Hospitality Expense

Allowable Hospitality

In addition to the allowable expenses already covered in the policy, hospitality expenses may include the following type of expenditures:

1. Those items related to the individual recruitment of faculty, staff or students, including search and screen committee activities. Spouses of faculty, staff, or students who accompany the party shall be reimbursed if the visiting spouse is present, or if the inclusion of spouses has the prior written approval of the appropriate school dean or vice president/chancellor;
2. Official, ceremonial functions of the university (such as commencement, presidential inauguration);
3. Receptions for which the primary purpose is the attendance and benefit of a group of students or potential students;
4. Official business of the Board of Trustees;
5. Employee recognition receptions (service anniversaries, retirements);
6. Refreshments for training sessions when training is provided by campus Human Resources, campus faculty development offices, or is facilitated by an external training consultant;
7. Meal (but not entertainment) expense for university employees and outside reviewers required for accreditation activities and peer or administrative reviews;
8. Meals for individuals invited as visitors to contribute to the intellectual life of the university community. Normally such visitors will deliver a seminar, colloquium talk, or other lecture (or performance in the case of creative activity) for the benefit of Indiana University faculty and/or students; and,
9. Meals or refreshments for formally organized departmental or organizational employee business meetings. This does not permit lunch only meetings. To qualify, a meeting must be of at least one-half day duration.

Unallowable Hospitality

The following items are NOT allowable expenses from any university account. (The determination of expenses as unallowable according to Items numbered 1 through 8 below overrides all other sections of this policy):

1. Alcoholic beverages, including those associated with meals;
2. Flowers not related to the allowable functions listed above;
3. Charitable donations to any organization;
4. Gifts of any kind, to any individual, whether or not they are university personnel;
5. Items utilized by a university employee in the entertainment of university guests that would be of a personal nature, e.g. golf clubs and memberships in social organizations;
6. Hospitality related to fundraising expenses where the revenue from the development goes to an IU Foundation account;
7. Meals and refreshments for employees (except as allowed above); and,
8. Meals and refreshments for the entertainment of local, state or federal government officials.