Basic Policies

All BCB purchases must abide by the University policies and procedures, which are detailed at www.uh.edu/mapp04procurement.htm.

Purchases under $5000:  With departmental approval, purchases that total less than $5000 can be either ordered and billed to UH or purchased out of pocket by an employee and reimbursed.  This only applies to purchases that are tangible goods.  If there is any service/labor component (catering attendants, furniture assembly, etc.), then a contract or purchase order must be completed first, regardless of dollar amount.

Purchases over $5000: All purchases $5000 or over require a purchase order number through UH Purchasing.  If a Bauer employee obligates the University to purchase supplies, equipment, or services from a vendor in excess of $5000, that employee may be personally obligated to pay for the purchase.  When talking to a vendor, be very careful to tell your contact that the University will be obligated to pay only if he/she receives a signed purchase order from the UH Purchasing Department.  The Dean or his/her designee is the only one who can approve the use of school funds for purchases.  Only the Purchasing Department can authorize the purchase.  Please let your department business administrator know about such purchases well in advance so that the appropriate paperwork may be prepared.  Emergency purchases are possible, but should be reserved for true emergencies.  Please note that even emergency purchases must be preapproved.

All expenditure documents require an appropriate “purpose and benefit” statement.  Internal auditors review these statements to ensure that every expenditure provides a clear benefit to UH.  Generic statements such as “this purchase enhances research at the UH” or “to enhance the mission or prestige of UH” are not specific enough to be acceptable.

Purchase Vouchers 

The PeopleSoft system is limited to one invoice being paid per purchase voucher.  However, in the case of reimbursements, where there is no invoice number, multiple receipts can be processed on the same voucher.  Doing so saves time and is more efficient at every level.

Expenses for the Benefit of an Individual Employee

Expenditures that directly benefit an employee, as well as all reimbursements to the employee, require approval from the employee's supervisor. Examples of these types of expenditures include, but are not limited to:

• Travel, including airfare, rental vehicles, lodging and meals, whether reimbursed to the individual, provided by a University entity or paid directly to a vendor.
• Food or meals that are not part of travel.
• Registration fees for conferences
• Dues for individual memberships in professional societies or associations
• Equipment, supplies or tools for the employee’s workspace

Memberships

Business memberships expensed by UH must be on the president's approved list of organizations which is posted here.  To request that a group be added to the approved membership list, please complete and email this form to the Director of Business Operations.  The Dean's Office will route it to Academic Affairs for approval and addition to the list.

Business Meals

Expensable business meals include those with prospective faculty/staff, donors, visiting lecturers or speakers and community leaders.  "Employee only" meals are limited to workshops, trainings or

organized and planned meetings with an agenda.  For example, we can pay for food catered for the faculty/staff meeting that is held every semester since this a pre-approved, formal meeting with an agenda. The official UH policy is that such all-employee meals are restricted to occasions that can be demonstrated to provide benefit to the university and shall be limited to those whose attendance provides benefit.  This form should be completed and attached to any business meal expenses paid by UH funds.

Only the dean of the college has authoiry to approve reimbursement requests for expenses of individuals subject to these regulations. (As per MAPP policy, the dean must sign every business meal payment that is processed for our college.)

Spousal attendance must have a clearly documented and demonstrated benefit to the university listed in the comments section of the voucher.  All payments for business meals must have a specific, clear and meaningful statement of the benefit of this function to the University of Houston mission.   A general or broad statement will not be accepted.

Alcohol cannot be reimbursed or expensed during regular working hours, unless a statement is documented that it was not consumed by the UH employees in attendance.  If a voucher is submitted to Accounts Payable with employee consumed alcohol listed, Payroll will dock that day's pay from the employee's next paycheck.

Student fee revenues may not be used for business meal or entertainment expenses.

Advertisement Expenses

The Bauer Office of Communications coordinates advertisement of college, department and center initiatives.  Any ad campaigns or procurements should be done in conjunction with the Communications Office. An ad placement in any kind of media also requires prior approval from the UH Office of Publications.  Typically Watson Riddle will sign a copy of the ad to attach to the payment back-up.  The Communications Office can assist in getting this approval.

Please also refer to Bauer’s current graphic standards [pdf].

Printing

All printing projects need 3 quotes even if the total is under $5000.00 and paid on a purchase voucher.  Printing refers to the design and manufacture of words or logos on a visible item.  Photocopies of an existing design or document are not considered “printing."