One-Up Approvals Policy

Policy Owner: Dean

Policy Contact: Maureen Lovestrand, Chief of Staff

POLICY STATEMENT

Employees cannot approve their own use of foundation, PUF or discretionary funds to support projects or research they initiate. Employee use of funds, purchases of goods or services that could be perceived as personally benefiting an employee must be approved by a person one level senior to the employee requesting reimbursement or initiating the purchase. One-up approval authority can be delegated to an individual other than the initiator; however, accountability cannot be delegated. Both the delegate and the original approver are accountable for the accuracy and validity of any approvals completed.

REASON FOR POLICY

Complete, accurate, and timely transactions with proper documentation and approval is paramount to the integrity of the University’s financial reporting and aides in ensuring stewardship of the University’s resources. Approval of those transactions is a key financial internal control. Providing thorough and complete transaction documentation and ensuring approvals are completed protects and benefits the School of Dentistry in the following ways:

• Creates a framework allowing the School of Dentistry to maintain stewardship over School of Dentistry resources.
• Ensures transactions included in the University’s financial statements are accurately reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and other financial reporting requirements and minimizes inefficiencies due to the correction of errors.
• Provides the framework for establishing adequate and consistent documentation and approval standards for all financial transactions.
• Ensures funds provided to the University by stakeholders such as taxpayers, students, donors and sponsors are being used in accordance with University Mission, regulatory requirements, grantor and donor intentions.
• Safeguards the University against the risks of fraud, misuse of funds, or unsubstantiated expenses, which could result in expense disallowances, repayment of funding, loss of future funding, penalties or fines.
• Manages reputational risks and adverse public perception.
• Ensures that the benefit to the institution and compliance with regulatory requirements is clearly documented and can be understood by both internal and external reviewers (e.g., new employees, managers, auditors, IRS, the public).

PROCEDURES

1. Determine the purpose and nature of transfer being initiated and whether that purpose might raise a conflict of interest for the faculty making the funding request.
2. Transactions involving Foundation or PUF funds where the authorized approver for the fund is requesting funding to support their own research or other operations must be reviewed by the department finance professional for the need for one up approval and compliance with the fund’s purpose.
3. The requestor will obtain one-up level approval by contacting the senior leader over the requesting individual, including the CFO and finance professional on the request, who will return approval to the finance professional.
4. Initiate and prepare the transaction.

FORMS/INSTRUCTIONS

One-Up Policy Instructions (make a copy of this template to complete)

APPENDICES

There are no appendices associated with this guideline.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

There is no FAQ associated with this policy.

DEFINITIONS

PUF | Permanent University Fund

RESPONSIBILITIES

The requestor’s finance professional is responsible for detecting that one-up approval is required;  the requestor is responsible for completing the appropriate paperwork and following the process.

RELATED INFORMATION

Policy | Processing, Documenting, and Approving Financial and Accounting Transactions

HISTORY

• Approving Body: Council of Chairs
• Date Approved: February 18, 2026
• Date Amended:

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS