Related Expense User Guides:
Summary
Spend Authorizations are approvals for expenses in IC Finance Cloud. These authorizations must be submitted and approved prior to making any travel-related purchases or registering for online conferences. Follow the instructions in this article to complete a Spend Authorization.
The approval chain for Spend Authorizations is determined automatically and follows a supervisor hierarchy. Any Spend Authorization over $2,000.00 will be routed to the appropriate area Vice President for approval.
Audience
This article is intended for all faculty and staff.
Platform
IC Finance Cloud
Contents
- Important Reminders (Please Read Before You Begin)
- Creating a Spend Authorization
Important Reminders (Please Read Before You Begin):
- A Spend Authorization is required for all travel-related and online conference expenses.
- Once an authorization is approved, a Spend Authorization cannot be deleted.
- Do not underestimate expenses or a new SA will need to be submitted and approved.
Creating a Spend Authorization
Fig. 1 IC Finance Cloud home page, Me tab near top of screen, Expenses app in middle of screen under Apps
To create a Spend Authorization:
1. On the IC Finance Cloud home page, click the Me tab, then click the Expenses app.
2. On the left side of the Travel and Expenses screen, click the Authorizations (Snowglobe) icon.
3. Click the Request Authorization button.
4. On the Request Authorization page in the Purpose field, enter reason for trip (conference, recruitment, research, professional meeting, etc.)
5. From the Expense Location dropdown list, search and select destination by city if in the United States or select search option to select another country.
6. In the Start Date field, enter the trip begin date.
7. In the End Date field, enter the trip end date.
8. Click the + (Plus Sign) icon under the Estimated Expenses section to add an estimated expense.
9. On the Estimate Expense page, from the Template dropdown list, select IC Travel & Expense. NOTE: The Athletic Travel template should only be used by Athletics.
10. From the Type dropdown list, select your expense type.
11. In the Amount field, enter a USD amount estimate (do not change USD).
12. In the Description field, enter any relevant information for this expense.
13. Click the + (Plus Sign) icon next to Attachments to attach any additional documentation as needed.
14. In the Account field, review for accuracy. The three-digit department code defaults to the traveler’s department and the subcode defaults to the appropriate type. Change if necessary. If your subcode does not match the expense line item, a warning will appear.
NUMBER OF DAYS: Some expense types include a field for number of days. In the amount field, enter the total cost for all days. These types include Car Rental and Lodging.
ESTIMATED MILES: Some expense types include Estimated Miles. This is to capture Carbon Footprint information. Enter the estimated miles for Air, Car Rental, and Ground Transportation.
PERSONAL VEHICLE MILEAGE: The Personal Vehicle Mileage type must be calculated by the traveler by entering the dollar amount. Estimate by multiplying total miles by $.655 per mile (current IRS rate). Enter the estimated number of miles in the Trip Distance field. Complete the Description field. Attachment field is not mandatory.
15. If you have additional expenses to add, Click Save and Create Another. Repeat Steps 8 through 15 to add any other estimated expenses to your authorization request.
16. When all estimated expenses have been created, click Save and Close.
17. This takes you to the Authorization page. An Authorization number will be shown in the upper left corner, and the page will contain a summary of estimated expenses with a total. Review and click Submit for approval. This routes through your supervisor hierarchy.