Collecting Revenue

A university fee is predominately paid by students. SUNY approval is required for
mandatory fees with a set dollar value that may be variable by campus. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Course-based or laboratory fees
• Mandatory fees

A university fee is predominately paid by students. Campus approval is required for fees charged to support campus services and a variety of student activities. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Orientation Fees
• Voluntary Student Health Service Fees

An application for acceptance into a graduate program leading to a master’s, doctoral or equivalent

• One fee approval document per VP/Decanal unit.
• Reach out to UBS-Fees@buffalo.edu to add a graduate application fee.
  

A pre-admission deposit.

• Reach out to UBS-Fees@buffalo.edu to add a tuition deposit.
  

A non-credit bearing professional development program is a university instructional program with established methods of assessment and articulated student learning outcomes. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Continuing education programs.
• Non-credit academic programs.
• Massive online learning opportunities.
• Micro-credentials.

Service Revenue Agreements are required for programs providing services to a single external customer with multiple participants. These agreements can be requested through ShopBlue and must be signed by the assigned party from ShopBlue. 

A departmental event is a departmentally-sponsored function for which a fee is charged to participants. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Conferences.
• Banquets.
• Retreats and Outings.
• Fairs.

State and UB Foundation — Contracts are required when cohosting with another organization. Contracts can be requested through ShopBlue and must be signed by the assigned party from ShopBlue.

Research Foundation — Reach out to Sponsored Project Services.

School-focused activities: the Office of Alumni Engagement (OAE) in University Advancement manages and oversees a number of school-focused events and activities.

Alumni-association activities: the UB Alumni Association (UBAA) may also manage and oversee events. These events are managed directly by the UBAA and association officers.

Relationship with an entity where that entity provides money, goods or services to the university and, in return, the entity receives acknowledgment of the sponsorship via signage, tickets, programs, other print materials or online communications. Sponsorships do not involve messages endorsing or comparing products or messages that relate to the quality of products. Sponsorships differ from corporate gift support, which is generally provided without expectation of tangible benefit or quid pro quo.

This includes career fair vendor fees.

Paid service purchased by a non-university entity that includes messages that contain qualitative or comparative language, price information, an endorsement or an inducement to purchase, sell or use the non-university advertiser’s products or services.

The voluntary, non-reciprocal transfer of money or property from a funder/donor to the university. The funder/donor may be an individual, corporation, or non-profit organization.

Other than an expectation that the university will use the gift for its intended purpose, the funder/donor does not expect anything of value in return besides recognition and does not have control over expenditures. A gift may meet the interests of the donor and can be restricted or unrestricted. Gifts may be made to UB anonymously. A restricted gift is a contribution designated for a specific purpose, program, or project. If the donor does not specify any restrictions, the gift is unrestricted, and UB may allocate the funds at its discretion.

Game of chance in which a participant pays money in return for a ticket or other receipt and in which a prize is awarded based on a winning number(s), color(s) or symbol(s) designated on a ticket or receipt and determined by chance as a result of a drawing from among those tickets or receipts previously sold (NYS General Municipal Law, Section 186.3-b). Raffles include Penny Social, Queen of Hearts and Treasure Chest Raffles.

A service center is an organization that provides a specific technical or administrative service supporting the internal operating activities of the university. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Lab Analysis Services.
• Print and Mail Services.
• Instrumentation Shops.
• Animal Care Services.
• Clinics.

• State and UB Foundation — Contracts are required for external customers.
  • Service Centers approved to collect funds through State Income Fund Reimbursable (IFR) Accounts can request Service Center Agreements via ShopBlue. Agreements must be signed by the assigned party from ShopBlue.
    
• Research Foundation — Contracts are required for external customers.
  
  • Service Centers approved to collect funds through Research Foundation Service and Facility Accounts can request Service Center Agreements via Click. Agreements must be signed by the assigned party from Click.
    

A revenue contract is required if the university generates income or receives consideration other than payment of money.

With guidance from Financial Management, service centers must first calculate the costs to provide the service based on allowable rate components. To get started, email the Cost Accounting Team.

State and UB Foundation — Contracts are required when providing services to external customers. Contracts can be requested through ShopBlue and must be signed by the assigned party from ShopBlue.

Research Foundation — Reach out to Sponsored Project Services.

Sponsored activities are established when funds are awarded to the university by external sources in support of research, instruction, training or services under an agreement including any of the following:

• A set of terms and conditions that binds the university and requires endorsement.
  
• An obligation by the investigator to a line of scholarly or scientific inquiry typically following a plan, providing for orderly testing or evaluation or seeking to meet stated performance goals.
• An understanding of how funds will be used typically including a detailed budget identifying expenses by activity, function or project period.
• A requirement for fiscal accountability evidenced by the submission of financial reports to the sponsor, an audit provision or the return of unexpended funds at project conclusion if the contract type is cost reimbursement.
• An obligation to report project results.
• Disposition of tangible or intangible property resulting from the project. Examples of tangible property include equipment, records, technical reports, theses or dissertations. Intangible property includes rights in data, copyrights or inventions.
• An imposition of legal or financial considerations, e.g., indemnification, warranty.

Reach out to Sponsored Project Services.

Fees charged by the Office of Research Compliance for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to review studies.

Cash, equity or other value received by UB as consideration for license of rights to UB intellectual property.

• Contracts are required. Contracts can be requested through ShopBlue and must be signed by the assigned party from ShopBlue.
  

Sale of items where there is no fundraising component.

• Reach out to Advancement.

External groups and organizations can rent space by entering into an agreement with UB known as a Facilities Use Agreement or Revocable Permit which provides the terms and conditions for use of campus facilities.

Facility Use Agreements and Revocable Permits are required.

Use of space is controlled by Facilities - Capital Planning Group/Real Estate and Property Management (REPM).

• Facilities use a form stack to manage the intake process.
• External entities must be sponsored by a UB Department to use space.
• UB Department’s FPMO must complete the Facilities Improvement Project Request form.
  • Part of this form is a Space Request form specific to external entities using space.
• If Facilities approves external entities' use of space, REPM contacts Purchasing and Contract Services and requests either a revocable permit or facility use agreement.

• The use of space by start-up companies in this NYS program is controlled by UB’s Business & Entrepreneur Partnerships Group.
• Once accepted into the program, REPM is notified.
• REPM contacts Purchasing and Contract Services and requests a StartUP NY agreement for the use of space.