Post-Covid Discretionary Expenditures Control Policy

Policy Statement

This policy provides guidance for controlling discretionary expenditures post-Covid pandemic.

Reason for Policy

The purpose of this policy is to help mitigate the financial harm to the University caused by the pandemic’s impact on University operations.

Who is Governed by this Policy

All academic and administrative staff with authority to approve expenditures on behalf of their departmental budgets.

Policy

Effective April 16, 2020, approval to expend funds deemed to be Discretionary Funds and therefore subject to this Policy is restricted to the membership of the University’s Executive Leadership Team. No employee other than a member of the Executive Leadership team, or their duly authorized representative, is authorized to approve the expenditure of Discretionary Funds. This excludes restrictive funds governed by grant regulations as well as excluding purchase order encumbrances prior to April 16, 2020.

Definitions

Executive Leadership Team:
The members of the Executive Leadership Team as of the date of this policy are the President; Provost and Executive Vice President; Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration; Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students; Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President of External Relations; and Vice President for Enrollment Management and University Communications.

Discretionary Funds:
For the purposes of this policy the funds deemed to be discretionary in nature and subject to this Policy are listed inAttachment Ato this Policy.

Procedures

Approval to spend Discretionary Funds subject to this Policy must be obtained in writing from a member of the Executive Leadership Team. A request to spend Discretionary Funds shall be submitted in writing accompanied by a justification as to the value to be derived from such expenditure. Email communications are acceptable forms of written communications required by this Policy. Such approvals should be attached to all check requisitions and purchase order requests. These two forms have also been updated with a signature line for the vice president’s approval as well as an expanded business purpose line in order to satisfy this written requirement. Without the proper vice presidential approval, your request will be returned, which will delay your order and payment.

As it relates to electronic purchase order requisitions: Staples orders, Amazon orders and PO requisitions which are all input electronically at the department level, Liz Kash and Michael McLeod will conduct preliminary reviews of these purchase order requests, prior to any orders being placed, and will obtain written approval from the respective vice president when deemed necessary

Goods and services shouldnotbe ordered or received prior to receiving authorization to purchase.

Check Requisitions, Travel Expenses Reports and other payment requests should not be submitted to the Accounts Payable department for processing until the appropriate approval of the member of the Executive Leadership Team is attached in writing.

The standard University forms for purchasing goods and services and for reimbursements will be used for these matters. These updated forms as well as all of the University’s financial and administrative procedures can be found in theFinancial and Administrative Reference Guide (FARG).

Forms

• Check Requisition(print on green) (PDF)
• Purchase Order Requisition(print on blue) (PDF)

Related Information

This policy does not have other related information associated with it at this time. Upon periodic policy review this area will be evaluated to determine if additional information is needed to supplement the policy.

Document History

• Last Reviewed Date: April 15, 2020
• Last Revised Date: 4/24/20
• Policy Origination Date: 4/16/20

Who Approved This Policy

James Perrino, Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration