About

The mission of the Division of Business Services is to support UW-Madison’s institutional responsibilities of higher education and research. The division accomplishes its mission through the delivery of essential business services to campus in the areas of accounting, purchasing, materials distribution and surplus, risk management, and student account, payment and loan services.

The division is organized into five major functional units described as follows:

Accounting Services is responsible for University-wide controllership and management of campus accounting functions. It influences, develops and implements financial policies and procedures for university-wide business processes for compliance with tax laws and other Federal and State regulations.

The Bursar’s Office provides student account, cashiering and student loan services to customers while adhering to regulations of governing agencies and implementing financial procedures. The Bursar’s Office is also responsible for maintaining the Student Financial Module of the Student Information System (SIS) which manages student accounts, electronic billings, financial aid distribution, third party tuition and fee deferrals, and collection services for UW-Madison.

Purchasing Services provides expert purchasing knowledge for specific commodities and contracting techniques, performs the buying functions for campus, develops written policies and procedures, educates and trains customers and delegated agents, promotes vendor/university relationships, and maintains centralized contracting and inventory records to provide control over the procurement cycle.

Materials Distribution Services (MDS) and Surplus With a Purpose (SWAP) are units within Purchasing Services. MDS provides e-commerce ordering for purchasing contracts, storage and delivery services. It is a one-stop web source for office and work materials at the overall lowest cost for UW-Madison, other UW-System campuses, and municipalities. SWAP promotes the sale, reuse, and environmentally-friendly disposal of the State’s surplus property.

Risk Management manages UW-Madison’s participation in the State of Wisconsin’s self-funded Workers Compensation, Property and Liability insurance programs. Additionally, the Office identifies, evaluates and controls loss exposure faced by the University. The International Safety and Security Director (ISSD) works closely with the International Division to support the safety and security of faculty, staff and students who travel internationally.