Effective immediately, the required business practice for UCSF will be not to request receipts for expenses under $75 unless a policy requirement described below is met. All units are expected to change their internal practices to align with policy.Policy Requirements:University of California Policy G-28 Travel Regulations (page 41) requires receipts for meals, local transportation, and miscellaneous expenses to be submitted only when the amount of the expense is $75 or more.Receipts are required for all airfare, hotel stays, and rental cars, regardless of amount.Some award sponsors may require that receipts for all expenses be reviewed and thus, receipts may be requested in these specific cases.Many UCSF departments, including within FAS, have routinely required travelers to submit receipts even when policy did not mandate them. Since more than half of all expense line items at UCSF are less than $75, the effort to collect and review these expenses is unnecessary from a policy perspective. This change establishes a clear campus standard that reduces administrative burden.The Chancellor’s executive leadership believes that this change to UCSF’s common business practices will benefit our community in many ways, including:Faster creation of expense reports.Less time spent on the review of low-dollar receipts.Reduced exposure to Public Records Act requests.Promotion of a culture of respect and integrity consistent with UCSF’s PRIDE values.All members of our community who incur expenses while conducting UCSF business are stewards of university resources and, as such, are expected to adhere to the expense limits prescribed in policy. Approvers of expense reports may still request receipts if their review of an expense indicates that further review is necessary.If an individual’s preferred method of creating expenses is to scan them into MyExpense or the Concur mobile app, they are welcome to continue doing so. Thank you for your attention to this important update to UCSF’s business practice and culture.QUESTIONS OR NEED HELP? Supply Chain Management maintains a library of resources about UCSF’s expense policy and procedures and MyExpense training at Travel | Supply Chain Management.
We are excited to announce the launch of the new Procurement (P-Card) refresher training, published in January 2026. This annual training is designed to support you in maintaining compliance with P-Card policies and audit requirements, as well as strengthening financial controls.All P-Card cardholders and approvers are required to complete this important training annually. To ensure compliance, current cardholders and approvers who last completed training prior to April 30, 2025, must complete the refresher training by April 30, 2026.Staying up to date with P-Card guidelines is essential for ensuring smooth operations and protecting the integrity of our financial processes. Please be aware that failure to complete the training by the deadline will result in a temporary suspension of your P-Card, preventing any new purchases until the requirement is fulfilled. Continued noncompliance may result in the permanent revocation of your P-Card privileges.We greatly appreciate your commitment to financial stewardship and responsible P-Card use.
The new Blaisdell’s Business Products punch-out catalog is now live in BearBuy, replacing the hosted catalog. This updated catalog offers streamlined access to a wide range of office supplies and now includes IT peripherals.We encourage you to consider Blaisdell, a small business, as an alternative supplier for IT peripherals. Their pricing is competitive with CDW-G, providing an opportunity to support small business spending. The catalog will continue to expand to ensure access to the latest products and feature all major manufacturers of OEM brands.If you don’t see the product you need, please contact Blaisdell’s account manager Patty DeFreitas via email at [email protected] or mobile (510.909.7723).
UCSF IT is introducing Canva, an online graphic design software platform, for faculty, staff, and learners. IT is also offering discounted Adobe software licenses for campus. Read more to learn about the licensing process. CanvaCanva is an all-in-one, web-based graphic design application for creators of all skill levels for presentations, websites, templates (including UCSF logos, colors and patterns), and more. The software is free for learners with an active UCSF email address. A license for employees will cost $115 per person for a fiscal year and will be billed to each department on a prorated basis. Learn more about Canva and licensing on the UCSF IT Canva webpage. To purchase a license, submit an IT ServiceNow ticket with your chartstring and name(s). NOTE: Canva licenses are not purchased through SCM/BearBuy. Discounted Adobe LicensesFor Adobe software users, UCSF has an Enterprise Term Licensing Agreement (ETLA) with Adobe to purchase Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Pro, and Creative Cloud Suite software licenses for UCSF Business and UCSF-owned devices at a discounted rate versus current Adobe VIP licensing.For details about how to purchase Adobe software through ETLA licensing, check out the UCSF Adobe Licensing page. For software usage assistance, submit a ServiceNow ticket.
Winter weather can create unpredictable travel conditions, from flight delays to limited ground transportation. A little preparation—and knowing what to expect while traveling—can go a long way. Below are updated Winter Travel Tips, organized to help you plan ahead and navigate disruptions while traveling, whether related to an upcoming storm or future winter weather events.
Connection Check In | February Calendar | Word on Tartine | Recognition | Kudos
Connection Check In | Office and Workspaces Updates | Daisy Palma Promotion | Buyer Job Posting | Michael White Spotlight | Supplier Expo Announced | Employee Discounts | UC Travel: Southwest Airlines/Alaska Airlines | Recognize | Kudos to Dean
Last year, the inaugural Supplier Expo event hosted by Anchor Institution Mission Procurement for Staff Resource Day aimed to increase utilization and awareness of existing certified small and local businesses. The event featured face-to-face networking with BearBuy suppliers, and food samples from local caterers. This event was a success with 150 attendees, 13 exhibitors, 20 restaurants, and resounding feedback to do the event again. Please save the date for Wednesday, June 3, to attend 2026 Supplier Expo activities during Staff Resource Days (June 1-5). Call for VolunteersWe are looking for volunteers to get involved with event outreach and day-of coordination. Volunteers will meet once a month as part of the Anchors Away Team to align procurement needs with a mission to sustain and advance the small and local business community.If you would like to get involved with this impactful event, please contact Marliz Copado no later than Wednesday, January 30.
If you need to place an order with a vendor that is not in BearBuy, does not have a contract, and is not offered through distributor catalogs, consider using VWR or Fisher’s third-party purchasing option to simplify the process.Onboarding new vendors or negotiating terms with non-contracted vendors can add additional processing time to requisitions. VWR and Fisher can quote your order and process it quickly—even if the vendor is not listed in their catalogs. Your order may also qualify for existing benefit from these distributors—such as free freight.Directions to utilize third party purchasing are as follows:VWR’s third-party purchasing is available through their MarketSource program. This can be accessed through their punch out catalog. More details here.Fisher also offers third-party purchasing options through their punch out catalog. Learn more here.If you have any questions, you may also contact your local sales representative for each of the distributors.
Supply Chain Management (SCM) has developed a new ordering process in response to the difficulties customers have experienced when placing orders for Neuropixels and other items from Imec, Inc (IMEC). New procurement arrangement for Imec orders (Neuropixels)IMEC and Avantor (VWR) have agreed to collaborate to streamline ordering. UCSF customers can request quotes and place orders for Neuropixels through VWR’s BearBuy punchout, shown below. The attached “Neuropixels Ordering Guide” outlines the process for requesting quotes and placing orders for Neuropixels (or any IMEC product). Background InformationAvantor (VWR) will manage transactions for IMEC orders under the terms of their UC agreement, eliminating the need for exceptional approvals, and will work behind the scenes to act as the Importer of Record and work directly with UC’s customs broker. For any questions, and to submit feedback to further streamline the ordering process for IMEC items please contact [email protected].
