for equipment and furniture at the end of their useful life. By following surplus disbursement/disposal procedures we ensure that University property provides value to the full extent of its worth and that its disbursement/disposal will be conducted in an equitable, efficient, and cost-effective manner. 

RAMSWAP

The Surplus Property Manager and Facilities assist with the removal and redistribution of equipment and office furnishings which are unwanted but still usable. Ram Swap's goal is to enhance sustainability efforts and receive the maximum amount of value from a piece of furniture or equipment by finding re-use on campus.  

Motor Pool Rental Services

WCU owns and operates a limited fleet of rental vehicles to accommodate faculty, staff and student-employees for university business and travel needs. Rental vehicle offerings include sedans, mini-vans, cargo vans, trucks, and full-sized vans. Daily and weekly reservations are available. View the Motor Pool web page and learn more about motor pool services, rental rates, driver authorization, and access the rental form.

Financial and Budget Information

Accounts Payable

The Accounts Payable (A/P) office within the Finance and Business Services Team strives to provide the best possible service for internal and external University customers.  Adherence to Accounts Payable’s procedures helps to maintain compliance with laws and audits, ensure best in class business practices, and maintain cost effectiveness. 

For questions, reach out to the A/P team at invoices@wcupa.edu.  

Travel Reimbursement

Employees who travel on university business may be eligible for reimbursement of allowable travel expenses. Understanding which Travel Expense Voucher to use will help ensure expenses are documented accurately and reimbursed in a timely manner. The University uses two forms based on the type of travel: Non-Overnight and Overnight. Review the descriptions below to determine which form applies to your travel.

  • The Travel Expense Voucher – Non-Overnight form is used to document actual travel expenses for same-day travel that does not include an overnight stay, airfare, or lodging. This form should also be used to claim eligible meals associated with same-day travel, which will be reimbursed through Payroll.
  • The Travel Expense Voucher – Overnight form is used to document actual travel expenses for overnight travel, as well as any other travel not meeting non-overnight travel conditions.

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International Travel

International travel on university business requires additional planning and documentation to ensure employees understand the University's requirements and have the necessary approvals in place before traveling. The SharePoint page provides comprehensive information, forms, and required training related to international travel and travel reimbursement.

All West Chester University personnel must submit an International Travel Authorization Form (ITAF) at least 30 days prior to international travel. International travel includes travel outside of the contiguous United States, including Hawaii, Canada, and Puerto Rico. After the travel takes place, the completed ITAF must be submitted with the applicable Travel Expense Voucher. Failure to include the ITAF could result in a delay and/or denial of reimbursement.

Review procedures for international travel on the Global Engagement Office’s website.

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Payment Request Form 

A Payment Request Form (PRF) is used to authorize payment to a company or individual when a requisition / purchase order is not required.  Original receipt(s) and/or invoice(s) must be attached.  This form is not to be utilized for travel reimbursements.  

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Budget Transfers & Expense Transfers

Budget Transfers

Used to transfer budget dollars from one cost center to another and is not based on actual expenses. Budget transfers are handled by the Budget Office, and some restrictions apply depending on the type of cost center. Please contact your divisional budget manager for questions or send an email to the Budget Transfers mailbox, BudgetTransfers@wcupa.edu. 

If a budget transfer is necessary, fill out the Budget Transfer Request Form.

Expense Transfers 

Used to transfer actual expenses from one cost center to another. In other words, moving money that has already been spent. Expense transfers are more common than budget transfers.

Example:
A book is purchased for a professor on Amazon and charged to the main operating (7511) cost center for the department. You later learn that this book should be paid by the Faculty Development (FD) cost center (7514).  Complete a  expense transfer request form to move the expense from the 7511 cost center to the 7514 cost center. The original cost center is credited, and the new cost center is debited.

Expense transfers can also be used to change the GL account number that an expense has posted to.

The expense transfer request form requires users to include a screenshot of their BI report that shows the posted expense that you want to move.  Questions can be directed to accounting@wcupa.edu. 

Business Intelligence Reporting

Business Intelligence (BI) Reporting provides a suite of reports for monitoring budgets and expenses. BI Reports are updated nightly and reflect previous day business activity. BI is most used by staff/faculty who are fund center managers or who reconcile departmental accounts.

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Cost Center Structure

Cost Centers, also known as fund centers, are where the budget lives and identify the department paying for the purchase.

Anatomy of a Cost Center

Cost centers are 10 digits, each digit having its own meaningful purpose. Example: 7511003100

  • 75: Denotes WCU, separating itself from the rest of the PASSHE schools.
  • 11: Denotes the source of funding/budget,
    • 11 means Education & General (EG)
    • 14 means Faculty Development (FD)
    • 17 means Self Support (SS)
    • If the third digit is 3, this means it is a grant or restricted fund.
  • 00: Placeholder, typically assigned in sequential order.
  • Last 4-digits: Represents the department
    • in this example, 3100 represents the AVP for FBS.
GL Accounts

General Ledger (GL) accounts are also known as commitment items. GL accounts describe what you are purchasing. By selecting a GL account which closely describes your purchase, expenses will be properly classified into categories such as travel, supplies, food, etc. Accurate GL selection is important because they roll up to WCU’s financial statements which captures what WCU spends its money on.

When submitting a requisition, you will most often select a GL account that begins with a “6” which denotes non-capital expenses.

If you have questions about a GL account, email accounting@wcupa.edu. 

Cost Center Forms

Fund Center \ Cost Center Creation Request - Complete this form to request the creation of a new fund/cost center in the SAP finance system. Requests will be reviewed Division Budget Managers and the Budget Director.  

Fund Center \ Cost Center Change Request - Complete this form to request a change to an existing fund/cost center in the SAP finance system. Changes to fund center name, manager, and types of transactions allowable can be requested

Fund Center \ Cost Center Close Request - Complete this form to request the closure of an existing fund/cost center in the SAP finance system. If there is a remaining budget balance in the fund center, you will need to tell us what fund center it should be transferred to.  

Dual Compensation

West Chester University (WCUPA) automates its dual compensation workflow through the Nintex Visual Form Builder and Workflow Automation software. Access to submit these compensation requests is strictly limited to authorized personnel like Divisional Budget Managers, Divisional Budget Associates, or Assistant Deans for Budget and Personnel.

Authorized staff can initiate and manage dual compensation tasks through the forms on the Payroll website.     

Finance and Business Training Request Form

Interested in personalized training for yourself or your department? Request training from the FBS Business Systems team via the Training Request Form. 

Public Use of Funds

Carefully review the PASSHE Expenditures of Public Funds policy to determine allowable purchases.

All monies received by a PASSHE university or the Office of the Chancellor are public funds. When making purchases, staff/faculty must be a good steward of university resources. The overarching principle in the spending of university funds is that all expenditures must clearly and directly benefit the university in support of its purpose to provide education at the lowest possible cost to the students.

Technology

IS&T Help Desk

The IS&T Help Desk is the central point of contact for all technology-related hardware, software, and system support such as Microsoft 365, Ram Portal, D2L, and Zoom at West Chester University. Located in Anderson Hall 119, the Help Desk provides first level customer support for students and employees in locations such as administrative offices, classrooms, residence halls, remote sites & satellite locations using ServiceNow.   

The Help Desk utilizes ServiceNow, an intuitive ticketing platform enabling users to request help, report problems, order equipment and software, and check the status of their inquiries without directly contacting the Help Desk. Learn more about the Help Desk and Log in to ServiceNow.

Academic Enterprise Systems

AES provides comprehensive software solutions designed to manage and streamline University administrative and academic processes. Our primary systems include Banner/RamPortal, Navigate, and OnBase.  We are committed to ensuring their smooth operation and continued improvement. Log in to the AES Service Portal to submit a request or report a problem.

Modern Campus CMS

Modern Campus CMS is a cloud-based content management system built exclusively for higher education. It allows faculty and staff to easily update university websites without coding, while ensuring mobile responsiveness, centralized branding, and strict digital accessibility compliance. 

To access maintain web pages, users must be certified in Modern Campus. Request training by contacting webmaster@wcupa.edu. 

Access Modern Campus quick refresher videos.

Purchasing Items

SourcePoint

SourcePoint (SAP Ariba or SAP Business Network-SBN) is used to create purchase requisitions (PRs) for materials or services.  SourcePoint also checks on budget availability. SourcePoint offers both catalog and non-catalog PRs. Common catalog purchases include Amazon and Staples.

Visit the SourcePoint Portal to view training videos and documents to help users with purchasing. PASSHE also has a Procurement Portal with training resources related to SourcePoint.

PCard Information and Policy

WCU’s Purchasing Card (PCard) program is through US Bank. The cards are provided to certain WCU employees and are for official WCU use only. The WCU PCard delegates limited purchasing authority directly to the cardholder. Rather than requiring a requisition and purchase order, the card enables quick and convenient purchase of low dollar goods from any merchant that accepts MasterCard. PCards are linked to a specific cost center.

Take the time to read and understand the university’s PCard & Travel Card Policy .

Enrollment

To obtain a card, a WCU employee must navigate to the “PCARD ENROLLMENT” form on SharePoint. The card systems administrator will provide training information to prospective cardholders after approval is received.  

Reconciliation 

Each month, P-Card cardholders with transactions should log onto US Bank Access Online to obtain a statement. The statement will reflect all charges for that billing cycle. Reconciliations must be submitted to the P-Card statement mailbox, PCARDSTMTS@wcupa.edu, in the format of 1-PDF per card per month by the 10th of each month, after being signed by the cardholder and the cost center manager.

Tax Exemption

WCU is exempt from PA sales tax and some occupancy taxes. Cardholders must notify vendors of tax exemption status. Please email Purchasing@wcupa.edu to request a Pennsylvania Exemption Certificate if vendor requires proof of tax exemption. Please provide the Vendor name and address. The Certificate must be signed by an authorized West Chester University Finance & Business Services Employee.

Questions - Contact the Card Systems Administrator at pcardstmts@wcupa.edu 

Access SourcePoint through your ESS Portal. If SourcePoint is not a menu/tab option in ESS, request access by contacting: FBSSupport@wcupa.edu. 

Reminder: When making purchases, always keep the PASSHE Expenditures of Public Funds in mind.

SAP

SAP is WCU’s financial system. SAP is used by the campus community for purchase requisitions, as an alternative to SourcePoint when necessary.  SAP can be accessed through the Employee Self Service (ESS) Portal

For access to SAP through ESS, reach out to FBSSupport@wcupa.edu. Desktop SAP can be installed through a ticket with ServiceNow.

Space Reservation and Event Planning

25Live – Space Reservation

25Live is West Chester University's online space reservation system used to request and schedule campus rooms and event spaces for meetings, classes, trainings, and special events. The platform allows employees to search for available spaces, submit reservation requests, and view room details, helping ensure that campus facilities are reserved efficiently, and events are coordinated successfully. Depending on your role, you may use 25Live to reserve spaces directly or work with your department's designated scheduler.

Aramark / New Street Catering

West Chester University's catering services are provided through Aramark's New Street Catering, the University's exclusive on-campus catering partner. Whether you are planning a meeting, training session, celebration, or special event, New Street Catering offers a variety of food and beverage options to meet your needs while ensuring compliance with university policies and event standards. Employees can work directly with the catering team to plan menus, coordinate service, and arrange catering for events of all sizes.

Need assistance? Please submit requests or changes to an existing order through your online account. 

Contact New Street Catering at 610.436.3130 or NewStreetCatering@wcupa.edu 

Conference Services

Conference Services administration manages reservations for all external groups wishing to rent space on campus. Conference services also manages reservations for internal groups wishing to use spaces within Philips Memorial Building. Certain spaces within Philips are not listed in 25Live. Please work directly with Conference Services to reserve these spaces. For conferences involving outside guests, a facility usage fee may apply. These fees are listed in the Facilities Use Policy .

Student Employment Information

West Chester University is committed to student success. We support the professional development and experiential learning experiences for up to 1,500 student employees. We are dedicated to cultivating a positive and productive student employment experience.

Learn more about hiring students and access information and resources on the Student Employment Website.

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