Expense Reporting

Many of the transactions rejected by University Payables is because of inadequate business purpose statements. A good statement should:

·         Address the 5 W’s (Who What When Where Why), if not noted elsewhere in the transaction. 

·         Try to be concise and use laymen’s terms. Transactions have been rejected because the business purpose was too long, included acronyms or because specialized language confused the processor.

·         The fifth W, why, should be how the University benefits from the expense.

o   It is best to state “The University benefits by…..”. 

o   Relate it to one of the university’s missions (education, outreach, research, economic development)

o   If using grant funds, you might include benefit to the project but that can also be addressed after payables approves the transaction through an email from Grants and Contracts to the PI.

·         Sample statements

o   Dr. Green took a group of students (list attached) on an Illinois study abroad course to Timbuktu 1/5/20XX to 1/17/20XX.  This travel is part of the course and the student pays for the cost through tuition and fees. The university benefits by providing a more comprehensive education to it students.

o   Professor Plum traveled to Kathmandu to conduct a site visit for the development of a new faculty-led study abroad course highlighting the culture and history the one of the oldest cities in the world. The university benefits by providing a more comprehensive education to it students.”