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Policy

1. In order to meet established standards of uniformity throughout the UW System, chargebacks for Physical Plant services will be made for:
   a. Special services performed for general operation activities.
   b. All services provided to self-supporting activities.
   
2. To generate comparable financial data, the accounting procedures set forth will be followed.
   

Authority

The University responsibility for this policy lies with the Assistant Chancellor for Business and Finance.
The UW-River Falls Chancellor issues this policy in accordance with the Administrative Policy process.

The Assistant Chancellor for Business and Finance may determine that certain situations or circumstances require exceptions to this policy in order to best serve the interests of the University. Such decisions should be communicated in writing to the Director of Facilities Management and should include the exact nature of the exception and, if appropriate, the time period during which the exception should be granted.

The ACBF is responsible for the administration of this policy, with consultation from Facilities Management. Request an exception to this policy by writing to administrative-policy@uwrf.edu.

Sanctions and Appeals Process

Failure to adhere to the provisions of this policy may result in appropriate disciplinary action as provided under existing procedures applicable to students, faculty, and staff, and/or civil or criminal prosecution.

Procedure

1. The hourly chargeback rate for personal services and fringe benefits will be determined as follows:
   a. Personal services will be determined by the gross average rate for non-building trades personnel and by the gross average rate for each building trade at UW-River Falls.
   b. Add to the personal services figure the fringe benefits based on estimated actual fringe benefits based on estimated actual fringe benefits computed at the System level.
2. The chargeback rate should be applied to all time attributed to a particular job, including job breaks for travel and other related activities.
3. There will not be any chargeback for overhead such as general administration or use of standard equipment.
4. Use of special equipment owned by the institution and purchased for the sole use of a program will be charged to the benefiting activity.
5. All equipment that is leased or rented from an outside vendor will be charged to the benefiting activity.
6. Charges to benefiting departments will be coded to the most appropriate financial accounting string (Fund-Program-Department-Project-Account).
   
7. The Physical Plant will record the offsetting accounting entry as a sales credit.
8. Special services performed for general operation activities will be charged to the benefiting department. These services are not covered by Physical Plant’s operating budget. These services include:
   a. Any change, renovation, or remodeling in the building structure or in its hardware, mechanical or electrical systems when requested by a department.
   b. Remodeling and/or installation of shelving, cabinets, and furniture and relocation of these items when requested by a department.
   c. Special departmental requests for painting of room more frequently than the institution’s schedule. (This includes classrooms, labs, hallways, offices, department rooms, and general use areas.)
   d. Changing window treatment supplied with the building other than for wear (e.g., changing from shades to draperies, etc).
   e. Replacement of glass in doors, windows, or partition walls, when the present glass is functionally sound.
   f. Installation and maintenance of departmental kitchen equipment, appliances, and other department owned apparatus.
   g. Installation and repair of office and desk signs, pictures, projection screens, tack boards, chalkboards, and mirrors in offices.
   h. Replacement of departmentally installed carpeting and replacement of carpeting supplied with the building other than for wear.
   i. Installation of department automatic door closers where none exist.
   j. Key cutting (except for initial supply of keys) and rekeying of functionally sound locks.
   k. Repairs, refinishing, servicing, and reupholstering of furniture and equipment for which departments are responsible. Includes office furniture and office equipment, department supplied laboratory furniture and equipment and any other special hardware or apparatus. Excludes classroom furniture and general use furniture and equipment not assignable to any department.
   l. Installation of laboratory apparatus, special laboratory plumbing, and special electrical requirements.
   m. Installation and maintenance of science and art lab tables and hardware. Maintenance of environmental chambers, freezers, refrigerators, ice makers, water softeners, deionizers, and stills, etc.
   n. Physical Plant services for specially scheduled events including any overtime needed for cleanup. Moving of furniture and equipment between buildings and major moves within buildings and set-ups for special functions when materials for set-ups are stored in other buildings.
9. The Physical Plant will be responsible for reasonable and normal maintenance of outdoor areas on the main campus including lawns, trees, shrubs, walks, drives, and surfaced areas that are not integral to the design of a particular building.
10. In any case where the above policy designates funding responsibility to a department which was not previously budgeted for that cost and the cost was funded by another department, funds are to be transferred to the department responsible for the cost of the service.

University Responsibilities

Assistant Chancellor for Business and Finance

Department/Unit Responsibilities

Director of Facilities Management

Background

1. Statutes
2. System Policies – This policy is based on and is consistent with "Internal Services Chargebacks" (F24) and "Physical Plant Services Chargebacks (F25).

Contact

Please direct questions about this policy to administrative-policy@uwrf.edu.