Business Office Guide to Services

Building Repair and Maintenance

All minor requests for maintenance and repair services (including lights, custodial, telephone), and all billable requests (replacements of white boards, hanging items on walls, moving furniture, etc.) should be directed to building@math.arizona.edu

Conference and Workshop Arrangements

Please discuss plans for your workshop with the Head Office https://ua-math-dept.helpspot.com/headoffice/ as early as possible to facilitate arrangements for lodging, food, transportation, space, and participant reimbursement.

Department Budget (including Postage and Telephone)

Postage for other-than-Department business should be handled personally. Regarding mailing of letters of reference for graduate students, the Department will be responsible for up to $8.00 (or 24 letters). Students are invoiced for the balance over that limit. If faculty prefer, as advisors, to pay for the amount above the cap, they may make arrangements through the Business Office.

Federal Express, DHL, and AirBorne Express are expensive and should be used judiciously. Please try to plan ahead for all critical mailings. Research-related use of these services must be reimbursed to the Department.

Telephone calls to Tucson Information carry a $0.66 charge. Please use the telephone book whenever possible or plan to reimburse the Department through the Business Office. Copies of the current book are available in Room 108. ID numbers are available for direct charge of long-distance calls. Communication by fax is available in Room 108 under the same policy as regular long-distance or information calls. Personal calls should not be made.

General Office Supplies

Regular office supplies are available in Room 108A. Requests for special items should be directed to the Business Office (Room 117), businessoffice@math.arizona.edu.

Key Requests

Request for keys, as well as any key card (Room Privilege Card) changes, should be made through the Heads Office (Room 109).

Photocopy Services

Photocopy services are available. Please submit requests here.  Personal copies are allowed at $0.05 per copy and should be reimbursed to the Department through the Business Office. Due to the large volume of copying (150,000-200,000 copies per month), please submit all work with a 24-hour advance notice. (Please see Brooke Valmont [Math 108 (Academic Office), (520) 621-6882, [brooke@math.arizona.edu] for emergencies.)

Proposals and Awards

The Department provides assistance with requirements from Federal Agencies for research proposal submission, as well as information on funding sources, funding availability, and proposal format for Grant and contract awards administered by University Sponsored Projects Services. The Business Office provides reports to principal investigators concerning expenditures, reporting deadlines, terminations and renewals.

Links include:

• University of Arizona Research Support Office
• National Science Foundation
• Air Force Office of Scientific Research

Purchasing and Travel Processing

Travel Authorization forms are required for anyone traveling on University business. These should be submitted to the University's Travel Office (which the business office will do for you) at least five working days prior to the departure date, or the date an advance is requested, whichever is earlier.

A Travel Authorization form is not required when 1) In-state travel with a University Garage vehicle is the only expense incurred, 2) In-state travel expenses are less than $100. (Expenses should be claimed on a Travel Expense Report), or 3) Out-of-state travel is at no expense to the University and does not involve the use of a University Garage vehicle.

Travel Authorization forms which include personal travel in conjunction with official travel status have certain limitations: 1) For personal time of not more than seven working days, the University will pay round trip mileage or lowest airfare (whichever is less) to the farthest point of official travel. 2) For personal time in excess of seven working days, the University will pay only one-half the cost of mileage or lowest airfare to the farthest point of official travel. 3) When personal travel expenses are included on an excursion or "super saver" airline package, the University will reimburse for only those portions applying to University business.

The University's Travel Office enforces the repayment of travel advances under State of Arizona regulations. Therefore, settlement of expenses must be within 30 days of return to avoid deduction of the advance from the traveler's paycheck.

Please provide the following information:

• For the Travel Authorization form and/or Advance:
  • Date requested
  • Employee ID Number
  • Name and Title
  • Date of Departure and Return
  • Time of Departure and Return
  • Destination
  • Conference dates (if applicable)
  • Concise statement of purpose of trip
  • Private vehicle use: estimate total number of miles; reason for use
  • Lodging: number of nights at expected rate
  • Per diem allowance for meals and incidentals is $44.00 in-state, out of state depends on the city (No receipts are required for meals if you claim per diem)
  • Estimate air fare, taxi fares, or rental vehicle
  • Estimate miscellaneous registrations fees, airport parking, etc. (Only business-related telephone calls can be reimbursed.)
  • Total estimated expense
  • Funding source(s)

• Travel Expense Report [Original receipts must be provided for all reimbursable expenses]:
  • Airline ticket (passenger coupon) and itinerary
  • Hotel lodging receipts. There are exceptions for some large metropolitan areas and foreign countries if the hotel is a conference site cited in the conference program announcement. You may wish to check city rates before you travel.
  • Meals (receipts not necessary if claiming per diem)
  • Car rental, gasoline
  • Taxis and airport limousines
  • Conference registration fees
  • Train, bus or municipal transportation tickets
  • For conferences, provide a copy of the program.

PROOF OF PAYMENT is required on any documents being submitted for reimbursement.

Space and Office Assignments

The Department has about 35,000 NASF in the Mathematics Building, the Mathematics Teaching Lab, and Math East. Assignments are made by Alejandra Gaona (agaona@math.arizona.edu, 520-621-2868). Due to the shortage of space, many offices must be shared.

Please direct all questions regarding office space to the Head Office, 520-621-2868)

Graduate Student Space Assignment Policy

New Graduate Students will be assigned space where it is available. The Department will do its best to maintain continuing students in their current offices; however, due to changes in space requirements, it may be necessary for continuing students to be reassigned. To receive keys, see Alejandra Gaona (agaona@math.arizona.edu, 520-621-2868).

Graduate students are required to apply annually to renew their office assignment. A memo will be sent in early April of each year. If you fail to return the form by the date requested, we will assume you no longer need an office, and we will give your office space to another student.

Graduate students leaving their office space must remove their personal belongings and return their keys to the Key Desk, as soon as possible after the end of the semester or graduation. Graduate students who fail to return their office keys are responsible for the cost of re-keying. Belongings remaining in offices will be stored for 30 days and then given away or destroyed.

Because of space limitations, we may not be able to provide office space to non-teaching graduate students or to students with offices in other areas.

Faculty Absence Space Assignment Policy

Faculty members who are on sabbatical, or any other type of leave, are expected to lend their offices during the leave period. Books, papers, and other professional items may be left in the office during the leave period, but it is understood that these items should be stored in such a way that persons assigned to the office during the leave period have reasonable working space. At a minimum, desktops should be cleared, and at least two shelves should be made available. This policy applies to all instructors with an assigned office in space controlled by the Mathematics Department. Exceptions may be made for faculty members who will be conducting the major part of their leave activities on campus. Any exceptions will be handled on an individual basis by the Department Head.

Visitor Payment and Reimbursement

Information about visitors should be provided as far in advance of their visit as possible . This information helps us assign short-term office space, have a key available, and inform visitors of Departmental policies appropriate to their length of stay.

Meal reimbursement for entertaining visitors is limited to $15 each for the host and the guest per engagement, unless otherwise approved by the Department Head. When requesting reimbursement, list all persons attending and their affiliation if other than the Math Department. Original receipts are necessary for all reimbursable expenses. Costs for Math Department personnel cannot be paid from Department funds.

Short-term visits (3 days) may need special processing and should be discussed with Alejandra Gaona (agaona@math.arizona.edu, 520-621-2868). Please provide the following:

• Visitor's Name
• Host
• Dates of visit
• Office requirement
• Type of service: ( ) Consultant/speaker; ( ) Candidate; ( ) Other (explain)
• Academic affiliation, telephone number and/or email address
• Expenses to be reimbursed: ( )Airfare; ( ) Hotel; ( ) Meals; ( ) Other (explain)
• Social security number (or passport, visa and I-94 if foreign national)
• Home address (required by the IRS)