MyLU Insider

Blia Vang

Author: Blia Vang

Travel and Business Expense Policy Change

Effective July 1, 2019, the following will be added to the Lawrence University Travel and Business Expense Policy. 

PER DIEMS

LU recognizes that use of a per diem may be preferable in exceptional circumstances. The use of a per diem could be both an exception to the requirement of receipts and, potentially, to the daily maximum meal allowance. When authorized, per diem rates can be provided to cover lodging, meals and incidental expenses, or meals and incidental expenses only. 

In these circumstances, the per diem use must be authorized in writing and in advance by the Provost or a cabinet member and by the Controller.  When proposing a per diem for travel expenses, the requestor must include an attachment provided by Financial Services that outlines the following:

  • a justification for the use of a per diem;
  • the basis for determining the proposed per diem rate that will not exceed the federal per diem rate for the location of travel
  • the specific days to be worked away from home;
  • the location of where the services will be performed;
  • the business purpose of the travel, and,
  • if applicable, a sponsoring agency’s authorization to use a per diem.

Accounts Payable Year End Reminders

With our FISCAL YEAR END JUNE 30, 2019, now in the rear-view mirror, please be reminded of the following :

  • In order to allow the Financial Services office to prepare for Lawrence University’s annual audit, we ask that you approve invoices for the fiscal year ending 06/30/19and have them to the Financial Services office by Friday, July 12th. Any invoice received in our office after July 12th will be entered into the 2019-20 fiscal year regardless of the date on the invoice or the date of the delivery of the product or service. If you are expecting an invoice that needs to be posted to the 2018-19 fiscal year, but have not received it by the deadline, please contact Financial Services to work out a solution.
  • Unless there has been a consistent alternate posting method for a routine vendor invoice that Financial Services is aware of, invoices will be entered in the fiscal period for which the delivery of the product or service relates. For example, if an invoices is dated June 25th, 2019 but is for a services that will be provided after July 1st, the invoice will go to the next fiscal year. Conversely, if the invoice has a date of July 5th, 2019 but was for services provided prior to June 30th, that invoice will be posted back to the 2018-19 fiscal year.  Purchases or services that are to be reflected as June 30, 2019 expenses need to be purchased and received by June 30, 2019. 
    • Purchases WILL be considered made/paid by June 30, 2019 if they are purchased on an LU purchasing credit card, regardless of whether the item/service has been received by June 30
  • Down payments will not be considered an expense as of June 30, 2019.
    • LU has to be in receipt of the item purchased by June 30, 2019 to be considered a valid expense to hit the books as of June 30, 2019.
  • It is NOT necessary that the invoice be in hand by June 30, 2019; however, Financial Services needs to be made aware that the expense is to be dated for fiscal year June 30, 2019 if it will not be clear on the invoice when the invoice is received after fiscal year end. 
  • If you have a specific invoice for which you would like to make an exception, please contact Brandie Jewett X6542 or Amy Price X7164 with any questions.

Travel and Business Expense Policy Change

Effective July 1, 2019, the following will be added to the Lawrence University Travel and Business Expense Policy. 

PER DIEMS

LU recognizes that use of a per diem may be preferable in exceptional circumstances. The use of a per diem could be both an exception to the requirement of receipts and, potentially, to the daily maximum meal allowance. When authorized, per diem rates can be provided to cover lodging, meals and incidental expenses, or meals and incidental expenses only. 

In these circumstances, the per diem use must be authorized in writing and in advance by the Provost or a cabinet member and by the Controller.  When proposing a per diem for travel expenses, the requestor must include an attachment provided by Financial Services that outlines the following:

  • a justification for the use of a per diem;
  • the basis for determining the proposed per diem rate that will not exceed the federal per diem rate for the location of travel
  • the specific days to be worked away from home;
  • the location of where the services will be performed;
  • the business purpose of the travel, and,
  • if applicable, a sponsoring agency’s authorization to use a per diem.

Accounts Payable Year End Reminders

As we approach FISCAL YEAR END JUNE 30, 2019, please be reminded of the following :

  • In order to allow the Financial Services office to prepare for Lawrence University’s annual audit, we ask that you approve invoices for the fiscal year ending 06/30/19 and have them to the Financial Services office by Friday, July 12th. Any invoice received in our office after July 12th will be entered into the 2019-20 fiscal year regardless of the date on the invoice or the date of the delivery of the product or service. If you are expecting an invoice that needs to be posted to the 2018-19 fiscal year, but have not received it by the deadline, please contact Financial Services to work out a solution.
  • Unless there has been a consistent alternate posting method for a routine vendor invoice that Financial Services is aware of, invoices will be entered in the fiscal period for which the delivery of the product or service relates. For example, if an invoices is dated June 25th, 2019 but is for a services that will be provided after July 1st, the invoice will go to the next fiscal year. Conversely, if the invoice has a date of July 5th, 2019 but was for services provided prior to June 30th, that invoice will be posted back to the 2018-19 fiscal year.  Purchases or services that are to be reflected as June 30, 2019 expenses need to be purchased and received by June 30, 2019. 
    • Purchases WILL be considered made/paid by June 30, 2019 if they are purchased on an LU purchasing credit card, regardless of whether the item/service has been received by June 30
  • Down payments will not be considered an expense as of June 30, 2019.
    • LU has to be in receipt of the item purchased by June 30, 2019 to be considered a valid expense to hit the books as of June 30, 2019.
  • It is NOT necessary that the invoice be in hand by June 30, 2019; however, Financial Services needs to be made aware that the expense is to be dated for fiscal year June 30, 2019 if it will not be clear on the invoice when the invoice is received after fiscal year end. 
  • If you have a specific invoice for which you would like to make an exception, please contact Brandie Jewett X6542 or Amy Price X7164 with any questions.

June New Hires

The following colleagues have been hired or rehired within the last month. If you see them on campus, please welcome them to Lawrence!

Kristen Greiner – Assistant Director of Campus Services, Conferences & Events (Warch Campus Center)

Julian Cohen – Summer Maintenance Assistant (Facility Services)

Milly Figueroa – Summer Custodial Assistant (Custodial)

Jacob Grewe – Campus Safety Officer (Office of Campus Safety)

Sara Jacques – Custodian (Custodial)

Frances Marshall – Campus Safety Officer ( Office of Campus Safety)

Christina Schrage – Summer Conference Assistant (Warch Campus Center)

Caroline Swords – Research Associate (Psychology)

Trey Tennessen – Fire Safety Assistant (Office of Campus Safety)

Learning @ Lawrence Collaborative Evaluation

Thank you to everyone who attended the Learning @ Lawrence Collaborative! We hope you enjoyed the sessions and were able to gather some key takeaways from these discussions. Sincere appreciation to all the presenters; your support made this event possible.

If you would like to complete an evaluation, please visit the Collaborative webpage to find the evaluation form. We greatly appreciate your reflections on this year’s event as well as your input on future Learning at Lawrence programming.

In the coming weeks, materials and presentations will be available on the Learning @ Lawrence webpage.

Accounts Payable Year End Reminders

As we approach FISCAL YEAR END JUNE 30, 2019, please be reminded of the following :

  • In order to allow the Financial Services office to prepare for Lawrence University’s annual audit, we ask that you approve invoices for the fiscal year ending 06/30/19and have them to the Financial Services office by Friday, July 12th. Any invoice received in our office after July 12th will be entered into the 2019-20 fiscal year regardless of the date on the invoice or the date of the delivery of the product or service. If you are expecting an invoice that needs to be posted to the 2018-19 fiscal year, but have not received it by the deadline, please contact Financial Services to work out a solution.
  • Unless there has been a consistent alternate posting method for a routine vendor invoice that Financial Services is aware of, invoices will be entered in the fiscal period for which the delivery of the product or service relates. For example, if an invoices is dated June 25th, 2019 but is for a services that will be provided after July 1st, the invoice will go to the next fiscal year. Conversely, if the invoice has a date of July 5th, 2019 but was for services provided prior to June 30th, that invoice will be posted back to the 2018-19 fiscal year.  Purchases or services that are to be reflected as June 30, 2019 expenses need to be purchased and received by June 30, 2019. 
    • Purchases WILL be considered made/paid by June 30, 2019 if they are purchased on an LU purchasing credit card, regardless of whether the item/service has been received by June 30
  • Down payments will not be considered an expense as of June 30, 2019.
    • LU has to be in receipt of the item purchased by June 30, 2019 to be considered a valid expense to hit the books as of June 30, 2019.
  • It is NOT necessary that the invoice be in hand by June 30, 2019; however, Financial Services needs to be made aware that the expense is to be dated for fiscal year June 30, 2019 if it will not be clear on the invoice when the invoice is received after fiscal year end. 
  • If you have a specific invoice for which you would like to make an exception, please contact Brandie Jewett X6542 or Amy Price X7164 with any questions.

Travel and Business Expense Policy Change

Effective July 1, 2019, the following will be added to the Lawrence University Travel and Business Expense Policy. 

PER DIEMS

LU recognizes that use of a per diem may be preferable in exceptional circumstances. The use of a per diem could be both an exception to the requirement of receipts and, potentially, to the daily maximum meal allowance. When authorized, per diem rates can be provided to cover lodging, meals and incidental expenses, or meals and incidental expenses only. 

In these circumstances, the per diem use must be authorized in writing and in advance by the Provost or a cabinet member and by the Controller.  When proposing a per diem for travel expenses, the requestor must include an attachment provided by Financial Services that outlines the following:

  • a justification for the use of a per diem;
  • the basis for determining the proposed per diem rate that will not exceed the federal per diem rate for the location of travel
  • the specific days to be worked away from home;
  • the location of where the services will be performed;
  • the business purpose of the travel, and,
  • if applicable, a sponsoring agency’s authorization to use a per diem.

Process Change – Staff Performance Review Timing

Staff Performance Review Timing

In February 2019, the Performance Review Taskforce, comprised of staff from across campus divisions, began meeting to discuss performance reviews and the process at Lawrence.  The taskforce finalized their recommendations regarding format, frequency, and timing of our review cycle in April.    

Supported by the recommendation of the taskforce, the University will move the time of year in which performance reviews will be completed.  While the complete details are still being finalized, annual staff performance reviews will move to the late fall/early winter timeframe.

As we approach the end of the fiscal year, it remains a good time to reflect upon both successes and opportunities for growth.  This reflection may include completing a full performance evaluation, but please note that both a self and supervisor evaluation will be included in the new process later this year.  If needed, it may be advantageous to have an abbreviated performance discussion in lieu of completing a full performance evaluation this summer.

We look forward to sharing more information regarding the updated performance review process.  Your HR Representative would be happy to assist you with any questions or concerns as we navigate this change in process.