Direct Deposit Available from Accounts Payable:

The accounts payable office in now able to pay vendors and reimburse employees through direct deposit. This convenience payment system is fast, efficient and represents a significant cost savings to EOU. Vendors and employees are encouraged to take advantage of this convenient beneifit.

To request automatic deposit, please download the form here and forward to the accounts payable office.

Functional Problem in FAAINVE Form:

We have identified a problem in FAAINVE that happens occasionally.

When you enter a invoice into this form, complete the Header Block, Commodity Block, and Accounting Block, then page down and page up. In the lower right section of the page is an NSF Suspense field. This field should have an N in it. If this field has a N in it page down and complete the document. If there is an A in this field, retype the accounting amount, page down and pageup. This should reset the field to N, if not please contact me at 2-3838.

The above procedure is critical for getting an invoice approved and posted into the system. We will need to follow these procedures when keying a document originally, and especially when going back into an invoice that has been disapproved.

The last 2 months we have had 100 invoices go into the NSF approval queue after going through all of the regular queues. This is caused by the system not changing the A to an N when the user pages down from the Accounting Block to the Balancing/Completion Block.

Long Distance Phone Usage and Authorization:

Last year, one of the audit reports included misuse of the long distance authorization cards. At Eastern, the responsibilty for montioring the calls and expenses related to the LD authorization cards falls within each department. Each department should have one individual who is reviewing charges each month. Individual access to the online system has been determined, but if you have two or more individuals, you need to determine who will be reviewing the status. If you are unsure of who the authorized individual is in your department or you need a refresher course, please contact Carrie Pollard at 23590.

As part of our controls and monitoring improvements, each department will need to keep documentation on calls that exceed 10 minutes or $5 or multiple calls to the same phone number. We realize that these calls can and probably are related to business at EOU, but we need to provide this level of documentation for future audits. For example: There are many times we have to participate in conference calls that are long distance--that is all the documentation/explanation that is needed.

I have developed a simple spreadsheet to track the information, this can be attached to each monthly printout or you can just keep the exception listing available. This form is available on line at http://www.eou.edu/admin/forms.html

Business Affairs will be following up with individual departments periodically to ensure that the departments are reviewing their long distance charges and documenting calls that exceed 10 minutes or $5 or multiple calls to the same phone number on a monthly basis.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding with the implementation of our improved and required controls and montitoring processes

FIS Document Originator vs Approver Policy:

One of the many responsibilities of Business Affairs is to train, facilitate and monitor financial transactions at EOU. Recent audits have identified violations of OUS policy regarding the same individual both inputting and approving financial transactions. Business Affairs has taken action to ensure that this does not continue in the future.

FIS approval of documents should be done only by those with departmental budget authority, this authority should be determined within each department.

Business Affairs has begun auditing and will continue to audit document approval history. When identified, users violating this policy will be contacted directly by Sharon Tyrrell. Repeat occurrences of input and approval by the same user may result in termination of FIS access. Users are also encouraged to read EOU's Acceptable Use Policy regarding the use of campus computer equipment and OUS's policy on appropriate use of Banner Information Systems.

Reminder on use of State General Funds:

Recent activity on campus suggests a need to clarify EOU expectations concerning the use of State General Funds to purchase items to be given away in drawing, lotteries, and other similar give-aways and contests.

The standard test to apply when considering such purchases is: “What would the average taxpayer think if they knew that their tax dollars were being used for this purpose?” Of more immediate concern in our current environment is the reaction of the auditors when they discover such transactions. Remember, the repercussions of such discovery will fall not only on the university, but on the individuals involved in the activity as well. Employees of various state agencies have lost their jobs for similar activities, however well intentioned.

In short, it is inappropriate to use state General Funds to purchase items to be given away in drawing, lotteries, and other similar contests. To protect yourselves, please keep this in mind when considering such purchases in the future.

Marv Wigle
Vice President for Business, Finance and Facilities
Phone: 541-962-3773

Hosting of Groups or Guests:

The OUS auditors have recommended that we implement a better control system with Aramark invoices and hosting/groups and guests. Their recommendation, includes departments providing information regarding the purpose of the meeting or need for refreshments or meals, obtaining appropriate approval/signatures from the department director/Dean/VP (or designee) and reconcile the invoice after the event ie if you ordered 10 meals--were 10 meals served/available--did 10 people attend the event. The auditors are looking at appropriate usage of funds, as well as waste
of funds.

Beginning September 25, 2006, Vivian Peterson will no longer be entering the Aramark Catering Invoices into FIS. These invoices will be sent to the individual departments for data entry. This change will allow the departments to review the invoices, prior to being paid. In the event of a discrepancy, this will allow the departments to work out problems with Aramark directly.

Business Services has developed a new form that will need to accompany each Aramark invoice that is sent to Accounts Payable. When completed, this form will provide the information requested above. We will be reviewing invoices that have already been paid for FY07 and will send out forms to be completed for each invoice that has already been paid.

The Entertainment and Food Policy in the Faculty Staff Handbook has also been updated to reflect current OUS policies related to refreshments and food, as well as the changes to employee recognition rules. The updated policy will be reviewed by the Cabinet on 10/09/06.

Both the form and the draft policy will be available on our web site later this week, I will notify fisusers when this form and policy are available. In the meantime, the OUS reference to entertainment is available at http://www1.ous.edu/owfp/plsql/fpm.result_section?p_fs_key=02.11I

In addition to these changes, we will also be adding additional controls for "meal tickets". Currently, "meal tickets" are being printed by individual departments when a need arises to host using RFoC, this happens mostly with search candidates and student groups. "Meal tickets" will now need to be obtained from Vivian Peterson, each ticket will be numbered, and logged. When the "meal tickets" are used, Aramark will forward used tickets to Vivian, with the invoice for reconciliation. Example of reconciliation, if you ordered 10 tickets and only 9 were used, Vivian will request the 10th ticket back when she sends out the invoice. The same process described above will apply, you will need to complete the "hosting" form, which will be sent to Accounts Payable after you have entered the invoice into FIS.

I know this is a lot to absorb, please let me know if you have any questions.