We have this weird hybrid expense mgnt system at our uni: you ✍️ one specific staff person to get approval for your expense; they don’t respond; then you ✍️ them 4x more over 2mo to get their approval. Then you use the bad software to input your expense + get amiguous error messages until you give ip. - ThreadSky

shannonmattern.bsky.social • 83 days ago

We have this weird hybrid expense mgnt system at our uni: you ✍️ one specific staff person to get approval for your expense; they don’t respond; then you ✍️ them 4x more over 2mo to get their approval. Then you use the bad software to input your expense + get amiguous error messages until you give ip.

Comments

profclaire.bsky.social•83 days ago

Either we use the same expense system or they all function this way

sarahebull.bsky.social•83 days ago

My uni recently hired a company to do an "efficiency audit" (😩) and one of the things it apparently suggested to improve efficiency was giving more faculty university credit cards for expenses. That suggestion I like!

shannonmattern.bsky.social•83 days ago

It helps! I have a credit card, and I can use it for all the food and drinks I want – but I’d rather use my expenses to buy books, which I have to outsource to a staff person, or to cover teaching expenses + cool class projects, which require special permission :)

sarahebull.bsky.social•83 days ago

Same here — I think we can use it to cover research + teaching expenses too, but I fear that that it wouldn't save that much time because we'd still have to document/justify the expense (which often involves the process you outline here atm - insane to think that professors would need books!)

africahands.bsky.social•83 days ago

Lol! A former faculty member must work for that company. Is that the solution? Plant former faculty in consulting firms to improve conditions for existing faculty?

sarahebull.bsky.social•83 days ago

😂

legalcat.bsky.social•83 days ago

my phd program owes me so much money in reimbursements lol they definitely knew that if they made the process hard enough, we’d just eat it

offalcute.bsky.social•83 days ago

Yeah, that sounds like all expense approval systems I’ve ever encountered. 😩 For extra fun, sometimes you’ll also get a super condescending tutorial from someone who can’t believe you don’t find the system “intuitive.”

shannonmattern.bsky.social•83 days ago

Damn, I feel cheated. I’ve *asked* for a tutorial… repeatedly! But they keep ignoring me!

offalcute.bsky.social•82 days ago

If it makes you feel any better, I’ve never had a tutorial that clarified anything about the process lol

shannonmattern.bsky.social•82 days ago

That’s reassuring :)

shannonmattern.bsky.social•83 days ago

I think this is called “human in the loop.”

pardoguerra.bsky.social•83 days ago

I have a presentation on that!

shannonmattern.bsky.social•83 days ago

I’d LOVE to see it! :)

pardoguerra.bsky.social•83 days ago

Here it is, sort of! https://bsky.app/profile/pardoguerra.bsky.social/post/3ldoinwhjp22y

shannonmattern.bsky.social•83 days ago

Thank you!!

juliendavis.bsky.social•82 days ago

And also one of our staff members “loves” (her words, not mine) this system and could probably help if you need it

shannonmattern.bsky.social•82 days ago

Thank you, Julie :)

juliendavis.bsky.social•82 days ago

Yep! I got one sent back today because the restaurant said we had 4 in our party and we had 5. The 5th person was 5 minutes late, so the tab was not updated. I had to write a set of comments on why I had listed 5 names. The amount of money saved is much less than the amount of money spent on time…

ranjodhdhaliwal.com•83 days ago

Ah yes, the phantom debt that is reimbursement, structurally a form of lending money to your billionaire employer and then hoping and praying you may see some of it in return some day. A total scam, just as the good lord intended...

shannonmattern.bsky.social•83 days ago

Earlier this week I spoke with a student who was recruited to help teach in a uni summer abroad program. They have to front all of their expenses, sit on that debt for months, then submit for reimbursement. A student!

ranjodhdhaliwal.com•83 days ago

It needs to be pegged to the current market interest rates or it's a total money grab.

shannonmattern.bsky.social•83 days ago

Yes!!

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