POLICY

GIFTS PROHIBITED —
FOOD, BEVERAGE AND OTHER EXCEPTIONS

1. Definitions
    
   For the purposes of this policy:
    
   
   1. "Gifts," as used in paragraph B, means property transferred, including any interest therein or use or loan thereof, to or services performed for any person or entity gratuitously and for which there is no legally enforceable obligation.
       
   2. "University property," as used in paragraph B, means property, whether tangible or intangible, owned by the University or acquired with University public funds.
       
   3. "University services," as used in paragraph B, means services provided by the University or performed by a person or entity as a University employee or agent.
       
   4. "University public funds," as used in paragraph A(2), means any funds coming into the actual or constructive possession or control of the University; provided, however, such term shall not include funds of an entity that is not under the control of the Board of Regents of the University and shall not include funds for which the University is merely the administrative or non-discretionary custodian.
       
2. Gifts Prohibited
    
   Gifts of University property or University services are prohibited, except as set forth in paragraph C.
    
3. Food, Beverage and Other Exceptions
    
   
   1. It being hereby determined to serve the public purpose of the University, the following are exceptions to the prohibition contained in this policy; therefore, expenses for the transfer of tangible personal property in the following described and limited circumstances are allowed:
       
      
      1. Recruiting Meals. Meals for prospective faculty, staff or students, and the spouses of any of the foregoing, and for the necessary University hosts thereof when the meals are a necessary, customary or expected part of a recruiting process.
          
      2. Business Meals. Meals for business associates, vendors or customers of the University and the necessary University hosts thereof when such meals are an unavoidable necessity to a timely discussion of the business interests of the University.
          
      3. Working Meals. Meals and light refreshments taken during work when the meals enhance or extend the quantity or quality of the work or facilitate a business meeting when the meals are reasonable and are necessitated by workload or scheduling conflicts.
          
      4. Student Meals. Meals necessary for University students representing the University in academic, artistic, athletic or cultural competitions, presentations or promotions.
          
      5. Retirement Functions. Light refreshments for functions honoring retiring faculty or staff.
          
      6. Employee and Student Recognition Functions. Light refreshments and meals for functions honoring faculty, staff or student recipients of awards or milestones, and commemorative mementos of the award or milestone for the honorees. The awards and milestones are limited to those University awards and milestones that are regularly recognized by an established employee or student recognition program sponsored by a faculty, staff or student senate or those University awards and milestones that are approved by an executive officer of the University.
          
      7. Employee Meetings, Retreats and Seminars. Meals and light refreshments for University employees at planning or training meetings, retreats or seminars.
          
      8. Business Development. The reasonable and necessary functions, events, tokens, mementos or paraphernalia:
          
         

         1)		that promote, market and develop:
         	a)	the University's professional service interests or business interests,
         	b)	the University's business environment by community development, or
         	c)	the University's business image as a partner in community development; and
         2)		are necessary or customary and appropriate to the standards of the business community within which the University sponsoring entity operates.

         
         
      9. Special Events. Special events that have extraordinary significance and importance to the University's mission and that reasonably and necessarily serve to advance or enhance its mission, as determined and approved by an executive office of the University.
          
      10. Courtesy Refreshments. Reasonable and necessary light refreshments, such as water, soft drinks, coffee, tea and the like, served at business meetings during work when the refreshments are served to the business guests of the University host, including any University employee business guests, or are served, contemporaneously with such guest service, to employees of the University host.
           
      11. Sponsored Spending. Spending that complies with the restrictions or directives of the external sponsor thereof, whether by grant, contract, donation or otherwise.
           
      12. Student Acknowledgements. Certificates, plaques and other appropriate award mementos presented to students in honor and acknowledgment of academic or other student achievements.
       
      
   2. Except for expenses approved by an executive officer of the University and in addition to any other limitations, expenses incurred for:
       
      
      1. Light refreshments and meals under this paragraph C for Recruiting Meals, Business Meals, Working Meals, Student Meals, Retirement Functions, Employee and Student Recognition Functions, and Employee Meetings, Retreats and Seminars must be reasonable and necessary and are not to exceed the following amounts:
          
         

         Light refreshments:	$8 average per attendee
         Breakfast:	$15 per person
         Lunch:	$25 per person
         Evening Meal:	$50 per person

         
         
      2. Commemorative mementos for Employee and Student Recognition Functions and certificates, plaques and other award mementos for Student Acknowledgments (described in paragraphs C.1.f and C.1.l above) must be reasonable and customary and are not to exceed the amount of $100 per honoree.
       
      
   3. Except for the expenses incurred for Special Events, expenses incurred for any exception listed in subparagraph 1 above for which a personal employee reimbursement is requested must be approved in writing by a University employee who is in a greater level of institutional authority than the person initiating the excepted event and who is completely independent of any person initiating or benefiting from the event.
       
   4. The exceptions provided herein do not apply to:
       
      
      1. Transfers of intangible personal property. 
      2. Transfers of real property or interests in real property.
       
      
   5. The exceptions provided herein do not intend to otherwise excuse compliance with the requirements of any applicable law, regulation, policy, control, standard, rule or procedure.
    
   
4. Inapplicability
    
   This policy does not apply to any transfer of property or services that is prohibited, allowed or authorized by the Board of Regents of the University or other controlling policy that is necessarily inconsistent herewith.
    
5. Enforcement
    
   
   1. University departments having financial control responsibilities are authorized to establish such guidelines as may be necessary to implement and enforce this policy within the area of their responsibilities.
       
   2. The burden is on the person or entity relying on the use of an exception provided in this policy to furnish clear documentary proof to any responsible financial controller that the transfer of property complies with this policy and with any guideline authorized by this policy.
   
   
   

he Food and Beverage Expense Certification must accompany all invoices for meals, receptions, banquets or coffee which are to be charged to a University department.

1. The department making the charge should prepare a Food and Beverage Expense Certification Form. This form is available from Financial Support Services. The Food and Beverage Expense Certification should be completed as follows:

   Block 1
   Enter name of payee.

   Block 2
   If requesting reimbursement to an individual, enter the
   individual's social security number.

   Block 3
   Enter amount of invoice or reimbursement.

   Block 4
   Enter the department number to be charged.

   Block 5
   Enter date of event or function.

   Block 6
   Enter place of event or function.

   Block 7
   Indicate the address where payment should be mailed.

   Block 8
   Enter description or purpose of function or event.

   Block 9
   Indicate the number of individuals in attendance. If it is an xx5xxxxxx grants and contracts, listing of individuals in attendance must be provided regardless of number.

   Block 10
   List names and affiliations of individuals in attendance.

   Block 11
   If requesting reimbursement to an individual, indicate if the individual will also be requesting reimbursement on the State of Oklahoma Travel Voucher for this time period.

   Block 12
    
   

   1. Obtain sponsor's signature.

   2. Attach the completed form to the original and one copy of the invoice approved for payment. Payments from xx5xxxxxx departments require the approval of the Project Support & Compliance Assurance Office prior to submission to Financial Support Services. Payments from all other departments should be submitted directly to Financial Support Services.

   3. Upon receipt in Financial Support Services, payment will be processed and a check/warrant will be mailed to the payee. If amounts requested exceed amounts specified in the policy (above) request must be approved by an Executive Officer prior to submission to Financial Support Services.
    
   
2. Any department making a charge to any of the University’s Food Service operations should prepare a Food and Beverage Expense Certification Form.. The department should retain this document in their records for seven years.

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