GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES FOR INSTRUCTIONAL AND DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (“HOUSE BILL EQUIPMENT”) REIMBURSEMENT

Please follow the link below to find the Ohio Board of Regent’s guidelines and procedures for purchasing instructional and data processing equipment with instructional equipment appropriations.  Funding for the 2009-10 biennium was appropriated in House Bill 562.

http://regents.ohio.gov/capital/equipment.php

Summary of OBR Guidelines

The following are highlights of allowed and disallowed purchases:

1. Allowed Purchases
   1. Equipment used directly for instructional purposes or in direct support of instruction
   2. Equipment used by faculty except for items purchased primarily in support of their funded research.  A partial amount is allowed for the instruction portion if equipment is used for both instruction and research purposes.
2. Disallowed Purchases
   1. Items that cost less than $100 unless they are logically packaged with related items (i.e. accessories such as a mouse, cables, or start-up software, which are bundled with a computer purchase)
   2. Software licenses, software upgrades, maintenance agreements
   3. Any type of labor (consultants, salaries, benefits)
   4. Training expenses
   5. Supplies and books
   6. Office furnishings and equipment (computer workstations allowed)
   7. Vehicles of any kind
   8. Sales tax

 (Please refer to the link above for official OBR guidelines)

 University Guidelines

1. A vendor’s invoice must be submitted to OBR for reimbursement of each purchase.  Therefore, any internal charges such as those related to UCIT, Facilities Management, Project Services, etc. are not allowed.
2. Purchases are permitted with P-cards; a copy of the invoice/detailed receipt must be retained by each department and submitted to the Controller’s Office
3. Accounting document types such as BL, SA and JE are allowed to transfer expense onto a House Bill Equipment fund but the preceding bullet points apply.
4. Invalid charges not within the OBR guidelines against a House Bill Equipment fund must be transferred to another account assignment.  The Controller’s Office will work with departments in these situations to transfer the expense.

Please refer to these contacts for invoice submissions and inquiries:

1. Invoice submissions and general inquires: Mike Bach at 556-1240
2. Inquires about equipment guidelines/procedures: Tony Stidham at 556-3175 
3. Controller’s main phone number is 556-3152.

Any inquiries related to allocation amounts should be directed to the Provost Office at 556-2588.