Fiscal PoliciesJohn P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine

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• Prior approval must be obtained through the McGovern Academy to avoid not being reimbursed for personal expenditures. Purchase Orders should be used if at all possible.
• All orders for books, office supplies, medical supplies/apparatus, lab equipment, electronic equipment, vaccines, medication, etc. must be ordered through the Academy.
  
• The Academy procurement credit card (P-card) may be used for other miscellaneous items purchased from Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Target, etc. P-card must be obtained from the Academy office with additional instructions to follow.
• The purchase of electronic equipment or a medical apparatus ≥ $500.00/item is prohibited.
• Any personal reimbursements will take the form of either a check mailed to your home address or direct deposit. Each student declares their preference with Enrollment Services during SOM orientation.
• Be advised, Texas state sales taxes cannot be reimbursed with the exception of purchases made online.  

Receipt Requirements:

Itemized receipts are required for all expenditures and must include the name of the place the purchase was made, itemized list of what was purchased including the cost of each item, and proof of purchase being the last 4 digits of the card used. If there is no proof of purchase on the receipt or further documentation is needed, you may be asked to provide a copy of your bank statement showing the name of your bank, the last 4 digits of the card used, and the purchase. 

• Before any online purchase is made, check with the Academy office for using the P-card or to make sure the expense is reimbursable. Submit original or scanned receipts to the McGovern Academy, mcacadem@utmb.edu.
• Students will be reimbursed for sales tax (if paid out-of-pocket) on online purchases ONLY.
• Online purchases MUST be shipped directly to the Academy offices using the following address: UTMB-McGovern Academy, 205 13th St, Galveston, TX 77550-2653.
• The Academy can only make direct purchases if the supplier is in the UTMB Vendor Database. If not, the student is responsible for notifying the Academy office for further instructions.
• Any personal reimbursements will take the form of either a check mailed to your home address or direct deposit. Each student declares their preference with Enrollment Services during SOM orientation.

Receipt Requirements:

Itemized receipts are required for all expenditures and must include the name of the place the purchase was made, itemized list of what was purchased including the cost of each item, and proof of purchase being the last 4 digits of the card used. If there is no proof of purchase on the receipt or further documentation is needed, you may be asked to provide a copy of your bank statement showing the name of your bank, the last 4 digits of the card used, and the purchase. 

• All food/drink orders MUST be direct billed. No food purchases/reimbursements for anyone attending online meetings.
• RSVP's (with first and last names) MUST be collected prior to placing a pick-up or delivery order. The list of RSVP's should be forwarded to the McGovern Academy (mcacadem@utmb.edu) prior to the event, as well as a sign-in sheet (to include first & last names) verifying the number of attendees afterward. This does not apply to orders being placed simultaneously by a group patronizing a restaurant.
• For groups patronizing a restaurant, a sign-in sheet (to include first & last name) at the time of the event must be forwarded to the Academy following the event.
• The maximum limits for meals are: ≤$20.00/person for breakfast, ≤$30.00/person for lunch, and ≤$60.00/person for dinner. This amount includes food, drinks, tax and gratuity. Only one (1) entree per person is allowed.
• Alcohol purchases/reimbursements are not permitted and will be at the individual's own expense.
  
• There is no comprehensive list of restaurants that direct bill to UTMB. If your desired venue is not listed, please check with the Academy office. Click here for a list of restaurants the Academy frequently does business with.   
• Once an establishment is decided upon, please contact the management to determine what they specifically require for the direct bill process (e.g., an authorization letter, banquet event order, etc.). The Academy office will work with you to provide the necessary paperwork.
• Be advised, UTMB will only authorize a maximum of 20% on gratuity. Any amount over 20% will be the responsibility of the student.
• We highly encourage the patronage of the UTMB's Open Gates Conference Center, located at 24th & Sealy. This beautiful Victorian venue offers private dining which also includes AV/conference capabilities. Meals are provided by UTMB Catering.
  

• The purchase of gift cards/certificates is prohibited. In accordance with the Internal Revenue Code, gift cards/certificates are equivalent to cash. Failure to comply with the intent of the Internal Revenue Code could result in UTMB incurring substantial tax and penalty assessments in the event of an IRS audit. As per Provost Administration, the Office of Institutional Compliance and UTMB’s Legal Affairs, the purchase of gift cards is not an endowment appropriate expense. Similarly, UTMB is prohibited from donating funds to another governmental or private entity.
• All gift cards/certificates must be donated from a source external to UTMB.
• Any donated gift cards that have not been distributed will be kept in the McGovern Academy offices to ensure proper security and to protect from theft and loss.
• Prizes, gifts and awards in the form of cash or gift certificates, regardless of dollar value, are taxable.

• It is unlawful for the McGovern Academy, or its subsidiaries, to make a monetary donation to an individual or organization. Tangibles, however, can be purchased by an individual on their behalf.
• The purchase of electronic equipment or medical apparatus ≥ $500.00/item is prohibited.
• Transferring funds between departments to satisfy community service requirements is highly discouraged and can only be performed under certain preconditions. Contact the Academy office for additional detail.
• Written receipt of goods should be obtained from organization benefiting from the donation.
  

• All contracts and Banquet Event Orders must be reviewed and approved by UTMB's Department of Legal Affairs or the Department of Purchasing. Students, faculty, nor staff can enter into a legally binding agreement on behalf of the UTMB. If you are asked to sign a contract while working with a vendor when organizing an activity, please forward to the Academy (mcacadem@utmb.edu) as soon as possible.

• Please be aware that "raffles" are prohibited by the institution pursuant to the Texas Charitable Raffle Enabling Act. You may, however, offer "door prizes" that are presented to anyone in attendance by a drawing, but no purchase of a ticket for a "raffle" is allowed. Donations to gain access to an event are acceptable, but you cannot ask someone to purchase a ticket for a "raffle." Gift items purchased as a door prize cannot exceed $50.00 in value.

• T-shirt orders will be handled through the McGovern Academy office. Designs must be approved by the UTMB Marketing Department. The use of any UTMB logos on apparel is prohibited. Please forward the design templates to the Academy office to assist with this process.
• Once design approval is obtained, the Academy office staff will assist in placing the order.
• Upon completion of the order, students will be required to pick up the T-shits and send a confirmation via email to the Academy confirming the correct number of shirts ordered were received & the work was done to your satisfaction.
• The deadline to place T-shirt orders is May 1st in order for the printing process and billing to be completed by the end of the fiscal year.

• ALL travelers must seek advance approval to travel when utilizing UTMB resources. (IHOP 04.03.01)
  • International travelers must follow additional steps that require processing AND approval through the International Travel Request process. This process is administered through the Office of the Provost and can be found here. It is highly recommended that this process be started, at minimum, 6 weeks prior to proposed departure date. Without this approval, in writing, your reimbursement will NOT be processed.
  • For information on international travel restrictions, please refer to: https://www.utmb.edu/accounts-payable/travel.
• The utilization of a contracted Travel Agency is required for all UTMB employees. A contracted agency is highly recommended, but not required, for students making their own reservations. (IHOP 04.03.01 and 07.01.04)
• UTMB will only reimburse for stays at lodging establishments which have been certified by the US General Services Administration (GSA) as Fire Safe Hotels.  (i.e., Air B&B/VRBO stays will NOT be reimbursed)  
• Travelers must minimize the amount of travel expenses reimbursed by ensuring that each travel arrangement is the most cost-effective considering all relevant circumstances. (Texas Government Code Section 660.007 and 41 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Chapters 300 through 304))
• All funding requests require a narrative budget proposal, not to exceed 500-words. For more details, go to the McGovern Academy's Spending Guidelines.
• Airfare, mileage, lodging, meals, and incidental expenses are reimbursable.
• Retrospective reimbursements are not allowed.

Receipt requirements:

• Itemized receipts are required for all expenditures with the exception of meals when the actual expense incurred does not exceed the locality based maximum rates, which can be found here.
• Lodging receipts are ALWAYS required. Lodging receipts must show the name and address of the commercial lodging establishment, the name of the traveler, a daily itemization of the lodging charges, and proof of payment. All rates must be at the single room rate.
• Airfare receipt or e-ticket is ALWAYS required, apart from direct billed flights. The receipt or e-ticket must show the name of the airline, name of the traveler, ticket number, class of transportation, origin and destination of each flight, fare basis code, dates of travel, amount of the airfare, and method of payment.