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To authorize entertainment costs with an OOEF, all expenses required to execute the event must be included for approval, e.g. food/catering, space rental, audio visual needs, performers, and flowers.

Entertainment expenses are limited to $100 per person (which includes food, alcohol, tax, and gratuity). Costs that exceed this amount will not be paid or reimbursed using university funds. Further restrictions may be defined in this policy for specific types of gatherings. Units are not required to get a per person cost when there is a contract or PO that includes food and non-food expenses.All events and business meetings that exceed $1,000 will require a detailed budget to be provided with their Official Occasion and Expense Form (OOEF). OOEFs without budgets will be declined. All OOEFs $1,000 and over will require Chief Business Officer and/or Dean’s approval. Events totaling less than $1,000 will not need to include additional budget detail.

Gratuities will be limited to 20% of the subtotal before sales tax. Gratuities over this amount will not be reimbursed or paid with university funds.

Employees, staff, students, visitors, and contractors are expected to be good stewards of university funds. The Chief Business Officer and/or Dean reserves the right to deny reimbursement of expenditures.

Administrative/business meetings consisting of only UT staff must involve two or more people, must include at least one university employee, and must be agenda driven in regards to university business. Meetings must not be held during lunch or dinner as a manner of convenience. These meetings require justification of their benefit to the University that must be outlined in the appropriate section on the OOEF. Breakfast and lunch meetings should not exceed $25 per person including tax and tip. Dinners should not exceed $40 per person including tax and tip.

Regularly recurring meetings, including faculty and staff meetings, should not include food/beverage as a manner of convenience.

Recruitment receptions/dinners for prospective employees, no matter the position level required, must have advanced approval from the Chief Business Officer. Lack of prior approval will mean rejection of reimbursement. Meals should generally involve no more than four people (the prospective employee and three UT staff). The prospective employee must be considered for the following types of positions: faculty, an A&P position that reports directly to a Dean or Vice Provost.  These meetings will follow the general entertainment limits.

Employee celebrations should be kept to a reasonable occurrence (e.g., quarterly birthday gatherings, not individual ones), and not exceed $5 per-person in attendance.

Special employee celebrations should not exceed $35 per person and should be limited to no more than three times yearly (start of the year, holiday, and end of the year).

Team Building/Group retreats should occur infrequently (not more than once a year) and costs should not exceed more than $50 per person for the total cost of the event. Costs for training or professional development are not considered entertainment expenses and should not be applied to the per person limit.

Meals/meetings while traveling for meetings between a university employee and one or more non-university individuals require an OOEF and will follow the general entertainment limits. These expenses should not be reimbursed through the regular travel process. Gatherings or meetings between university employees while traveling will follow travel guidelines.

Consumable supplies purchased to stock kitchens or other supplies should be reasonable.

Events with a contract that includes non-food expenses will not require a per person amount.

TERM

DEFINITION

OOEF

Official Occasion Expense Form. This form is required for all events and has various levels of approval.

Budget

Budgets are a list of expected expenditures for all food/catering, venue rental, AV, flowers, other perishables, alcohol, parking, postage, promo items, entertainment, non-perishable purchases, and any other item not listed here that may be purchased with university funds. Budgets must be provided for any event or meeting over $1,000. 

Department/Unit Requestor

Department/Unit requestors are employees delegated to submit OOEFs via DocuSign.

IDT

Interdepartmental Transfer. Used to bill departments for services provided. IDTs are initiated by the person who provides the service.

ROLE

RESPONSIBILITY

Department/Unit Requestor

Designated by department head to be allowed to complete OOEFs. Department/Unit Requestors must complete OOEFs before events occur; compile and reconcile all invoices; ensure all invoices are submitted within 60 days of the end of the event; reconcile budgets for events over $1,000.

Department/Unit Head

Confirm OOEF requestor delegations. Ensure proper internal approvals and procedures within Department. Department/Unit heads can create more restrictive policies which must be approved by the Dean.

UC BOSS Finance and Administration Staff

Process invoices and image backup documentation for event expenses. Provide answers to process and policy questions. Keep Wiki and Jira updated as policies and procedures evolve.

Chief Business Officer (CBO)

Oversee policy review and elevate review to the Dean. Provide exception approvals. Review and approve all OOEFs. Review and approve any OOEF with expected alcohol expenditures. Communicate with Department/Unit heads about policy changes.

Dean

Provide additional approvals and review of OOEFs over $5,000; implement policies and procedures as needed.

Central Accounts Payable

Reviews and approves all OOEF expenditures paid via VP2 or VPE. Policy holder for HBP 9.1.1

Department/Unit Requestor

Designated by department head to be allowed to complete OOEFs. Department/Unit Requestors must complete OOEFs before events occur; compile and reconcile all invoices; ensure all invoices are submitted within 60 days of the end of the event; reconcile budgets for events over $1,000.