Faculty Purchasing & Travel
- Cristabella Trimble-Quiz
- KC
- Tasha Schuricht
- Ryan Baldwin
Are you an Educational Psychology faculty member preparing to utilize UT funds? If so, please follow the steps below!
IMPORTANT: Prior approval from EDP must be obtained before making any purchases/hires or traveling.
Purchase and travel requests must be submitted a minimum of 2 weeks in advance, and Service for Hire, International Travel and Faculty Travel Grant requests must be submitted at least 4 weeks in advance.
Step 1: Determine funds to use
If you do not know which account to use or if funds are available, contact the EDP Accountant.
Step 2: What kind of request is it?
Specific instructions for different request types are below.
Travel Instructions
All UT faculty and staff must submit Travel Requests for any business travel while on active appointment. Domestic personal travel does not require a travel request.
Travel requests be submitted a minimum of 2 weeks prior to departure, and Faculty Travel Grant requests at least 1 month prior to departure.
Step 1: Who will be paying for the trip?
If using a UT account, you will need the account #. If you do not know your account #, contact the EDP Accountant.
Step 2: Submit the Travel Request Form
Fill out a
DOMESTIC TRAVEL:
- Upload the required documentation as a single PDF attachment to the TAR.
- If presenting paper: abstract/description of paper and email/other confirmation of acceptance.
- If attending conference or meeting: agenda/description and email/other confirmation of invitation.
- Research/other activities: statement of work and other pertinent documentation.
- If on a grant, include a proposal and/or budget narrative that provides context and documents the need for the travel.
- If consulting work, confirm that outside employment was approved and include a written invitation.
- Faculty Travel Grant, submit prior to completing TAR.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL:
- Verify that the traveler has provided the name of colleague(s) assuming duties, including chair and administrative duties.
- Verify that conference and travel dates match; provide an explanation in the “Request Notes” section of the TAR if the travel dates are more than one day before or after the conference dates.
- Add account and other required information.
- “International Travel” must be marked “Yes.”
- Upload the required documentation as a single PDF attachment to the TAR.
- If presenting paper: abstract/description of paper and email/other confirmation of acceptance.
- If attending conference or meeting: agenda/description and email/other confirmation of invitation.
- Research/other activities: statement of work and other pertinent documentation.
- If on a grant, include a proposal and/or budget narrative that provides context and documents the need for the travel.
- If consulting work, confirm that outside employment was approved and include a written invitation.
- Check the restricted region status at https://global.utexas.edu/risk/travel/restricted-regions/list.
- If the destination is not a restricted region, add to “Request Notes”: “Not a restricted region.”
- If the destination is a restricted region, go to https://global.utexas.edu/risk/travel for procedures and required paperwork.
- Attached the completed forms, signed by the traveler, Chair, and Dean's Delegate to your TAR
- Attach the IOC approval letter as a second PDF attachment to the TAR.
Using a Faculty Travel Grant?
If so, you must complete a Faculty Travel Grant Application AND Travel Request Form. Both forms must be completed at the same time and "assigned" to Erick Munoz (egm2398). Faculty Travel Grant requests must be submitted at least 1 month prior to travel due to a lengthy approvals process.
Step 3: Approval
EDP will obtain approvals and contact you with any questions.
When approved, you'll receive an automatic email with your RTA and DOC ID number.
Note: For Faculty Travel Grants, approval comes in the form of 2 emails - the 1st is general approval to travel (RTA), the 2nd is approval for use of Faculty Travel Grant funds.
Step 4: Book your travel!
Flights: If a UT account will be used to pay for the trip, we recommend booking via UT’s Concur system or by calling one of UT's Travel Agencies so the charges can be direct-billed to UT. You’ll just need your RTA and DOC ID #s from your confirmation email to book.
Note: flights booked yourself online through the airline are reimbursable (after your trip), but NOT flights booked through non-UT travel agencies.
Hotel: Lodging is reimbursement-only.
Rental Cars: If a UT account will be used to pay for the trip, you can either book your rental car and turn in receipts after your trip for reimbursement, or see how to direct-bill rental cars here.
Step 5: Submit your receipts
If UT is paying for any of your travel, you must submit itemized receipts to the EDP Business Services Coordinator for processing within 30 days of your return. Be sure to include receipts for anything direct-billed as well (e.g. flights)!
- Receipts must be itemized.
- Meal reimbursements: the department reimburses based on current per-diem meal rates, so it is not necessary to submit meal receipts. Please note that a partial per-diem applies for partial-day travel (e.g. evening departures / morning returns).
- Lodging: hotel bills must be itemized and show your name, rate for single occupancy, and the dates applicable to the approved travel. If sharing a room, your bill must show your name and charges only.
Note: we recommend setting up Direct Deposit for reimbursements. This is separate from payroll Direct Deposit.
Travel Resources
International Travel
Per the Chancellor's 2010 directive, any international travel reservations made through sources other than Concur or a contract UT agency (Anthony Travel / Corporate Travel Planners) must be entered by the faculty member into the ITR database.
Submit a Travel Request
A Travel Request Form must be submitted in advance for each absence of a faculty member from regular duties (HOP 7.28).
Travel Management Services (TMS)
Purchases/Travel on Grant funds
The College of Education has restructured how grant purchasing is handled - if you wish to purchase anything utilizing a grant account / travel on a grant account, please contact COE Research Administration (COERA).
Paying someone for Services / Work
Fill out the Form below and send to the EDP Business Services Coordinator a minimum of 4 weeks prior to any services/work occurring.
IMPORTANT: UT and the COE Dean’s Office require prior approval for services before any work has begun. Except in very rare circumstances, EDP cannot pay for services without prior approval.
Equipment Purchasing
To purchase computers or other technology with University funds:
Send a help request to ITO at help@education.utexas.edu requesting assistance in choosing and purchasing equipment. Include the following:
Specifics about what you need
Budget
What the equipment will be used for (teaching, research, other)
Where the equipment will be kept
ITO will work with you to find equipment that meets your needs
Once the equipment has been settled on, ITO will send the purchase request to EDP
EDP will contact you with any follow-up questions
Equipment will be delivered to ITO. ITO will contact you when the equipment is ready to be set up.
Equipment Purchasing FAQs
Faculty replacing their teaching computer will be given a budget when they are informed of their upgrade eligibility.
Faculty are encouraged to keep track of their funding sources and expenditures for any other type of purchases. If you are not sure how much money you have available for purchasing equipment, please contact the EDP Accountant.
If you are having difficulties with your equipment or suspect it's broken, please send a help request to ITO first so that they can determine whether it’s worth repairing your equipment or best to purchase a new one.
Tenured/Tenure-Track faculty will receive one computer from the department to be used for teaching. This teaching computer is eligible for upgrade every 4 years. Faculty eligible for upgrade will receive an email notice from the department when it is time to choose a new computer.
Faculty are welcome to purchase equipment with other funds available to them, as long as purchases fall within the fund/UT purchasing guidelines. The purchasing process for these is the same one outlined at the top of this page.
ITO can assist you in selecting equipment that fits your needs. Start the process by sending a help request to ITO at help@education.utexas.edu
Software/Licenses
Email the EDP Business Services Coordinator with:
- The software or license you wish to purchase/renew
- If it will be used for your regular job duties/teaching or for research
- What funds you plan on using
Office Supplies for Teaching or Research
Be sure what you’re needing isn’t already available in the EDP main office. If not, email the EDP Business Services Coordinator and specify what you need (please be as detailed/specific as possible), as well as what funds you wish to use.
Food/Beverage Purchases
Food and beverage purchasing often takes special paperwork due to UT "entertainment" purchasing rules. To purchase food/beverages for an event, meeting, or for other UT-related purposes, contact the EDP Business Services Coordinator.
Assessments Purchases
Email the EDP Business Services Coordinator with a description of what you wish to purchase and what funds you plan on using. Be sure to include the vendor, as well as specific item numbers, amounts and prices, as many assessments have different versions with similar names.
Other Purchases
Email the EDP Business Services Coordinator with a description of what you wish to purchase and what funds you plan on using.
FAQs
Detailed University-level Policies & Procedures can be found in the University of Texas Handbook of Business Procedures. Note: COE and EDP may have college and department-level procedures in addition to UT procedures.
Yes. The general rule of thumb for prior approval notice is 2 weeks minimum. Please see the steps above to determine how to submit your purchase requests. Two exceptions:
- If you have your own Department-issued ProCard, check with EDP when you receive your ProCard to determine what kinds of purchases you can make without prior approval.
- If extenuating circumstances (e.g. emergencies) prevent you from obtaining prior approval, UT may be able to grant a one-time exception, but this is not guaranteed (see late request policy below).
A request outside the prior approval timeframe (4 weeks in advance for service-for-hire and Faculty Travel Grant requests, 2 weeks for all other purchasing/travel) requires an explanation memo from the faculty member. The memo must be submitted via email to the EDP Business Services Coordinator, who will obtain the necessary approvals before proceeding with the request.
All late requests require EDP Chair approval; depending on request type and timing, additional approvals may be needed. Late requests are not always approved - it is therefore important all requests be made within the required prior approval timeline.
Explanation Memo for Late Purchase/Service/Travel Requests (Required):
Faculty are encouraged to keep track of their funding sources and expenditures for all purchases. If you are not sure how much money you have available, please contact the EDP Accountant.
Funding sources often depend on the type of purchase. If you’re not sure which to use, please contact the EDP Accountant.
Contact the EDP Accountant if you have other questions not addressed on this webpage.
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