Concur Travel and Reimbursement
All travel and reimbursement expenses are currently being processed by the Concur system. Possession of a Travel Card is optional and is not required to seek reimbursement. If you wish to obtain a Travel Card, the benefits, restrictions and application can be found here.
Concur can be accessed via BUworks -> Employee Self Service (ESS) -> Travel and Expense Reimbursements -> Manage Business Travel Arrangements and Reimbursements.
Note that reimbursements should be for qualified university business-related-expenses only, and are subject to University and College policies. Approvals for your reimbursements will route through your supervisor and the department’s financial approver.
News and training guides on Concur use can be found here. Questions regarding the status of individual reports can be directed to the Travel Services department. If you need individualized training for Concur, feel free to reach out to the CAS Business Office at 3-2411.
The CAS policy on moving expenses for new faculty can be found here.Moving Expenses for New Faculty
Travel and Travel Advances
Travel advances are available for students and guests of the university. For University employees and staff, use of the University travel card is encouraged.
Note that travel advance monies can’t be used for flights. To book a flight via the university travel agent, you have the option to book a flight using the Concur booking tool or contacting BU Travel Services at butravel@bu.edu or 617-358-6894. Travelers should keep all receipts and are expected to clear the advance upon return.
Travel advance applications must be approved by the CAS Business Office (CAS 108, 3-2411) prior to submission.
- Expense reports must be submitted within 30 days of return
- Be sure to deduct any applicable travel advances and prepaid expenses.
- Prepaid expenses through Boston University must still be listed on the Business and Travel Expense Report under applicable columns and boarding passes/e-tickets must be attached.
- Traveler can be reimbursed for mileage OR gas but not both.
- Original receipts must be attached unless a per diem is used.
- Meals for multiple persons must have attendees listed.
- Currency conversions must be calculated for the date on the receipt and a separate sheet of all conversion formulas must be attached. Conversions found here.
- Return unused funds from travel advances must be returned via a Cash Credit Voucher.
- Supervisor and traveler must sign all reports before it is forwarded to the Business Office.
Disbursement Invoice Payments
Most disbursements will need a Purchase Order (PO) via a Purchasing Requisition or be paid via a Purchasing Card (PCard), pursuant to these guidelines.
The Disbursement Request Form may only be used for the following expenses:
- Honorarium/Award payments*
- Real Estate Payments, Residency Agreements
- Research Related Consultants (less than 12 months and $25,000)
- Banking, Tax Services
- Subscriptions
- Dues, Conference Fees
- Entertainment Services
- Fines, Penalties, Government Fees
- Reprint/Copyright Permissions
- Study Participants
- Donations
To determine the best method for purchasing, please view the Ordering Method Matrix on the Ordering and Contracting Policy page.
Ordering Method Matrix to determine what method of payment is preferred. If you have any questions regarding the creation of Purchasing Requisitions or the payment process for PO invoices or would like to schedule a Purchasing Requisition training session, please contact Sourcing & Procurement’s training/change management specialist or the CAS Business Office at 3-2411.
*All stipend/honorarium payments must include a social security number and completed W-9 form, as these payments are taxable income for the payee.
*All stipend/honorarium payments must include a social security number and completed W-9 form, as these payments are taxable income for the payee.
Sourcing and Procurement
Sourcing & Procurement buys goods and arranges for payment of services via Purchase Order (PO). In order to initiate a PO, you must complete a Purchasing Requisition.
- For more information on creating purchasing requisitions, please refer to these guides
- For Sourcing & Procurement’s FAQ, please refer to this site
To contact Sourcing & Procurement, please email sourcing@bu.edu or seek help here.
Cashiering/Deposits
Depositing cash or checks requires a CAS Cash/Check Deposit Form, found here.
Send any cash and/or checks and completed form to the Business Office for deposit. Cash deposits should be hand delivered to the Business Office and the department should request a copy of the CAS Cash/Check Deposit Form once the cash amount has been confirmed and initialed by a member of the Business Office. For questions regarding the form or its use, please contact the CAS Business Office at 3-2411.
Deposits to gift accounts and/or donations require additional documentation. Contact the Development & Alumni Relations (DAR) Office to make arrangements for gift donations. For further information, please contact the DAR Office directly at x3-9500.
ISRs and FSRs
Internal service requests (ISRs) are used to procure goods and services from an agency or group within BU (i.e. Catering, Telecomm, etc). ISRs can be initiated from within the BUworks Procurement tab. For instructions or training on how to initiate ISRs, please contact the CAS Business Office at 3-2411. For inquiries regarding the status of existing ISRs, please contact the ISR provider directly.
For basic information on setting up internal service requests, please refer here. For a list of providers and provider contacts, please refer here.
Facilities service requests (FSRs) are used to request facilities work (i.e. painting, repairs, locks, etc) to be completed by Facilities Management & Planning. For inquiries regarding FSRs, please contact the Business Office at 3-2411.
Journal Entries
Journal Entries are used to transfer posted income or non-salary expenses between fund centers or GL accounts. Journal Entries can be created within the WEBGUI menu in BUworks Central.
**DO NOT USE GL 479999 or 579999 for transferring expenses. GL 479999 and 579999 should only be used to transfer funds among cost centers, internal orders or projects. All transfers need to be approved by the Business Office and the Office of the Budget.**
For a list of GL accounts and descriptions, please refer here.
For more information about creating/managing journal entries, please refer here.
Please contact the Business Office at 3-2411 with any questions.
Purchasing Cards
To apply for a Purchasing Card (PCard), read the BU PCard policy, complete the PCard application and return the completed application to the Business Office for approval and processing.
Reporting
To access the current status of your department or center budget, log into BUworks Central. Go to the Reporting tab/Finance (FI)/Funds Management (Distributed).
To access your cost center or unrestricted budget (120xxxxxxx) click on “Unrestricted Budget to Actual by FC- GL/CI Detail”, enter your cost center into the “Funds Center” field, and click “OK.” G/L categories included in your operating budget are numbered 500500-999999. Student payroll G/Ls are from 500400-500499.
To access a restricted or designated account (909xxxxxxxx, 925xxxxxxxx, or 930xxxxxxxx) click on “Designated/Restricted Balance & Activity- GL/CI Detail”, enter your cost object into the “Funded Program” field, and click “OK”
For more details regarding the expenditures for either type of account, right click on expenses in the actuals column, click on “Go To -> Transaction Details/Actuals”. Note that this will not work on payroll items.
For more information of reporting, please visit the BUWorks Training and Help Guide or contact the Business Office at 3-2411.
Quarterly Confirmations
Chairs, Directors, and Departmental Administrators will receive Quarterly Confirmation reports from the Business Office. These are an opportunity to point out any missing funding commitments as well as a quick check on your budget. Departments should verify account actuals and budgets. Return the report to the Business Office with projected year-end expense totals along with the Chair’s/Director’s signed approval. If any overages are expected, please include a detailed memo.
Please contact the Business Office at 3-2411 with any questions.
Final Close
Chairs and Department Administrators will receive a memo from the Business Office detailing year-end financial deadlines. Any paperwork submitted after these deadlines is not guaranteed for processing in the current fiscal year. Departments should also verify account actuals/budgets, follow-up on any outstanding funding opportunities, and close any pending commitments. Any overages must be covered by restricted funds under the control of the department before the deadlines set by the Business Office.