How to Document a School Purchase

School purchases must contain enough information for the Business Coordinator and School administration to identify the purpose of the expense and charge it to the correct funding source.

When Making a Purchase

When a vendor's order form or checkout process includes a PO, purchase-order, reference, or similar field:

1. Enter a brief description of what the purchase is for.
2. Make the description specific enough to distinguish the purpose of the expense.
3. Complete the purchase using the appropriate university purchasing method.

Why This Matters

Purchase descriptions are used to determine how expenses should be coded in School financial records.

Clear descriptions also help maintain accurate internal budget reports and allow School administration to understand expenditures without reconstructing the purpose of individual transactions later.

Avoid vague descriptions when a more useful purpose can be supplied.

Questions

Contact the Business Coordinator if you are unsure how a purchase should be documented or charged.