Service centers are established for the purpose of providing goods and services to university departments and only incidentally to customers outside the university.
The centers are expected to offer goods or services that are unique, convenient, or not readily available from external sources. There are three types of service centers.
Recharge Activities are service centers that have annual direct operating costs of less than $100,000. These include activities such as specialized computer labs, testing equipment, electron microscopes, etc.
Specialized Service Facilities are large service centers that provide specialized services involving highly complex or specialized facilities to a select group of users with annual costs $1,000,000 or more.
Service Facilities are service centers that do not fall within the other two. Service centers do not include the auxiliary enterprises that are established to provide goods and services to faculty, staff, and students.
The university will establish a service center for the sale of goods or services consistent with the university's mission and within the normal activities of the college or vice presidential area providing oversight of the center's activities.
All costs associated with the operation of the center must be recorded in the funds established for the center. The rates to be charged by the center are computed by the center's manager and submitted along with sufficient support documentation to the Controller’s Office for review and approval.
The billing rates are to be set so that the center will break even over a period of one year. The prior year's surplus or deficit shall be included in the rates for the following year or the next succeeding year.
