Stipend Approval Process

Overview/Introduction

Audience: Faculty, staff, and anyone submitting a stipend request on behalf of a department

All stipend requests require approval before Payroll can process them. This article explains who your approver is, how the approval works, and what to expect after you submit your Stipend Request form.

Requests submitted without a valid approver cannot be processed — incomplete requests, including those missing approvals, have historically caused significant delays (in some cases, months). Identifying your approver before you start the form is the fastest way to get paid on time.

Who Is My Approver?

Your approver is typically:

• Your supervisor, or
• Your department chair/head, if you are faculty or part of an academic department

If you are an administrative assistant submitting on behalf of your department, the approver is the supervisor or chair who authorized the stipend — not you.

You cannot approve your own request. If you are submitting a stipend request for yourself, a manager or supervisor must be named as the approver on the form.

Not sure who to list? Ask yourself: "Who authorized this stipend?" That person — or the supervisor/department head above the recipient — is your approver. Only one approval is needed; second approvers are not required regardless of dollar amount or funding source.

How the Approval Works

You do not need to collect a paper or electronic signature. The approval happens automatically inside TeamDynamix (TDX):

1. You submit the Stipend Request form and name your approver in the Approver field.
2. TDX emails your approver automatically. They can approve one of two ways:
   • Click the approval button directly in the email (fastest), or
   • Log in to the TDX portal and click Approve there
3. Once approved, your request is automatically routed to Payroll for processing.
4. You receive status updates as your request moves from submitted → approved → processed.

This replaces the old process of chasing signatures on paper forms.

Tips for a Smooth Approval

• Tell your approver to expect the email. A quick heads-up means they won't overlook it.
• Approvals count only from the named approver. If your approver replies to the email instead of clicking the button, Payroll can still record the approval — but clicking the button is simpler and faster.
• Watch the deadline. Your request must be fully submitted at least 7 business days before the payroll date to be paid — build in time for your approver to respond. Requests approved inside that window are processed on the following payroll.
• If your approver hasn't responded, contact Payroll — the approval email can be re-sent with one click.

Related

• Stipend Request service (submit your request here)
• [Link to payroll calendar/pay dates]

FAQs

See Also