Expense Approval Roles & Responsibilities
Preparing for Expense Report Approval Workflow Changes in NUFinancials
The Expense Supervisor Approver is a new approver for Expense transactions. There are many users in the Expense workflow with various roles and responsibilities that are part of the system of controls to enable the proper execution of each transaction. Each individual within the workflow process provides the responsibility, knowledge, and information to ensure that travel expenditures are authorized, accurate, auditable, and allocable to the correct source of funding.
The Expenses Supervisor (and backup supervisors) in myHR will need to be configured on the myHR “Reports To” pages for employees in the following paygroups:
- MON (monthly staff)
- MOF (monthly faculty)
- BIR (biweekly staff)
- MGW (graduate students)
- NMF (Northwestern Medicine)
Your myHR Administrator will need to make the changes for your school/unit.
The following examples of the roles and minimum responsibilities expected of the traveler and approvers are provided as guidance for the identification, configuration, and maintenance of the appropriate approvers in the workflow process.
- Traveler
- Project Approval
- Levels 1, 2, and 3 Approvals
- Supervisor Approval
- ASRSP Approval
- Accounts Payable Approval
Traveler
- Requested permission for travel or other reimbursement from the appropriate supervisor or confirmed authorization from the sponsor.
- Verified that the submitted travel expenses are ordinary and necessary expenses of traveling away from home on authorized University business.
Project Approval (An optional approval that may be assigned to PIs and managers of Project accounts)
- Approves the use of the project’s funds for the expense reimbursement. In doing so, the Project Approver is agreeing that the purpose of the travel was in accordance with any restrictions on the project’s use mandated by the sponsor or donor.
- Has prior knowledge of the travel occurring.
- Agrees that the total expense reimbursement is reasonable given their knowledge of the nature of the trip.
Levels 1, 2, and 3 Approvals
- Reviews all attached receipts for accuracy and completeness.
- Verifies the application of travel authorization/cash advances.
- Examines all expenditures within the report and ensures they are in compliance with University policy.
- Determines that the chart string used is appropriate and that there are no restrictions on the funds that would prevent their use for the expenditures.
Supervisor Approval (The department chair or faculty supervisor approves expenditures for faculty, the immediate supervisor approves for staff or students)
- Acknowledges prior approval to travel for period of the trip; or to the nature of the reimbursement.
- Validates the stated business purpose of the trip or reimbursement.
- Agrees that the total expense reimbursement complies with University policy and is reasonable given their knowledge of the nature of the trip or activity.
- Validates transactions in a timely manner when a backup or delegate Supervisor Approval is applied.
ASRSP Approval (required when charging to sponsored accounts)
- Ensures that the travel and related expenditures are in accordance with sponsor guidelines and University policy.
- Reviews backup documentation for auditability and completeness.
Accounts Payable Approval
- Looks for material violations of University policy and procedure.
- Reviews for workflow approvals.
- Reviews documentation for general completeness.