Business Office
Administrative and business resources
The Graduate School of Management’s Business Office staff is available to assist you with all your administrative business needs. We operate under our department head Assistant Dean James T. Kelly. This talented group handles personnel/payroll, staff recruitment, purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, travel/entertainment reports, out-of-pocket reimbursements and much more. We are located in 2306 Gallagher Hall.
GSM Travel Policy Update: Enhancing Accountability for Travel & Entertainment
Background: The GSM is funded by the California taxpayer and our students, and we always aim to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us to deliver on our research, teaching and service mission. As good stewards, our goal is to achieve the mission in a cost-effective manner, keep our programs as affordable as possible, and maintain records that demonstrate attention to the same.
In addition, UC Davis has recently placed greater emphasis on accountability, and we can expect our travel and entertainment expenses to receive greater scrutiny in future audits. Both to prepare for this additional scrutiny and in keeping with our stewardship, the GSM is introducing the following policy revisions for all travel starting after February 15, 2023.
Increased Accountability
- Receipts are required to reimburse all Travel and Entertainment expenses, including meals and transportation.
- Screenshots are required to support airfare and hotel choices as “least cost” per UCD policy. Prices change, so it is important to have this screenshot from the time of the reservation. “Least cost” does not always mean lowest price, and a brief explanation accompanying the reimbursement request will support that distinction (e.g., a hotel next to a meeting venue that eliminates the need for local travel compared to the lowest price option).
- Reimbursement requests should provide a specific business purpose focused on the intended results. For example, “Lunch with Corporate Partner” is inadequate. For the same instance of entertainment, “Lunch with Blue Diamond EVP of Human Resources to explore interest in Executive Education event on Co-op Governance” is preferred. Supervisors will be responsible for ensuring that all T&E reimbursements have a specific and clearly stated business purpose.
- Ideally, reimbursement requests will be accompanied by supporting materials such as discussion agendas, invitations, etc. These have always been required for employee-only events with entertainment expenses and are now requested for all events with entertainment expenses. For the example above, a good example of a supporting item would be an email confirming the meeting between the employee and the Blue Diamond executive.
Reimbursement Limits
- Alcohol will only be reimbursed as an entertainment expense. “Entertainment” includes events when hosting clients such as alumni, corporate partners, donors, etc. Personal consumption of alcohol when not part of an entertainment event will not be reimbursed by the GSM.
- To ensure equity and reasonableness in tipping, the following are expectations and limits on reimbursement for tipping:
- Table service in a restaurant – 15% to 20% on the pre-tax portion of the bill, assuming that a gratuity is not already included. If a gratuity is automatically included, no additional tip will be reimbursed.
- Full service catered events – 15% to 20% on the pre-tax food and drink portion of the bill when a gratuity is not already included. For full-service catered events, whether at a GSM location or at an external venue, the GSM host should confirm all fees and what they cover before the event. The explanation of these fees should be included in the reimbursement request, especially if an additional tip is paid. The Events Management Team and/or the Business Office can assist with understanding a catering contract and fees.
- Catered Drop Off – the total of any delivery fee and tip should not exceed 10% of the pre-tax charge for food and drink. A “catered” drop off is delivery by the restaurant/caterer that is providing the food and often includes some help with set-up.
- Take-out – No tip/gratuity.
- Delivery by a third-party delivery service (e.g., DoorDash and Grubhub) – No tip/gratuity
Purchasing & Contracting Services
Purchasing Card
Purchasing Card is available to use for items allowed per policy. Total transaction and/or daily vendor amount must be less than $9,999.99 and includes subscriptions, memberships, supplies, computers and peripherals, general office supplies, books and cleaning supplies. Please contact the Business Office with your purchasing request questions.
Purchase Order (PO) and Automatic Purchase Order (APO)
PO and APO can be driven by the dollar amount, commodity codes or vendor type. If a department/campus/system-wide agreement is present, it would fall under an APO. A purchase order (requisition) is required if it meets any of the criteria below:
- Sponsorship Agreement
- Total dollar amount over $9,999.99
- Service (guest speaker, implementation, design, transcribing, surveying, data, installation, etc.)
- Any agreement with terms and conditions requiring a signature, including free or paid cloud-based services
Please allow up to four-to-six weeks for a PO, and up to three business days for an APO.
How do I place an order?
- Obtain written quote from vendor
- Complete
Order Request Form Email to businessoffice@gsm.ucdavis.edu - Business Office will place the order
- You will be notified when items are received
Reminder: Please include account number to avoid delays.
AggieBuy
Many items can be purchased directly via AggieBuy. Vendors available include Apple, CDW-G, Dell, SHI International, Office Depot, Amazon (additional setup required) and Waxie. The full list of vendors is available at: AggieBuy Vendor List.
Honoraria Payment
Honoraria payments are allowed for the following purposes:
- Providing a special lecture or short series of lectures of an academic nature.
- Participation in a seminar or workshop as a speaker, panelist, or as a member of a volunteer board or committee, that furthers the mission of the University.
- A speaking engagement.
- Appraisal of a manuscript for the University Press or an article submitted to a professional publication.
If you would like to pay a speaker and they are not already in the KFS system, they will need to fill out:
Please allow up to 1-2 weeks for vendors to be fully setup, they will receive instruction from the UC Davis Vendor Desk on how to submit a W-9. Please provide a speaker agenda, dollar amount, and account(s) to charge.
Performance Agreement
When hiring a non-employee individual as a performer or actor (e.g., GSM holiday celebration and GSM orientation workshops), you will also need to complete the following forms:
Sponsorship Agreement
Must be completed when the university makes a contribution in support of an event produced by another entity, and the university is receiving a benefit in exchange for the financial contribution (e.g., name/logo on event materials, website, verbal acknowledgement, invitations to attend sponsor events, etc.).
Purchasing & Contracting Services Policies
Administrative Business & Revenue Contracts - 330-05
Direct Deposit
All UC Davis staff should enroll in direct deposit for reimbursements and payroll. There are two enrollment types, reimbursements and payroll. Please be mindful of selecting the correct type when signing up.
Reimbursements
UC policy states that all purchases should go through the proper university purchasing procedures via the Business Office, which will submit the reimbursement request for approval
To request reimbursement for items purchased out of pocket please complete the
Items or services exceeding $499.99 will require
Items can be processed in Aggie Expense as expense type "Professional Expenses."
Business Cards & Name Badges
Business cards are ordered via AggiePrint, the standard Graduate School of Management business card is front 3, back 1.
Our standard/minimum order is 500 cards at $51.50, if a larger quantity is needed please indicate the amount. Additional fee for expedited or rush jobs. Please allow 10-14 business days for delivery.
To request business cards please fill out the form corresponding to your location.
Name badges are ordered through the UC Davis Bookstore and charged at $12.50 plus tax. To place an order fill out:
Delivery of badges can take up to 4 weeks depending on the campus-wide minimum with an external vendor. If a rush is needed there will be additional fees. The Graduate School of Management standard is magnet backing, template 4.
E-mail completed form to businesshelpdesk@gsm.ucdavis.edu
Aggie Expense
Aggie Expense can be accessed at the following link:
https://aggieexpense.ucdavis.edu/
Reminder: Expenses submitted (in routing) after 60 days of the trip or event date will be reported as taxable income to the employee.
Adding Delegates in Aggie Expense
- Log into Aggie Expense using your Kerberos account
- Click on the Profile icon (upper right side of screen)
- Click on the Profile Settings (Please make sure you add your address and email address at this page under Personal Information if it is not already updated)
- Click Add Delegate and add the following individuals:
- Michele Goodman (mlgoodman@ucdavis.edu) “Can Prepare”, “Can View Receipts”, & “Can Approve”
- Steven Escobar (saescobar@ucdavis.edu) “Can Prepare”, “Can View Receipts”, & “Can Approve”
- Dawn May (dmmay@ucdavis.edu) “Can Prepare” & “Can View Receipts”
- Paxtenne Falls-Giese (pkfallsgiese@ucdavis.edu) “Can Prepare” & “Can View Receipts”
- Carlos Azevedo (carazevedo@ucdavis.edu) “Can Prepare” & “Can View Receipts”
- Click “Save” on this page.
Please DO NOT select “Receives Emails”
More information can be found at https://supplychain.ucdavis.edu/travel-entertainment/aggieexpense.
UC Davis Travel & Entertainment Visa Card
This is the preferred method to pay for employees who travel or entertain on behalf of the university. The university-sponsored card does not perform credit checks on employee card holders. Employees should complete the online training and application. The department head with signature authority is James T. Kelly. You will need to obtain the account number from your direct supervisor.
The card program has been in place at UC Davis for more than 10 years and provides convenient access to cash advances and credit for thousands of UC travelers and hosts. It should be used for all travel and entertainment expenses where payment by Visa is allowed, such as airfare, hotel and lodging, car rental and meals. Once used, the transactions import into Aggie Expense, our expense reporting system. By using the card, employees save both time and money for the university, their department approvers and themselves.
It is critical that employees submit T&E Card expenses in a timely manner to avoid late fees, the GSM is not responsible for any late fees on the card. Expenses on the card are attached to a report, along with supporting documentation. Aggie Expense sends a payment to US Bank on behalf of the employee, report approval flow can take anywhere from 10-14 days once it has gone through approvals at the GSM.
If the employee has gone over allowable amounts for meals, lodging, or any other personal amounts such as movie charge in hotel room, conference dinner ticket for spouse, or any other non-business related charges, a direct payment to US Bank will need to be made by the employee. Please note, repeat offenders of accidental non-business related charges may lose the ability to hold a T&E Card. Employee is responsible for making the payment to the card directly by calling the number on the back of the card.
For additional information on policy, reconciliation and best practices, please visit: UC Davis Visa Travel Card.
Travel
Domestic travel is defined as travel within the lower 48 U.S. states, also known as CONUS, or continental United States. In general, you will be on the right track if you do everything possible to ensure the optimal use of university funds. There are three types of business travel expenses that can be reimbursed by the university:
Travel Reimbursement Request Form must be filled out, include receipts, copy of conference/seminar program and detailed business purpose of the trip.
- Transportation: Transportation expenses should be reimbursed for the most economical mode of travel on the most commonly traveled route consistent with the authorized purpose of the trip.
- Subsistence: Charges for lodging and meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) must be ordinary and necessary to accomplish the official business purpose of the trip.
- Miscellaneous: Expenses that fall into neither the transportation nor subsistence categories but are ordinary and necessary to accomplish the official business purpose of the trip.
Car rental
Request a compact, economy or intermediate model unless a no-cost upgrade is offered. Use of higher cost model will require exceptional approval. Use of UC Davis pre-negotiated agreements is highly encouraged.
Conference/Training Registration
Use your UC Travel Visa card to pay for any conference or training registration fees, even if there are no other travel expenses. For any conferences hosted by University of California please contact the Business Office for a IOC transaction.
Connexxus
Secured web portal with access to UC’s Systemwide Travel Program comprehensive rates and benefits for all those affiliated with UC. The travel team at the UC Office of the President negotiates discounts and rewards with major airlines, hotel properties, car rental companies, rail and travel agencies on behalf of all of UC Regents. Connexxus is accessed through the Company Notes section of Aggie Expense. UC Davis Travel card and CTS transactions for travel services booked through agencies found within Connexxus import directly into Aggie Expense for trip expense reporting.
Ground transportation
Ground transportation includes all forms of non-air transportation, including car rentals, taxis, personal cars, trains and buses.
Lodging
Expenses may be claimed up to $275 per night (not including taxes and fees), with required receipts. Travel policy limits lodging nightly rates to a maximum of $275 per night when traveling in the lower 48 states for less than 30 days. If requesting reimbursement for more than this limit, please complete this form. Submit completed form along with backup documentation to: businessoffice@gsm.ucdavis.edu. The business office will obtain the necessary signature from James Kelly, Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration.
Meal Reimbursement and Incidentals
Meal reimbursement for travel less than 30 days to the lower 48 states is limited to $79 per day. Meal reimbursement is NOT per diem and should only be claimed for the amount of actual expenses, not to exceed $79.00. Travelers should not pay for other travelers' meals. There must be an overnight stay to claim meal reimbursement.
*Receipts required for all meals regardless of dollar amount.
Non-Employee Travel
Guests of the university must also follow University of California travel policies. Please check with your employee/faculty sponsor as to what amount has been agreed upon for reimbursement.
For additional information when traveling as a guest of UC Davis Graduate School of Management please see:
Please complete PDF and return to employee/faculty sponsor and they will approve and forward to the Business Office for processing.
Hotel Agreements
If your guest is staying locally, UC Davis has negotiated rates with local hotels. Please use Preferred Booking Program by completing the
and emailing to businessoffice@gsm.ucdavis.edu. Once booking is confirmed, you will be provided a confirmation for your visitor.
Hotel rates are non-published for rate information please contact the hotel directly using the link above.
Tax & Reporting Compliance
Travel reimbursements are considered nontaxable to employees because of the University’s accountable plan for employee reimbursements. One of the requirements for an accountable plan is for timely substantiation of expenses. When an employee reimbursement is not substantiated timely, the reimbursement migrates to being treated as a non-accountable plan reimbursement. All reimbursements under non-accountable plans are treated as wages (imputed income) and the burden to determine any tax deductibility is transferred to the employee. The explicit timeline in the UCOP policy and IRS code is 45 days. However, there is a section under the safe-harbor IRS language that allows us to use the 60 day mark.
If you have a received a notice please contact Diane Davies Conley
UC Davis Travel Policies
Travel Regulations - Policy G-28
Entertainment
To be considered entertainment, an event should have a guest-host relationship. Official guests attend an event, at the invitation of a UC Davis host, for a valid business purpose. In general, the University will not pay for or reimburse costs for meals taken with individual colleagues at the same work location unless the participants were unable to accomplish the business purpose during working hours. University policy does not permit reimbursement when two or more employees choose to go to lunch together to continue their business as an incidental part of the meal, when the meal is of a reciprocal nature, or when the meeting could have been scheduled during regular working hours.
must be completed, include a detailed business purpose, list of names & affiliation and receipts (including itemized and charge slip).
Allowable Expenses Include
Costs for meals or light refreshments and related services* incurred in connection with events that are primarily business activities in support of the university’s mission.
- Hosting a conference, donor fundraising meetings, prospective donor and/or spouse (requires additional approval).
- Student orientations, student commencements, academic research events.
- Prospective faculty and other specialized positions.
Meal Allowances
The following rates pertain to people being entertained and the university employee who is the official host. If expenditures will exceed these limits, additional approvals and documentation will need to be completed, and the excess may not be approved.
Maximum per person, by meal: These amounts include food, beverage, tax, tip, service and delivery charges.
- Breakfast: $31
- Lunch: $54
- Dinner: $94
- Light Refreshments: $22
Hotel Agreements
If you are hosting a conference or visitor, UC Davis has negotiated rates with local hotels. Please use Preferred Booking Program by completing the
Email form to businessoffice@gsm.ucdavis.edu. Once booking is confirmed, you will be provided a confirmation for your visitor.
Hotel rates are non-published for rate information please contact the hotel directly using the link above.
UC Davis Entertainment Policies
Expenditures for Business Meetings, Entertainment, and Other Occasions – Policy BUS-79.
Training and Resources
Various modules and resources are available at: Travel & Entertainment Training
How to allocate an account: Allocate account
How to adhoc route to supervisor: Adhoc route
Forms
Purchasing Related Forms
Used when requesting purchase request.
Used when item over $499.99 is paid out of pocket or when services were rendered before a APO/PO was issued.
Used when supply was paid out of pocket on behalf of the Graduate School of Management.
Used when a new vendor needs to be added or an individual providing services.
Used when an individual is providing a service. It is used to determine correct way to hire (i.e., purchasing contract vs. employment). To be completed by Graduate School of Management employee.
Used for performance services, can be obtained by departments without going through Procurement & Contracting Services if this form is properly completed and attached to your KFS document.
Used when working with vendors to draft a scope of work agreement.
Used when the university makes a contribution to support an event by another entity.
UC Policy BUS-43 requires that all non-construction and non-federally funded purchases between ≥$10,000 and ≤$250,000 annually (excluding tax but including shipping) that cannot be procured via an existing strategically sourced agreement, must be awarded to a certified Small Business (SB) or Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE), wherever practicable.
Sole source justifications are rare and are only applicable when one supplier is the exclusive option for a needed product or service, for transactions $10k or higher, when there is no existing agreement or purchase through AggieBuy, and for purchases under the UC Small Business First Program.
Travel and Entertainment Related Forms
Used when receipt is missing or insufficient. This form cannot be used for airfare, registration or lodging.
Used when submitting travel-related reimbursement items to the Business Office for processing. Please include required receipts.
Used when submitting entertainment-related reimbursement items to the Business Office for processing. Please include required receipts, attach a list of names & affiliation, agenda if available.
Used when requesting a PBP (formally CTS) lodging stay for a Graduate School of Management–affiliated visitor.
Used when requesting a reimbursement for a supply items paid out of pocket.
Used for Non-Employee travel guidelines and travel reimbursement request form.
Used to request exception of exceeding the $275.00 lodging limit. Please complete entire form and provide supporting documentation if applicable.
Tax Forms
The W-8BEN is a required document when making Non-U.S. Source Income payments to a Nonresident Alien (NRA); these are payments when the services performed are (1) performed by a NRA, and (2) are performed outside the United States. For details on Non-U.S. Source Income payments.
501C3 Exempt Status
2019 Withholding Exemption Certificate
Completed form to provide to University Payees upon request.
To be completed by individual or business who is providing goods or services to the University.