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Business Meals Approval Procedure

TBR Policy Reference: 4:07:00:00

Approved by: Allana Hamilton

Original Date Effective: 2010-06-14

Last Modified: 2019-09-13

In order to ensure that meals or refreshments provided meet the specific criteria established by the Tennessee Board of Regents, a Business Meal Purchase Approval form must be submitted for approval prior to ordering or purchasing meals, food, or food supplies for any meeting or gathering to be paid for with unrestricted institutional funds.

Events meeting one of the following exceptions, as outlined in the JSCC Business Meals and Recognition Events Policy, will not require a Business Meal Purchase Approval form:

  • Food provided by and paid for with restricted accounts is allowed, provided meals are allowed under the granting agency's guidelines and/or policies.
  • Food provided for students and related to student activities can be paid for with institutional funds.
  • Food provided by and paid for with Jackson State Community College Foundation funds is allowed.
  • Food provided by and paid for with agency (e.g. club) funds is allowed.

The approval form will be completed by the event organizer. The form will contain the event date/time/location, account name/number to be charged, description of event, business purpose of event, estimated number of attendees (total), estimated number of employees, estimated number of non-employees, estimated total cost of food and meal supplies, potential vendors for event, and an attached list of invited attendees. The attendee list will indicate if attendees are JSCC staff or non-staff. Only after the approval form has been completed and the proper signatures (i.e. direct supervisor and the vice president of the division or the president of Jackson State Community College, as applicable) are obtained, will the food and meal supply purchase(s) be authorized. Food and meal supplies may then be purchased in accordance with the JSCC Business Meals and Recognition Events policy and normal JSCC purchasing policies.

Requests for reimbursement, following an event, must include the approval form with final list of attendees. If a cost is pre-paid, the event organizer will submit the original approval form with the pre-paid request and he/she will be responsible for submitting the final list of attendees following the event. The final list should indicate who attended the event, which attendants were employees of Jackson State Community College, and any persons who attended and were not included with the initial approval form. All requests for reimbursement or payment will require a Business Meal Purchase Approval form, and an original itemized receipt or invoice.

In compliance with JSCC purchasing policy, reimbursements or payments made from JSCC unrestricted funds cannot include state sales tax. No payment will be made for food purchases that do not have documented prior approval from the division vice president or the president, as applicable.

Before purchasing food:

  1. Complete the Business Meals Purchase Approval form.
  2. Submit the completed form to your direct supervisory authority and divisional vice president or president when applicable.
  3. Upon approval, make purchasing arrangements in accordance JSCC Business Meals and Recognition Events policy and established JSCC purchasing procedures.

After meeting/event:

  1. Submit request for reimbursement/payment by either check requisition, purchase order, or petty cash form. All forms of reimbursement/payment will require a Business Meal Purchase Approval form.
  2. Include with each request for payment the following:
    1. Original Business Meal Purchase Approval form containing signature of your direct supervisory authority and divisional vice president or president when applicable.
    2. The list of attendees, noting who actually attended, which attendees are JSCC staff,and any attendees not submitted on the list originally.