Department Head Approval:

Department Head Approval is required for travel, official entertainment and reimbursement for hosting business events, university-sponsored memberships, and honorarium payments.

Additional Approval:

Additional approval is required for reimbursements that are within policy, but the policy calls for a higher level signature. The finance representative for your department will handle the routing for signatures.

Any expense reimbursed to or benefiting the Department Chair, any expenditure requiring additional approval (e.g. alcohol expenses during travel, expenses for spouses or partners, morale-building activities, honoraria over $2,000), any membership charged to state funds, and any expenditure that requires exceptional approval (e.g. exceeding the allowable per-person limit or third-party expenditure) all require the approval of the Dean's Office.

How to send something to the Dean’s Office for approval:

1. Request for payment will be completed by the department.

2. Request must include justification for provision of alcohol or inclusion of a spouse (often this can be included directly on the Form 5; if necessary, attach a more complete statement in a formal memo).

3. Department signatures are required ensuring that the payment is in alignment with policy, the form has been completed appropriately, the amounts are accurate, and the appropriate account-fund has been charged.

4. Request will be routed to the College Policy & Admin Director, Tania Dunson for review and signature.

5. Request should then be forward to BFS for processing.

Approval of Honoraria Over $2,000

If honorarium is less than $4,000, Dean has final authority.

1. Ideally, requests should be made in advance.

2. Department will prepare a payment request form.

3. Request must include a justification for the amount. Most often this will be done in a separate memo. The memo should be addressed to the divisional dean from the department chair.

4. Include a line that states, “Reviewed by Tania Dunson”. Set DocuSign to Tania’s initials.

5. Request should include a flyer or formal indication of the event.

6. Department signatures are required ensuring that the payment is in alignment with policy, the form has been completed appropriately, the amounts are accurate, and the appropriate account-fund has been charged.

7. Request will be routed to the College Policy & Admin Director, Tania Dunson for review; set DocuSign for Tania’s initials.

8. Request will then route to the Dean for full signature.

Note: Attach this signed memo to your miscellaneous direct payment form and submit to BFS for processing.

If honorarium is greater than $4,000, Executive Vice Chancellor has final authority; the following process must be used.

1.  Request must be made in advance.

2. Department will prepare the payment request form.

3. Request should include a memo signed by the Chair/Program Director requesting approval and justifying the amount. The memo should be addressed to the Executive Vice Chancellor via the Divisional Dean from the Department Chair

4. Request must be routed to the College Policy & Admin Director, Tania Dunson for review; set DocuSign for Tania’s initials on the memo (“Reviewed by Tania Dunson”).

5. Request should include a flyer or formal indication of the event.

6. Department signatures are required ensuring that the payment is in alignment with policy, the form has been completed appropriately, the amounts are accurate, and the appropriate account-fund has been charged.

7. Request will then route to the Divisional Dean. Set memo for full signature of the

8. Dean (“Endorsed by Dean XX”). The EVC will not review it without the Dean’s endorsement.

9. Request will then route to the Executive Vice Chancellor. Set the memo for full signature of the EVC (“Approved by EVC Marshall”). Additionally, set the payment form for the EVC’s signature. 

10. Request will then forward to BFS for processing.

Exceptional Approval:

Reimbursements that are outside of policy (contrary to policy); you must convince someone that there was sufficiently good reason that they should support it. Exceptions to policy include:

• Meal costs above the per-person maximum
• Rental cars outside policy (luxury cars or larger than intermediate size)*

*Include a cost comparison worksheet

How to submit a request for an approval of exception:

1. Prepare a memo which will outline the specific amount you want reimbursed. Make a strong justification for the exception, and include the business purpose being served. Here is a link to the full slideshow detailing exceptional approval.

2. Request must be signed at the Department level (chair/director signature on memo request)

3. Route request to the College Policy & Admin Director, Tania Dunson for review; set DocuSign for Tania’s initials on the memo (“Reviewed by Tania Dunson”). If possible, allow Tania to add text to the memo.

4. Item should then route to the Divisional Dean. Set memo for full signature of the Dean (“Endorsed by Dean XX”). The EVC will not review it without the Dean’s endorsement.

5. Item should then route to the Executive Vice Chancellor. Set the memo for full signature of the Executive Vice Chancellor.

6. Set the completed item to return to the department.

*Ask in advance if possible. Only prior approval assures the host of reimbursement in the case of exceptional approvals.

**When in doubt about which level of approval is necessary, ask your financial coordinator.