Systems and Procedures
A Division of The Office of Budget and Finance
A Division of The Office of Budget and Finance
Stone Valley is a scenic educational and recreational area owned by The Pennsylvania State University (University) located 12 miles south of University Park. Facilities are available for outdoor schools, workshops, camps, seminars, and other educational activities, as well as boating, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and cross-country skiing. Cabins, lodges, boats, and a picnic shelter are available for rent.
Ten (10) rental cabins, located adjacent to the public use area near the SVRA Office, are available seasonally, an eleventh cabin is available on the western shore. The Civil Engineering (C.E.) Lodge is also available for rent year-round and has cabins available seasonally for overnight use. The other Lodge at the Stone Valley Recreation Area (referred to hereafter as "SVRA") is the Forestry Lodge, which houses the Shaver's Creek Environmental Center. Shaver's Creek Environmental Center is a separate function covered under University Procedure OE2008 Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. There is a Boat Rental Office on the eastern shore of the lake. The center of operations at SVRA is the office.
Sales at all locations are made according to posted prices, and income is collected, recorded, reconciled, and deposited per this documentation. Fees are charged for the use of the various facilities, and damage deposits are required with facility rentals. A current approved schedule of all Stone Valley Recreation Area fees, charges, and deposits is on file in the SVRA Office.
In person sales are conducted on one sales computer in the SVRA office. Invoices can be made, and payments tagged through the main computer and the Coordinator’s computer under their specific logins.
The Assistant Director at SVRA is responsible for all operations at the facility. In the Assistant Director’s absence, the Coordinator assumes most of these responsibilities. Therefore, we have identified this split functional responsibility throughout the procedure in all situations where it occurs.
The Campus Recreation Business Services performs the accounting functions for all the Recreation Services.
There is one location where recreation fees are collected.
The sale of Boat Launch Permits, Storage Permits, Equipment Rentals, and Facility rentals occurs at the SVRA Office.
All sales are recorded through a single sales computer located in the SVRA Office. The computer utilizes Fusion software to delineate the item and its category.
Checks may be accepted only for the payment of fees and sales at Stone Valley, in accordance with University Policy FN01 Cash Revenues and Procedure FN2005 Depositing Cash Revenues and the requirements outlined in this section.
A sign or placard will be posted in a prominent place at all locations where checks are collected. This sign must list the following information:
When a patron wishes to pay by check, it must be prepared according to the above instructions. The Stone Valley cashier accepting the check will examine the patron's identification and verify the data on the check: date, payee, amount, and signature. All checks, regardless of the amount, must be approved by the cashier prior to acceptance. When approved, the check is immediately restrictively endorsed per University Policy FN01 Cash Revenues and Procedure FN2005 Processing Cash Revenues.
The SVRA Office utilizes reservation software so that one cabin or lodge is not rented to two individuals or organizations at the same time. Cabin rentals and advance-payment deposits are remitted to the Assistant Director at the SVRA Office or through the Fusion online payment portal. Damage and key deposits are collected at SVRA, as described below.
Cabin rentals must be paid in full two weeks prior to the reservation.
Individuals must complete a Cabin Rental Agreement (Exhibit "A”) before registering at SVRA. This is an electronic document sent via email by the reservation software. It can be returned electronically or by postal mail. It can also be completed in person. Payments are not taken until after the signed paperwork is returned except for patrons making the deposit by phone and at the time of reservation. The patron will be charged for any damage to rental property should it occur per rental agreement.
The minimum payment for lodge rentals is made at the time of reservation. The Administrative Assistant will collect any charges in excess of the respective minimums by contacting the representative of the group after the date of the lodge rental. The lodge is only available for rental by organized groups. The balance is due from the organized group after the reservation. If the organized group cancels a reservation at the lodge, the organization is given the opportunity to pick an alternate available date. Refunds are made only in extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the Supervisor.
Pavilion rental fees for reservations made by individuals are due at the time of reservation. Pavilion rental fees for reservations made by organized groups are made after the reservation. The Administrative Assistant collects the rental amount from the individual or the organized group as stated above. If the reservation is canceled at the pavilion, the individual or the organized group is given the opportunity to pick an alternate available date. Refunds are made only in extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the Supervisor.
When payment is received from cabin and lodge renters or pavilion users, the Assistant Director or Coordinator runs the sale through Fusion.
If damages exceed the deposit, the patron is billed for the excess amount.
SVRA patrons are charged a fee to launch and/or store their own boats. Daily launch fees, annual launch fees, and storage fees are collected at the SVRA Office (only).
A Boat Launching Agreement (Exhibit "B”) must be completed for seasonal launch permits. A separate agreement is to be completed for each boat to be launched. The permit number is recorded on the agreement and a copy of the agreement is given to the customer. The permit is placed on the boat. The original agreement is maintained in the SVRA Office stored by purchase date.
A Boat Storage Agreement (Exhibit “C”) must be completed for overnight storage of specified watercraft and only within the designated storage area. This type of permit also includes launch privileges. The permit issued for overnight storage is non-transferable to other watercraft. A separate agreement is to be completed for each watercraft to be stored. The permit number is recorded on the agreement and a copy is given to the customer. The permit is placed on the watercraft. The original completed and signed agreement is maintained in the SVRA Office by boat type.
All fees collected at the SVRA Office are entered in Fusion when Permits are issued.
Several types of boats are available for rent to both students and non-students at the SVRA Office. These include canoes, row boats, paddle boats, kayaks, and SUPs. SVRA cashiers must verify the current student registration of all patrons renting boats at student rates.
When a patron rents a boat, the Boat Rental Agreement (Exhibit “D”) will be created using the Fusion system. All patrons must prepay for boat rentals. If they stay out longer than their allotted time, they will pay the difference. The time is determined by checking the time when the equipment was checked out or the time on the boat rental slip and calculating against the time they came back in.
During the year, numerous programs are held at SVRA. These are of two basic types:
When SVRA sponsors a program, costs are estimated, and the fee is established by the Supervisor. All program fees are collected ahead of time through sign up in Fusion. If space is available patrons can sign up and pay the fee on site. This entry is also recorded in the Fusion software.
When a special program is sponsored independently by an agency or department other than SVRA, it is treated in the same manner as an individual renting the facilities in that the Lodge and Pavilion rentals must be prepaid, and an advance deposit is required for cabins.
Cross-country ski equipment is available for rent during January and February. This includes boots, skis, and poles. A SVRA employee at the SVRA Office is to verify current student status by using Fusion.
All ski patrons must sign a waiver prior to skiing.
Fees are paid ahead of time and are a daily rate based on a rental equipment formula previously approved by the controller’s office until the hourly rate can be approved.
When the total of cash and checks on hand reaches the prescribed limits as stated in University Policy FN01 Cash Revenues (or at least weekly), the Supervisor/Assistant Supervisors prepares the receipts for deposit. The Supervisor/Assistant Supervisors deposit the cash receipts at the designated bank and obtains a validated copy of the deposit slip.
All receipts are deposited in accordance with Policy FN01 Cash Revenues and per Procedure FN2005 Depositing Cash Revenues.
A Journal Entry for Incoming Funds is recorded in the System for Integrated Management, Budget, and Accounting (SIMBA) for each deposit made at the bank. The bank validated deposit slip must be uploaded as supporting documentation to the Journal Entry for Incoming Funds.
When a check is returned by the bank as invalid, SVRA is notified by the Accounting Operations Office. It is SVRA's responsibility to collect amounts due to the University. (See Procedure FN2002 Processing Returned Checks) The fee (and returned check amount) must be collected before the facilities can be used again by the patron.
The Financial Officer is responsible for ensuring that procedures pertaining to the accountability and safeguarding of all cash receipts, cash funds, and other assets are established and followed in accordance with approved University policies and procedures. Regular audits relating to advances, cash, travel, equipment accountability, and other expenditures provide a means to protect University assets. The Financial Officer is responsible for collaborating with Internal Audit when audits are being performed in the administrative area. Audits relating to sponsored activities or other audits performed by external auditors may also be performed. The Financial Officer would also be responsible for collaborating with the external auditor and/or a central university office related to these procedures.
University Records must be retained and managed in accordance with Policy AD35 University Archives and Records Management and the University’s Records Retention Schedules that have been approved by the Records Management Advisory Committee (RMAC), the Office of General Counsel, and Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff. These Records Retention Schedules are derived from - or based upon - federal, state, and local statutes or regulations (i.e., Federal Acquisition Regulations, the OMB Uniform Guidance, Internal Revenue Service, and other regulations governing the auditability and retention of financial records), University Policy, industry standards, and business needs. All University Records must be maintained in such a manner to provide ease of access, establish a suitable audit trail for all transactions, and to be reviewed prior to disposition.
University Records and Transitory/Disposable Records are defined below. See Policy AD35, Definition of Terms for additional information.
Upon completion of the retention period, University Records must be disposed of via secure destruction or transfer to University Archives, unless an exception to the disposition process set forth below applies. In many cases, retention periods and disposition methods may be generally determined by comparing the type of record (i.e., reports, correspondence, etc.) to similar records series with known retention periods listed on the Records Retention Schedule. If the disposition method for University Records states "Review by Archives" on the Records Retention Schedule, the Unit responsible for those records should consult the University Archivist for a final determination of disposition. For University Records that must be securely destroyed, units may arrange for shredding services by either contacting the Blue/White Shredding Program or the Inactive Records Center (IRC).
Exceptions to the disposition process are as follows:
To safeguard the privacy of individuals, records that contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII), as defined in University Policy, AD53 Privacy Policy, or student records, as defined in University Policy, AD11 Confidentiality of Student Records, must be securely destroyed beyond recovery. For additional information regarding privacy and the protection of an individual's personal information, see Policy AD53 Privacy Policy.
Additional questions may be directed to the Office of Records Management.
For questions or additional details, please contact the Recreation Services Business Manager.
To request changes to this procedure, please contact the Office of Systems & Procedures by submitting a GURU Technical Support Request Form.
July 1, 2024