Finance and Administration
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May
24, 2010 |
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In This Issue Announcements by ·
Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management ·
Facilities Planning and Construction ·
Property Management and Inventory ·
Special Events Facilities & Services ·
University Health Clinic and Counseling Services ·
University Recreation and Intramurals Important Dates ·
Effective Immediately ·
Effective September 1 ·
Effective May 1 ·
May 15-July 5 ·
June 1-August 1 ·
June 1-June 30 ·
July 1 ·
June 8 & July 8 ·
Beginning Fall 2010 For an Online copy of
this and previous newsletters, visit the Finance
and Administration Web site |
From
the desk of Sharon Meyer, Vice President of Finance and Administration
GROWTH MEANS REVENUE!
We in Finance and Administration understand and support the academic mission
of the institution. However, it is our responsibility, which we take very
seriously, to pay a pivotal role in the recruitment and retention of
students. Our role may not look like those in the academic programs, but
still it is critical for our customer service commitment to be at the top of
its game and for all of our facilities and services to be as user-friendly as
possible. You will hear about
the State of Texas budget shortfall over the next several months. This is a
very real situation. I would like to remind everyone, however, that if there
were a measurement which provided information regarding the recession and the
financial distress of each state, Texas would clearly be the least impacted.
We have been asked to identify5% for FY 2010 and 5% for FY 2011 of our
existing E&G funds that may be returned to the State. We have done that
for FY 2010 and are now building the budget for FY 2011. Clearly this will
impact our ability to continue some programs but the administration is
committed to investing in opportunities which will provide enrollment growth.
Unlike budget processes in the past, funding will follow those efforts that
will result in higher enrollments regardless of the delivery method. Although
the next year will be challenging financially, I am confident we are very
well positioned. I am really excited
about the coming year. As always, we in Finance and Administration welcome
your suggestions on how we can better serve the university community. I have
an open door policy and am always happy to listen to your thoughts. |
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Announcements Budget
Office
Budget Schedule The Budget Office
would like to remind everyone that the Budget Timeline can be viewed on line. Contract
Administration Office
Contract Operating
Procedures Prior to submitting a
contract for review, departments should refer to the below operating
policies/procedures before requesting to purchase a good or service: ·
OP
14.11 Professional Services ·
OP
54.04 Purchase of Goods and Services ·
OP
54.05 Use of Private Consultants Please remember to
follow the bid requirements listed in OP 54.04 Purchase of Goods and
Services. Contracts submitted for review that do not adhere to the above
policies may be delayed or denied. For questions about the contract
administration process, please call extensions 2748 or 2591.
Submit Vender Invoices
Directly to Accounts Payable Reminder to all
Faculty and Staff: All vendor invoices should be submitted directly to the
Accounts Payable Office, ASU Station #11034, San Angelo, TX 76909, to ensure
timely payment of goods and/or services. Please read OP 14.05 Number 4 below
in regards to timely payments and interest paid on late payments. 4. Prompt Payment of
Goods and/or Services Texas Government Code,
Chapter 2251, requires payment within 30 days from the date the goods and/or
services are received or the date the invoice is received, whichever is
later. If the payment is not made within the 30-day period, the state law
further requires that interest be paid on a late payment due at the time the
principal is paid. The interest calculation is one percentage point higher
than the prime rate published in the Wall Street Journal on the first
business day of July. The interest amount will automatically be calculated
and paid to vendors of qualifying goods and/or services who received late
payments from Angelo State University. Any interest paid on behalf of the
university will be charged to the same departmental account as the late
payment. Prompt payment to
vendors is dependent upon timely receipt of invoices in the Accounts Payable
Office. All invoices must be mailed to the Accounts Payable Office, ASU
Station #11034. If an original invoice is delivered to the department, it
must be forwarded to the Accounts Payable Office in a timely manner. Accounts
Payable will ensure payment is made within the invoice due date. All
employees of the university can assist in maintaining a good relationship
with our vendors by processing paperwork promptly. Environmental
Health, Safety and Risk Management
Green ASU On November 13, 2009
ASU marked the start of the “Blue and Gold Go Green” campaign with a
Recycling Drive. The drive was held in conjunction with Texas Recycle Day and
National Recycle Day with participation coming from all across campus. During
the recycling drive, ASU collected the following recyclables: ·
3,000lbs
of paper/cardboard ·
150lbs
(9cyds) of plastic bottles ·
30lbs
of aluminum cans ·
30lbs
of tin cans ·
12lbs
of glass ·
340lbs
of electronics Currently, ASU has
collected over 45,000lbs of paper and over 400lbs (24cyds) of plastic
bottles. The success of this campaign belongs to you. Without your help, we
would not have been able to collect the quantities of recyclable material we
have collected. Environmental Health thanks you and hopes to have your
continued support of this program. If you would like to know more about what
can be recycled or the locations of recycling bins, we would encourage
everyone to visit our Web site at http://www.angelo.edu/services/campus_sustainability/information.html
for more information.
Facilities Management
Forum Presentation Facilities Management
gave a department informational session presentation on March 10, 2010 to the
ASU Community. Topics discussed were general department information, policy
and procedures for vehicle rentals, and service request instructions. The
presentation can be viewed by visiting our homepage at http://www.angelo.edu/services/facilities_management/
under the News & Announcements box. One of the topics of concern by the
audience was our Process for Renting University Vehicles. Please visit our
homepage to view that process. We will continue to give this type of
presentation in the future so please make sure mark your calendar to attend.
Your attendance and participation is very valuable to us. Customer Service
Survey Because it is our goal
to continuously improve the level of service we provide to students, faculty,
and staff, we have created a Customer Service survey. The survey is located
on our homepage. Your feedback is very important because it allows us to
utilize the information in order to meet our goal. FAMIS Self Service Facilities Management
has developed a Self-Service Request Instructions manual. This manual can be
found on our homepage, under Facilities Management channel in RamPort, and on
the ASU website on the Faculty and Staff webpage under Administrative Aids. Improved University
Vehicle Request Form As a way to improve
Customer Service through your recommendation, the University Vehicle Request
Form is now an online submittable form and can be found on our homepage. Facilities
Planning and Construction
Construction on Plaza Verde Plaza Verde Campus
Green construction will begin this spring and will provide students with new
outdoor recreational areas, sitting and gathering area, and native areas for
contemplation. The project will also feature “Green” initiatives including a retention
pond for retention of rain runoff. Porter Henderson
Update To be completed in
Fall 2010, the Porter Henderson Library Information Commons will provide
areas for quiet contemplation, preparation of presentations, group work
areas, a place to have coffee while working on projects, and a place where
the students can research projects, papers and other information. The
majority of the work will be on the first floor, with smaller areas renovated
in the basement and on the second floor. CHP Update The new recreation
addition to the Center for Human Performance will provide students, faculty
and staff with a new 22,000 square foot exercise facility with a 30’ climbing
wall that will be located on the west end of the addition. A new jogging
track will go around the perimeter of the facility on a second level.
Construction began Spring 2010 and will be completed Spring 2011. In
addition, the baseball locker room will be completed this summer. Campus Master Plan
Update A new Campus Master
Plan update will be completed during FY 2010 and the planning will include
input from Students, Faculty and Staff as well as from citizens in the
community.
Training If your department needs assistance with understanding
the operating policies or processes for the Offices of Purchasing, Contract
Administration, Travel, or Property Management, please contact Jennifer
Lennon at extension 2591 to set-up a training session. Please give us the
opportunity to tailor a training session to meet your departmental needs. The
Office of Human Resources
Human Resources
regrets to announce that our Director, Jesse Gomez will be leaving us to take
the job of Human Resource Director at UT Brownsville. We have begun a search
for a new director. In the meantime, Kurtis Neal will be acting as Interim
Director and can be contacted at 942-2168. Good luck to Jesse in his new job!
Why Outsource? If your department is
outsourcing print jobs, please consider switching to the Print Shop. The
Print Shop has a 4-color press that can print jobs comparable or better than
what local vendors can do at a lower price. FY2011 Budget
Considerations When calculating
budgets for FY2011, please remember that prices will increase for certain
stock number jobs along with a 5% increase for all paper effective September
1, 2010. The March 26, 2010 memo outlining the price increases is posted on
the Print Shop website at http://www.angelo.edu/services/materials_management/pswelcome.html Property
Management and Inventory
In
an effort to streamline the moving of furniture and surplus equipment, and to
ensure adequate staffing levels to perform these tasks, we will begin a more
structured move schedule as of May 1, 2010. Surplus
furniture and equipment will move to a pick-up schedule of Tuesdays and
Thursdays, and will require a five day advance notice of items by completing
an Equipment Transfer form. This will enable the Property Manager ample time
to evaluate the surplus items and make arrangements as to how the pick-up
should be handled. Another
change that will facilitate the removal of surplus items will be a revised
Equipment Transfer form to include a column to list the condition of the
items. If
departments are not able to give a five-day advance notice, the Property
Manager will make arrangements to pick-up surplus items as soon as time
permits after scheduled pick-ups are completed. Purchasing
Department
Purchasing Goods and
Services with a PO So you want to
purchase a good or service using a purchase order. Please be sure to follow
these basic steps: 1. Determine the fund/org and
appropriate use of the funds. For use of fund see http://www.angelo.edu/services/purchasing/Documents/Accounting%20Primer.pdf.
2. Check to see if the fund/org has
adequate funding to cover purchase. 3. Encumber the funds prior to
receiving a good or service. 4. Create an online requisition. See
the Online Requisition Tutorial in RamPort under the Work Life tab. 5. Attach documentation of purchase to
an on-line requisition. 6. Inspect goods for discrepancies once
received. Did you know these
purchasing facts? Procurements of goods
and services must comply with state and federal laws, institutional policies
and procedures, and the Regents’ Rules. For more, see OP 54.04 Purchase of
Goods and Services. ·
Purchase
orders are not intended to be used strictly as a payment tool; therefore, the
purchase order must be created prior to the commitment or obligation. ·
An
invoice is not an acceptable form of documentation to attach to an online
requisition. If an invoice is attached to an online requisition a memo
explaining why the proper purchasing procedures were not followed is required.
Examples of acceptable documentation are: order form; contract; memorandum of
understanding. If you’re unsure what documentation is appropriate, please
contact the Purchasing Office. ·
Purchase
orders submitted after the commitment has been made and/or after the goods
and services are received will constitute non-compliance. ·
If
there is an issue with the purchase order such as non-delivery, wrong item
received, shortage on the shipment, etc., contact the Purchasing Office for
assistance.
Summer Conferences Summer is here and
with it comes summer conferences! Many of you may not be aware that during
the summer months, in addition to providing housing for our summer school
students, the residence halls are also (temporary) home to many of our summer
camp participants. In fact, each year we house approximately 2500 summer
guests between June 1st and August 1st. This year will be no exception, as we
anticipate a full and active summer season. Summer is a very busy time in the
residence halls! Renewal Rates Increase Looking ahead to fall
2010, we have a few updates to share. Current residents have completed their
contract renewal process, and we are pleased to announce that we had our
highest renewal rates ever! The new student assignment process is on
schedule, with the first round of room assignments scheduled to be available
on-line in early June. Housing Policy Rumors
Cleared Up As most of you are
probably aware, the university maintains a Housing Policy, under which many
first and second year students are required to live on campus. (For more
information on the Housing Policy, please visit our web page at: http://www.angelo.edu/dept/residential_programs/requirements.html)
Our office has received some calls regarding rumored changes to this
long-standing Housing Policy. By way of clarification, while there hasn’t
been a change to the Housing Policy, we have clarified a couple of
definitions and requirements of the policy. “Full-time, established
residence” will be defined as having proof of established full-time primary
residence in San Angelo a minimum of one year prior to requesting exemption
to the Housing policy. Exceptions for employment or military transfer will be
considered with supporting documentation. For students
requesting exemption based on living with a sibling, in addition to meeting
the requirements for full-time established residence, the sibling must meet
at least ONE of the following exemption criteria: ·
Be
at least 21 years of age ·
Have
earned 60 or more semester credit hours ·
If
residing in a rental property, siblings MUST be included on the same leasing
contract together. Financial Hardship We are also working on
developing a more specific method of evaluating financial hardship.
Currently, students requesting exemption based on financial hardship; must
complete their financial aid application process, including filing a FAFSA,
as part of financial hardship review. Our goal is to simplify this process as
much as possible and to provide a clear, objective gauge that students and
their parents can access, to better evaluate their housing options and
position relative to financial hardship criteria. Returning Staff We’d also like to
congratulate the 80 new (and returning) members of our student staff who have
been selected to serve as Summer Conference Assistants, Resident Assistants,
Program Assistants, Maintenance Assistants, and Office Assistants for the
summer and fall 2010. Welcome to the team! Special Events Facilities and
Services
Our Services Looking to make a
facility reservation on campus? Collect a refund from a vending machine? Do
you have questions regarding space planning on campus? Do you need to send a
fax? If so, this is the place to go! The Special Events
Office exists to serve the students, faculty, and staff of ASU in making
facility reservations. Our office is committed to making your event a
complete success. Rentable facilities on campus include the Houston Harte
University Center, the Junell Center VIP Room, the ASU Lake Facility,
Pavilion, Slab, and the ASU SAY Baseball Complex, as well as academic rooms. ASU Reservations
Coming Soon For your convenience,
we have upgraded our facility reservation system with features that allow you
to search availability of space, request space online, and maintain your
event history. To access the online reservations system, you will be required
to establish a user account. Before you can access the online request system,
you will have to create an online user account. Please note that the PDF
Facilities Request Form and the Academic Room Request Form currently used to
request space on campus will no longer be available as of July 1, 2010. As we transition to
the new system campus-wide, we will provide weekly training and set-up
opportunities. For assistance completing your account profile, or to sign up
for a demonstration and training seminar, please call 942-2021. We are also
available to provide one-on-one assistance upon request if you are unable to
attend one of the group training sessions. Training dates offered
as follows: ·
Mondays
in June at 10:00 am in the Hardeman Lab, Room 213 ·
Mondays
in June at 3:00 pm in the Hardeman Lab, Room 213 Rent-A-Text Program
Coming to Angelo State University We are pleased to
announce that ASU will begin offering textbook rental services this fall. The
Rent-A-Text program will offer students more than 50-percent off the price of
new textbooks and will provide students with an affordable alternative to
rising education costs. ASU’s textbook rental
program will: ·
Be
available to students in-store and online with in-store pickup ·
Allow
students to chose a preferred form of payment, including financial aid and
the ASU OneCard ·
Allow
students the freedom to highlight and take notes in a textbook, all within
the normal wear and tear associated with coursework ·
Give
students the choice to buy their textbook(s) at the end of the term if they
want to keep the book(s) Rent-A-Text is
available through our existing partnership with Follett Higher Education
Group, and the program is based on Follett’s comprehensive pilot program that
saved students nearly $2 million on their course materials in just one
semester. More than 90 percent of students surveyed who rented textbooks
expressed satisfaction with the pilot program. More information about
the program will be available in the ASU Bookstore. Learn more about
Rent-A-Text at http://www.rent-a-text.com
or http://www.facebook.com/rentatext.
Special Projects
Administrative
Services Survey This is the major
yearly assessment that measures customer satisfaction related to the services
provided by Finance and Administration department. The goal of this assessment is to determine
how well we are supporting the academic mission of the university, based on
feedback from ASU faculty, staff, and students. Data from the survey is evaluated,
compiled into an annual report, and presented to F&A managers and the
University community. Areas needing
improvement have been identified, and action steps are recommended for the
next year to insure that the division is on a continuous improvement track. See our site for
the complete report. Business Continuity
Plan This plan was
initially developed several years ago, targeting key business-related functions
with the university. Those original
plans are currently being updated, with all departments within the university
slated to be included in the update.
Management of the BCP is being shifted to EHSRM so that the BCP can be
better integrated into the overall Emergency Operations Plan. Community Engagement
projects Department staff are
involved in several community projects to include the planning for a new
One-Stop Business Resource Center, economic development activities with the
Chamber’s Economic Development Council, and the planning and implementation
of a P-16+ Educational Partnership.
The role of Special projects in these community initiatives is to
support efforts and to provide technical expertise where applicable. Fitness and Wellness
(ASUFit) In response to HB 1297
from the Texas Legislature, a pilot Wellness program was planned,
implemented, and is being managed by Special Projects staff. The second year of the ASUFit program is
wrapping up, and planning for the 2010-2011 program is currently
underway. Strategic Planning Special projects staff
have been involved in multiple strategic planning or related initiatives, to
include the implementation of the Strategic Planning On-Line portal (SPOL),
the development of the annual operations plan for the F&A division, the
University’s Strategic Planning Council, and efforts to prepare for the next
SACS accreditation cycle.
Faculty / Staff Activity Cards Coming Soon!!! New for FY11, we will offer two
different Activity Card options to better suit your needs. Watch for detailed
announcements from the Ticket Office this summer. Travel
Office
Revised Travel
Authorization Request Form The OP 70.03 Business
Travel Account was amended to assist employees who wish to have airfare,
hotel, and/or rental vehicle charged directly to the university. The BTA is
available to employees, prospective employees, teaching assistants and
graduate assistants. Students traveling with proper authorization may also
use the BTA (see OP 70.09 for policies and procedures on Student Travel). The revised Travel
Authorization Request form is posted on the Work Life Tab, Administrative
Forms, in RamPort. For questions, please contact the Travel Office at
942-2725 or email traveloffice@angelo.edu University
Health Clinic and Counseling Services
The ASU Health Clinic
is ready to serve students this summer with continued service past the Spring
semester. Between semesters and during
holidays, students may see a health care provider Monday through Sunday,
1:00PM to 5:00PM. During semesters,
normal operating hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM, SAT/SUN,
1:00PM to 5:00PM. Needed lab work and
X-rays are currently referred to San Angelo Community Medical Center where
this needed care is billed to the students at discounted rates. Medical referrals to other health care
providers are also the responsibility of the student. The medical service
fee was passed as a $15.00 per term increase this past Spring student
election cycle. This will allow the
Health Clinic to start providing year round medical care without operating
with a budget deficient. This increase
has also allowed ASU to proceed with our negotiations with Community Medical
Associates for their operation of the clinic in the future. Presently, We are in the Best and Final
Offer stage of these negotiations (before the final contract is sent to the
TTUS Board of Regents for approval).
Storm Ready Certified Storm Ready- Angelo
State has been certified by the National Weather Service as a storm prepared
campus. ASU is only 1 of 4 Texas universities having this distinct
certification. UP to Join TDEx
Criminal Justice Records The University Police
Department was approved in April to join the Texas Data Exchange (TDEx). TDEx
is a database of criminal justice records maintained by the Texas Department
of Public Safety. TDEx is part of a national database of law enforcement
records. TDEx is linked to 30 other participating states. TDEx has 45 million
booking records, 8 million booking photos, 38 million Texas incident reports
and 16 million arrest reports. TDEx is an extremely valuable tool to
detectives investigating crimes and following up on criminal cases.
Deadlines/Events ·
Kayak
Skills Workshop – ·
Fall
Student Employment Opportunities - We will be accepting applications for the
following positions due by August 15: CHP Hours of Operation Due to the
construction and renovation of the CHP building, open-rec hours will be
affected for the following facilities. ·
Pool
closed due to repair on May 15- July 5 and will resume hours of operation on
July 6. ·
Racquetball
court, dance studio, weight room are closed for the entire summer. ·
Only
the gym remains open. Holiday Break
Schedule: ·
May
14 – 21, Mon– Sat 12-4 p.m.; Sun 2-6 p.m. ·
July
1 – 5, Mon – Sat 12-4 p.m.; Sun 2-6 p.m. ·
August
5 – 19, Mon – Sat 12-4 p.m.; Sun 2-6 p.m. Summer I and II Hours
of Operation: ·
CHP
Gym ·
Swimming
Pool: (Summer II only) FAQs For a listing of UREC
FAQs, please visit http://angelo.edu/dept/university_recreation/faq.html
Links for more
information ·
UREC
Webpage - http://www.angelo.edu/dept/university_recreation/
·
Student
Employment - http://www.angelo.edu/dept/university_recreation/employment.html
·
Kayak
Workshop - http://angelo.edu/dept/university_recreation/Kayaking.html
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