|
Business and Financial Services Policies: Financial
FIN-01
Procedure:
BUDGET AMENDMENTS
Explanation:
Department Heads may amend the non-personal services accounts in their budgets. These transfers will be processed if there are available funds in the free balance. Department Heads will be notified through administrative channels when additional funds are available or when budgets must be reduced. Budget amendments affecting personal services are made at the dean's level or above.
Who to call for help:
Vice President for Business and Finance (2506)
Action by:
Department Head:
Notify the Vice President for Business and Finance by campus or electronic mail to transfer funds among non-personal services accounts.
Vice President for Business and Finance:
Include this change in the next budget amendment.
FIN-02
Procedure:
ENTERTAINMENT EXPENSES, Reimbursement of
Explanation:
The President maintains a small discretionary fund for departments to entertain visiting colleagues, accreditation teams, community leaders, and other official visitors. Department Heads may spend up to $35.00 without obtaining prior approval. Expenses greater than $35.00, including functions catered by the cafeteria, must be approved by the President or the Vice President.
Who to call for help:
Vice President for Business and Finance (2506)
Action by:
Department Head:
Use personal funds for entertainment expenses less than $35.00 and request petty cash reimbursement from the Business Office Cashier. Submit a check request to the President or Vice President for expenses greater than $35.00.
President or Vice President:
Approve or disapprove the check request. If approved, forward to the Business Office.
Business Office:
Disburse funds within five days.
FIN-03
Procedure:
EXTERNALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS, Budgeting for
Explanation:
Faculty who apply for and receive grants and gifts from both public and private sources, including consulting services, are representing the university. These externally funded programs must be approved through academic channels. Agreements for externally funded programs are between the grantor and the university. Funds received for instruction, research, and public service are budgeted in the general operating budget as sponsored projects. Expenditures for grants, gifts, and consulting services are subject to purchasing, budgeting, personnel, and other university policies and procedures. They must be approved by the Department Head. The faculty member will be compensated through the payroll and the Business Office will bill the grantor according to the terms of the agreement.
Who to call for help:
Vice President for Business and Finance (2506)
Action by:
Faculty Member:
Notify the Department Head before formally applying for an externally funded program.
Department Head:
Approve the program and send contract documents and a budget to the Office of Institutional Research.
Office of Institutional Research:
Forward the contract documents and budget to the Vice President for Business and Finance.
Vice President for Business and Finance:
Establish a project budget in the faculty member's academic department.
FIN-04
Procedure:
NON-SUFFICIENT FUNDS CHECKS, Collection of
Explanation:
Checks for payment of fees, bookstore sales, and services provided by the university that are returned by the bank for non-sufficient funds are collected by the Business Office. Although Department Heads have no responsibility for implementing this procedure, they may become involved in a decision to remove a student from classes because of returned checks.
Who to call for help:
Vice President for Business and Finance (2506)
Action by:
Public Safety Office:
Present the student with a letter of notification that a check was returned for non-sufficient funds.
Business Office:
Encumber the student and notify the Registrar's Office to withhold the student's official records and remove the student from the class rolls.
FIN-05
Procedure:
CASH HANDLING
Explanation:
The Business Office maintains strict control over petty cash and change funds and provides departments handling cash with a detailed cash handling procedures manual.
Who to call for help:
Director of Financial Services (2506)
Action by:
Department Head:
Establish and maintain proper cash handling procedures following the guidelines described in the cash handling procedures manual.
FIN-06
Procedure:
CHECK REQUESTS
Explanation:
Disbursements under $200.00 that have a sole source of supply may be authorized by check request. Examples of check request disbursements are subscriptions, per diem payments, and prepayment of registration fees.
Who to call for help:
Director of Financial Services (2506)
Action by:
Department Head:
Submit a check request with proper authorization and supporting documents and forward to the Business Office.
Business Office:
Disburse funds within five working days.
FIN-07
Procedure:
EXPENDITURES REPORT CORRECTIONS
Explanation:
Department Heads receive monthly expenditures reports listing the free balance in each budgeted expenditure account. These reports should be checked for accuracy.
Who to call for help:
Director of Financial Services (2506)
Action by:
Department Head:
Contact the Director of Financial Services by telephone, campus mail, or electronic mail if there is an error on the monthly expenditure report or a question about a particular entry.
Director of Financial Services:
Make the correction or explain the entry.
FIN-08
Procedure:
FISCAL YEAR CLOSING
Explanation:
The university fiscal year ends on June 30. Financial transactions must be completed in time for the Business Office to meet this date.
Who to call for help:
Director of Financial Services (2506)
Action by:
Business Office:
Notify Department Heads of deadline dates for purchase orders, check requests, petty cash reimbursements, and other financial transactions.
Department Head:
Insure that all departmental financial transactions are completed by these deadline dates and note purchase orders to be encumbered in the next fiscal year.
FIN-09
Procedure:
INVESTMENT OF EXCESS CASH BALANCES
Explanation:
The university invests excess cash balances at the direction of the person or organization for whom the funds are being held. These balances include scholarships, agency accounts, and other funds held on deposit. They are invested in short-term certificates of deposit or trust accounts through the Board of Regents.
Who to call for help:
Director of Financial Services (2506)
Action by:
Depositor:
Determine if excess cash is available by reviewing the account balance and projected receipts and disbursements and notify the Director of Financial Services.
Director of Financial Services:
Advise the depositor of current interest rates.
Depositor:
Authorize the transfer of excess cash to a certificate of deposit or trust account.
FIN-10
Procedure:
CHECKS, Manually Produced
Explanation:
Disbursing funds is a routine and automated function performed at least twice during a work week. In an emergency situation, a cash disbursement can be made manually (a hand-drawn check). This disbursement requires special handling and is inefficient and time consuming. The Vice President for Business and Finance approves manual disbursements.
Who to call for help:
Vice President for Business and Finance (2506)
Action by:
Department Head:
Determine that an emergency situation exists and request the Vice President for Business and Finance to authorize a manual cash disbursement.
Vice President for Business and Finance:
If checks will not be written on the day of the request determine if a hand-drawn check is necessary.
FIN-11
Procedure:
PETTY CASH DISBURSEMENTS
Explanation:
The Business Office maintains a petty cash fund for purchases under $35.00 for the convenient and efficient purchase of small items.
Who to call for help:
Director of Financial Services (2506)
Action by:
Department Head:
Obtain a receipt for small purchases and present it to the Business Office cashier for reimbursement.
Cashier:
Fill out petty cash voucher, attach the receipt, and charge the disbursement to the departmental supplies and materials account.
Department Head:
Sign the petty cash voucher.
FIN-12
Procedure:
REFUNDS, Student Fee
Explanation:
The financial information section of the university catalog and the quarterly schedule of classes describe the student fee refund policy. Refunds will be made only upon written application for withdrawal from university for personal reasons in the Office of Student Affairs. No refunds will be made for dropping a course. However, if a course is cancelled or a student must drop a course because of an advisement error, the Dean of Academic and Enrollment Services may authorize a refund of fees for that particular course.
Who to call for help:
Director of Financial Services (2506)
Action by:
Department Head:
Refer students desiring to withdraw from university for personal reasons to the Office of Student Affairs. Refer students wanting to drop a course for academic reasons to the Dean of Academic and Enrollment Services.
Office of Student Affairs:
Process a withdrawal form and forward to the Registrar.
Dean of Academic and Enrollment Services:
Authorize a refund of fees when warranted for academic reasons and forward request to the Registrar.
Business Office: Process a refund check.
FIN-13
Procedure:
AIRLINE TICKETS, Purchase of
Explanation:
Airline tickets may be purchased directly from an airline or from any travel agent with the employee paying at the time of purchase. However, the university has an agreement with Four Seasons Travel Agency that allows employees to purchase airline tickets without paying at the time of purchase. Airline tickets may be purchased from the Four Seasons travel agency using a purchase order number to avoid advance payment by the employee. The Business Office will prepay the ticket and then charge this expense to the employee's travel budget when a travel statement is submitted. This procedure assumes the employee has an approved travel request.
Who to call for help:
Accounting Assistant (5405)
Action by:
Employee:
Call the Accounting Assistant (5405) to obtain a purchase order number. Then call Four Seasons (598-8000) to obtain the ticket using the purchase order number. Travel Agent: Deliver the ticket to the employee and send the invoice to the Business Office.
Business Office:
Pay the invoice upon receipt.
Employee:
Submit a travel expense statement that includes the airfare expense.
FIN-14
Procedure:
TELEPHONE SERVICE
Explanation:
The campus telephone system is maintained by the local office of the Department of Administrative Services - Telecommunications Division. This agency provides the campus with equipment installations or changes and telephone repair. The Business Office communicates departmental telephone work orders to DOAS.
Who to call for help:
For new equipment and changes to existing equipment -Accounting Assistant (5405)
For repairs - Business Office Secretary (2506)
Action by:
Department Head:
For repairs, report problems via telephone to the Secretary. For installation of new equipment and changes to existing equipment, verify that departmental funds are available by requesting an estimate by memorandum to the Accounting Assistant.
Business Office:
Report telephone repair requests to DOAS - Telecommunications and obtain an estimate of installation or changes. If departmental funds are available, authorize the installation or change.
FIN-15
Procedure:
TRAVEL ADVANCE REQUEST
Explanation:
Employees travelling on official university business may request a travel advance not to exceed $250.00. An advance may not be used to purchase airline tickets. The intent of the travel advance is to assist employees who travel infrequently and do not have a personal credit card.
Who to call for help:
Accounting Assistant (5405)
Action by:
Employee:
Submit a check request for a travel advance along with the travel request form.
Department Head:
Approve the check request and process the travel request through administrative channels.
Business Office:
Issue a check in the amount of the requested travel advance when the approved travel request is processed.
Employee:
Submit a travel expense statement including charges paid by the travel advance.
FIN-16
Procedure:
CURRENCY EXCHANGE
Explanation:
Faculty and students travelling to other countries have a need to exchange currency. As a service to the university, NationsBank at Savannah Mall will exchange currency for faculty and students. Two days notice is necessary. There is no charge for this service and the person does not have to have an account with NationsBank.
Who to call for help: Vice President Stegall (5408)
Action by:
Faculty or Student:
Call Kathy Clark (920-5133) at the NationsBank Savannah Mall Banking Center two days before the currency exchange is needed. Payment (in dollars) can be cash, certified check, or a NationsBank personal check.
NationsBank:
Prepare the currency exchange order.
Faculty or Student:
Pick up the currency at the Savannah Mall Banking Center.
|
