Above the Line - Financial Services - University of Chicago

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Above the Line
Above the Line
The University of Chicago, Financial Services, 6054 S. Drexel, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60637
http://finserv.uchicago.edu, finserv-help@lists.uchicago.edu, 773-702-1944
YEAR IN REVIEW
As we enter 2012, we would like to take a moment to
reflect on accomplishments achieved in 2011 as well as
begin to introduce our initiatives for 2012.
2011 Key Accomplishments
� Significant reduction in the number of weeks
required to close out the University’s books at
yearend.
� Outsourcing the University’s non Payroll
disbursement process: suppliers given the option
of receiving payments via credit card, ACH or
check.
� Digitization of the DPV process: the new
electronic check request system, which will begin
to roll out to campus in the Spring of 2012, not
only reduces the time needed to process a
payment, it also increases transparency to the
process.
� On December 6, Procurement hosted the biannual
Supplier Expo at Ida Noyes.
Approximately 50 suppliers participated
successfully, as many employees who attended
learned more about the University’s preferred
suppliers. The next Supplier Expo will take place
in 2013.
� Since the publication of our last newsletter there
have been several new additions to the Financial
Services team.
Danielle Jones – Quality Control Specialist
Amy Hinze-Pifer – Post Award Administrator
Melitza Nieves – Help Desk Specialist
Diana Villicana – Contract Administrator
Ron Welin – Accounts Payable Manager
� Additionally, two long-term members of our team
have retired. Tom Gawel and Ron Mendoza
retired after many years of valued service to the
University of Chicago. Tom worked for the
University for over 37 years, while Rod worked
for the University for over 43 years. Both Tom
and Rod will be greatly missed by all, and are
wished great success and luck in the next
chapter of their lives.
The entire Financial Services team looks forward to
working with our campus partners in 2012 to
continuously improve our Service Delivery.
Inside This Issue
Payroll
Payroll Direct Deposit Page 2
Year End Tax Forms Page 2
New Non-Degree Aid Regulations Page 2
Sponsored Awards
Update to Cost Transfer Justification Page 2
Procurement and Payment Services (PPS)
Sole Source Justification Page 3
Direct Payment Voucher Enclosures Page 3
Preferred Purchasing Methods Page 3
Recent BuySite Upgrade Page 3
Preferred Supplier Spotlight Page 4-5
Travel
Fly America Act Page 4
Tower Travel Page 4
Travel – Did You Know ? Page 5
Tom Gawel Rod Mendoza
Color Coded Content Key:
General Announcements
Process and Procedure Changes
System Updates and Upgrades
Financial Best Practices
Supplier Spotlights
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2011-12
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PAYROLL DIRECT DEPOSIT
Encourage Employees to Sign Up for Direct Deposit!
The University of Chicago strongly encourages
employees to have their checks directly deposited into
their bank accounts and to eliminate paper pay advices.
Electronic pay advices are available in ESS (Employee
Self Service).
Why do so? Because Direct Deposit and electronic pay
advices are:
Convenient: Payments reach your account on payday –
even if you are sick, on vacation, or otherwise unable to
pick up your payment. No more worrying about getting
to the bank to cash/deposit the payment. No more
standing in long lines. Plus, deposits can be made into 3
different accounts if desired
Safe and Secure: No chance of losing a check or having
your check or pay advice stolen. No chance of having a
mailed check delivered to the wrong address or
completely lost in delivery. Payment is sent only to
accounts you specify in ESS. And, ESS is a secure
website and can only be accessed by entering your
CNET ID and password.
Environmentally Friendly: Saves trips to the bank and
unnecessary paper/envelopes.
To sign up for direct deposit and/or eliminate paper pay
advices, log onto ESS at: https://ess.uchicago.edu using
your CNET ID. This pay advice option may changed by
clicking on Paycheck , then click on the Change Primary
Direct Deposit. The Advice Print Option gives the option
of turning on or off the paper advice.
YEAR END TAX FORMS
Forms W-2 and 1099 will be mailed to your home
address by January 31, 2012. These forms will be
delivered to your home address as listed in ESS.
Personal contact information can be viewed and updated
under the “Personal” section of the ESS application.
Please note that the University will use a new format for
W-2 forms, which means the 2011 tax documents will
have a different appearance from previous years.
Advices can be viewed and corrections can be made to
personal contact information on the Employee Self
Service (ESS) site. You may view pay advices under
“Paycheck” and “View Pay Stub Detail.” Corrections to
personal contact information can be made under the
“Personal” Section.
For non-resident aliens, Form 1042S will be mailed to
your home address by March 15, 2012. Since student
scholarship stipend records are not available on ESS or
through CMore, students should contact Angie Gleghorn
at gleghorn@uchicago.edu 702-5989 to update their
address.
NEW NON-DEGREE AID REGULATIONS
Effective January 1, 2012, non-degree students can be
treated like degree-seeking students in regards to tuition
remission and required fees. Non-degree students are
no longer required to report support received for their
tuition and fees to the IRS and payments submitted in
PowerFaids will not be routed to Payroll Services for
taxation and processing. Additionally, divisions will not
be required to submit alien paperwork for these students.
The funds will be paid directly to the non-degree
student’s account.
If a non-degree student receives an unqualified
scholarship (room and board or other such non-required
fees), this will be taxed and reported to the IRS, and
alien paperwork must be submitted to Payroll.
If you have further questions regarding these issues,
please contact Angie Gleghorn at
gleghorn@uchicago.edu or 702-5989.
UPDATE TO COST TRANSFER JUSTIFICATION LIST
The Sponsored Project Account Cost Transfer
Explanation Check-Off List has been updated to include
an explanation for payroll adjustments that are needed to
align salary charges with the actual effort expended on
sponsored awards.
The new justification simply states: “Adjust the estimated
effort payroll distribution entered on the PAR (Personnel
Action Request) to reflect actual effort payroll
distribution. (Note: Do not use this explanation if you
are adjusting a previous estimate-to-actual adjustment.
In those cases, use the “Other” explanation and explain
why the original estimate-to-actual adjustment was
incorrect.)”
The PAR distribution is based on expected time spent on
particular sponsored activities. In reviewing the actual
effort spent on sponsored activities, a payroll transfer is
necessary to correct this distribution, otherwise known as
an estimate-to-actual adjustment.
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Please contact Mary Beth Rudofski at
mbr1@uchicgao.edu or 702-2398 if you have any
questions.
SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION
The University’s Sole Source Justification & Approval
Form has been revised to be more user-friendly.
The requirements for a Sole Source have not changed,
but the questions in the form have been rephrased to
better guide the preparer through the process.
Below are the links to the new Sole Source Form and a
Letter of Introduction which highlights the changes.
Sole Source Justification & Approval
Sole Source Justification & Approval Explanation
Requesters may begin using the revised form
immediately. Should a preparer already have the prior
form completed for a project in process; Procurement will
not require that it be replaced.
If you have any questions, please contact John Gronke
at jgronke@uchicago.edu or 834-9072.
DIRECT PAYMENT VOUCHERS (DPV) WITH ENCLOSURES
Did you know?
Requesting enclosures to be included with your payment
creates a manual process which increases the amount of
time it takes for a check to reach a supplier Checks
mailed with enclosures cannot be mailed directly by our
bank, and need to be returned to campus for processing
and then forwarded to the Bursar’s Office for distribution.
A valid invoice number entered in the invoice box on the
DPV should be sufficient information for the supplier to
identify the purpose of the payment without an enclosure
attached. If no invoice number exists, additional
information such as a supplier’s account number may be
added in the check description box to assist the supplier
in properly applying the payment.
When an enclosure is absolutely needed, the “MAIL with
ENCLOSURE” box should be checked on the DPV.
PREFERRED PURCHASING METHODS
To assist campus users in choosing the correct method
of purchasing goods and services, Procurement and
Payment Services has developed the Preferred
Purchasing Methods matrix. This interactive tool was
designed to provide users with available purchasing
options – Purchase Order (PO), GEMS Card (GEMS)
and Check Request (DPV), and a wealth of additional
information all in one place.
The matrix not only guides the user as to the preferred
purchasing method, it also lists acceptable alternative
methods. The matrix also lists the suggested
subaccount which should be used, any preferred
suppliers in each category, and useful notes and links.
Please contact Roberto Ramirez at
ramirez1@uchicago.edu or 702-9604 if you have any
questions.
RECENT BUYSITE UPGRADE
BuySite, the University’s online purchasing system, has
been upgraded to the newest version (V11.2). Several
enhancements now available to users with the release of
V11.2 include:
New E-Mail Notifications for “Prepared By” Users:
allows users to receive e-mail notifications regarding the
requisitions and orders that they created on the behalf of
other users.
E-Mail Approval Enhancements: gives approvers the
ability to take action on documents via computer or
mobile device without having to directly access the
application. Additionally, improved email notification for
documents pending approval gives approvers the ability
to see more detailed order information.
Select Different Supplier from Cart: allows users to
change the supplier for items already in the cart.
Please contact Matthew Vogel at mvogel@uchicago.edu
or 702-5664 if you have any questions
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PREFERRED SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT – STAPLES
Staples Advantage became the University's Preferred
Office Supplier on August 1, 2011. The Staples catalog
in BuySite contains access to a full complement of office
supply products including University forms.
Returns are easily managed by either:
• Accessing the BuySite Staples catalog, click on
the "order management" tab near the top and
select “Returns”
• Calling Staples customer service at 1-855-273-
1624
A dedicated website which describes the University’s
customized office supply program is located at
www.staplesadvantage.com/uchicago. Additional
information is also provided to you in the University
Contract Announcement.
For questions about pricing, products, order status,
credits, returns or non-catalog information call Staples
Customer Services at 855-273-1624 8:00 a.m. - 8:00
p.m. EST. Our dedicated Account Manager, Michael
Aulenta is also available at 773-447-5951 or
michael.aulenta@staples.com.
FLY AMERICA ACT
RECENT CHANGE TO OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT
FOR TRAVEL TO EUROPE
The Fly America Act affects which airlines travelers are
allowed to utilize when traveling for work under U.S.
federal grants and contracts.
Recent international treaties referred to as “Open Skies
Agreements” provide a limited exception to the Fly
America Act. In the United States-European Union Open
Skies Agreement, travelers may use a U.S. flag airline or
any European Union (EU) airline when traveling from the
United States to EU countries.
PPS has developed a flowchart to assist with decision
making regarding which airlines may be used. Visit the
Fly America Act and Open Skies Agreements for
updated information.
TOWER TRAVEL
Tower Travel, the University’s preferred travel agency,
allows for booking either online, through Concur Travel
(Cliqbook) or by calling the agency directly. Tower
Travel can be reached 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
by calling (630) 928-7148 or (866) 625-6491.
Tower Travel offers global service to assist travelers
whenever or wherever emergencies arise (travel
disruptions, airline flight cancellations and delays, and
hotel or car rental check-in problems).
PREFERRED SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT –
NATIONAL CAR RENTAL AND ENTERPRISE
The University of Chicago continues to participate in the
Big Ten’s agreements with National Car Rental and
Enterprise.
These agreements help the University keep travel costs low
and provide the best overall value. In addition to
discounted rates, insurance coverage is included with both
agreements, The rates and benefits of these programs
apply to both business and leisure travel for University
of Chicago staff and their immediate family (spouse
including children of 21 years or older residing in the
same household) and retirees. The contract also extends
to consultants, contractors, and graduate students
whose car rental expenses are being reimbursed by the
University.
Visit UChicago Travel and click on Car Rental for
detailed information on National rental rates and
Enterprise rates, view flyer for current promotions, and
print the discount coupons.
Travelers can enroll instantly in National Car Rental's
Emerald Club at Emerald Club program. The $50
enrollment fee is waived!
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PREFERRED SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT –
THE HYATT REGENCY MCCORMICK PLACE
The Hyatt Regency McCormick Place is the nearest four
star hotel to the University of Chicago campus. The
hotel, which is conveniently located just off of Lake
Shore Drive and I-55, features 800 contemporary guest
rooms with beautiful Chicago Skyline or Lake Michigan
views.
Their standard guestroom rates can be booked either
online through Concur Travel or by calling the hotel
directly at 312-567-1234 and asking for the University of
Chicago rate. The University contact at the hotel is
Rachel Clark at 312-528-8308 or
rachel.clark@hyatt.com.
TRAVEL – DID YOU KNOW?
• As of August 23, 2011, airline passengers were
granted more rights and protections as new
Department of Transportation security rules took
effect. More details
• All Southwest fares are now available in Concur
Travel (Cliqbook). More details
• University of Chicago and Medical Center
travelers can receive 25% bonus on their Rapid
Reward points per segment on all flown flights
to/from Chicago’s Midway Airport (MDW)
between Jan 01, 2012 and Dec 31, 2012.
Eligible on all business and personal airline trips
booked in Concur Travel (Cliqbook) in GEMS.
Earning free flights is now even faster and easier
than before! More details
• To review the 2012 University hotel program
negotiated rates for preferred hotels in the Chicago
area, click on Hotel Accommodations in UChicago
Travel. Other cities to be listed soon!
• Booking airfare at least 14 days in advance is a
travel best practice that often results in
significant savings. More details
• You can now utilize Boston Coach livery service
in thousands of cities worldwide. Begin your
next trip by booking online or give them a call at
800-558-3910 to book your next limo service.
The University account number is 90932.
• If your U.S. Passport is expiring within 6 months
prior to foreign travel you may not be allowed to
board the airplane at departure time. This
requirement is being enforced by the airlines. In
addition, many countries require your passport to
have four (4) or more blank visa/stamp pages.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - 2012
• Life Cycle of a Sub-Award – with Univ. Research
Admin.
� January 12, 2012, 1:00 to 3:00pm
� January 20, 2012, 1:00 to 3:00pm
• Financial Accounting System (FAS) Overview
� February 2, 8:30am to 12:00pm
• IRF Business Objects Basics
� January 12, 1:00 to 4:00pm
� February 2, 1:00 to 4:00pm
� March 8, 1:00 to 4:00pm
• IRF Business Objects Intermediates
� January 26, 1:00 to 5:00pm
� February 23, 1:00 to 5:00pm
• IRF Exploring FAS Data Using BO
� January 19, 1:00 to 5:00pm
� February 16, 1:00 to 5:00pm
� March 15, 1:00 to 5:00pm
• IRF Exploring Payroll Data Using BO
� March 22, 1:00 to 5:00pm
• Purchasing and Payment Principles
� February 21, 9:00 to 11:00am
• Sub-Recipient Monitoring – with Univ. Research
Admin.
� January 17,1:00 to 3:00pm
� January 26, 1:00 to 3:00pm
IRF (Integrated Reporting Facility)
BO (Business Objects)
FAS (Financial Accounting System)
Please register at https://training.uchicago.edu. Dates and
times are subject to change.
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FINANCIAL SERVICES
For more information on the University of Chicago’s
Financial Services department, please access our
website at http://finserv.uchicago.edu/.
The University of Chicago
Financial Services
6054 S. Drexel, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60637
Phone:
773-702-1944
Fax:
773-702-6593
Email:
finserv-help@lists.uchicago.edu
Supporting the core mission of the University
through exemplary fiscal stewardship
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