Appropriate Expenditures
Party items, flowers, gift baskets, cakes, candy, etc. ordered to recognize birthdays, promotions, retirements, congratulations and get well wishes, etc. are not approved expenses and cannot be paid from your Muhlenberg College account. These remembrances are considered personal in nature and should be paid from personal funds and not Muhlenberg College funds.
Food, candy, beverage items or paper products purchased for the office or for office socials are considered personal in nature and will not be reimbursed or paid for with Muhlenberg College funds. Please do not purchase candy for reception areas and submit for reimbursement. This type of expenditure is not approved.
Faculty and administrative meetings should not be scheduled as departmental breakfast, luncheon or dinner meetings. Preapproval from the department vice president is required to receive reimbursement for refreshments for departmental meetings. Retirement, tenure and farewell parties are not an allowable expense. Requests for this type of event must be approved by the department Vice President. Meals or catering ordered and billed through Sodexo for faculty and administrative meetings, etc. must be approved by the department Vice President.
Holiday or seasonal purchases are also considered personal in nature and will not be paid through college accounts. Holiday luncheons, party trays, gifts, flowers, decorations, etc. are not authorized expenses. Gifts for co-workers, student workers, interns or for other departments are not authorized expenses. On and off campus holiday luncheons will not be reimbursed with department funds. These types of invoices will not be paid with Muhlenberg College funds. Interoffice mailing of Christmas greetings is discouraged as it impacts workload in mail delivery.
Many offices employ student workers. Holiday parties/gifts and graduation parties/gifts for students are not an authorized expenditure. If a group wants to celebrate special occasions for their student workers, personal funds should be used. Department Berg Bucks/flex cards should not be utilized to purchase gifts for Muhlenberg employees or students.
The College Chaplain should be contacted regarding congratulations on birth announcements and expressions of sympathy for Muhlenberg College employees and their immediate family members. Any official recognition of these events will be ordered and authorized by the President or Chaplain. Sympathy memorials, congratulation bouquets or floral arrangements from an individual and or department are considered personal in nature and are not an authorized expenditure. If your department chooses to order flowers, congratulations or remembrance items, you will need to pay for those items from personal funds. Only those remembrances authorized by the Chaplain will be paid by Muhlenberg College. The College Chaplain will release information to the college community regarding birth and death announcements upon authorization by immediate family members.
Since we are a not for profit entity, we are not authorized to make donations or contributions of Muhlenberg College funds to other outside organizations. If you wish to make a donation to a charity or cause, personal funds should be used.
Tissues for office use may be ordered through the authorized office supply vendor. Please contact the Purchasing Department for information. Antibacterial sprays, gels are also not reimbursable (except in health center). The college has installed hand sanitizing stations in every building on campus to address this issue. Cleaning supplies are maintained in the Plant Operations Housekeeping department, if additional cleaning and/ or supplies are needed, a request should be made to plant operations
Supplementary heating, cooling devices should not be purchased without prior approval of plant operations as these devices can pose safety risks. Plant personnel will investigate the request to determine if there is an underlying problem that would cause the need and if required will specify the models of equipment to be purchased.
Employees who are issued a Muhlenberg College credit card are not authorized to charge any of the above items on their Muhlenberg College credit card. These items are considered personal and are not appropriate expenditures. Expenditures charged on the Muhlenberg College credit card are restricted to authorized college business expenses. The Muhlenberg College credit card is not for personal use.
