College Food Service Policy

Scope and Audience: 

• This policy applies to all purchases of meals and refreshments incurred while conducting official Saint Paul College business with use of Saint Paul College cost centers.  

Policy Statement: 

• Saint Paul College expects employees to spend funds sensibly while meeting all policy, compliance, and procedural requirements to ensure the business purpose of the expenditure meets the mission and objectives of Saint Paul College. This policy defines when Saint Paul College cost center funds, including appropriated and sponsored project (grant) and local accounts may be used. 
• This policy is to be used in accordance to all Minnstate or State of Minnesota policies around purchases and special expenses. 
• The Saint Paul College food services has first right of refusal for food purchases as indicated in the policy below. 

Definitions: 

1. Meetings, Conferences &Trainings
   1. For purposes of this policy, a meeting, conference & training must bring together participants from various locations, may charge a registration fee, and must have a published agenda. 
2. Guest
   1. Person who render a service to the Saint Paul College or to whom Saint Paul College wishes to extend goodwill and who is present at an event or meeting with an underlying business purpose.
      1. Typically, guests are students, visiting speakers, advisory board members, employees of outside state agencies or satellite campuses, or other individuals not employed by Saint Paul College. 
3. Meal
   1. A catered or restaurant-provided breakfast, lunch, or dinner for which employees, students, or other individuals are present for the purpose of conducting substantial and bona fide Saint Paul College business. 
4. Refreshments
   1. Coffee and other beverages, snacks, hors d’oeuvres, pastries, cookies, crackers, chips, fruit, etc. 

Responsibilities and Procedures 

Allowable Expenditures and Events by Funding Source 

1. Cost Center funding sources Meals or Refreshments for Department-Sponsored Meetings, Conferences & Trainings.
   1. Refreshments
      1. Refreshments may be provided to those attending department-sponsored meetings/trainings or participating in sponsored project related activities if the following criteria are met:
         1. Attendance is mandatory; 
         2. There is a published agenda; 
         3. The meeting/training has an intended duration of 1.5 or more hours; 
         4. There are five (5) or more attendees; and 
         5. The total cost per attendee per day cannot exceed the partial-day per diem allowance for breakfast as established by the Saint Paul College.  
         6. Expenditures for sponsored project related activities must comply with the terms and conditions of the sponsored project. 
   2. Meals
      1. Meals may be provided to those attending department-sponsored meetings, conferences & trainings or participating in grant-related activities if the following criteria are met:
         1. The meeting/training has an intended duration of two (2) or more hours; 
         2. Attendance is mandatory; 
         3. There is a published agenda; 
         4. The location of the meeting or scheduling conflicts do not lend themselves to a meal recess; 
         5. The meeting’s business is furthered by speeches, presentations, or interpersonal exchange that would not normally occur on a daily basis; and 
         6. There are five (5) or more attendees; and 
         7. The total cost per attendee meal cannot exceed the allowable partial day per diem allowance for the period of the meal as established by the Saint Paul College. 
   3. Allowable events include career fairs, conferences, student recognition or outreach events, programmatic activities, employee recruitment functions, retreats, retirement receptions hosted by the retiring employee’s home department, and other meetings or events with a documented business purpose which are intended to further the Saint Paul College’s mission subject to the limitations identified in Section 4.2. are not subject to 1A and 1B listed above. 
   4. dLeftover food:
      1. Any food left will be delivered to the Student Life department or the Student Life department will be notified that food is available for students 
      2. Employees are not allowed to remove or take any left-over food 

Limitations 

1. General
   1. Expenditures for sponsored project related activities must comply with the requirements of this policy unless otherwise specified within the award. Alcoholic beverages may not be procured with sponsored project funds unless the terms of the award specifically authorize the purchase of alcohol. 
2. Limitations on Expenditures for Certain Functions
   1. The Saint Paul College will not pay for meals or refreshments for regularly scheduled staff meetings, department-sponsored social gatherings, employee birthdays, weddings, holidays, going away parties, or other similar celebrations with the exception of length of service or retirement receptions for employees with at least five years of Saint Paul College service. 
   2. Length of Service / Retirement receptions must meet the following criteria: 
3. The per person cost for food does not exceed the refreshment (breakfast) rate; 
4. Must be pre-approved at the Dean/VP level or above. 

Approval Requirements 

1. Meals or refreshments purchased for meetings between Saint Paul College employees (as stated above) must be pre-authorized by a Dean or Vice President. 

Authorized Vendors 

1. Meals or refreshments are only authorized when provided by the Saint Paul College’s food service provider or permitted to use an approved food vendor in the business of providing prepared food to the general public.
   1. The Saint Paul College’s food service contractor declines or is unable to provide requested food service. This will be determined within 2 business days of the request being submitted. 
   2. An “all” campus events are scheduled (Professional Development, Year End Employee Appreciation). 
   3. Using an outside diverse vendor will be allowed 2x per cost center per FY and not have to go through the cafeteria first. 

Outside Vendors 

1. Saint Paul College seeks to create inclusive and equitable communities of diverse suppliers.
   1. A diverse supplier is a business that is 51% owned and operated by a minority, woman, disability-owned business enterprise, veteran, service-disabled veteran, or lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender owned business and verified. 
   2. A list of vendors or websites that list will be house on the intranet. 

Maximum Rates for Meals and Refreshments 

1. Payment or reimbursement for meals and refreshments is limited to the meal reimbursement amount allowable (Meal Allowances). The rate for refreshments is not to exceed the maximum allowable meal rate for breakfast. Rates for breakfast, lunch or dinner will be listed in the special expense form.
   1. These amounts do not include Tax, Delivery, or Tip (20% max) 

Submission of Expenditures 

1. All expenditures must be properly documented to qualify for payment or reimbursement. The required documentation that must be presented for reimbursement or direct payment to the vendor includes the following:
   1. Itemized receipts identifying specifics of purchase as well as evidence of payment, and 
   2. Completed Special Expense Form 
2. If an expenditure is identified as unallowable, it will become a personal expense to the employee or the employee’s approving supervisor.