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June 2015

Volume 12 | Issue 12

Cellular Device Authorization Workflow Due in June

All employees authorized to have a university-owned cellular device or receive a stipend must complete the Cellular Device Authorization workflow for the 2016 fiscal year (see Administrative Policy 7-02.15). The workflow is available in FlashLine, in the Workflow & Utilities channel on the My Action Items tab.

The workflow must be completed, including all required approvals, by June 30. The paper authorization form used for previous years will no longer be accepted; the workflow must be used for cellular device or stipend authorizations. The payroll effective date for stipend renewals will be July 1.

General questions regarding cellular device authorization should be directed to Procurement at 330-672-2276 or procurement@kent.edu. Questions regarding authorization for employees paid from a sponsored project should be directed to Debra Leonard at 330-672-0988 or dleonard@kent.edu.
 

Don't Forget the Fiscal Year-End Deadlines

Managers and supervisors should have received information from the Controller's Office regarding the cut-off dates for financial transactions for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30. The deadlines for receipt of information and other year-end announcements can be found online. The Controller's Office appreciates submission of documents by deadline to ensure that a timely year-end cut off has occurred.

Fiscal Year 2015 is scheduled to close the evening of July 14, 2015, and the final June FlashLine reports should be available to departments the morning of July 15, 2015.

Expense Reimbursements
Travel or miscellaneous expenses incurred on or before June 30 are considered Fiscal Year 2015 activity. To ensure these expenses are recorded in the appropriate fiscal year, expense reimbursements must be approved by the final approver on or before June 29, 2015. Any expense reimbursements in draft status or submitted but not approved by this date will not be processed as Fiscal Year 2015 activity.

Travel and miscellaneous expenses that span both fiscal years and incurred after June 30 should be considered new fiscal year activity. Therefore, these expense reimbursements should be processed and approved after June 29, 2015.

Purchasing Cards
All P-Card reconciliations for the June cycle must be completed by July 7, 2015. All transactions that are not fully reconciled (allocated, reviewed and approved) by 5 p.m. on this date will be charged to your departmental index under office supplies (72017). In addition, the P-Card will be suspended for noncompliance, and the holder and/or approver will be required to repeat purchasing card cardholder or approver training before the card can be reinstated.  

Compensated Absences
All compensated absences should be both reported and approved not later than July 1, 2015, for any remaining FY2015 activity.

Kent State University Foundation
The Kent State University Foundation reminds department heads that June 23 is the deadline to submit any funding requests for the current fiscal year. This will ensure that the transfer of foundation funds to a university index will be recorded in Fiscal Year 2015. All requests must be submitted using the Foundation Funding Request form and must have the appropriate signatures and documentation. For more information, contact Yvonne Lee at 330-672-1077 or Mary Kay Hluch at 330-672-0420.

Please continue to review and reconcile your monthly FlashLine reports to ensure all transactions are complete and proper. If there are any issues or discrepancies, please contact the appropriate finance department below to resolve them. This includes any issues involving your budget, your actual YTD transactions and your encumbrances.

Budget Transactions (position and nonposition) and Transfers Budget Office: 330-672-3750
Credit Card Expense Allocations, Expense Reimbursements, Check Requests and other A/P transactions Accounts Payable: 330-672-2607
IDCs/COR entries
 Contact the initiating department and/or Controller’s Office: 330-672-2392
Other Journal Entries
 Controller’s Office: 330-672-2392
Payroll Entries
 Payroll Office: 330-672-8640
Requisitions, Purchase Orders and Related Encumbrances
 Procurement: 330-672-2276
Student Accounts Receivable Entries
 Student Accounts Receivable: 330-672-8635

Free Annual Health Screenings Offered in June

Kent State University's Division of Human Resources is pleased to partner with University Health Services and Be Well Solutions to enhance our commitment to promote the health and well-being of the university community. Below, you will find a listing for upcoming health screenings, and we ask managers to encourage participation in this wellness initiative.

June dates have been established as follows:

Date Location Time
Thursday, June 11
 Heer Hall - Conference Room 107
 7:30-10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, June 23 Heer Hall - Conference Room 107 7:30-10:30 a.m.

All full-time, benefits-eligible employees are invited to participate in a FREE, comprehensive wellness assessment. Participants must fast for at least 10 hours before their onsite screening. Results will be provided for the following:
  • Glucose
  • Total cholesterol, including HDL and LDL
  • Triglycerides
  • Blood pressure
  • Body mass index

Scheduling for your screening appointment must be completed on Be Well Solutions' website at www.bewelldata.com. If an employee is not already registered on Be Well Solutions' website, instructions on how to register can be found on the OneWellU website.

All employees who complete the personal health risk assessment and screening for the first time will receive a free MOVBand, a wrist-worn activity tracker. Employees who complete their second annual health screening will receive a free $25 gift card for Dick's Sporting Goods.

If you have questions, please contact Laura Kenney, wellness coordinator, at 330-672-8313 or lkenney2@kent.edu.

Title IX and ADA training session

The Division of Human Resources, Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, is sponsoring a complimentary Title IX and ADA training session offered by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (DOE/OCR) on Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Topics will range from issues surrounding student pregnancy, universities’ responsibilities regarding sexual harassment, ADA documentation to note taking assistance, ADA web access and service animals. The training session will be held in the First Energy Interactive Auditorium in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Franklin Hall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This training is open to all. Please register by June 12, 2015, at http://goo.gl/5u7h0o.

If you have any questions regarding the Title IX and ADA training session, please contact Pamela Fitzgerald, manager, Affirmative Action, at 330-672-2521 or pfitzge3@kent.edu.   

Updates From Mail Services

USPS Postage Increase May 31, 2015

Good news! Mail Services is working hard to contain cost and continue to service our community with first-class service. First-class stamps remain at $.49 for the 1st ounce. Some of the new rates are highlighted below.

  • First-class Letters to ¼” thick = 1 oz. @ $.49 Each additional oz. @ $.22 up to 3.5 oz.
  • Large Envelopes to ¾” thick = 1 oz. @ $.98 Each additional oz. @ $ .22 up to 13 oz.
  • Postcards (4-1/4” x 6” max. size) @ .35
  • Items over 13 oz. must use Package or Priority Services, which need quoted separately.
  • International Letters to ¼” thick start at @ 1.20 and vary by delivery country.
  • For budget purposes, nonprofit bulk mail is now averaging $ .19 per letter-sized piece.

As always, Mail Services is working hard to keep postage rates as low as feasibly possible. Stay tuned for late-summer news about shipping rates through USPS, UPS and FedEx.

For additional information, contact Mail Services, Steve Finley (sfinley7@kent.edu) or Brett Edwards (bedward3@kent.edu) at 330-672-2164. For the complete Notice 123, USPS Rates and Services, please visit the website http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm. Click on the link of the service you are checking to access that rate sheet.

Dates to Remember

National Caribbean American Heritage Month
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month 

June 5
 Summer intersession classes end
June 6
 D-Day
June 8
 Summer I and Summer II classes begin
June 11
 Free Health Screening
Visit www.kent.edu/hr/benefits/wellness for more details.
June 14
 Flag Day
June 18
 Ramadan begins
June 21
 Father’s Day
First day of summer (summer solstice)
June 23
 Free Health Screening
Visit http://www.kent.edu/hr/benefits/wellness for more details.
 

Tell Us What You Think

This e-newsletter is designed to keep you, the managers and supervisors, informed. Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think of it, along with any comments or suggestions. You may contact us at managersfeedback@kent.edu. We look forward to hearing from you.

For information about events and programs for university employees, please check out the Faculty and Staff calendar and share the information with your staff.