Hello, HawkLink!

We have moved our student engagement platform, HawkLink, to a new platform, located at iit.presence.io. On Friday, September  18, the hawklink.iit.edu URL will be redirected to the new platform.

As we migrate to the new platform, there are several functions of student organizations that will be directly impacted. After September 18, the specific functions below will permanently move to the Presence platform.

• Student Organization Budgets

• Student Organization Purchase Reconciliations

• Student Organization Financial Account Management

• Student Organization Event Registrations

This platform was selected in consultation with multiple departments, OTS, and student leaders. We made the decision to switch to a more updated platform based on the feedback provided to Campus Life in the Student Speak survey, which highlighted a need for a more streamlined system, with more autonomy for student organization leaders.

Most of your organizations have transitioned their rosters and business documents over to our new platform. Below are a few more steps that are important for your organizations to ensure continuity.

Student Organization Budgets

The process for requesting funds from the Student Activity Fund will move to iit.presence.io. To request funding, your organization’s treasurer will utilize the “Create Allocation” form. Presidents will also have access to this form.

If your organization maintains a separate account outside of the Student Activity Fund, that balance will be automatically transferred to iit.presence.io in the next week.

Student Organization Purchases

Treasurers for all student organizations will have direct access to BuyIt, the university’s purchasing platform, through their Illinois Tech Portal for student organization expenses.

If you are a treasurer, and do not have the BuyIt icon available in the top right hand corner menu of your Illinois Tech Portal, please let us know here: https://forms.gle/Qf7fjRvUkRWEXAng9

Student Organizations will be able to purchase their own items and equipment directly through BuyIt, rather than having to submit Purchase Requests.

OCL will be holding a training on how to utilize BuyIt, request budgets from the Finance Board, and reconcile expenses from 12:45–1:45 p.m. on Wednesday, September 16. You can join the training here: meet.google.com/vku-grso-coq

Student Organization Account Balances

We have adapted the model that most accounting departments follow for Student Organizations. Once a month, treasurers will compile the list of their BuyIt charges, and submit the “Create Expenditure” form. Rather than detailing every individual purchase, Treasurers will instead download a monthly report from BuyIt, and reconcile it against their budget.

Student Organization Event Requests

For any official student organization event, organization leadership should submit the “Event Registration” form. If it is a virtual event, it is approved directly by the Office of Campus Life. For any in person events, there is an automated workflow with Event Services, Catering, and Alien Sound and Light to help streamline the event request and production process.

Archival Information

The Office of Campus Life is downloading all form responses, purchase requests, budget requests, and user-submitted requests into a secure database for archival purposes. For individual student organizations and individual students, below is information from our prior site provider, Campus Labs, on items you should consider downloading for your own personal reference.

Student Organization Leadership: 

Download all relevant documents and images from Organization Portal (i.e. constitutions)

Download all relevant event attendance reports per event

Individual Students:

Download Copies of Co-Curricular Transcripts (available in your individual settings menu).

We’re excited to bring a better system to student organizations, and are looking forward to rolling out our new system in partnership with all of you!