Policies & Procedures

NOTE: This is the preferred method of purchasing and is required for any merchant listed on UT Market.

If ordering from UT Market, create a shopping cart with the item(s) needed first and then assign the cart to the ASE/EM staff purchaser. The person who created the cart will receive emails as the cart is processed and approved. The upside to using UT Market is convenience and better pricing (contract items are lower than on a vendor’s website). There are several vendors, such as Grainger, DigiKey, and MSC, offering items in different areas, such as computer and lab supplies. Download the UT Market Approved Vendors document for a complete list. Office supplies should be purchased through UT Market-Today’s Business Solutions.

A quote from the vendor is required for all purchase orders. The quote should include the vendor’s contact information (address, phone number, name of contact person and email address), a description of each item including part/stock #, price per item, quantity needed, shipping/delivery charges, F.O.B. and Lead Time. A vendor’s quote will normally include these things. Download the Point Plus Approved Vendors document for a list. 

Please note: the University operates with a Net 30 payment. No partial or pre-payments are allowed. When approved, the ASE/EM staff purchaser will email a copy of the purchase order to the vendor and the person who submitted the request. Access the online Purchase Request System.

To purchase from an online vendor, please email your request to the ASE/EM purchaser and include direct link(s) to each item(s) being requested in the body of the email. The link should take them directly to the item and not just the vendor’s website. This ensures the correct item is ordered. Please include quantity, size and color (if applicable) in your request.

Orders from a vendor that the University has not worked with will require vendor setup and can take 1-2 weeks.

For orders over $15,000, additional information will be needed. See Solicitation Procedures, Purchasing Process of the UT Handbook of Business Procedures.

Incoming and outgoing packages require shipping label forms for both domestic and international shipping. The form must be filled out completely. Please allow a minimum of 60-90 minutes to complete domestic requests and 120 minutes for international requests. Save the completed label and send it to the ASE/EM purchaser.

Domestic Shipping Label Forms
Outgoing ASE/EM Shipment Information
Incoming ASE/EM Shipment Information

International Shipping Label Forms
Outgoing ASE/EM Shipment Information
Incoming ASE/EM Shipment Information

Receiving Address
The University of Texas at Austin
Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics
2617 Wichita Street, ASE 2.232 / C0600
Austin, TX 78712

Any computer, printer, accessories, or software orders should be sent to Jeremy McNiel, Senior IT Manager. When he receives your request, he will review it to be sure it meets UT guidelines, is compatible with what the department already has, and includes everything needed.   

A student submitting a purchase request for a professor will need to include an email with the professor’s approval before the order can be placed.

The department’s process for purchasing printed materials, including t-shirts, is:

• Find a vendor on the approved licensed vendor list and get a quote. The department has used Austin Screen Printing, which is on the approved vendor list.
• Send the proposed design in PDF format (front and back of the shirt), in a single PDF document, to the ASE-EM purchaser, along with vendor name, a contact name and email, quote, and details (exact quantity, colors used, purpose, etc.).
• The Department will submit to the UT Office of Brand, Trademarks and Licensing.
• Once approved by Trademarks and Licensing, the order will be sent to the vendor. The vendor will communicate directly with the contact name provided.

NOTE: Please allow two weeks for approval by Trademarks and Licensing.

Payment for meals is reimbursed only for official visitors, including prospective faculty and invited lecturers, and other official occasions as defined above. The Cockrell School has established the average per‐person reimbursement limits for meals (See below). Departments may establish lower reimbursement limits.

The meal limits include tax and tip (up to 20% of the pretax subtotal) regardless of the account used for payment. The “No Sales Tax” rule does not apply when you are eating at a restaurant, but does for takeout or catered events. Tax is not reimbursable for takeout or catered events. In such cases, a University of Texas Tax Exempt Form must be given to the vendor.

Meal limits per person:
Breakfast: $25/person
Lunch: $30/person
Dinner/Reception: $75/person

Expenses for alcohol may not be the primary expenditure submitted for reimbursement, that is, greater than 50% of the total expense. In general, alcohol expenses will not be reimbursed except in development meetings with donors or prospective donors. The justification for alcohol only reimbursement must be documented on the Official Occasion Expense Form.

Attendees at faculty recruiting meals should be limited to the number who can reasonably interact with the faculty candidate. Meals generally should involve no more than four people (the candidate and three faculty members) or a total of six people if inclusion of spouses is justified.

Reimbursement for spouses or guests at a business meeting or meal is almost always not appropriate. There are special circumstances that allow reimbursement, such as during recruiting visits, provided the faculty recruit brings his/her own spouse or guest. Reimbursements for children are not appropriate, except for justified development purposes.

Reimbursement for alcohol is not allowed on any student recruiting visits.

Meals with colleagues and/or staff are almost always not reimbursable expenses. However, there may be special circumstances that justify reimbursement. For example, if a meeting must occur during the lunch hour because the conflicting schedules of the participants prevent the meeting at any other time, this expense is reimbursable.

For more information, please consult the Handbook of Business Procedures.

A Request for Travel Authorization (RTA) is required for all business travel, whether or not there is a cost to the university.

Your domestic RTA must be submitted at least two weeks prior to departure via the Request Form System. Your international travel RTA should be submitted at least five weeks prior to departure to allow for completion of all related requirements. See the International Travel section for more information.

Please assign the online form to the department administrative group (Group 00071) or your research group administrator.

If classes are to be missed, please refer to the Faculty Travel Policy. Any faculty travel (business or personal) that results in a missed class must have an associated RTA. 

A 10-digit account number must be provided on each request. If there is no cost to UT, please select the “No Cost to UT” box.

PI approval must be attached to any student requests, including graduate student employees. For student trips requiring insurance, there is a 45-day lead time. Please allow enough time for the approval process, and when in doubt, submit an RTA.

A submitted Faculty Travel Grant (FTG) must be on file prior to submission of the online request form if FTG funds will be used. It is recommended that the FTG application is submitted as soon as travel plans are arranged, but please allow a minimum of two weeks prior to travel for processing and approval. 

Please document the use of an FTG in request notes, and enter the information provided by the Dean’s office in accounts when submitting the travel authorization request.

Faculty making travel reservations should submit a travel request to Anthony Travel.

Student travel not affiliated with a student organization should use Concur for travel arrangements.

Please address any questions or changes to your travel plans with the travel administrator prior to making your arrangements.

All International travel must be registered in the International Travel Registry with Texas Global every time you travel internationally. This is a longstanding UT policy, and is included in full below. Registration must be completed by the traveler prior to requesting travel authorization, and uploaded with your Travel Authorization Request; administrative staff will not complete the registration on your behalf.

International travel policy for faculty and staff is provided in full on the Texas Global website. Please contact ase-support@utexas.edu or your research group administrator with any questions. 

When traveling internationally, the department strongly recommends that you put these emergency contact numbers in your phone:

• Dedicated UT System Phone: +1 978-651-9722 (can call collect from anywhere in the world* via a landline)
  • When dialing internationally, we recommend asking the operator to stay on the line with you until you are connected to On Call.
• Toll-Free From the U.S. or Canada: +1 833-328-1091
• 24/7 Live Chat: www.oncallinternational.com/chat/direct
• Email: mail@oncallinternational.com
• Text Only: +1 844-302-5131

If you are traveling abroad with any equipment owned by UT Austin, you must complete the TMP License Exemption form and carry a copy with you while traveling. Please note: this form does not require approval by UT Austin; it is self-effectuating upon your completion and signature of the document.

All university employees (including graduate student employees) traveling on official university business to a country of concern (China, including Hong Kong and Macau, Russia, Iran, or North Korea) are required to utilize a university provided loaner laptop while on official travel. For additional information please contact the Office of Research Support and Compliance via sas@austin.utexas.edu.

If you have to cancel any travel reservations, including vehicle rental, notify ase-support@utexas.edu or your research group administrator immediately, so penalties are not incurred.

Please notify ase-support@utexas.edu or your research group administrator of any changes to itinerary so that they can be properly documented.

Reimbursement should be submitted within two business days of return via the Request Form System. To submit your reimbursement, you will need:

1) Approved Travel Authorization Request number

2) Itemized receipts for costs incurred on travel, including: airfare, taxis/Uber, hotel, conference registration, tolls, parking, etc. All receipts must be itemized and show proof of purchase. Each receipt will be entered as a separate line item.

The department processes up to $51.00 per diem for all meals; no meal receipts are required for reimbursement.

Travelers will only be reimbursed for their own expenditures, not for expenditures incurred by other individuals.

Notes

• Ensure that you set up non-payroll payments under My Bank Information.
• Reimbursement for Texas hotel state sales tax is not allowed. If traveling within Texas, present the Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Certificate upon check-in to have the state tax removed. City sales tax can be reimbursed.
• Tips can be calculated only up to 20% of the pretax subtotal.
• When seeking reimbursement for a hotel, a “zero hotel bill” is required, indicating that the account has been paid.
• Reimbursements must be processed within 30 days of the last day of travel. Requests submitted after 30 days require explicit justification in request notes and ASE/EM leadership approval. Timing of reimbursements is regulated by the IRS.
• For car mileage reimbursement, an online mapping tool is required for a round-trip to and from your destination. When using state funds, MAPQUEST is required.
• Please contact the travel administrator if you have questions regarding your reimbursement.

For more detailed information on travel reimbursement, you may go to the Handbook of Business Procedures.