FAQ
FAQ
We have listed below some of the most frequently asked questions to the Business Office. Links included throughout the answers will guide you to further information on our website or to other sources. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.
General
- Who is my fund manager?
- What is the Universal Form (U-Form)?
- How do I check the status of a vendor payment?
- What are PAN notices?
Purchasing
- What are my options for buying goods?
- What are my options for buying services?
- Where can I find a list of vendor agreements the University has?
- How do I fax an LVO or purchase order to my vendor?
- How do I hire an independent contractor or consultant?
- How do I have a purchasing contract signed?
- How do I order a computer?
- How do I purchase postage?
Travel
- What business-related travel expenses are payable with University funds?
- How do I pay for business-related travel expenses?
Entertainment
- What entertainment expenses are payable with University funds?
- How do I pay for business-related entertainment expenses?
- What are the entertainment meal limit amounts?
- How do I hire an entertainer?
Reimbursement
- How do I avoid paying out of pocket for expenses?
- How do I request a reimbursement for out of pocket expenses?
Fund Management
- How do I check my fund balances?
- How do I review my general ledgers?
- How do I review my open commitment ledgers?
- How do I review my recharge activity reports?
General FAQs
Q: Who is my fund manager?
A: Visit this link to find out who is your department unit's fund manager.
Q: What is the Universal Form (U-Form)?
A: The Universal Form (also known as the U-Form) is an internal Anderson School Business Office document. All expense requests must be submitted with a U-Form. Click here for instructions on how to complete the form.
Q: How do I check the status of a vendor payment?
A: The status of vendor payments can be obtained through the BruinBuy system. Click here for instructions on system access. Note that you will need to have the LVO or purchase order number in order to review payment status.
Q: What are PAN notices?
A: The Post Authoriztion Notification (PAN) process is a web based system established to review financial transactions posted to the general ledgers. PAN notices are generated when financial transactions are posted to the general ledgers. Those assigned to be mandatory reviewersof PANs must log on to the PAN system and review their notifications within 2 business days of receipt (click here for log on instructions). Those assigned to be non-mandatory reviewers of PANs receive notifications via email.
Purchasing
Q: What are my options for buying goods?
A: The University provides several options to buy goods from outside vendors. Please visit our Buying Goods section to learn details about each option and the steps for completing a purchase.
Q: What are my options for buying services?
A: Please visit our Buying Services section to learn details about buying services from outside vendors.
Q: Where can I find a list of vendor agreement the University has?
A: Please visit the UCLA Purchasing website to view a list of UCLA vendor agreements. To find out general information about the agreements, please visit our Commodity Agreement section.
Q: How do I fax an LVO or purchase order to my vendor?
A: The BruinBuy system can be used to fax LVOs and purchase orders directly to vendors. Click here for instructions on how to submit a fax request.
Q: How do I hire an independent contractor or consultant?
A: When hiring an independent contractor or consultant, departments must provide several pieces of documentation to ensure compliance with UC policy. Please visit our Contractors section for a summary of the required documentation and other important information.
Q: How do I have a purchasing contract signed?
A: The UCLA Purchasing department has sole responsibility and authority to sign all contracts and agreements. Please visit our Purchase Order and Buying Services sections for additional information.
Q: How do I order a computer?
A: UCLA has implemented a supplier alliance with KST Data Inc. which allows departments to purchase computers at a low cost. Please visit the ACIS Computer Ordering website for a current list of approved desktops and laptops for UCLA Anderson use. Note that ACIS must approve all computer orders before the Business Office can process your request.
Q: How do I purchase postage?
A: All purchases of postage for the US Postal Service must be obtained through UCLA Mail Services, located in the Strathmore Building. To purchase stamps, please call (310) 206-4262to place an order, or mail your request to Stamp Sales, 555 Westwood Plaza, Level B, Mailcode 136108. For both methods, a completed and signed Recharge Order Request Form (P39) must be provided to Mail Services.
The purchase of postage for University business using personal funds is not allowed under UC policy. For more information, please see UCLA Mail Policy 310.
Travel
Q: What business-related travel expenses are payable with University funds?
A: UCOP G-28 policy dictates most of the policies and regulations governing what travel expenses can be paid with University funds. Travelers should consider costs in all cases when making service choices while on travel for the University. Expenses must be necessary to the official business purpose of the trip to qualify for reimbursement. Please visit our Travel section for further details relating to each travel expense type.
Q: How do I pay for business-related travel expenses?
A: Most travel expenses must be incurred by the traveler and reimbursed after the trip completion. The UCLA Travel Express system is used to process all travel reimbursement requests. Please visit our Travel section for information on the travel reimbursement process and the required documentation to be provided for each travel expense type.
Entertainment
Q: What entertainment expenses are payable with University funds?
A: Entertainment expenditures are expenditures for meals or light refreshments and related services (e.g., labor charges, room rental, equipment rental, decorations, flowers, and similar expenditures) incurred in connection with events that are primarily social or recreational activities in support of the University's mission. Such activities must support an underlying University business purpose such as promoting goodwill, donor cultivation, etc. Please visit our Entertainment section for additional details.
Q: How do I pay for University related entertainment expenses?
A: Payment for entertainment related expenses can be made directly to vendors or personally reimbursed. Both methods require an approved University business purpose and a list of attendees to be submitted. Please visit our Entertainment section for a summary of the required documentation and other important information.
Q: What are the entertainment meal limit amounts?
A: The current entertainment meal allowance per person are:
Breakfast - $26
Lunch - $45
Dinner - $78
Light Refreshment - $18
Note these amounts include the cost of the food and beverage, labor, sales tax, deliveray charges, and other service fees. If a reception before a meal includes beverages and hors d'oeuvres, the reception and the meal should be treated as a single event when calculating costs. The costs of room rental, room setup fees, media rental, decorations, etc., are not included in the per-person cost calculation. Please visit our Entertainment section for additional details.
Q: How do I hire an entertainer?
A: Submit a completed Performance Agreement and Universal Form to your Business Office Fund Manager. After review of the documentation, the Fund Manager will forward the Performance Agreement to UCLA Insurance and Risk Management for approval. Note that agreements must be approved prior to services being performed. Please visit our Buying Services section for general information.
Reimbursement
Q: How do I avoid paying out of pocket for expenses?
A: Purchases on behalf of the University should be made using approved methods of purchasing (e.g. strategic sourcing agreements, blanket orders, requisitions, LVOs, and Pcard). Please visit our Buying Goods and Buying Services sections for additional information.
Q: How do I request a reimbursement for out of pocket expenses?
A: Per UCLA Policy 741, reimbursements are limited to $500 per transaction for purchases other than travel, entertainment, and conference registrations. Travel and entertainment are covered in UC Policies G-28 (Travel) and Bus-79 (Entertainment). Purchases above $500 should be made using approved methods of purchasing (e.g. strategic sourcing agreements, blanket orders, requisitions, LVOs, and Pcard). Reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses should be requested on a Universal Form. All original receipts and related support must be attached and submitted to your Business Office fund manager. Note that it takes approximately three to four weeks for reimbursements to be received.
Fund Management
Q: How do I check my fund balances?
A: See our fund balances reference guide.
Q: How do I review my general ledgers?
A: See our ledgers review reference guide.
Q: How do I review my open commitment ledgers?
A: See our open commitments reference guide.
Q: How do I review my recharge activity reports?
A: See our recharge activity reference guide.
Updated 2/1/2013