Guidelines

Effective with payments and purchase orders > $100k to be processed April 14, 2020 or later, deans, directors, or their designees can request these expenditures be deemed essential to operations.

Essential expenditures are those key to the operations and services that ensure business continuity of the department and university. These requests will be reviewed by the Dean’s Office and require approval by the Provost‘s Office.

Essential Expenditures

• Expenditures or purchase orders associated with previously approved faculty start‐up and hiring packages.
• Contracts or purchase orders that meet the following criteria:
  • Those that occur in alignment with a previously approved sponsored project budget for which we receive external funding (i.e. 26 contract and grant accounts, 14‐97xx Advanced Technology and Advanced Research Programs, or 30 research gift accounts)
  • Expenditures that meet the following criteria:
    • Those that occur in alignment with a previously approved sponsored project budget for which we receive external funding (i.e. 26 contract and grant accounts, 14‐97xx Advanced Technology and Advanced Research Programs, or 30 research gift accounts)
    • Hardware or software purchases initiated to support the university’s move to an online learning environment
      • Payments made in support of the institution’s information resources budget/contracts (processed by University of Texas Libraries)
      • Payments made under previously approved contractual agreements and/or purchase orders where services were rendered prior to April 14^th, 2020
        • Payments made in support of previously approved contractual agreements and/or purchase orders for software supporting the administrative function of the unit
        • Other, as documented by the respective unit and approved by the Dean’s Office and Provost’s Office.

Approval Process

• All academic space planning studies and any academic design/construction projects with a total project cost >$100K must be approved by the Provost’s Office prior to moving forward. Each word is hyperlinked to take you to the respective approval for each process.  Please contact Ross Johnson, Director of Academic Space Planning, with any questions at ross.johnson@austin.utexas.edu

For all other requests, access the online form via: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3OYTMPEP70nRlmR

• Information is completed by requester and routed to the dean, vice president, or their delegate for review/approval.
• Dean, vice president, or their delegate reviews, certifies accuracy of the information, and approves or denies the request.
• Requests that meet the essential expenditure guidelines listed above (excluding Other) will be authorized.
• Requests for new purchases, purchase orders, and contracts or for payments for expenditures that do not meet the guidelines outlined above will require a more detailed review.
• Approved requests will generate a PDF that must be included with the applicable voucher supporting documentation.