Establish an internal practice to provide computer assistance funds to BUFA members within the Faculty of Humanities in fulfillment of the obligation established in Article 32.03 (b) of the Collective Agreement between Brock University and the Brock University Faculty Association (BUFA) – July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026.

This practice applies to BUFA members within the Faculty of Humanities.

It is the intention of the Faculty of Humanities to establish a computer assistance practice and outline the criteria by which BUFA members are eligible for partial reimbursement of a computer system purchase. Computer assistance is intended to help defray part of the costs associated with the ongoing computer needs of BUFA members.

1. Qualifying faculty members (“Members”) may claim reimbursement of actual expenses not otherwise funded, up to a maximum of $1400 CAD, once every four fiscal years (May 1 to April 30).
2. Computer assistance may be applied “toward the purchase of a computer system of the Member’s choosing, understanding that any additional amount required for the purchase will come from other sources already available to the Member.”
3. A Member should submit an on-line Computer Assistance application to the Dean of Humanities prior to considering making a computer-related purchase.
4. When a computer assistance on-line form is submitted, the Dean’s office will notify the Member by e-mail as to whether the application has been approved.
5. The Member should refer to the Computer and Printer Purchasing page on the ITS Support Sharepoint site for Brock’s guidelines and specifications when purchasing a computer:
   brocku.sharepoint.com
6. The expense report/purchase order should be submitted in the Workday finance system, in accordance with the financial policies & procedures currently in effect.
   • The expense report/purchase order should be allocated in its entirety to the Member’s PER program, Start-Up program, Research grant, or any combination thereof. Computer purchases eligible for computer assistance funding may not be charged against the department’s operating cost centre (Fund 01).
7. The transaction’s Header Memo should include the following information:
   • Confirmation that computer assistance funding has been approved by the Dean;
   • The assigned asset tag number (see point 8 below).
8. Finance policy requires that a fixed asset tag number be assigned for all computer equipment purchases.
   • When the purchase is coordinated through IT Services, a tag number will automatically be assigned, and no action is required on the part of the faculty member.
   • When the Member is purchasing equipment directly, they are responsible for obtaining a fixed asset tag number, and this number must be noted in the header memo of the expense report. The tag number can be obtained at the following link:
     forms.office.com
9. Once the expense report/purchase order is submitted in Workday, an e-mail should be sent to the Assistant to the Faculty Financial Manager indicating the relevant transaction number.
10. Within 30 days after the Financial Services office has posted the expense report/purchase order to the Member’s account(s), the Assistant to the Faculty Financial Manager will prepare a transfer of funds crediting the Member’s account for the approved amount of computer assistance.
11. In the event that total expenses charged to the Member’s account are less than $1400 CAD, reimbursement will be limited to the expense actually incurred.