Operational Advances - Initial Request Instructions

An Operational Advance is a cash advance used to provide operating funds to an approved recipient for business or research expenses. It is used where:

  • It is not practical to use the campus purchasing and payment system (i.e. payee is not an established vendor in UAccess Financials)
  • It is not practical for the individual to make a payment and seek reimbursement.

Such advances are designed to assist the approved recipient in those cases:

  • Where exact amounts and types of expenditures cannot be predicted
  • Where a local disbursing function is essential to the project (as in the case of a remote location).

Step One:

To request an Operational Advance, please send an email to Psychology Accounting with the information below:

  • The current IRB Approval Letter
  • Name of responsible party/person who will be taking out the advance and handling the funds
  • Account number that the funds will be drawn from
  • Amount of funds requested

Step Two:

You will then receive a form titled “Operational Advance Request Form” via Adobe Sign. This form requires three signatures:

  1. Holder of the Operational Advance (the approved recipient)
  2. The holder's authorized Supervisor
  3. Department leadership (currently the Manager of the Psychology Business Office, Maryori Puentes-Pena)

This form ensures the appropriate senior leadership of the Department is aware of and accepts the financial risk of issuing an operational advance.

Step Three:

Next you will receive an additional form, titled  “Operational Advance Custodial Agreement” via Adobe Sign. This form requires two signatures:

  1. Holder of the Operational Advance (the approved recipient)
  2. The holder's authorized Supervisor

This form is an agreement in which the above parties acknowledge their business responsibility for the monitoring and the settlement of the advance, indicating their intent to comply with 9.15 Operational Advance Policy as well as Misuse of University Assets Policy Number 420-0.

Step Four:

The Business Office will then be able to continue processing the New Operational Advance. These steps take time and commitment on each of our parts to keep the process moving forward, so when you receive the forms in your email, please sign and send promptly so the processing and distribution of funds does not get delayed.

NOTE:

All operational advances must be settled/repaid by submitting final receipts and/or returning any remaining cash to the Business Office. You must provide original documentation (including itemized amounts) and payees in order to substantiate expenditures and acknowledge that some amount of funds has been paid out.

Updated 02/23/23

Questions?

Contact Becky Riley in the Accounting division of our Business Office.

Additional resources are also available from Financial Services regarding Operational Advances.

Updated 02/23/23

Terms

Business Office
IRB
Operational Advance