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Student Academic Success Initiative

The Student Academic Success Initiative (SASI) is a program that was started in 2008 by former President Tim Hall to encourage student engagement within the academic community and to foster faculty-student interactions outside of the classroom.  Each year, between 30-40 proposals totaling approximately $60,000 are funded by SASI.   

Proposals are called for during the spring semester (February) by the Faculty Senate.  Successful proposals are notified before the end of spring semester, and funds are available after July 1. All funds must be spent during the fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). A final summary of the funded project's results is due by the end of the academic year.

Frequently Asked Questions about SASI Funds & Spending

A SASI grant recipient should submit approvals for SASI projects to the dean of his/her department.

110001 40075 XXXXX 200

XXXXX represents the account code. This will change with the type of purchase. Please direct any questions about account numbers to your college dean’s administrative assistant.

If the estimated total amount of any purchase is less than $10,000, the purchase may be negotiated by the SASI grant recipient, who will work with his/her college dean’s administrative assistant to acquire any required prior approvals, place the order with the vendor, and obtain any necessary signatures for audit purposes. Prior approvals may be obtained via e-mail to the appropriate approving authority or his/her designee.

After receipt of goods, a payment authorization must be processed through Govs e-Shop for payment. Any invoices must be attached to the payment authorization.

NOTE: Austin Peay is tax exempt. We cannot pay or reimburse sales tax

Yes, a department purchasing card may be used, if available. Please contact the administrative assistant in your department. The purchases below are restricted:

  • Sales tax
  • Hotels and motels
  • Banking services
  • Cash
  • Guest meals
  • Entertainment expenses
  • Fuel
  • Using PayPal
  • Maintenance or service agreements requiring a contract

The Purchasing Office has made arrangements with Sam’s Club for the Customer Service Desk to keep the Austin Peay membership card. To take advantage of the arrangement with Sam’s Club, please follow these steps:

  1. The SASI grant recipient or the administrative assistant for the department should send an email to all Purchasing staff detailing the FOAP, items to be purchased, date to shop, and person to shop. The person shopping should obtain a signed letter from Purchasing authorizing purchases at Sam’s Club. NOTE: Only full-time permanent employees can shop at Sam’s Club. No student or graduate student can replace a faculty or staff member for making purchases!
  2. Complete instructions of all steps will be on the back of the letter.
  3. The purchaser will receive a receipt, which must be submitted to Accounts Payable through a payment authorization in Govs e-Shop. All Sam’s Club receipts have to be submitted and approved within three (3) business days of the purchase. Failure to follow this procedure will result in a strike against your department. If a department receives three (3) strikes within a fiscal year, then the department’s access to Sam’s Club will be suspended for the rest of the fiscal year.

Yes, please see the details below:

  1. Prizes and awards are typically gift cards or other tangible personal property bestowed on University students in recognition of outstanding achievement in academic performance or other performance-related activities (such as door prizes or research participation, etc.).
  2. Gifts, prizes, and awards are considered taxable income per the IRS and must be reported as income to any recipient. This includes, but is not limited to, gift certificates, gift cards, and other non-cash items.
  3. The SASI grant recipient or departmental administrative assistant should identify the recipients of these gifts, include their student numbers, and indicate the amount given as a gift to each individual (or the equivalent fair market value of each gift, if items other than gift cards are given). Use the “Record of Gifts, Prizes, and Awards for Items Valued at $5.00 or More” form.

An honorarium may be paid when the amount is $500 or less and the speaker is not an employee of any state agency or state university / community college / technical center. Please contact Kristi Moore in Accounts Payable at 7692 for more information.

Contact Pat Walton directly at 7573 for issues regarding Personal Services Agreements.

If the event is being held in the UC Ballroom or the Iris Room, the catering must be provided by Sodexo. To discuss menus and pricing, contact Catering Services at 7016.

For snacks and drinks that do not require catering:

  • Coca-Cola Bottling Works of Tullahoma, Inc. has an exclusive contract on the Austin Peay campus. Only Coke products can be purchased with university funds. If purchasing food from a vendor that includes drinks with the meal, be sure that the drinks are Coke-Cola products. Here is a link to Coke Products:  https://www.apsu.edu/auxiliaryservices/cocacola.php
  • Food and drink items for an official university event may be purchased by payment authorization in Govs e-Shop.
Room requests are initiated online at: http://apbrems.apsu.edu/. This website will be used to log into the reservation system to request any space on the APSU campus. If you have any access problems or reservation questions, contact University Facilities at 6617. Please note that room reservations can only be done online!
Travel policies and procedures for traveling with students can view in Travel Policy 4:015.
Student employment procedures are outlined at: https://www.apsu.edu/human-resources/studentworkers.
New procedures concerning accessibility are in place for the purchase of software (including renewals) and technology. Before the purchase, the vendor must submit a VPAT and, if the items are not compliant, then the vendor must submit a plan as to when and how their product will become compliant. If the vendor cannot meet the requirement, then the department must acknowledge that shortcoming and plan proactively to have alternative instructional options for any students who request accommodation.
If you are not able to use your funds as you specified in your grant proposal, please let both the current chair of the SASI Committee and the Faculty Senate President know as soon as possible so that the funds can be redistributed.
  • Judy Blain (blainj@apsu.edu)
  • Lois Culwell (culwelll@apsu.edu)
  • Suzanne Desrochers (desrocherss@apsu.edu)
  • Patricia Walton (waltonp@apsu.edu)

INSTRUCTIONS: Complete and submit the online proposal form. Applications are currently being accepted until April 14, 2023. Note: We realize that your attendance numbers will be approximate.

NOTE: If funded, you are required to submit a brief (3-5 sentences, 50-250 words, 1/2 page) report which includes the following information by April 12, 2024, to Tasha Ruffin, SASI Chair, at ruffint@apsu.edu.  This report must include the below information:

  1. A sentence or two describing the project
  2. The number of students and faculty that participated

Final Reporting Information for Completed SASI Projects

Recently Funded Proposals