Policies and Procedures Handbook for Sponsored Student Organizations of Recreational Sports
All expenses from University accounts must be approved via Purchase Requests. Once a purchase request is submitted, Sport Club staff will typically respond within 72 hours with further instructions. Those instructions will depend on the method of payment (see below). All purchases are are completed by submitting an itemized receipt within 72 hours of the transaction.
Sport Clubs may not make purchases with the intent of University reimbursement without the prior approval of Sport Club Staff. The reimbursement process is painstakingly long and avoidable. Plan ahead. Only in an emergency will reimbursements be considered, and the emergency should be communicated to Sport Club Staff during the incident(s).
Possible Methods of Payment
- CitiBank State of Texas Procurement Card (Pro Card): MasterCard in Bridget Tasker's name that may be used for purchase of goods under $4,500.00.
- Requires purchase appointment.
- If an invoice must be paid over the phone, you may request that Sport Club staff call for you in your purchase request.
- We are not permitted to use the Pro Card on services.
- Requires purchase appointment.
- Purchase Order (PO): University's standard terms and conditions used to procure goods and services from various vendors. Can be used on any transaction. Must be used for transactions over $4,499.99.
- No appointment necessary, but may be required to collect info.
- CitiBank Student Group Travel Card (Travel Card): MasterCards in name for each club that may be used for official occasion (approved events & travel) expenses.
- Requires purchase appointment.
- Contract Service Agreements: Used for procurement of services from an independent contractor company.
- No appointment necessary, but may be required to collect info.
- Inter-Departmental Transfer (IDT): Pay another UT Austin department for goods/services (Parking, Housing & Dining, Unions, RecSports, Student Activities, etc.).
- No appointment necessary, but may be required to collect info.
- Direct Bill: Get your vendor approved for direct deposit and/or work with a pre-approved University vendor to pay them directly (No credit cards, cash or check).
- No appointment necessary, but may be required to collect info.
Missing Receipts - If a receipt is not provided within 72 hours of the transaction, the club will be required to schedule a Locating Receipts appointment via Bookings. This meeting will be in-person and the time will be used for the Authorized Representative to contact the vendor(s) and take the necessary steps to obtain a receipt for the purchase. Repeated issues with receipts may result in an infraction.
Page Contents
Non-Travel Purchases
| Type of Purchase | Expense | Method of Payment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Equipment, Entry Fees, Membership Fees, Apparel, etc. | Purchase under $4,499 | Pro Card and/or Purchase Order (PO) | All goods must be delivered/shipped to a valid RecSports campus address. If a Sport Club wishes to ship goods to a member's residence or other location, prior approval must be granted! All equipment purchases made by an individual club become the property of Recreational Sports. Clubs do not have the authority to sell or dispose of University equipment/property. Any unsafe, outdated or unusable equipment must be turned in to the Sport Club Office. All equipment must be marked so as to identify it as University property. Marking should include UTSCA or UT and Club name followed by a name and year of purchase, (i.e., Soccer Balls: UT-Men’s Soccer #18-06). Any purchase up to $1,000.00 MUST receive prior approval of the Senior Assistant Director and/or Assistant Director. The proper forms must be completed and all receipts from prior purchases must be submitted to the Sport Club Office before funds can be used for an additional purchase. Do not order any item intended for purchase with club funds before receiving approval or you may be responsible for the invoice yourself! |
| Equipment, Entry Fees, Membership Fees, Apparel, etc. | Purchase of $4,500 - $14,999 | Purchase Order (PO) - No Bid | Any purchase above $1,000.00 and up to $4,500.00 MUST receive prior approval of the Director of Programs. That's right: anything over $1,000.00 cannot even be approved by the Assistant Director or Senior Assistant Director. Plan ahead! |
| Equipment | Purchase of $15,000+ | Purchase Order (PO) - Bid Required | The club will need to receive 3 bids of the same purchase from other vendors prior to getting approval. The vendors must already be in the UT System. This can take several weeks to a month to process. |
| Facility Rental | Recurring Practices with facility cost OR Hosting an event with facility costs OR Storage Units | Contract (Services Agreement) | No Sport Club member, coach, or other party acting on behalf of the Club may sign or enter into a contractual agreement without the consent of the Senior Assistant Director for Sport Clubs. Entering into an agreement or posing as an official representative of University of Texas at Austin in order to contract services or purchase is a serious offense and will be dealt with accordingly. Please allow at least two months for review of all documents to be approved. Signing an agreement/contract without approval will result in disciplinary action. Must meet with Sport Club staff before looking into a facility rental. Recurring practice facility rental agreements should be completed well before the start of practices. |
Banquet in Austin or Banquet outside Austin | Team Meals | Direct Bill
| To pay for these items, you must obtain an invoice from the vendor and attach it to your purchase request. Do not agree to any service before receiving approval. Once approved, you'll receive a HornsLink notification - please let the vendor know that UT operates on Net 30 Vendor Payment Terms, meaning we have up to 30 days to pay an invoice once all proper paperwork is submitted. We will not write a check before or on the day of your event if they haven't received one yet, so please be sure you make arrangements with the vendor by communicating this payment process. Again, it is your responsibility to inform the vendor of this process before you make an order. For any pre-packaged food (hot dogs, cakes, typical grocery store items), you may submit a purchase request for a grocery store by listing the items. Once approved, you'll be able to check-out the ProCard and you can purchase those items onsite. Remember, do not include ANY sales tax on an order. If they need a sales tax exemption form, please contact your advisor. Clubs wishing to have off-campus (but in Austin) end of semester/year banquets or any team meetings with food should attempt to utilize an approved vendor that offers direct invoicing to UT-Austin and/or RecSports - simply ask them first. Prior approval must be granted by Sport Club Staff to utilize a vendor that will not direct bill invoice. If a club wishes to attend or host a banquet during a Sport Club trip, follow instruction for During Travel - Meals in the chart below. A travel request must be submitted for this event. |
Services | Any amount | Purchase Order (PO) and/or Contract (Services Agreement) | Follow instructions on the "Paying Service Providers" page. Rather than submit a purchase request through HornsLink, you will submit info through the UTSCA Forms section in HornsLink. |
Travel Purchases
All travel expenses require a travel request on file with RecSports. That is your ticket to get the purchasing started for any travel arrangements. Sport Club staff cannot book airfare, hotels, rental cars, etc. without a travel request. Date(s) and location must be accurate. Perform preliminary Google searches to determine costs for your travel request and corresponding purchase requests. Follow the information below for more details about your type of travel purchase.
| Type of Purchase | Expense | Method of Payment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Travel Expense | Enterprise Rent-A-Car | Direct Bill
| For trips inside the state of Texas, or some surrounding border states, it is encouraged that clubs use rental vehicles for official club travel. University policy prohibits the use of 12 or 15 passenger vans for any club travel. To reserve the rental vehicles through Enterprise, follow the steps below:
You will receive the booking link and code once the purchase request is submitted and approved. The final bill will be sent directly to RecSports. |
| Pre-Travel Expense | Hotels (less than $4,500) | Club Travel Card
| Perform a preliminary Google search to determine where your club wants to stay and at what budget. Submit that to us in a corresponding purchase request. We may book here or elsewhere at your Travel Purchase Appointment. Hotels must be booked directly with the hotel or via Concur. If staying in Texas, you must provide the hotel with tax exempt information - Hotel Occupancy & Sales Tax (will be given to you in your travel pouch). Clubs are not permitted to use third-party websites, such as Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, Lucid, etc. |
| Pre-Travel Expense | Hotels (more than $4,500) | Direct Bill via Hotel Contract Agreement | Perform a preliminary Google search to determine where your club wants to stay and at what budget. Submit that to us in a corresponding purchase request. Large and/or long group stays must be completed well in advance of trip (preferred at least two months prior). Sport Club Directors will work with the club and hotel to complete the contract. |
Pre-Travel Expense | Airfare | Direct Bill
| Submit a Travel Request with the following pertinent info in your itinerary: Number of Travelers, Location of Departure & Arriving Location, Departure TO & FROM Date/Time (morning, afternoon, evening). Example: Austin to Boston - 4/15 morning 45 travelers - Returning from Boston to Austin on 4/19 afternoon 45 travelers For airline ticket purchases of one to nine people, we will use UT's Concur booking site to secure your airline seats. We must have the ACCURATE NAMES of individuals the club is purchasing flights for. These are purchased individually and cannot be changed. We can access all the same airlines and fares you see at major airline sites. There is a $12.50 booking fee per ticket for this service. It utilizes UT contracts and discounts to ensure we are traveling at the lowest rates possible and protects our ticketing in case of extenuating circumstances. Pro’s & Con’s to booking airfare on Concur
For airline ticket purchases exceeding ten (10) or more members, the club will use Anthony Travel to acquire those tickets. We must have the ACCURATE NUMBER of individuals the club is purchasing flights for. The names can change at a later date. So, tell us if you require 25 or 40 tickets or whatever that number is by selecting that many travelers on your Travel Request. Clubs can only purchase Anthony Travel flights bearing you have sufficient funds in your account(s). Only tickets used by club members and coaches may be charged using your accounts. Parents, family members and friends may not acquire tickets through this method if club funding is being used. Anthony Travel also has a $25 booking fee per ticket, so please consider this cost when planning your trips. Pro’s & Con’s to booking Group Airfare
If you are able to find a more affordable quote versus what Anthony Travel provides, you must present that to your advisor. We will present the option to Anthony Travel for negotiation. |
| Pre-Travel Expense | Chartered Bus | Direct Bill - Anthony Travel | Submit a Travel Request with the following pertinent info in your itinerary: Number of Travelers, Location of Departure & Arriving Location, Departure TO & FROM Date/Time. |
| Pre-Travel Expense | Entry Fees | Petty Cash Check or Club Travel Card | When submitting a purchase request, please indicate how to pay. The Sport Club Office recommends online (via Travel Card) when possible. If using a Petty Cash Check, please indicate whether the check is being picked up via travel binder or if the office should mail it in advance. |
| During Travel Expense | Food/Team Meals | Club Travel Card | If a club choses to pay for their members meals on a trip, the meals must be completed at one location per meal. The club should not offer its members separate restaurants per meal. State law restricts us to a maximum 20% tip. |
| During Travel Expense | Fuel | Club Travel Card | If the club is carpooling to their competition, the club should stop at the same gas station and use the same pump. Do not try using the card at separate pumps at the same location. The card could report this as fraud. Speak with the station attendant to ensure you can use the card for enough cost with one transaction. |
| During Travel Expense | Parking | Club Travel Card | Club is permitted to use the card for electronic payments for parking (i.e. a parking garage). The card should not be saved to any app for payment. |
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