April 2008 BAS Forum

1. April 2008 BAS Forum Payments to Non-Resident Aliens Reference the March 20th email to the BAS Communications group. Departments planning events for summer or fall that include engaging the services of non-resident aliens should be aware of the steps that must be taken to ensure payments to these individuals are processed timely and efficiently. The Non-Resident Alien Payments Procedure is available on the BAS Web site on the Business & Finance Guidelines, Policies and Procedures page. Please make others who are involved in communicating with non-resident alien contractors aware of the payment procedure. IDC Reminders from the Comptroller’s Office The IDC originator’s name, department and phone number must be entered on the FOATEXT form for all IDC journal entries. The Comptroller’s Office may DISAPPROVE IDC journal entries submitted without this information. 2. The Finance Self Service View Documents Query can be used to identify the originator of previous IDC journal entries. Refer to the Flash Movie on the View Document Query for more information. 3. All IDC Journal Entries must be completed or deleted by the end of each month. Instructions on how to delete incomplete journal entries can be accessed from the BAS Web site, on the Advanced Banner Finance training page: http://www.kent.edu/bas/BannerAdvancedTraining.cfm Please share these important reminders with others in your areas who complete IDC journal entries. Preparations for Fiscal Year End 2008 Complete account reconciliations to identify and correct errors or missing transactions in budgets or in the actual department revenue and expense prior to year end. Remind the employees in your area that requests for expense reimbursements should be made prior to fiscal year end to avoid crossing into the new fiscal year. Ensure all invoice activity is properly classified. Items or services received prior to year end need to be recorded in FY 08. Items or services received after year end should be recorded in FY 09.

2. April 2008 BAS Forum Postal Rate Changes Effective May 12, 2008 Evaluate current department mailings and consider the following changes that may reduce the cost of postage Reduce the number of pages in a document by changing the font, removing unnecessary print and converting from single sided to double sided printing when possible Distribute large documents electronically or make them available to users online instead of mailing them Use post cards instead of letters Update your mailing list to avoid returns and delays Determine the impact of the postal rate changes on your department’s FY 2009 budget. Banner Finance Open Lab Designed to meet the needs of KSU business support staff who have attended the Banner Finance training sessions, are now proficient in using the Banner Finance system and need one-on-one assistance with specific problems or questions. Subject Matter Experts from the Budget Office, the Comptroller’s Office, Procurement and Cognos Reporting will be available to answer procedural, policy and reporting questions related to Banner Finance. The next Banner Finance Open Lab will be held on April 30th from 1:30 – 4 in room 333 of the Library. If you are interested in attending the next Banner Finance Open Lab, please do the following: • Sign up on the HR training website www.kent.edu/hr/registerNote: The session is limited to 20 participants so sign up early! • As you work on financial issues and review the March financial reporting for your area, consider what questions or issues you would like to have addressed during the session. • Come to the session with your Banner Finance questions. Bring reports, screen prints or any other documents that will help the SME participants understand what is needed and what is currently provided.