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In accordance with CSU Hospitality Policy (ICSUAM 1301.00), hospitality expenses that are necessary, reasonable, appropriate to the occasion, and consistent with the mission and fiduciary responsibilities of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) for activities that promote the University to the public and in connection with official University business, are permissible, as defined by this policy.
This site is not intended to replace the policy; rather, to serve as a quick reference guide to the most common aspects of Hospitality. For the full text, view the Policy section below.
For the full text, review the Hospitality Policy [PDF].
Requests for payment or reimbursement of hospitality expenses must be accompanied by a Hospitality Expense form. The Hospitality Expense form must be approved by the Fiscal Officer/ARM, Dean or AVP, Vice President and/or President (if applicable), and Chief Financial Officer (if applicable).
Events
Complete one Hospitality form per event. An "event" refers to a multi-day event consisting of consecutive days, such as a two-day conference. The Hospitality form for an event may include several types of Hospitality, such as a meal AND promotional items. If the same event occurs quarterly, a unique Hospitality form will be required for each quarterly occurrence.
EXCEPTION: Only one Hospitality form is required per recruitment.
Hospitality Other Than Events
For non-events, such as promotional items being purchased to have on-hand to use throughout the year, each invoice being paid by Direct Pay or P-card must have its own unique Hospitality form. If purchasing goods via a blanket Purchase Order, only one Hospitality form is required but a copy must be submitted with each invoice in addition to being attached to the requisition.
Hospitality expenses may be paid using the p-card, subject to the limitations of the Procurement Card Policy.
Hospitality expenses may be paid using the Direct Pay form, subject to the limitations set forth in the categories of the Direct Pay form. If the expense exceeds the limitations of Direct Pay, please submit a requisition for a Purchase Order.
Employee Awards & Prizes
Awards and prizes provided to employees in conjunction with University-wide events for exceptional contributions and superior accomplishments and for length of service of five years or longer are permissible, as are awards and prizes provided to employees participating in University-wide morale building events and appreciation activities that serve a business purpose such as the annual staff appreciation day.
Awards and prizes should be infrequent and conservative in value. Cash- equivalent awards provided to University employees in conjunction with a University-wide event using State funds may not exceed $50. Subject to specific fund restrictions and availability of funds, non-State funds may be used to provide cash-equivalent awards and prizes above $50 to University employees for exceptional contributions and for other University business purposes in conjunction with a University-wide event or activity.
Cash-equivalent awards and prizes, including gift cards, gift certificates, and meal vouchers with a specific dollar value provided to employees are always reportable as wages, no matter how small the value. A non-cash award or prize may have a taxable consequence to an employee. Non-cash awards given to employees using State funds may not exceed $100 per award/prize. Subject to specific fund restrictions and availability of funds, non-State funds may be used to provide non-cash awards and prizes above $100 to University employees for exceptional contributions and for other University business purposes in conjunction with a University-wide event or activity.
It is the responsibility of the department conferring the award or prize to notify Payroll of cash-equivalent awards given to employees, as well as non-cash awards or prizes. Furthermore, departments are required to complete forms STD 676P for cash-equivalent awards and STD 676V for non-cash awards, and submit them to Payroll for processing. The Payroll department will enter the employee's SSN information on these forms.
Student Awards & Prizes
Awards honoring student excellence are permissible. In addition, providing awards and prizes to students via University events and activities that serve a business purpose, such as via the CSUDH Athletics Toro Rewards program, is allowed, as is providing meal vouchers to students via the Toro Food Pantry (subject to Financial Aid reporting).
Cash-equivalent awards and prizes provided to students, including gift cards, gift certificates, and meal vouchers with a designated dollar value are always reportable to the Financial Aid office, no matter how small the value. Cash-equivalent awards provided to students using State funds may not exceed $50. Subject to specific fund restrictions and availability of funds, non-State funds may be used to provide cash-equivalent awards and prizes above $50 to students. It is the responsibility of the department conferring the award or prize to notify the Financial Aid Office of cash-equivalent awards and prizes provided to students, including the student identification number of award recipients.
Departments also are responsible for reporting non-cash awards or prizes provided to students to Accounting Services staff, who are responsible for tracking the cumulative value of non-cash awards or prizes and notifying the IRS should the cumulative value of non-cash awards meet or exceeds $600 during a calendar year, which the University is required to report as income to the recipient. Non-cash awards given to students using State funds may not exceed $100 per award/prize. Subject to specific fund restrictions and availability of funds, non-State funds may be used to provide non-cash awards and prizes above $100 to University students for exceptional contributions and for other University business purposes in conjunction with a University-wide event or activity.
Campus dining meal vouchers given to students are considered a cash equivalent and must be reported to Financial Aid. Please refer to the "Gift Cards" section for more information regarding the handling of campus dining vouchers.
Branded clothing intended for employees is not considered promotional items or Hospitality. Clothing of a nominal value, $50 or less (per person per event) inclusive of tax, shipping, embroidery, or any other fees associated with customization, provided to employees are allowed as a regular business expense only if they are provided to promote or identify them for a specific campus-wide event such as NSO or Commencement. Student workers are also considered employees. Backup must clearly state the event name and purpose of the articles of clothing.
Entertainment events include tickets for sporting and recreational events and require President or Designee approval.
Reasonable expenditures as part of a non-academic, non-student event including, but not limited to, equipment and venue rental, décor, music, performers, and performance support.
Examples include:
Maximum Per-Person Meal Expenses for Meetings & Events Attended by University Employees and Official Guests
Effective February 21, 2024, the following are approved maximum per-person meal and light refreshment expenses that may be incurred during meetings and events attended by University employees and official University guests:
Meal Type | Maximum Per-Person * |
Breakfast | $30 |
Lunch | $50 |
Dinner | $80 |
Light Refreshments | $25 |
Employee Meetings
Meetings serving a University business purpose, administrative in nature, and with a formal agenda. Examples include meetings of the Academic Senate, extended formal training sessions, conferences, extended strategic planning sessions, extended professional development sessions, and meetings of appointed workgroups and committees. Holiday season gatherings do not qualify as employee meetings and are not permitted using state funds.
Food and beverage provided to employees may be permitted when doing so serves a University business purpose and if the expenses occur infrequently, are reasonable and modestly priced, and appropriate to the business purpose. Providing meals or light refreshments during meetings that occur on a regular or frequent basis are not permitted under this policy. Additionally, public expenditures driven by personal motives are an impermissible use of public funds.
Providing meals or light refreshments in support of a University business purpose must be limited to no more than twelve times per year, per group or department. Meals or light refreshments provided to a group should be counted on an event basis, e.g., a two-day meeting should be counted as one event in determining policy compliance.
Water may be purchased using any funding source that doesn’t specifically restrict these types of purchases, if purchased for an official University or Auxiliary business function (e.g. meetings, hosting guests, etc.). Coffee and bottled water services may not be purchased for employee convenience (i.e. daily use). If a work location does not have accessible drinking water, water may be purchased for daily use from any funding source that doesn’t specifically restrict this type of purchase.
The respective AVP or VP is responsible for determining the appropriateness of providing food and/or beverages when a meeting or event supporting a University business purpose is planned only for employees, with no official University guest attending, and their approval is required via the hospitality authorization form. A properly completed Hospitality Authorization form will indicate when a Hospitality Meal Worksheet must be completed. The Meal Worksheet is completed after the event and gets attached for each meal invoice/receipt.
Subject to IRS tax laws and Financial Aid reporting (for students), gift cards are permissible only for the following:
Written approval by the respective Fiscal Officer/ARM, Vice President, and the University Chief Financial Officer/designee is required to purchase gift cards or other cash equivalent awards or prizes, via the Gift Card & Cash Equivalent Purchase Authorization form. As indicated on the form, proof of distribution and reporting must be submitted to Accounts Payable.
Whenever possible, the use of electronic gift cards that are purchased AS NEEDED is recommended. In the event of leftover gift cards, all attempts should be made to return them for a refund. If not possible, a proposal must be submitted, with the final documents, to Accounts Payable as to how the leftover cards will be used (must be an allowable use), and all logging, tracking, reporting, etc. will remain ongoing until all cards have been distributed.
Additionally, departments must hold gift cards, gift certificates, meal vouchers and non-cash awards and prizes in a secured location such as a locked cabinet or safe, per ICSUAM 6330.00. See CSUDH policy on Cash and Cash Equivalent Security for additional detail.
Gifts are not allowable using State funds.
Examples of gifts include (but are not limited to) gift card, gift basket, flowers, cards, CSUDH promotional items for anyone for bereavement, birthday, wedding, anniversary, baby shower, retirement, farewell, get well, thank you, appreciation, recognition, giving a shirt to an alum, giving a diploma frame to a graduate, giving something from the bookstore to a service provider, sending flowers to an ill co-worker, donating branded items to be used as a door prize drawing, etc.
Incentives may be provided to:
Incentives provided to students
Cash-equivalent incentives provided to students, including gift cards, gift certificates, and meal vouchers with a designated dollar value are always reportable to the Financial Aid office, no matter how small the value. Cash-equivalent incentives provided to students using State funds may not exceed $50. Subject to specific fund restrictions and availability of funds, non-State funds may be used to provide cash-equivalent incentives above $50 to students. It is the responsibility of the department conferring the incentive to notify the Financial Aid Office of cash-equivalent incentives provided to students, including the student identification number of incentive recipients.
Departments also are responsible for reporting non-cash incentives provided to students to Accounting Services staff, who are responsible for tracking the cumulative value of non-cash incentives and notifying the IRS should the cumulative value of non-cash incentives meet or exceed $600 during a calendar year, which the University is required to report as income to the recipient. Non-cash incentives given to students using State funds may not exceed $100 per incentive. Subject to specific fund restrictions and availability of funds, non-State funds may be used to provide non-cash incentives above $100 to University students for incentives in conjunction with a University-wide event or activity.
Incentives provided to Employees
Cash-equivalent incentives provided to University employees in conjunction with a University-wide event using State funds may not exceed $50. Subject to specific fund restrictions and availability of funds, non-State funds may be used to provide cash-equivalent incentives above $50 to University employees for incentives and for other University business purposes in conjunction with a University-wide event or activity.
Cash-equivalent incentives, including gift cards and gift certificates, provided to employees are always reportable as wages, no matter how small the value. A non-cash incentive may have a taxable consequence to an employee. Non-cash incentives given to employees using State funds may not exceed $100 per incentive. Subject to specific fund restrictions and availability of funds, non-State funds may be used to provide non-cash incentives above $100 to University employees for incentives in conjunction with a University-wide event or activity.
It is the responsibility of the department conferring the incentive to notify Payroll of cash-equivalent incentives given to employees, as well as non-cash incentives. Furthermore, departments are required to complete forms STD 676P for cash-equivalent incentives and STD 676V for non-cash incentives, and submit them to Payroll for processing. The Payroll department will enter the employee's SSN information on these forms.
Activities where hospitality expenses are not allowed include, but are not limited to, the following:
Promotional Items are low dollar value items displaying the name, logo, or other icon identifying the University and examples include keychains, coffee mugs, stress balls, or t-shirts and their purpose is to promote the campus to prospective students.
Promotional items are not to be distributed as thank you gifts or tokens of appreciation and are not to be given to employees.
Prior to purchase, all items must be reviewed and approved by University Communications and Marketing (UCM).