1. Year End
2. Travel and Other Expense Reminders
3. P-Card Year End Memo
4. Memorial Day Deadlines
5. Follett Invoices
6. Sustainability
7. Purchasing News
1. YEAR END
Year end is fast approaching. Smartkeys that spend evenly throughout the year should be about 83% expended to date.
You can find lots of information in the year end memo attached here or located on the Finance website. Reminder that, for the third year in a row, we are utilizing a shared Outlook calendar to post various Finance related deadlines. You can add this to your “Shared Calendars” using the attached procedures.
Year End Seminar
Still have questions about year end? Or just need a refresher? Please plan on attending one of three year end seminars being offered to review the year end process and highlight differences from normal financial processing.
Monday, May 15, 3:00 in Usdan 110
Tuesday, June 6, 10:00 in Usdan 110
Friday, June 23, 11:00 in Usdan 108
In addition, staff in academic departments have an additional opportunity to attend an End of Year workshop, which will include a Finance segment on year end, on Wednesday, May 10, 11:00 in Woodhead Lounge.
Reminders
- If you have a voucher that needs to be paid now but pertains to the next fiscal year, please ad hoc Susan Pavis as an approver into Workflow after Accounts Payable. It will be processed as a prepaid voucher.
- Remember to set an approval proxy if you are going to be out of the office. It is very important, especially at our fiscal year end, that all SmartDocs make their way through workflow in a timely manner. Please remind others in your department to set a proxy if they are out of the office.
- If you are a chargeback center or you have outstanding transactions that may hit a budget outside of your area, please be sure to process the transaction as soon as possible as departments are actively trying to predict year end balances.
- See attached form here instructions on year end PCard procedures.
- Come to the year end seminar to learn more.
2. TRAVEL AND OTHER EXPENSE REMINDERS
As year end events and business travel are being planned, please keep in mind the following highlights (nothing new) from the Travel and Other Expense Policy:
The University does not pay for:
- Travel insurance (including flight and baggage)
- First Class or Business Class airfare
- Charitable and Political contributions
- Parking fines and any other vehicle fines
- Alcohol outside of reasonable dinner hour
- Wesleyan faculty/staff attendees only business meals – In cases where only Wesleyan faculty/staff meet over a meal, and are not travelling, the cost of the meal is not reimbursable unless the primary purpose is to conduct a meeting in accordance with a specified agenda and there was no other time to meet during normal working hours.
In addition, IRS regulations require that travel expense reimbursements to employees be made in a timely manner. University policy states that reimbursement requests be made within 30 days from the date of travel return. While the Finance Office may make exceptions to this timeframe during the fiscal year, when the expense crosses fiscal years and did not have a previous accrual request, reimbursement will be denied. For example, if receipts are presented in September for a trip that took place the previous February, the University will not be able to reimbursement the traveler. If you are aware of travel that has occurred but receipts are not available for year end processing you should follow the accrual procedures outlined in the Year End Memo.
Employees should bear in mind that government agencies and other observers such as parents and students may perceive certain expenditures as being either excessive or inappropriate in the context of a regulatory audit, an IRS audit, or other similar review of University activities. Thus, moderation and discretion should guide all decisions to incur expenses on the University’s behalf.
3. P-CARD YEAR END MEMO
Attached is the P-Card year end memo. Please keep in mind that the July 5th download date will be for FY 17 transactions that have a post date of June 21-June 30. Unless otherwise noted as a prepaid, these transactions will post to FY 17.
4. MEMORIAL DAY DEADLINES
On Monday May 29th, the University will observe the Memorial Day Holiday.
All Accounts Payable Vouchers that must be processed for Friday, June 2nd, must be received in the Accounts Payable Inbox no later than Friday, May 26th, at 4:00pm. Keep in mind that Wesleyan’s net terms determine the payment date.
Please contact Tamara Harley at extension #2843 or Crystal Flores at extension #2842 with any questions.
5. FOLLETT INVOICES
It is important that any outstanding invoices from Follet be processed promptly to facilitate the cutover to the new bookstore. It is expected that the department charging process will stay the same with RJ Julia.
6. SUSTAINABILITY UPDATES
The Wesleyan Sustainability Office has just released the 2017 STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System) Report. The STARS evaluation examines Wesleyan’s sustainability progress through many lenses; this report gives Sustainability Office recommendations for ways to improve in each credit area.
The Wesleyan Green Team, Facilities, and Sustainability Office are still looking for volunteer offices willing to have their deskside trash cans removed in favor of “mini-bins” and central trash collection. Mini-bins have reduced waste significantly at other schools. Join Communications and the CFA, which are now trash can-free! A printable campus recycling/trash handout is here.
7. PURCHASING NEWS
Please see attached Purchasing News for information on Grounds to Grow, the new representative for Dupli, employee discounts at BJs Wholesale Club, and much more.