Catering Request

The Newmark J-School uses a department-based process for planning and purchasing catering. Departments are responsible for coordinating their own catering, working directly with vendors, and completing the required procurement and payment steps in accordance with School and CUNY policies.

Each department has designated a staff member to coordinate catering requests. If you are planning an event, please contact your department’s designated coordinator.

If you are your department’s designated coordinator, this guide will walk you through the process—from identifying your funding source and gathering the required documentation to placing your order and submitting it for payment.

Not sure who to contact?

  • Faculty and faculty-led programs: Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
  • Students and student organizations: Office of Student Affairs
  • Staff: Your department head or supervisor
  • Centers and initiatives: Your center or initiative director
  • Questions about procurement: Roberto Rodriguez, Executive Director of Operations
  • Questions about your budget: Wei Zhang, Director of Budget and Finance

Before You Begin

Before ordering catering:

  • Obtain approval from your department head or center director.
  • Identify your funding source (Tax Levy, Non-Tax Levy, Foundation, or Grant. You can find an explainer of these sources here).
  • Confirm sufficient funds are available.
  • Allow enough lead time for approvals, procurement, and vendor processing.
  • If using Tax Levy funds, confirm that your department has an active Purchase Order in CUNYBuy for the vendor you intend to use. If not, complete the annual requisition process before requesting catering.

Step 1. Identify Funding & Budget

Determine your funding source: Tax Levy, Non-Tax Levy (NTL) funding, or Foundation. If you don’t know, use the explainer document mentioned above or contact your department head.

Tax Levy

For events funded through Tax-Levy (including ACE funds), catering must be purchased through one of the school’s approved vendors. Departments should establish annual requisitions in CUNYBuy with anticipated vendors:

Departments cannot place catering orders until the annual requisition has been approved and a Purchase Order has been issued in CUNYBuy. Allow sufficient time at the beginning of each fiscal year to complete this process before scheduling catered events.

Each department is responsible for ensuring that its catering orders comply with CUNY’s On-Site Meeting Meals and Refreshments Guidelines, including the applicable per-person spending limits. 

Per-person costs must include all associated charges, including gratuity, delivery, transportation, and other applicable fees.

  • Light Refreshments (Breakfast): $12.00
  • Modest Meals (Lunch): $20.00
  • After-Hours Meals (Dinner) $29.00

If an order exceeds the allowable limits or otherwise does not comply with CUNY guidelines, the department is responsible for covering any resulting overage or securing any required approvals before placing the order.

Tax-levy funds cannot be used to purchase alcohol (see “Events with Alcohol” policies below). 

Non Tax-Levy

  • NTL Funds (Includes Student Club and GSA Funding): Only the Office of Student Affairs may place orders using these funds. Please check this explainer and if needed, reach out to Roberto Rodriguez.
  • Unrestricted Foundation & Grant Funds: For events funded through unrestricted Foundation and grant funds, departments may use the caterer of their choice. However, we strongly recommend Elior, which offers competitive pricing, is conveniently located near campus, and can accommodate events of varying sizes, including those requiring licensed alcohol service.

Step 2. Gather Required Documentation

Before placing an order, gather the documentation required for your funding source.

  • A full agenda of the event that is at least 2 hours long and lists the exact time of day your event will happen; this affects the per person minimums you’ll read below. 
  • A numbered guest list that justifies the amount of catering ordered vs the amount of people attending.
  • An approval letter from the department head or immediate supervisor (with the school’s letterhead) explaining the business purpose of your catered event. A good rule of thumb is to answer the question: Why does the Graduate School of Journalism need to pay for catering for this event? How will this serve the purpose of the school’s mission? 

Each department is responsible for ensuring that these documents are complete and correct.  

Step 3. Request a Quote and Place Your Order

Once funding has been confirmed and any required approvals have been obtained:

  • Contact the caterer directly.
  • Request a written quote.
  • Confirm that pricing complies with your available budget and applicable purchasing guidelines.
  • Place your order directly with the vendor.

Departments are responsible for communicating directly with vendors regarding menus, quantities, delivery, and any subsequent changes.

Step 4. Receive your order

The hosting department is responsible for:

  • Designating someone to receive the delivery.
  • Confirming that the order matches what was ordered.
  • Retaining delivery receipts and invoices.
  • Reporting any discrepancies to the vendor promptly.

Step 5. Payment

Following the event:

  • Tax Levy: Submit your required documentation and invoices to CUNY Buy within 5 days.
  • Grant & Foundation: Submit invoices and all required supporting documentation to Finance (foundation@journalism.cuny.edu) within 5 days.

Events with Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages may only be served at approved school-sponsored events and must comply with School, CUNY, and New York State policies.

  • Tax Levy funds may not be used to purchase alcoholic beverages.
  • Departments wishing to serve alcohol must submit a Budget Transfer Request Form to the Finance Office to use Foundation funds as part of their annual budget request. Requests require approval from the department head. If approved, equivalent funds will be transferred from the department’s budget to cover the cost of alcohol.
  • Alcohol may only be served on campus between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and service must end at least 30 minutes before the event concludes.
  • Alcohol must be served by a New York State licensed and approved beverage server. Elior already meets these requirements and is the recommended vendor for events serving alcohol.

Important Policies

Please note that this process is based on the following CUNY-wide policies, definitions and guidelines that all campuses across the university must follow. We encourage you to read them.