HB Guidelines:

These funds are for the purchase of Instructional and Data Processing Equipment.

Generally, equipment must be used directly for instructional purposes or in direct support of instruction.  Equipment used by faculty (except when purchased primarily in support of their funded research) are considered to be in “support of instruction."

Permitted is equipment and materials necessary to prepare and improve infrastructure to permit greater reliance on technology for instructional purposes including, but not limited to, cable and conduit.

The unit value of equipment must equal or exceed $100.  Individual items in a package may cost less than $100 but must be logically packaged in order to be eligible for funding (e.g. accessories such as a mouse, cables, or start-up software, which are bundled with a computer purchase).

Freight and Installation are acceptable charges.

No Software upgrades or Software Maintenance

No Protection Plans, Maintenance Agreements or Warranties (if priced separately.)

No Training.

No items less than $100 unless bundled logically with an item that is greater than $100.

No office furniture or equipment except computer workstations.

No supplies.

No books.

No vehicles.

HB Procedures:

PO requisitions must have pricing from the vendor attached so that allowability can be determined.

Departments may not charge Pcards directly to a HB account number.  If the vendor only accepts Pcards there are 2 options:

1) Charge to your departmental account and fill out an accounting correction form to move the charge from your department to the HB account number.  If the vendor invoice is not attached to the form or if the purchase is unallowable the charge will not be moved;

2) Fill out a PO requisition and write "Charge to Pcard" on the requisition.  Procurement has the ability to charge directly to a HB account number.

Please send all requisitions and accounting correction forms to Kris Sano, 276 HDL.

ME Department Procedure to apply for House Bill funds:

In addition to the course name and number,

equipment description and cost, your requests should include:

1. Classification (to determine the pecking order of the requests

1: Required undergraduate laboratory course

2: Optional lab component of a required course

3: Optional lab component of an elective course

2. Priority

A: Top priority (such as if a piece of equipment is

absolutely needed to maintain an existing experiment, or is

needed to bring a developed experiment on-line)

B: Medium priority (such as if a piece of equipment is

needed to help develop a a potential laboratory, but no

formal development has been completed)

C: lowest priority (such as for general use in labs, not

necessarily relevant to any one experiment or essential for

operation/experimentation).