Staff can order their business cards through Document Services here. Make sure to select the correct logo lock-up. The easiest way to find your logo lock-up is to search Student Life.
When to use Buy.IU Any item available through one of our catalog (punch-out) suppliers must be ordered through them. If there is a significant price discrepancy between a Buy.IU supplier and external supplier, please let the purchasing team know.
Assigning a cart When ordering through a catalog supplier, create a cart in Buy.IU and then assign it to Jordan Hawkins (jormhawk). Submit your DPO purchase request and put only one item in titled “Assigned [supplier name] Cart to Jordan Hawkins”, and put the cart total amount. The purchasing team can then finish processing the Buy.IU order.
To create a cart, click on the catalog supplier punch-out icon, add items to your cart, click on your cart, and then click on the button to submit your order. This will take you back to the Buy.IU cart. Title your cart with your first initial and last name – supplier name. For example, J. Smith – Guy Brown. In the upper right hand corner, select Assign Cart, click on the SEARCH button and type in the email jormhawk then click search. Click the + button to assign the cart.
Buy.IU Receipts & Notifications You will receive a notification to do a receipt in Buy.IU if the invoice does not match the PO or the order meets certain thresholds that require a receipt. Accounts Payable needs you to do the receipt to confirm the order or service was received, and the invoice is okay to pay. To do a receipt, either use the email notification to go your PO or go into Buy.IU and click on the bell icon in the upper right-hand corner. On the PO page, click on the Receipts header and then click on the + sign. The Receipt Name should be the date you received the goods or services. Remove any line items that have not been received by clicking on the trash can icon. If necessary, update the quantity received for the item(s). For a cost receipt (used for services or blanket PO’s), type in the amount to be received. For example, if there is a PO for $12,000 and it is invoiced monthly, you would enter $1,000.
Buy.IU Notification Settings You can update your notification preferences in Buy.IU and everyone who requests any order through Buy.IU should be able to receive email notifications that a receipt is needed. In Buy.IU, click on the head silhouette in the upper right hand corner, then click View My Profile. Select Notification Preferences and then Receipts. Make sure the PO Requires Receipt notice and Invoice Requires Receipt notice both have Email & Notification showing. If they don’t, click on the Edit Section in the upper right and select this. You can update other notifications to your preference.
Buy.IU or Other (Amazon) Always start with searching for the item you need in Buy.IU, especially in the catalog suppliers such as Guy Brown or Ferguson. There are some items that may be purchased at a lower price on external sites, such as Amazon, however, IU has contracts with the suppliers and we are obligated to order through them. If the price discrepancy is significant, please email oslfin@iu.edu and the purchasing team can make the IU Supplier Data Management group aware of the issue.
When to get a quote or bid It is always advisable to get multiple quotes to ensure we are getting the best price and service. The department submitting the purchase request is responsible for obtaining the quotes, however, if you need assistance the purchasing team can help.
One-time orders between $10,000 and $50,000 should include quotes from more than one supplier. If that is not possible or there is a compelling reason to only get a quote from one supplier, please include the explanation in the purchase request.
Orders $50,000 to $250,000 will require an RFP/RFQ through central purchasing. A sole source exception is possible but it requires a form to be submitted and central purchasing to approve and are highly scrutinized. Any order $250,000 or more requires a public posting and will be handled through central purchasing. Any order of $50,000 or more is going to have a longer lead time (at least 8 weeks but sometimes up to 3 months or more) so it is imperative that departments plan ahead.
Guy Brown and Grainger in Buy.IU Guy Brown is used for office supplies and Grainger is used for small machine and parts. However, the supplier tile for Grainger has the Guy Brown name above it so it can be confusing. Make sure you select the right supplier for your order.
All events should be submitted and approved in beINvolved before a purchase is requested. Once approved, submit the request(s) through DPO and be sure to include the event name and access code from beINvolved in the designated field. Be aware that any contract or agreement that requires a signature will have a lead time of at least 4 weeks, but expect 6-8 weeks. Below is a list of approvals that may be needed depending on the item/service being purchased.
Forms/Approvals that may be needed
Director or Delegate Approval
Event Approval (UERC)
INLOCC COI (Certificate of Insurance)
INLOCC Liability Approval
Environmental Health and Safety
Field Inspection/Site Approval
Stage Committee Approval
Waivers
Controversial Topic
Quote/Accepted Offer/Contract
Tangible gifts are allowed as long as they serve a legitimate business purpose (HR recognized years of service, employee engagement, team building). Gifts to employees must be under $100 for the calendar year. Gifts for an IU retiree must be $400 or less, and gifts to a non-employee who contribute to the mission of the university must not go over $500.
Gift cards are not an allowable purchase unless for use to incentivize survey participation, which must be approved by the survey committee. All student surveys must go through Penny Dillon, Director of Technology and Assessment.
Flowers may be purchased for events with university funds. Bereavement flowers for an employee are allowed as long as the purchase follows the bereavement policy of who qualifies and cannot go over $100.
Tipping When purchasing food, a tip should not exceed 20%. Please check the receipt for automatic gratuity before adding the tip amount.
Alcohol Alcohol may be served at functions that have a business purpose. If the event is held on campus it does require campus approval. Purchasing can help process this request. For on campus events, an approved alcohol supplier must be used.
Serving food Departments can prepare and serve food at staff only events, such as a potluck, without needing any approval. If serving food to students or the general public that is not pre-packaged, approval from EHS is required through this form. If using a 3rd party, it is advisable to use an approved caterer, a list of which can be found here. If using a caterer not on this list, a Certificate of Insurance will be needed. Food that is pre-packaged, such as individual servings of potato chips, or bags of candy, do not need approval.
PO or P-card? Catering orders under $500 can be done on a p-card by the department. Any order over that we will want to use a PO to place the order if possible. A PO requires more lead time, especially if the supplier is not in Buy.IU. Any catering order of $5,000 or more would have to be done on a PO.
You do not need to submit a purchase request to make a purchase with another IU department. DO NOT use a p-card when purchasing from another IU department; provide them with your account number. If the department says they require a p-card, please contact oslfin@iu.edu.
Name tags are ordered through Buy.IU and are done by the purchasing office in batches every 2-4 weeks. Please submit your purchase request and include the following information:
Department
Employee name
Pronouns (optional so please indicate if none are wanted)
Title
When to use a p-card It is preferrable to use a purchase order whenever possible, but there are times when it is necessary to use a p-card. Hospitality or programming items needed right away or a one-time order with a supplier not in Buy.IU are good examples. If a supplier is in Buy.IU we can create a recurring payment (blanket) PO for emergency purchases such as building maintenance supplies. The purchasing team recommends submitting a p-card request at least a week in advance of needed delivery. This applies to online orders placed by the purchasing team or a p-card check out by staff.
When to not use a p-card Things that should never be bought on a p-card are software, IU branded items, travel bookings, gift cards, any order requiring a signature, furniture, sponsorships, or purchases made with another IU department. Some suppliers are automatically restricted based on their merchant code and you may need purchasing’s help to remove the restriction, such as Mother Bear’s and other restaurants that serve alcohol.
P-card reconciliation When you use a p-card, take a picture of the receipt as soon as you can just in case it gets lost before you can submit it. Receipts should be added to the DPO request within five business days of the purchase. P-card expenses must be reconciled within 60 days or the expense will be considered taxable income to the p-card user. An employee who does not provide adequate documentation for a p-card charge within 60 days will lose p-card privileges.
Coke Products IU has a contract with Coke and must purchase their brand of beverages, a list of which can be found here. The only time it is acceptable to purchase another brand is when the comparable Coke brand is not available or there is no comparable brand. If that is the case, an explanation of such should be included with the receipt.
Amazon The purchasing team has an IU business account with Amazon, so all purchases should go through them. While staff can shop on the public Amazon site, some items may be restricted on the business account. If an item is restricted, the item may be available in Buy.IU through a contracted supplier. Exceptions are possible, but need a valid justification such as there is no comparable item in Buy.IU.
Promotional items should be ordered through Smile Promotions (in Buy.IU they are listed as Smiling Cross) whenever possible.
They are a catalog supplier, which means you can create a cart and assign it as described above. The process for ordering their catalog items is to select your item and add to your cart, then submit for a quote. Smile will contact you to submit your artwork, and then will create a quote for you to approve. Once you approve the quote through the Buy.IU punchout, you “check out” to move the cart to Buy.IU. From there assign the cart to jormhawk as described above. However, many items that we order are not in their Buy.IU catalog. The process for ordering non-catalog items is to contact Smile directly and get a quote and then submit that to the purchasing team to process as a non-catalog order in Buy.IU.
Any purchase of new software or renewing a software where the service has changed from the prior contract requires an approved SSSP prior to purchase. Staff will need to work with their IT support personnel to get the SSSP. For staff at the Student Health Center, contact hcithelp@iu.edu and for all other Student Life staff contact imutech@iu.edu. More information on the SSSP process is available here.
Use this form to submit a student organization payment request.
Units or departments at Indiana University may provide funds to support student organizations. Support payments to student organizations must be reasonable under the circumstances and those to self-governed student organizations must be processed through BUY.IU.
Units or departments are not allowed to purchase items on their behalf. All student organization payment requests will be reviewed and approved by a fiscal officer before payment.
All students and staff must receive approval prior to traveling or travel expenses may not be covered by the Office of Student Life. To submit a Travel Request, please complete this form. Please submit at least two weeks before expected travel.
If you are planning any student group, please email oslfin@iu.edu for assistance prior to processing. Student group travel is defined as traveling with 3 students or more.
This form is not for non-employee travel. Email oslfin@iu.edu to start that process.
Click here to view your previous request submissions.
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Travel request process review
All Office of Student Life travel being paid for by an IU or IUF account will require a Travel Request form that is processed through the finance office.
Students cannot submit a travel request, it must be submitted by appointed staff on their behalf.
After submitting the form, the finance office will submit a Chrome River Trip Authorization form on your behalf. The TA is reviewed by the fiscal officer or delegate for approval.
Once the TA is approved you will receive an email notification that your Travel Request FireForm has changed to CR Expense Report state. Your request will stay in this state until after your trip.
You can now book your trip either through Egencia, a Designated Travel Agency (DTA), or pay out of pocket and book through your preferred method.
A p-card can be used for conference registrations but cannot be used for any other travel expenses. All other travel expenses must go through Egencia or be paid for out of pocket.
Conferences typically offer hotel room discount pricing, which is not reflected in Egencia or a DTA. Booking through the conference in this case is preferred. If paying out of pocket is a barrier, please contact the oslfin@iu.edu office to discuss options.
You must sign-up for direct deposit in order to be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses. Even if it is the same bank account as your payroll direct deposit, you still must set-up a travel reimbursement direct deposit. Instructions can be found here.
During your trip, keep any receipt for airline, hotel, or rental car not reserved through Egencia. Itemized receipts showing what was purchased, the date charged, and the last 4 digits of the credit card charged are required. Keep any receipts for taxi/Uber/Lyft, luggage charges, parking charges, or any other purchases made during the trip not including food. You do not need to provide receipts for meals as per diem covers all meal costs.
IU policy is to not reimburse for Uber/Lyft/taxi service to a restaurant during your trip unless with a valid business purpose such as no restaurants within walking distance.
When you return from your trip, please email all receipts to oslfin@iu.edu. The finance office will process your Chrome River expense report and reimbursements.
Your Travel Request FireForm will be updated to complete.
Click here to view your previous FireForm submissions.
Office of Student Life resources and social media channels
