Purchases
Whenever possible, procurement of goods and services should be made through the BuySite purchasing system. However, there are occasions when that is not a viable option (e.g. the vendor/item is not in our purchasing system, materials for University business are needed immediately or on a time-sensitive basis). There are also some goods and services which are often not paid for via purchase orders, such as:
- Advertising
- Article Reprints/Copyright fees
- Books, Guides, Instructional Manuals
- Business Luncheon & Dinner Meeting Expenses
- Computer Software & Computer Online Services
- Conference Registration Fees
- Corporate Payments: Employment & Real Estate Taxes, Insurance Premiums,
- Employee Professional Development
- Freight Charges, excluding Federal Express
- License Fees and Dues
- Membership Fees and Dues
- Photocopy expenses
- Postage
- Subscriptions to Newspapers and Magazines
- University Sponsored Event expenses
For these kinds of purchases a personal reimbursement request should be filed through GEMS for faculty and staff, Shared Services for students.
Non-travel related personal reimbursements paid out-of-pocket, or with a GEMS card, are limited to $500 or less per reimbursement. If a particular case requires a large purchase, please consult with your Business Manager for guidance. GEMS card holders who are authorized to conduct procurement activities are limited to $5,000 for a single purchase. The University has a rule prohibiting purchasing on one receipt any one item that totals over $500 and requesting reimbursement (all travel arrangements being the notable exception). https://policies.uchicago.edu/financial-policies/policy-1201-authority-and-responsibility-for-procuring-goods-and-services/
Note: There is a $10,000 credit limit on the GEMS card during any given billing period. Please submit expenses and reports for processing to keep this limit
Any goods or services that the University provides reimbursement for becomes the sole property of the University.
Division of Social Sciences Fiscal Year 2022 Allowable Expenses
| General Purchases Checklist | Yes | No | Notes |
| Business Meals/Catering | X | ||
| Computers & Accessories | |||
| Mouse & Pad, Keyboard & Pad, Chargers, Headphones, Microphones, Webcams, Tablets/Laptops/Monitors | X | Please contact Bart Longacre at sscs-support@lists.uchicago.edu if planning to upgrade or buy a computer/laptop. Required to be purchased through the Social Sciences Computing Services |
|
| Printers/Scanners | X | ||
| Conferences | X | ||
| Entertainment/Events/Social Activity | X | ||
| Gifts / Incentives | X | Gift cards up to $25 for employees (acceptable occasions for gifts: medical reason, death of family member, retirement, departure from UofC). For non-employees, up to $100 (i.e. honorariums). This does not include incentives for human subjects, which are allowable. | |
| Memberships Renewal of existing memberships/New Memberships | X | New Memberships Contingent of Dean’s Office approval. | |
| Field Supplies & Equipment | X | ||
| Office Supplies | X | Pens/Pencil/Highlighters/Paper/Notebooks/ Sticky notes/Printer Ink/Calculator/Binder Clips/Paper Clips/Ring Binders/Etc. | |
| Office Furniture | X | Chairs/File Cabinets/Shredder/Desk; Includes standing desk, and repairs. Please contact David Guyer at daguyer@outlook.com for assistance with office furniture. | |
| Other | |||
| Private worksite locations | X | ||
| Home expenses: utilities, cable, internet, insurance, security, maintenance | X | Includes routers, modems, hotspots, access fees, and other related equipment and/or services | |
| Mobile/Cell phones | X | University policy update as of 11/2/2020 – University issued mobile phones will no longer be supported for faculty/staff employees. | |
| Home renovations/modifications | X | ||
| Maintenance/repairs associated with personally owned items | X | ||
| Professional Development | X | ||
| Services | |||
| Existing maintenance/service agreements for office equipment | X | ||
| Services directly related to research | X | ||
| Livery Transportation/Car Rental | X |
To learn more about allowable expenses, please contact your assigned Business Manager or the SSD LBC at SSD-LBC@uchicago.edu, and the Business Manager assigned to your accounts will get in touch with you within two business days.