Business Policies and Procedures

These guides apply to everyone within EECS: faculty, students, and staff, visitors.

Purchasing

In most cases your PA should make the purchase for you using his or her Procurement Card (P-Card) or via NU's preferred vendor system. If you have questions, please seek his or her advice, or read the official NU Policy.

NU Purchasing Resource Services
NU Purchasing Policy - Quick Reference Guide
iBuyNU login page

Reimbursement for purchases: Retain the receipt and packing slip and submit it to your PA, along with a valid chartstring. Other items may be required; check with your PA before making the purchase. Shipping and handling charges are reimbursable but sales tax, in most instances, is not. A tax exemption letter is available from your PA.

Travel

Your PA can help you arrange your travel. University Services offers many resources on their Travel Services page. There you will find information on booking, discounts, policies, and forms for University business travel.

MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT: Effective July 1, 2011, the rate for mileage reimbursement increased to $.555 per mile. This rate is based on U.S. Federal Government reimbursement rates. This reimbursement covers all fuel, maintenance, insurance, transportation, and operating costs. Fuel costs are included in the per-mile reimbursement rate and are not reimbursed separately for use of privately owned vehicles.

PER DIEM: The EECS Department has posted a FAQ page devoted to Per Diem. More links relating to per diem usage are available below, under "Links & Downloads"

CAR RENTAL: As per policy, use of rental car is allowed and will not be counted as part of per diem. You will however, need to submit separate receipts and an exception form for it. When renting a car, a business purpose needs to be provided. Also you will need to justify that the amount for renting a car was cheaper than the total combined transportation charge if cabs we used (as indicated in line 1 of the excerpt below). In most cases, acceptable reasons could be:

The car was used to transport multiple people because it was a trip than involved more than one person.
The place of destination or visit was a suburb thus the unavailability of cabs; rental car was needed.
The car was used to transport equipment while on the field.

Excerpt of NU Car Rental Policy: (Page 10 of the travel policy)

Commercial rental vehicles should be used only when it is not possible to use the Motor Pool, as follows:

1) Commercial rental vehicles should not be used if less expensive transportation is available.

2) The University's designated vehicle rental agency should be used whenever possible (please make sure an economy class car is used, if not otherwise, state reason why).

3) Discount car rental cards are no longer available.

4) Economy, compact or subcompact vehicles should always be rented. Reimbursement will be made for other types of vehicles in exceptional cases (e.g., several travelers are riding in one car, equipment being transported, etc.)”

The Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science