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Third Quarter Archives
March 2007
Cornell Logo Approval
Effective immediately, Merchandise with Cornell artwork ( photos, logos, text, insignia etc.), will be removed from Purchasing Agent review and can be sent directly to the vendors for printing and production.
If any Cornell affiliated artwork (photos, logo, text) is used, please remember to get an approval from the Cornell's Office of Communications, which is the responsible entity for approving and screening requests for logo approval. For more information regarding logo approval, please visit http://www.cornell.edu/identity/print/ prior to processing the requisition. For questions on how and when to obtain approval, please contact the Office of Communications at 255-4169.
Subscriber Summary Reports
The Subscriber Summary Report that was distributed with the February billing is a duplicate of the report that you received in January. The error was limited to this report, the Subscriber Summary Report, and was only an error in printing.
The charges sent to the General Ledger accurately reflect February totals.
The Subscriber Summary Report for February will be sent via campus mail this week
CIT Online Viewing
Starting in May 2007, monthly CIT charges will be available online. Find out more at: www.cit.cornell.edu/ncs/rates/bills.html
Department Strategies for Spending Temporarily Restricted Dollars
Prior to year end, please review all temporarily restricted accounts and know what the restrictions are.
Temporarily restricted (TR) funds should be spent first. Financial Accounting Standards require that restricted funds be spent (according to donor designations) before unrestricted funds are used.
Departments should monitor by actively reviewing balances and activity in TR accounts by identifying:
- accounts where balances have not changed
- accounts that continue to grow but are not being spent
- accounts with no activity
FIN 110 is available to train individuals responsible for managing TR accounts.
If you have any questions, please visit the Accounting Gift Restrictions  page, or e-mail: dfa-ribacctg@cornell.edu  .
e-SHOP Developments
New Order Cancellation functionality: If you need to cancel an order placed on e-SHOP (only applies to orders that have already been sent to the supplier), you must do the following:
- Contact the vendor to cancel the order directly. Confirm that it is cancelled.
- Fill out the form titled "e-SHOP order cancellation request" located on the left of your e-SHOP home page, under "Helpful documentation."
- Save the form, and e-mail it to the e-SHOP contact in your business service center (BSC).
- Your BSC has the authority to change the status of orders in the e-SHOP system, so that they will show as "cancelled."
New tutorials and a demo on the e-SHOP Web site: Check out the new scenario tutorials, the new, shorter Quick reference guide, the e-SHOP demo, and the FAQs at www.purchasing.cornell.edu/eSHOP.cfm  .
February 2007
W-2 Address Changes
The Payroll Office has learned that a small number of people who changed their address using Just the Facts may not have received a W-2 due to the system using the wrong address. They are sending another W-2 to anyone affected by this problem to insure our employees have the necessary forms for tax purposes. Both W-2's are correct.
Note: Just the Facts is an online tool students may use to change their address. Current student employees and students who have become regular Cornell employees may have experienced this problem.
I-9 FORM PROCESSING REMINDERS
1. Complete the I-9 on or before the first day of work -- no exceptions. If a student doesn't have documentation, then the student is not allowed to start working.
2. Student must present original documentation -- copies cannot be accepted. The student is required to prove both identity and eligibility to work in the United States. The list of acceptable documents is on the back of the I-9 form, and on the Student Employment Web site.
3. I-9 forms are completed at the department level for citizens, permanent residents, and F1 visa students. Students with other visa status (J1, J2, G4, A2, etc.) must be complete the I-9 at the International Students and Scholars Office. These students can not start working until ISSO confirms employment eligibility. Be sure the student brings you a copy of the completed form. Also be sure you send a copy to Student Employment.
4. The "I attest, under penalty of perjury, ..." box in Section 1 must be completed.
5. Alien # or Admission # is required by all foreign national students. If the student does not know those numbers -- send the individual to ISSO for assistance.
6. Social Security # is an optional field. In Section 1, date of birth is required, but the student is not required to note his/her social security number. However, if the student presents an original social security card as proof of eligibility to work in the U.S., on the form under List C you must identify that as a document and note the social security number.
All working employees must have official social security numbers. Foreign Nationals (and other individuals) must apply for an official ssn, and can work while the paperwork is being processed. However, no one can work unless a completed I-9 is on file!
7. In the "CERTIFICATION" field, enter the date the student actually started working. Leaving this date blank is the biggest reason we return I-9 forms for correction!
8. Print your name, and include your department name / address on the I-9 form (below the "Certification" field). Please print legibly. If the form is incomplete, we cannot return it for correction if we cannot identify who signed the form or where they work...which means the student cannot be appointed and paid.
9. Verify that all required fields are completed -- including signatures, dates, and document numbers -- before sending the form to Student Employment.
Finally -- always keep a copy of the I-9 on file in your office. When your department/unit is audited, the auditors will ask to see employee (both undergrad and grad student) I-9 forms.
Stapleslink vs. Staples.com
Please be sure to use Stapleslink.com when ordering office supplies for your department. The Cornell University discounts do not apply to Staples.com. To read more about the negotiated contract with Stapleslink, please visit the Office for Purchasing Services' Web site .
"Greening" Cornell University
Cornell University is making every thoughtful effort to conserve our natural resources, as well as to save money. When purchasing paper for your department, please remember the following :
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Purchase tree-free or at least 30% recycled paper, including tissue paper, paper towels, bathroom tissue, printing/copy paper, envelopes, file folders, legal pads, Post-Its, etc
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Use the university's Preferred Supplier for paper, MacNamara's, to save money for your department
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Choose pastels over neon paper, because neon paper uses toxic heavy metals, which over time, leach into the environment when thrown away
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Ask the printer about recycled options when doing out-of-house print jobs
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Remember, wasting paper costs money
Additional ways to save your department money:
- Use duplex printers, and set your default to double-sided printing
- In-house printing and e-mails can be printed on already used single-sided paper
Alternative office supplies to purchase:
- Recycled toner through Office Max (save 25-40%)
- Recycled eating utensils, flatware, and cups
- Stapleless staplers
- Refill ink for fluorescent markers
- Refillable pencils and pens
- Trichloroethane-free correction ink
- Biodegradable plastic bags for trash cans
May 2006:
Executive Limousine and Sedan
If you use Executive Limousine and Sedan, which invoices Cornell directly, gratuity is included on the invoice. Cornell University is unable to reimburse you for additional gratuity.
Student Employment Annual Mass Termination
If your students are working beyond May 11, you need to hire those students again.
Same position, same pay rate. Use May 11 as the hire date.
Graduating seniors who are only working through Commencement can be rehired as hourly student employees. Hire date = May 11, 2006. Termination date = May 29, 2006.
Any graduate who is planning to work beyond Commencement should be hired into a non-student job through HR Online. If that student does not hold an active, hourly job in another department, effective date of hire can be as early as Thursday, May 11, 2006.
Students working for the summer may be awarded merit increases up to 5%. Please keep equity in mind -- and remember that the total increase for which a student is eligible cannot exceed 10% within a year unless you receive approval from our office for a merit exception.
Year-end Requisition Processing Deadlines
Please note the following list of items that should be received by the Office for Purchasing Services by the stated date to be processed before fiscal year-end closing.
- May 3: Items requiring bids over $200,000
- May 10: Items requiring bids over $5000, but less than $200,000
- June 7: Requisitions requiring single/sole source justification exceeding $5000
- June 14: Requisitions of which bids have been received totaling $200,000 or more
- June 22: Requisitions under $5000
Thank you for your cooperation in this process. If you have any questions, please contact the appropriate purchasing agent for your commodity.
Student Employment Academic Year-End and Summer Dates
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May 5, 2006 (Fri): "Mass Termination" inserted as a future dated row on active hourly jobs.
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May 8, 2006 (Mon): Date after which new jobs (hire hires and rehires) can be entered and not affected by the mass termination process.
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May 10, 2006 (Wed): Academic year employment term ends, and academic year Federal Work-Study (FWS) eligibility ends
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May 11, 2006 (Thur): Effective date of mass termination Summer employment term starts; Summer FWS eligibility starts
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May 28, 2006 (Mon): Last day May graduates can work as hourly student employees
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August 16, 2006 (Wed): Summer employment term ends, and Summer FWS eligibility ends
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August 17, 2006 (Thur): Academic year employment term starts, and academic year FWS eligibility starts. Also, first day of the 2006-2007 new student hourly wage scale
- August 18, 2006 (Fri): New Student Registration begins, and academic year jobs start displaying on Bear Access
March 2006:
Accepting Cash and Checks
The University Policy Office is pleased to announce the issuance of University Policy 3.22, Accepting Cash and Checks.
This new policy sets out to protect the university from financial loss, and promote personal safety, appropriate stewardship of assets, and accurate financial reporting. Therefore, to achieve these goals, it establishes controls for proper segregation of duties, securing cash and checks appropriately, and using lockboxes and armored car services.
Please familiarize yourself with this policy by visiting the University Policy Office Web site at www.policy.cornell.edu/vol3_22.cfm .
Cornell Asset Transfer System
We are pleased to announce the availability of the new Cornell Asset Transfer System (CATS) at http://cats.dfa.cornell.edu/cats .
CATS was developed to provide a mechanism through which university departments could post excess and scrap items on-line and have those items available to other university departments. This system can be used to post both capital and non-capital items and replaces the capital asset surplus listing. CATS is for official Cornell use and personal items may not be posted. Items identified as capital assets will automatically be routed to the Capital Assets Department for review before posting. The Capital Assets department will release the asset for posting or notify the unit of any pending compliance issues, ensuring that disposition restrictions are followed.
Please note that if a non-capital item must be inventoried in order to meet federal, state, or other regulations, it must be identified as a capital asset when posting. All policies, including those relating to transferring and disposing of capital assets still apply.
National Student Employment Week
On April 11, 2006 Cornell University will celebrate National Student Employment Week with an Employee / Employer Recognition Luncheon in the Memorial Room of Willard Straight Hall.
In appreciation for the contributions of staff and faculty who supervise student employees, we cordially invite supervisors to join us in this celebration!
And, as recognition that work is an integral part of the Cornell experience for many students, we encourage you to invite your student employee(s) to join you as an expression of thanks for their enthusiasm, dedication and hard work.
The complimentary buffet luncheon is offered between 11:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., but seating is limited to the first 280 responses so if you and your student employee(s) plan to join us for lunch, please confirm your attendance by email to sesemp@cornell.edu by Friday, March 31, 2006.
At the luncheon we will acknowledge five exceptional student employees and five exceptional supervisors.
If you have one or more student employees who deserve consideration for one of these awards, please nominate those individuals for an Employee Recognition Award! A nomination form is attached to this email. Additional forms are available at: www.commitment.cornell.edu under The Cornell Tradition / Forms for Downloading, or at 203 Day Hall in the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment. Completed nomination forms should be submitted by Monday, March 17 to the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment in 203 Day Hall.
Note: If you submit a nomination form you must still RSVP to sesemp@cornell.edu with the number of people planning to attend the luncheon. (Please do not reply to my email address!)
The presentation of awards will begin at 12:30 p.m. (Note: A photographer will be on-hand for pictures.)
The Employee / Employer Recognition Luncheon is sponsored by The Cornell Tradition, the Cornell Public Service Center, the Office of Minority Education, and the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment.
February 2006:
2005 W-2 Statements
The recently mailed 2005 wage and tax statement ("W-2") did not include the employer's name in Box "C." According to taxing agencies, however, this omission will not affect the employee's ability to use the form for annual personal income tax filing.
Additional communications will be distributed in the near future.
New University Interim Policy
The University Policy Office (UPO) is pleased to announce the issuance on an interim basis of University Policy 5.9, Privacy of the Network, which has been posted to the UPO's Web site at www.policy.cornell.edu/vol5_9.cfm .
This interim policy preserves the university's practice of not monitoring or restricting content transmitted on the university network unless compelled by policy or law. In addition, it specifies conditions under which the Office of Information Technology (OIT) may approve disclosure of information technology (IT) data to third parties. These standards protect the privacy of individual users, and reaffirm the university's unbiased position on free speech and open inquiry.
Processing Credit Card Transactions
As merchants processing credit card transactions, the security of your customer's cardholder information is critically important. Identity theft is on the rise, making the protection of sensitive financial data even more imperative.
Visa and MasterCard have instituted a Customer Information Security Program (CISP) that requires very specific compliance regulations. Many of our Cornell merchants use the Verisign or VeriFone products to conduct business; one is using Cybersource. All three of these providers are compliant with CISP regulations, therefore, Cornell is under that protection because they receive and transmit our transactions. However, units must not store sensitive cardholder information on an unprotected hard drive or shared drive that does not have comprehensive firewall security that specifically protects the database.
When cardholder data is compromised, all entities involved in the processing of this type of commerce are affected. Some potential fallout is listed below:
For the cardholder (your customer):
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Account blocked during reissue process
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Lost confidence in the card issuer's product and in Cornell University
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Potential identity theft implications
For Cornell University:
- Financial liability
- Cost of an extensive external system audit
- Loss of customer confidence
- Loss of reputation for the university
Cardholder data is defined as any personally identifiable data associated with a cardholder, and it is strictly prohibited to be stored after authorization for the transaction is received. The following list comprises cardholder data:
- Account number
- Expiration date
- Name
- Address
- Social security number
- 3 or 4 digit value visible on the card (usually on the signature panel)(this series of numbers can be referred to as CVV2, CVC2 or CID data)
- PIN block verification data for PIN-based debit card transactions
- Full contents of any track from a card's magnetic stripe
New Procurement Card Process
The following is a UBSC reminder about new procurement card information, as well as an advisory to inform you of some UBSC procedural changes that coincide with the distribution of these new procurement cards.
Please review University Policy 3.12, Procurement Card, which is available at www.policy.cornell.edu/vol3_12.cfm . It is important that you familiarize yourself with your responsibilities as a cardholder.
Cardholders are required to submit a receipt and an explanation of business purpose to their PCard Coordinator (UBSC) immediately after a purchase is made, and without a reminder/request. If your name (or last four digits of your card number) are not clearly indicated on the receipt, please note this as well before sending to us.
It is a cardholder's responsibility to submit receipts in a timely manner such that requests or reminders from Coordinators are not necessary.
UBSC will check to ensure any non-receipted, auto-clear transaction is not fraudulent.
If it is not fraudulent, the transaction will be considered non-compliant - except, of course, in cases in which there actually has been fraudulent activity - because an auto-clear would have already occurred.
Any receipts turned in as a result of this check are also considered non-compliant.
UBSC is required to suspend and/or revoke the card privileges of any cardholder who does not comply with university policy.
Compliant transactions are those for which receipts are submitted in a timely manner, and a business purpose is provided - without reminders from Coordinators - and the transaction does not include prohibited or split purchases. Other limitations and requirements may also apply.
Please direct questions to your UBSC support team.
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