FI0425 – Campus Bookstore Purchases

FI0425 – Campus Bookstore Purchases

Topics:

Departmental Purchases From Campus Bookstores	Contacts
Procedures	Related Policies

Objective:

To provide guidelines on departmental purchases from campus bookstores.

Policy:

Departmental Purchases from Campus Bookstores

1. Some campuses operate a bookstore for the convenience of the university community in acquiring books, educational supplies, and other university-related items. Some of these are operated by third party vendors. For further details on bookstore operations, consult campus procedures or contact the campus bookstore.
2. Bookstore items may be purchased by departments for official university use only. Items purchased by departments from university owned bookstores will be charged directly to department cost centers or WBS elements by internal transfer through the university’s accounting system. Departmental procurement cards must not be used for these purchases. When a third party operates a university bookstore, departments may purchase using a departmental procurement card or by processing an invoice. All department purchases from the bookstore must meet the following conditions.
   1. Personal Use Items. Items that are usually intended for personal use (greeting cards, gift items for outside donors or speakers, clothing, cosmetics, food, etc.) may not be purchased and charged to cost center/WBS elements unless they are required for conducting departmental business and written documentation describing the business need for and use of the item(s) is retained on file in the department for audit purposes.
   2. Authorization. Purchases may be made only by a department head, principal investigator, or other employees designated by these officials. Bookstores require persons making such purchases to present valid UT employee identification. Bookstores, however, do not assume responsibility for verifying that employees are designated to make departmental purchases.
   3. Reviewing Purchases. Charge tickets and receipts for items purchased from the bookstore for departmental use must be reviewed by the department head or principal investigator. The reviewer should sign these documents and the department must retain them on file for audit purposes.
   4. Reconciling Purchases. All bookstore charges appearing on the monthly departmental ledgers or procurement card statement must be reconciled to the bookstore charge tickets/receipts obtained at the time of purchase.
   5. Separation of Duties. Where staffing permits, there should be a separation of duties between the individuals designated to make purchases from the bookstore and those who maintain and reconcile departmental records.

Textbook Desk Copies

3. Publishers usually provide complimentary desk copies of textbooks for faculty use upon request. Departments or faculty members may contact publishers directly to obtain desk copies of proposed or selected textbooks.
4. If publishers will not provide complimentary desk copies, or if copies cannot be obtained from the publisher in a timely manner, textbooks for faculty use may be purchased from the bookstore and charged to the departmental cost center/WBS element. Where applicable, departments should request complimentary copies from publishers for return to the bookstore to receive a credit to the departmental cost center/WBS element (unless the copy from the publisher has been marked “complimentary-not for resale”).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Blake Reagan (865) 974-2302  breagan@tennessee.edu

Related Policies: FI0405 – Procurement