Payments are processed within 3-5 business days of an Expense Reimbursement’s final approval. Employees who receive their paychecks via direct deposit will receive their reimbursement payments via direct deposit as well. The payment will be a separate deposit from the employee’s regular paycheck. Non-employees and employees who do not have direct deposit will receive a check in the mail.
Procedure #3024.3; Rev.: 1 (Effective May 8, 2017) Related Policy:UW-3024 Expense Reimbursement Policy Functional Owner: Accounting Services, Division of Business Services Contact: Expense Reimbursement Program Manager – Allie Watters, expensereimbursement@bussvc.wisc.edu, (608) 263-3525
Payments are processed within 3-5 business days of an expense report’s final approval. Employees who receive their paychecks via direct deposit will receive their reimbursement payments via direct deposit as well. The payment will be a separate deposit from the employee’s regular paycheck. Non-employees and employees who do not have direct deposit will receive a check in the mail.
Expand the View TER’s, TA’s and CA’s menu, then select View Expense Report in the links panel along the left side.
Find the correct expense report by entering the report ID, description, employee ID, or employee name (name searches in e-Reimbursement follow the LastName,FirstName convention, no spaces). This search will provide a read-only view of an expense report.
Check that the status (next to the report ID number in the top middle of the screen) is Paid. If not paid, view the Approval History at the bottom of the page to see where the expense report is in the approval process.
Search for Payment Details:
Using the same navigation links on the left side of the page, expand the Void/Reissue Payment menu, then select the View Payment History link.
Search by employee ID or name. Select the proper expense report from the search results. If there is single search result will automatically take you to the Employee Payment History page.
Payment Reference – for check payments, this will be the check number. This is needed when filling out a Check Action Form.
Payment Amount – the amount the traveler was reimbursed. This may differ from the amount seen elsewhere in e-Reimbursement, which may include items paid on the Purchasing Card or Corporate Card. This amount may include multiple expense reports if they were approved on the same day.
Payment Method – will be either “ACH” for direct deposit payments or “System Check” for paper check payments.
Payment Date – payment will be direct deposited or mailed within 3-5 business days of this date.
Payee Address – this link will display the address the check was sent to.
If payment was made by ACH, the traveler should review their bank history for a deposit that matches the information shown in the Employee Payment History search. Reimbursement payments will post from UWMSN_TRVL_ACH.
Note: If multiple expense reports are paid on the same date, a cumulative ACH will be sent. The traveler should look for the cumulative total of the expense reports paid in their bank history. Individual payments for each report will not be visible.
Reissuing Payment
Payments made via check can be cancelled and reissued by filling out a Check Action Form. To allow time for the check to arrive, Check Action Forms can only be submitted at least 30 days after the payment date.
Traveler (employee)/Claimant/Recipient – the person receiving reimbursement. Employees are responsible for submitting their own expense reports and following all applicable UW travel policies. An employee may assign an alternate to create and modify an expense report on their behalf, but the employee is ultimately responsible for submitting their own expense reports.
Approver: Upon submission, expense report are first reviewed by an approver. Approvers are responsible for reviewing supporting documentation, reviewing expense report for policy compliance, and reviewing funding being charged.
Auditor: Expense reports are reviewed by an auditor after the approver. Auditors are responsible for reviewing expense reports for policy compliance.
Alternates can create Expense Reimbursements on behalf of employees and non-employees and can submit Expense Reimbursements on behalf of non-employees and recently-terminated employees. Current employees must submit their own Expense Reimbursements, even if they were created by an Alternate.
Procedure #3024.2; Rev.: 1 (Effective May 8, 2017) Related Policy:UW-3024 Expense Reimbursement Policy Functional Owner: Accounting Services, Division of Business Services Contact: Expense Reimbursement Program Manager – Allie Watters, expensereimbursement@bussvc.wisc.edu, (608) 263-3525
Alternates can create expense reports on behalf of employees and non-employees and can submit expense reports on behalf of non-employees and recently-terminated employees. Current employees must submit their own expense reports, even if they were created by an alternate.
Current employees are responsible for adding and deleting their own alternates. The UW–Madison Travel Office will not assign alternates for current employees.
Employees who seek reimbursement for out-of-pocket or Corporate Card expenses; alternates who prepare expense reports in the Shared Financial Systems (SFS).
Click the Delegate Entry Authority link in the links panel along the lower right-hand side of the page.
Click the plus sign to add an additional row.
Enter the alternate’s employee ID number in the Authorized User ID field. If you do not know the employee ID, click the magnifying glass next to the blank field, then click on Advanced Lookup. Enter the alternate’s last name in the Description field. Locate the alternate and click on their name.
The Authorization Level should be “Edit.” If an employee chooses “Edit & Submit”, it will revert to “Edit.”
For recently terminated employees: Terminated employees can be reimbursed using their employee ID for up to 365 days after their termination date. Alternates must contact the UW-Madison Travel Office to be granted access to submit expense reports for recently-terminated employees.
Traveler (employee)/Claimant/Recipient – the person receiving reimbursement. Employees are responsible for submitting their own expense reports in a timely fashion and following all applicable UW travel policies. An employee may assign an alternate to create and modify an expense report on their behalf, but the employee is ultimately responsible for submitting their own expense reports.
Alternate – responsible for creating and submitting expense reports on behalf of others. Employees who seek reimbursement can assign an alternate to create and modify expense reports for them, but the employee must submit their own. Expense reports for non-employees or recently-terminated employees are created and submitted by alternates.
e-Reimbursement – the Expenses module of the Shared Financial System (SFS), used to create, submit, and approve expense report claims.
Non-employee – an individual who does not have an active appointment at the University. Non-employees can be reimbursed for travel-related expenses through e-Reimbursement.
Recently-terminated employee – an employee whose last active appointment ended less than 365 days ago. Expense reports for recently-terminated employees can be submitted using their employee ID for up to 365 days after termination. To add an alternate for a recently-terminated employee, contact Accounting Services.
All payments made to employees and non-employees for reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses are initiated in e-Reimbursement, the Expenses module of the Shared Financial System (SFS). Expense reports are reviewed by an approver and an auditor prior to payment. Approval routing is based on the Department ID referenced in the funding allocation for each expense line.
Employees may delegate an alternate to create and modify expense reports on their behalf. It is the employee’s responsibility to ensure expense reports are submitted on time and in compliance with policy.
This document details the required procedures for submitting an expense report. For a complete how-to guide, visit the Expense Reimbursement website.
To get started, employees/alternates must sign into the Shared Financial System (SFS), click the Expenses tile, then click Create Expense Report. If acting as an alternate for another traveler, click the drop-down arrow next to the employee’s name in the upper left corner of the screen, then select Change Employee. Select the appropriate employee from the resulting list and proceed to the next step.
General Information: The first page is the General Information page, also commonly referred to as the header information. Information entered here applies to the entire expense report.
Business Purpose – Choose the one that best describes the reimbursement. See Appendix A below for definitions and further details on business purposes.
Default Location – Primary location of your trip.
Choose your headquarter city for non-travel expense report.
Locations may be listed by city or county.
For international locations not listed by city or county, select ‘COUNTRY NAME, OTHER LOCATIONS’. Do not select the nearest big city if the trip was not actually to that city.
Reference – Select In-State, Out-of-State, or Foreign.
This is based on where the destination is in relation to the traveler’s headquarter city (for example, if someone headquartered in Atlanta, GA, traveled to Madison, the Reference would be ‘Out-of-State’).
For non-travel expense report, select ‘Not a Travel Related report’.
Date of departure/return – Dates of UW business travel. Do not include personal vacation days in these dates.
Attachments
Receipts are required to be electronically attached to the expense report.
In addition, travelers/alternates must attach additional documentation required for an approver/auditor to fully review each claim (e.g., conference agenda, email correspondence explaining unusual circumstances, map to support mileage claim).
Do not attach anything with protected or confidential information.
Redact credit card and social security numbers.
When reimbursing research subjects, it may be necessary to redact anything with details of the research being done. Map printouts for research subjects may use a nearby location instead of the research subject’s home address.
If no other options are available, hard copies may be saved instead of electronic attachments in order to protect a recipient’s confidentiality. This must be noted in the expense report.
Justification – Notes are added by the traveler or alternate to provide the details of the reimbursement.
Every expense report must have at least one note. That note must include a sufficient business purpose to justify the reimbursement. Any personal time added to the trip must be clearly indicated in the business purpose to validate that only appropriate UW–Madison business expenses are being claimed.
Spell out all acronyms.
Additional notes may be added as needed.
Expense details: This section is where users enter the details of their expenses.
Choose Add expense lines from the Expense Report Action drop-down menu. Users may also choose to add lines from My Wallet or to copy an existing expense report.
Choose the appropriate Expense Type for the expense. See Appendix B below for definitions and further details of expense types.
Payment Type: Choose the appropriate payment type for each expense line:
Personal Funds – Out-of-pocket expenses for which the traveler will be reimbursed.
Prepaid Purchasing Card – Expenses paid on the Purchasing Card. The traveler will not be reimbursed for these expenses. It is not required to include expense lines for prepaid items.
It is recommended that travelers manually convert foreign currency amounts and enter only US Dollars in this field.
For rate-based Expense Types (e.g. Meals and Incidental Expense, Mileage), this field cannot be manually modified.
Non-Reimbursable
Mark an expense non-reimbursable.
This can be used for non-business-related expenses and for expenses that were paid via an outside source (e.g. airfare paid by the host conference).
Red Flags– All red flag error messages must be resolved before an expense report can be submitted. Examples include:
An invalid funding string.
Required information is missing.
Airfare ticket number is a duplicate of a previously-created expense report.
Review and Submit – Alternates and travelers must ensure the accuracy of the expense report prior to submission.
Expense Report Summary – ensure the breakdown between reimbursable, non-reimbursable, Corporate Card, and Prepaid Expenses is accurate. Modify the payment types on individual expense lines if necessary.
Additional Information – If there are Cash Advances or Travel Authorizations available, associate them with the expense report here. For more information on working with Cash Advances, see UW-3025 Cash Advances.
Submit
Current UW employees must submit their own expense reports.
Alternates can submit expense report on behalf of non-employees and recently-terminated employees.
Traveler (employee)/Claimant/Recipient: the person receiving reimbursement. Employees are responsible for submitting their own expense report and following all applicable UW travel policies. An employee may assign an alternate to create and modify an expense report on their behalf, but the employee is ultimately responsible for submitting their own expense reports.
Alternate: responsible for creating and submitting expense report on behalf of others. Employees who seek reimbursement can assign an alternate to create and modify expense report for them, but the employee must submit their own. Expense reports for non-employees or recently-terminated employees are created and submitted by alternates.
Approver: Upon submission, expense report are first reviewed by an approver. Approvers are responsible for reviewing supporting documentation, reviewing expense report for policy compliance, and reviewing funding being charged.
Auditor: Expense reports are reviewed by an auditor after the approver. Auditors are responsible for reviewing expense reports for policy compliance.
e-Reimbursement: the Expenses module of the Shared Financial System (SFS), used to create, submit, and approve expense report/reimbursement claims.
Purchasing Card: University-liability credit card that can be used for travel and non-travel expenses.
Corporate Card: individual-liability credit card that can be used for travel and non-travel expenses.
Business Purpose: When using University funds or requesting a reimbursement from University funds, documentation of a clear business purpose is required so an approver, auditor, site manager, and/or post-payment auditor may reasonably conclude and agree the expenditure is an appropriate business expense. The business purpose, which is defined as one that supports or advances the goals, objectives and mission of the University, adequately describes the expense as a necessary, reasonable, and appropriate business expense for the University. All expenses must support a University business purpose.
Non-employee: an individual who does not have an active appointment at the University. Non-employees can be reimbursed for travel-related expenses through e-Reimbursement.
Business – Expenses for routine business travel not better classified in another category.
Conference – Expenses incurred to attend or host a conference.
Fundraising – Expenses incurred for University fundraising.
Job candidate hosting – Expenses incurred for hosting job candidates.
Local travel – Expenses incurred when traveling within the headquarter city or surrounding area. Expenses can be accumulated and filed weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
Non-Travel – Expenses incurred on the Corporate Card or out-of-pocket for low-dollar purchases made in compliance with UW purchasing policies.
Professional development – Expenses incurred by employees for education or job/professional trainings.
Recruiting – Expenses incurred for recruiting employees and students to the University.
Relocation – Expenses incurred for employee relocation.
Research – Expenses incurred for research or research-related activities including fieldwork or faculty presentation of papers.
Student travel – Expenses incurred by students for business or educational travel. Does not include study abroad or International Education programs. Employee expenses to accompany students select from other business purposes.
Study abroad – Expenses incurred by travelers (faculty or students) for study abroad or other international education programs.
Team travel – Expenses incurred for sport team travel.
Expense types
Air – Baggage Fees – airline baggage or equipment fees.
Description – if additional baggage beyond the first piece and/or overweight/oversized baggage is claimed, provide justification.
Account codes 2800, 2801, 2802.
Airfare – commercial coach/economy including allowable charges for seat assignments.
Description – if claiming a related fee, provide a justification.
Merchant – select the merchant from the preferred drop-down menu or enter the merchant name in the non-preferred field.
Ticket Number – a unique ticket number is required.
Account codes 2800, 2801, 2802.
Airfare Change/Cancel Penalty – Charge imposed by the airline to change, re-issue or cancel tickets.
Description – provide an explanation of the circumstances.
Merchant – select the merchant from the preferred drop-down menu or enter the merchant name in the non-preferred field.
Account codes 2800, 2801, 2802.
Athletic Pre/Post Game – for use by Athletics only.
Athletics Team Meals – for use by Athletics only.
Day Trip Meal Allowance – meal costs including tax and tip in connection with travel that does not include an overnight stay. The amount is based on the per diem rate and cannot be manually modified.
Account codes 2863 and 2864.
E-Re Estimated Withholding – withholding of estimated taxes. It is required to be used with any Relocation expenses. It must be entered as a negative number and will reduce the net reimbursement.
It can also be used for withholding of taxes for expense reports submitted over 90 days and for tuition reimbursement in excess of allowable limits.
It will require a credit reference to be entered (“Estimated tax withholding” is sufficient).
Account code 7060
Event – Audio Visual Equipment – costs for the rental of audio visual equipment or related technologies for the purpose of hosting a University-sponsored event, Official Function, or educational program such as a conference, reception, workshop, etc., with multiple attendees from both inside and outside the University.
Description – provide a business justification for expenses incurred and specify what type of event was held. Indicate whether or not a fee was collected from attendees.
Merchant – enter the name of the merchant.
Account code 2894.
Event – Catering – cost of food/beverage, service fees, gratuities and/or delivery fees related to hosting a University sponsored event, Official Function, or educational program such as a conference, reception, workshop, etc., with multiple attendees from both inside and outside the University.
Description – provide a business justification for event expenses incurred and specify what type of event was held (reception, conference, etc.) If a meal was served, indicate breakfast, lunch or dinner. Indicate whether or not a fee was collected from attendees.
Merchant – enter the name of the merchant.
Number of People – enter the number of attendees.
Add Additional Attendees – enter the names and affiliations of the attendees. For large events, an attendee list can be attached to the expense report instead.
Account code 2893.
Event – Meeting Space – costs for meeting space or room rental for the purpose of hosting a University sponsored event, Official Function, or educational program such as a conference, reception, workshop, etc., with multiple attendees from both inside and outside the University.
Description – provide a business justification for event expenses incurred and specify what type of event was held (reception, conference, etc.) If a meal was served, indicate breakfast, lunch or dinner. Indicate whether or not a fee was collected from attendees.
Merchant – enter the name of the merchant.
Account code 2895.
Gas for Vehicle Rental/Fleet – purchase of gasoline for rental vehicles or fleet vehicles when State/UW gas card is not accepted.
Description – provide a purpose for the gasoline purchase and indicate the type of vehicle that was used (rental or fleet). For Fleet, explain why the provided fuel card was not used.
Account codes 2810, 2811, and 2812.
Lodging – Group – lodging accommodations for multiple business travelers who share a room and the reimbursement is being claimed on one expense report.
Description – provide the names and affiliations of all individuals included in the lodging payment.
Number of Nights – enter the number of nights stayed.
Merchant – select the merchant from the preferred drop-down menu or enter the merchant name in the non-preferred field.
How Many People – the number of UW business travelers included in the amount reported.
Account codes 2850, 2851, and 2852.
Lodging – Individual – lodging accommodations for individual lodging expenses, including a shared room for which the traveler is claiming only their portion of the charge.
Number of nights – enter the number of nights stayed.
Merchant – select the merchant from the preferred drop-down menu or enter the merchant name in the non-preferred field.
Account codes 2850, 2851, and 2852.
Lodging – Student – track any student lodging expenses for compliance with the Clery Act. This new accounting code should make Clery Act reporting much more efficient.
Description – enter the address of the lodging property.
Number of nights – enter the number of nights stayed.
Merchant – type the name of the lodging property.
How many people – enter the number of students staying in the room.
Expense location – enter the location of the lodging property.
Account codes 2853, 2854, 2855. SFS will automatically select the proper account code (in-state, out-of-state, foreign) based on the REFERENCE selection in the header of the expense report (in-state, out-of-state, foreign).
Meal and Incidental Per Diem – per diem allowance reimbursed to travelers for overnight travel based on location of stay.
Amount – the amount is based on the location, date, and any selected deductions.
Location – enter the location the expense was incurred. When traveling to the destination, this is the location the traveler stayed that night. When returning from the destination, this is the location the traveler stayed the night before.
Per Diem Deductions – select first/last day for first and last day of travel and indicate any meals provided to the traveler (ex: as part of a registration fee).
Account codes 2860, 2861, and 2862.
Meals – Hosted – meal purchased for a group and claimed by a single individual.
Description – provide a business purpose for the purchase and indicate which meal was served (breakfast, lunch or dinner).
How Many People – enter the number of attendees.
Add Additional Attendees – enter the names and affiliations of the attendees. For large events, an attendee list can be attached to the expense report instead.
Account codes 2860, 2861, and 2862.
Mileage – reimbursement for use of a personal vehicle. Do not use this expense type for vehicle rentals or fleet vehicles.
Description – enter information used to determine Transportation ID. Include addresses of originating/destination locations and any additional stops. For situations where privacy is a concern, the exact address is not required.
Transportation ID
Mileage – enter the roundtrip mileage. The amount is automatically calculated based on the rate and the number of miles. The amount cannot be manually modified.
Account codes 2830, 2831, and 2832.
Misc. – Purchases/Supplies – best judgment UW-Madison business-related purchases ($5,000 or less) such as books, copy charges, shipping, etc.
Description – provide a description of the purchase and a UW-Madison business purpose.
Parking – parking charges incurred while conducting UW-Madison business.
Description – enter a reason for the expense and, if applicable, the number of days parked at the location.
Account codes 2870, 2871, and 2872.
Registration Fee – fee charged to attend an event such as a conference, workshop, seminar, training or meeting.
Description – provide the name of the event and a UW-Madison business purpose and identify what is included (meals, etc.) in the fee.
Account codes 2840, 2841, and 2842.
Relocation – Stipend – an Employee Relocation Award provided to cover some or all of an employee’s moving expenses.
Originating Location – the location the traveler is relocating from.
Expense Location – the location the traveler is relocating to.
Account code 2884.
Taxi/Subway/City Bus, etc. – local transportation charges for taxi, shuttle, city bus, ferry, subway, ride sharing services, etc. including tip.
Description – indicate the type of transportation used, the originating location and destination and a business purpose for the trip.
Account codes 2820, 2821, and 2822.
Train/Bus/Other Long Distance – long-distance transportation charges (non-airfare) such as a bus, train, etc. including tip.
Description – indicate the type of transportation used, the originating location and destination and a business purpose for the trip.
Account codes 2820, 2821, and 2822.
Training/Dev-Job –reimbursements to employees for costs related to job-related training not classified as tuition.
Description – indicate the name of the course taken.
Non-Preferred Merchant – enter the name of the merchant.
Account code 2184.
Travel Agency Service Fee – airfare ticket booking-related travel agency service fees.
Travel miscellaneous – allowable travel-related expenses not identified by our specific expense type or included as part of M&IE per diem (tolls, internet, visa fees, currency conversion fees, etc.)
Description – provide a description of the expense and a UW-Madison business purpose.
Account codes 2870, 2871, and 2872.
Travel reduction – reduces the amount of the expense report to a fixed dollar/budget amount for an expense line. Travel reductions cannot be entered by travelers/Alternates; they must be entered by Approvers.
Tuition/Training-Career – tuition and training fees related to taking a class or course, on a UW campus or other accredited University for the purpose of meeting the minimal educational requirements for a job or will qualify the employee for a new trade or business.
Description – indicate the name of the course taken and whether the course is for graduate or undergraduate credit.
Non-Preferred Merchant – enter the name of the merchant.
Account code 2180.
Vehicle rental – cost of renting a vehicle to conduct UW business.
Description – enter a business purpose for the use of a rental vehicle. Provide a justification if a non-preferred vendor was used.
Merchant – select the merchant from the preferred drop-down menu or enter the merchant name in the non-preferred field.
Feb. 26, 2020 – added E-Re Estimated Withholding Expense Type.
Jan. 19, 2021 – Updated Procedure Number to 3024.1 from 320.1.
Oct. 4, 2023 – Added Lodging – Student section. Removed Relocation – Direct Moving Costs and Relocation – Temporary Lodging sections.
March 15, 2024 – Clarification added that justification note must indicate any personal time added, to validate only business expenses are being claimed.
January 31, 2025 – Travel Agency Services Fees definition updated.
This procedure outlines the steps and individuals responsible for identification of Department Property Administrators (DPAs) and establishment of the DPA Acceptance Agreement between the designated DPA, the Division’s Chief Financial Officer and Property Control Office.
This procedure applies to all UW–Madison departments. It should be understood by department managers, DPAs, department chairs, directors, deans, and employees responsible for equipment.
The following steps represent the overall process for establishing a Department Property Administrator:
The Division’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) works with administrative leadership within their departments to identify an individual who will be assigned the capital equipment property administration responsibilities for one or more departments within the Division. Discussion with and approval by the individual’s supervisor and the designated DPA is expected before submitting the name of the designated DPA and assigned departments to Property Control Office.
Property Control Office fills out the DPA Acceptance Agreement and emails a PDF to the designated DPA.
Designated DPA signs the Acceptance Agreement and sends to the Division’s Chief Financial Officer for signature.
Once CFO signs, they send the signed document to Property Control Office.
Property Control Office signs the DPA Acceptance Agreement and emails a PDF of the fully signed agreement to the DPA and CFO.
The CFO provides a copy of the fully signed document to the administrative leader for each department that the DPA is assigned to support, and confirms the DPA’s position description has been updated to reflect the DPA responsibilities.
The DPA completes the required capital equipment training sessions and achieves a passing score on the session evaluation.
If the DPA leaves the University or changes positions such that they will no longer serve as the DPA, the DPA or CFO must notify the Property Control Office immediately, and the CFO begins the procedure again at step A.
1) Submit designated DPA name to Property Control.
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2) Fill out the DPA Acceptance Agreement and email a PDF to the designated DPA.
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3) Sign the DPA Acceptance Agreement and route to Division’s CFO.
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4) Sign DPA Agreement and send copy to Property Control.
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5) Sign DPA Agreement and send copy of fully executed DPA Agreement to DPA and CFO.
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6) Provide copies of DPA Agreement to the administrative leaders and confirm the DPA’s position description has been updated by their supervisor to reflect DPA responsibilities.
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7) Complete the required capital equipment training sessions and achieve a passing score on the session evaluation.
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8) Notify Property Control if DPA will no longer serve the DPA role.
This document covers procedures to be followed when a departing employee requests to take capital equipment with them to a new institution. In all cases, Request for Authorization to Transfer/Sell University Property to a Departing Employee’s New Institution and an Agreement for Transfer/Sale of University Property must be completed and signed prior to equipment being shipped to the new institution. Please note, Departments and Divisions may require additional review, approval, and discussion with the Deans Office when a departing employee requests to take capital equipment with them to a new institution.
Criteria for determining authorization of transfer/sale of capital equipment
Department Chair/Deans Office/Director/Designee and Property Control may authorize departing employees to take University equipment if all of the criteria are met:
The departure of equipment does not adversely affect instructional needs, graduate students or other research remaining at UW-Madison.
Formal resignation has been submitted by the departing employee and received by the Department Chair/Supervisor.
The departing employee was a permanent, University employee, including Faculty and Academic Staff roles. Student employees and zero-dollar appointees are excluded from this definition.
The departing employee’s role was directly related to at least one element of the University’s core mission (instruction, research, or public service). This excludes administrative roles.
The capital equipment will be used for the same purpose at the new institution.
The new institution is another institution of higher education or academic research. Equipment cannot be transferred to a for profit or start-up business.
Equipment does not contain any UW Licenses, UW Proprietary Software, nor any sensitive data.
If all of the above criteria are met and the Department Chair, Dean/Director/Designee approves the transfer/sale of equipment, departments must complete Form 110.11F Request for Authorization to Transfer/Sell University Property to a Departing Employee’s New Institution.
Criteria for determining if a transfer of equipment is acceptable
Equipment may be transferred to the departing employee’s new institution under the following circumstances. The transfer of equipment is also referred to as a zero-dollar, cost transaction.
The capital equipment item was solely funded by an active/on-going, sponsored research project AND the research project is moving with the departing employee to their new institution. Expenses for all packing, shipping and insurance costs are covered by the new institution.
Note: An active or on-going project is defined as a contract/grant/agreement having the same sponsor, that is currently in progress having not ended, and is being continued at the new institution.
Criteria for determining if a sale of equipment is acceptable
Equipment may be sold to the departing employee’s new institution under the following circumstances.
The sale is a negotiated exchange as part of the departing employee’s recruitment between the UW department and the departing employee’s new institution.
Departments may be allowed to sell equipment in situations involving departing employees and their new institutions. Sales involving departing employees may be granted, because such sales are customary exchanges in academia and are commonly negotiated as part of a larger recruitment/employment package offered to the departing employee. This circumstance does not meet the state’s definition of surplus and therefore is an allowable sale. In situations where this is not the case, departments must coordinate sale through Surplus with a Purpose (SWAP). Please refer to Procedure 3008.7 Equipment Dispositions.
Equipment was funded by a sponsored project, but the project is closed AND there are no sponsor restrictions on the award.
Criteria for determining a sale price of equipment
Property Control provides a listing of the capital equipment and information including initial acquisition cost of equipment, acquisition date, and net book value (NBV) for which equipment is recorded in the University’s financial sub ledger.
Property Control does not require departments to sell at the NBV, but does ask for a brief explanation if there is a difference between NBV and sale price.
An employee’s Department Chair and/or Dean/Director/Designee has the final authority to set the sale price of the equipment, as they are most closely involved in situations when prices must be negotiated with a new institution.
At their option, Department Chairs and Deans/Director/Designee may seek the advice of the Division of Business Services, Purchasing Services for a suggested sales price.
This procedure applies to all UW–Madison departments. It should be understood by Department Managers, Department Property Administrators (DPAs), Department Chairs, Directors, Deans, Chief Financial Officers, Principal Investigators, and other employees responsible for equipment.
The following steps represent the overall process:
Departing employee notifies their Department Chair and DPA of their pending departure, and that they are requesting permission to take capital equipment to a new institution.
The DPA contacts Property Control to request a list of capital equipment items associated with the departing employee.
Property Control provides a list of equipment to the DPA. The equipment list will include the asset tag number, description, acquisition date, acquisition cost, funding sources and percentages, net book value (NBV), etc.
The DPA provides the equipment list to the Departing Employee, Department Chair, Dean/Director/Designee for review.
The Department Chair, and/or Dean/Director/Designee determines that all eligibility criteria are met:
The departure of equipment does not adversely affect instruction needs, graduate students or other research remaining at UW-Madison.
Formal resignation has been submitted by the departing employee and received by the Department Chair/Supervisor.
The departing employee was a permanent University employee, including faculty and academic staff roles. Student employees and zero-dollar appointees are excluded from this definition.
The departing employee’s role was related to at least one element of the University’s mission (instruction, research, or public service). This excludes administrative roles.
The capital equipment will be used for the same purpose at the new institution
The new institution is another institution of higher education or academic research. Equipment cannot be transferred to a for-profit businesses or start-up business.
The Department Chair and/or Dean/Director/Designee approves one or more items on the equipment list to be either transferred and/or sold to the new institution. The criteria listed for a transfer and a sale of equipment must be used to determine the treatment of each piece of equipment.
If the equipment meets the criteria to sell equipment, the departing employee’s Department Chair and/or Dean/Director/Designee has the final authority to negotiate and determine the sale price of the equipment with new institution.
Along with the DPA, the Department Chair, and Dean/Director/Designee, completes Form 110.11F Request for Authorization to Transfer/Sell University Property to a Departing Employee’s New Institution.
Signatures from the Departing Employee, Department Chair, and Dean/Director/Designee represent an agreement to release the equipment to the departing employee’s new institution and attests that the equipment does not contain sensitive data, UW Licenses, or UW Proprietary Software. (Examples of sensitive data: UW-504 – Data Classification Policy.)
After Form 110.11F Request for Authorization to Transfer/Sell University Property to a Departing Employee’s New Institution is completed, the DPA sends the form to Property Control along with the approved list of equipment to be transferred and/or sold to the new institution.
Note: In cases when equipment is to be sold and the selling price exceeds the NBV, please include a justification along with the request form.
Property Control and Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) reviews the terms and conditions of the grant or contract for restrictions that would prevent the departing employee from taking the equipment.
If restrictions do not exist, Property Control will prepare an Agreement for Transfer/Sale of University Property and will send it, along with a copy of the approved equipment list, to the authorized official at the new institution for signature. Property Control will notify the Departing Employee, Department Chair, DPA and/or Dean/Division/Designee of the action.
If equipment is being sold to the new institution, the sale price will be included in the agreement.
The authorized official of the new institution accepts the terms of the agreement, signs the Agreement for Transfer/Sale of University Property and returns it to Property Control.
Note that the new institution accepts responsibility for all packing, shipping, and insurance costs for the equipment.
Upon receiving the signed Agreement for Transfer/Sale of University Property, Property Control will authorize the departing employee to take or ship the equipment. Property Control will update the asset management system to show retirement of the asset. Property Control will also provide the Departing Employee, DPA, Department Chair and Dean/Director/Designee a copy of the fully-signed agreement.
The DPA or designee must remove and discard the asset barcode tag(s) prior to shipping the equipment.
If equipment was sold to the new institution, the Departing Employee’s UW department financial staff should prepare and send an invoice, along with a copy of the Agreement for Transfer/Sale of University Property, to collect on the sale price of the equipment. The invoice should reference the capital equipment description, amount billed, UW department financial contact, along with an appropriate funding string to which the sales amount should be credited. If necessary, check with your Deans Office for guidance on the appropriate funding string to use. The UW System Chart of Accounts revenue code specifically approved for this type of transaction is account code 9939.
1) Notifies Department Chair and DPA of departure and request to take capital equipment to a new institution.
X
2
2) Request equipment list from Property Control.
X
3
3) Provide list of equipment with NBV to DPA.
X
4
4) Provide list of equipment to Department Chair, Dean/Director/Designee and Departing Employee.
X
5
5) Confirm all eligibility criteria are met
X
6
6) Determine and approve equipment based on criteria related to transferring and/or selling equipment. Sale price determined when applicable.
X (provides input)
X
7
7) Complete Form 110.11F Request for Authorization to Transfer/Sell University Property to a Departing Employee’s New Institution.
X (provides input)
X
X (provides input)
8
8) Form 110.11F Request for Authorization to Transfer/Sell University Property to a Departing Employee’s New Institution sent to Property Control with list of capital equipment approved for transfer/sale.
X
X (provides input)
9
9) Funding sources and terms reviewed.
X
X
10
10) Prepare Agreement for Transfer/Sale of University Property and send to departing employee’s new institution.
X
11
11) Return signed Agreement for Transfer/Sale of University Property to Property Control.
X
12
12) Send notice to authorize shipment of equipment and update asset management system.
X
13
13) Prior to shipment, remove asset barcode tag(s) from equipment.
X
14
14) If equipment was sold, prepare invoice and send to Departing Employee’s new institution.
Procedure # 3008.10; Rev.: 0 (Effective January 1, 2017) Related Policy:UW-3008 Capital Equipment Functional Owner: Property Control, Business Services Contact: Property Control Mailbox, property@bussvc.wisc.edu
To maintain control and assign responsibility for capital equipment removed from University premises, Property Control must authorize the loan of, and track assets. Completion of Asset Loan Request Form is required when equipment is to be borrowed for more than 30 days and will reside at a location not directly associated with the University. Property Control must authorize loans before equipment is removed from campus. Risk Management should also be notified for executing appropriate insurance and risk management activities.
Equipment may be loaned for a specified period (maximum five years), and the borrower must sign an Agreement for Loan of University Property within 30 days prior to the loan.
Property Control will monitor loaned equipment aging and will work with the Department Property Administrator (DPA) 30 days prior to the end of the agreement term to determine and formalize if the loan will be renewed or ended. Property Control will require a new agreement to extend beyond one year.
The following steps represent the overall process:
The employee responsible for the equipment notifies the DPA for guidance on the capital equipment loan procedures, as well as contacts Risk Management to inquire about insurance guidelines.
The DPA works with the Responsible Employee to gather the terms of the loan (i.e. the duration of the loan) and contact information for the borrowing institution or entity to which the capital equipment will be loaned.
The DPA completes the Form 110.10F Asset Loan Request Form and obtains signatures of approval from Department Chair/Dean/Director. The form is submitted to Property Control.
Property Control reviews the request and the funding sources of the equipment. If funding sources include sponsored funding, Property Control will verify with RSP to confirm if equipment can be loaned to another institution or entity. Equipment that is owned by a sponsor (e.g. title vests with Federal agency) cannot be loaned to another institution or entity without written consent from the sponsor.
Property Control authorizes the equipment loan and notifies the DPA, the Responsible Employee, and Department Chair/Dean/Director.
Property Control prepares an Agreement for Loan of University Property, which is to be signed by the borrowing institution. The agreement should be signed by the borrowing institution or entity at least 30 days prior to the loan.
Property Control will work with the DPA, Responsible Employee and Department Administrators to coordinate and obtain sign-off from the borrowing institution. The responsible party for obtaining approval is the individual negotiating the loan of equipment to the borrowing institution. This is most often the Principal Investigator, but may be other parties. Property Control intends to team with the DPA to ensure appropriate personnel approve the loan prior to allowing the equipment to be borrowed.
Upon receipt of signed Agreement for Loan of University Property, Property Control provides a signature and sends a copy of the fully executed loan agreement to the DPA and borrowing institution or entity.
Property Control notifies the DPA and Responsible Employee that loan agreement is signed and the equipment can be shipped to the borrowing institution or entity.
Property Control updates the asset management system to indicate that the equipment has been loaned to another institution or entity.
The DPA, Building Manager and/or Responsible Employee coordinate shipment of capital equipment to the borrowing institution or entity.
When the loan agreement approaches its end date, Property Control will contact the DPA to initiate conversations to determine whether an extension of the loan agreement is necessary.
Purchasing card site managers are responsible for reviewing purchasing card activity and identifying non-compliance. Examples of non- compliance include using the purchasing card for personal/non-UW business-related purchases, inappropriately using University funds, serial purchasing, and failure to provide required supporting documentation. When a site manager identifies non-compliant use of a purchasing card, the following procedure should be referenced. Non-compliance must be addressed within the 30-day transaction reconciliation requirement.
Non-Compliance Procedure: For audit purposes, all non-compliance identification, acknowledgement, and follow-up activity must be documented with the non-compliant transaction in the Purchasing Card Module of the Shared Financial System (SFS). If non-compliance is identified, the site manager must complete the following steps:
If the compliance issue can be resolved by sending the purchasing card transaction back to the cardholder for further information and verification within the Purchasing Card Module (e.g., expanding on a previously provided business purpose, attaching additional required supporting documentation, documenting an attempt to recover sales tax paid in error), enter a request in the Comment field, change the status of the transaction to Staged, and click Save. Wait for the cardholder to re-verify the transaction, review the supporting documentation, and approve as appropriate. Note:This exchange between the site manager and the cardholder may take place outside of SFS (e.g., via email); however, it is recommended communications are attached to the transaction or summarized in the Comment field for audit purposes.
If the compliance issue cannot be corrected within the Purchasing Card Module, but follow-up activity is occurring outside of the module (e.g., reimbursing the UW for a personal/non-compliant expense, cardholder acknowledgment of policy requirements for future purchasing activity), complete the Purchasing Card Non-Compliant Transaction Acknowledgement Form and route to the cardholder for review, acknowledgment, and approval. The signed form must be attached to the transaction in the Purchasing Card Module prior to approval.
Cardholder: Responsible for responding to site manager requests to ensure compliance with purchasing card policy and procedure.
Site manager: Responsible for identifying non-compliance with purchasing card policy and procedure, notifying the cardholder, and ensuring transactions as reconciled in accordance with policy.
Cardholder: the individual who holds a purchasing card and is responsible for the card and use of it.
Non-compliance: any action or purchase which conflicts with purchasing card policy or procedure.
Site manager: the individual who manages purchasing cards at the departmental or divisional level.
Purchasing Card Non-Compliance Transaction Acknowledgement Form: A form completed and attached to a purchasing card transaction to acknowledge non-compliance and how it was addressed.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison maintains a series of funds, including petty cash, to assist in situations where use of the accounts payable process or a University Purchasing Card is not appropriate. Petty cash is used by departments for handling small purchases that cannot be effectively handled by a University Purchasing Card or check. Petty cash is not common on campus and is generally set up for less than $100.
Custodian obtains the NR Number from the NR Number Generator. The NR Number from the NR Number Generator is required on some of the necessary forms for opening petty cash.
Custodian composes a Letter of Justification explaining the purpose of the petty cash.
Custodian routes the Letter of Justification, Custodian Fund Request Form, Custodian Fund Agreement Form, and MOU for petty cash to the Dean/Director’s office.
Dean/Director’s office reviews the documents and signs the necessary forms.
Dean/Director’s office keeps a copy of the forms for internal records.
Dean/Director’s office sends the original forms to via inter-d mail or email to the Cash Management Office (cstdnfnd@bussvc.wisc.edu).
Cash Management processes the request.
Maintaining Petty Cash
Perform and document weekly reconciliations by reconciling to the authorized advanced level.
Replenish petty cash at least every 90 days or sooner, based on activity.
Notify the Dean/Director’s office and Cash Management when there is a change in Custodian and/or Reconciler and prepare applicable Custodian Fund forms.
Respond to Cash Management’s annual review request.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison maintains a series of Custodian Funds, including Change Funds. Change Funds are used by departments that oversee retail operations and cash registers, which require coin/currency handling.
Custodian obtains the NR Number from the NR Number Generator. The NR Number from the NR Number Generator is required on some of the necessary forms for opening a Change Fund.
Custodian composes a Letter of Justification explaining the purpose of the change fund.
Notify the Dean/Director’s office and Cash Management when there is a change in Custodian and/or Reconciler and prepare applicable Custodian Fund forms.
Respond to Cash Management’s annual review request.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison maintains administrative bank accounts for departments within the Division of Business Services. For example, UW–Madison’s main deposit bank account is considered an administrative bank account.
Contact Cash Management via the Custodian Funds email address (cstdnfnd@bussvc.wisc.edu) to discuss the process of setting up an Administrative Bank Account.
The following forms will be required once the set up process is determined with Cash Management: