Allocation and Control of Financial Resources Policy

General information

The Dean’s Office allocates fiscal resources to departments and faculty for numerous academic and other purposes. The College has a “use it or lose it” policy: that is, most funds have an expiration date. Near the end of each fiscal year, expired funds are reclaimed, or “swept,” by the Dean’s Office, and repurposed for College-wide priorities. Funds are swept based on the following schedule:

Department funds

  • Expire in one fiscal year: 

    Education and General (E&G), Available University Fund (AUF), and student fee funds. These Provost-funded, budgeted accounts include faculty, staff, and student salaries; travel; and general operations


  • Expire in two fiscal years:

    Signature course funds, OERS graduate student grants, and transformational funds

  • No expiration; reviewed each year:

    Academic development, discretionary gifts, special equipment funds, and graduate student support

Faculty funds

  • Expire in two fiscal years:

    Funds for Dean’s Fellows, signature courses, web liaisons, OERS grants, and committee service (e.g., promotion and tenure, external review, research)

  • Expire in three fiscal years:

    Start-up packages

  • Expirations noted in DEFINE:

    Indirect cost return