• Departments begin non-payroll journal entries for period 998. All non-payroll reallocations in 998 are submitted to General Accounting on a journal entry. Finance will create the voucher for state to local and local to state non-payroll reallocations that occur in 998.
• First FY09 local AP checks printed for all campuses.

Friday – September 5

• First deadline for submitting 998 GL journals. These journals will be posted to the General Ledger by General Accounting no later than Sep 9 so departments can review financial system reports Sep 10 for any additional adjustments needed.

Wednesday – September 10

• Finance emails deficit fund equity report to CDAs for their review.
• Departments review 998 financial system reports for any additional adjustments needed. These reports will not include UCI/WCI (1% of 998 salary), Administrative Charges on Auxiliary cost centers, or Indirect Cost Expenses on Sponsored Project cost centers. These expenses will post after all 998 adjustments have been entered.
• Deadline for submitting accounts receivable reconciliation as of August 31 and write-off memos to General Accounting.
• Deadline for submitting consumable/resale inventory as of August 31 to General Accounting.

Monday – September 15

• Second and final deadline for submitting 998 GL journals to General Accounting.
• Deadline to correct FY08 liability balances for P-Cards and Travel Cards. All journal corrections must be done in period 998 and submitted to General Accounting. If corrections are not made in Period 998, AP will inactivate the cards associated with the cost centers until the liability balances are cleared.
• Finance sends College/Division Administrators a list of proposed FY09 telephone, postage, and long distance encumbrances. Email changes to Mike Glisson by September 23.

Wednesday – September 17

• Finance posts AP accruals in period 998, FY08, to department cost centers based on UHS_AP_VOUCHERS_TO_ACCRUE query. All vouchers posted Sep 1-15 with a Goods Received Date before Sep 1 will be accrued, except for grant cost centers.

Thursday – September 18

• Finance posts AP accrual reversal in period 1, FY09.

Monday – September 22

• Target close for period 998 for department cost centers. Only institutional cost centers should be affected after this date.

Friday – September 26

• Finance creates journals to encumber FY09 postage, telephone, and long distance.

If you have any questions about the Key Dates Calendar, please contact Mike Glisson at 713.743.870

• Why can’t I just use any account as long as the voucher gets processed?
• What is budget checking and why do we require it?
• What is a liability? What’s an asset?
• Why is it important to read a balance sheet?
• What is the importance of fund codes?
• Why do so many people have to approve one transaction?
• Who is Accounts Payable and why do they tell me what to do?
• What is payroll suspense and how do I correct it?
• Office of Contracts & Grants or Contract Administration? What's the difference?
• What effect do the transactions I process have on the annual, administrative reports, and why are these reports necessary?
• Why do we have so many mandatory training classes?
• Why are there so many administrative rules and processes and who makes all of these rules any way?
• Why is everyone so concerned with ethical conduct and fraud at the university?

If you or your staff members ever wanted to know the answers to these questions, then Understanding UH Business will provide a comprehensive and unique perspective. The class instructors are experts in their particular departments and together they help the attendees understand the global effect of individual business processes – both internally and externally.

Who can attend this class?
Classes begin Friday, October 10th from 9am to noon and continue each successive Friday for seven weeks. Attendees must be able to attend all sessions to participate.

Attendance is open to anyone interested in developing an understanding of the university’s business processes. To express interest and be nominated to attend this class, fill out the nomination form here for yourself and/or your direct reports.

Questions about the curriculum or program should be directed to the Customer Service Center at
713-743-3988.

All full-time faculty, all exempt staff, and non-exempt staff with purchasing responsibilities will be required to complete the F09028 – External Consulting & Related Party Disclosure form as well.

If you are required to complete any Finance Role-Based training you will receive another email from our UHS Training listserv indicating the additional trainings you are required to complete depending on your access and/or job duties. The following Annual Mandatory Finance Role-Based trainings will be available October 1st:

COURSE CODE	NAME
F09015	Petty Cash & Change Fund Custodians
F09016	Procurement Card Cardholder
F09017	Procurement Card Business Office
F09018	Travel Card Cardholder
F09019	Travel Card Business Office
F09033	Credit Card Processing
F09034	Credit Card Accounting
F09035	Credit Card Data Security
F09038	Cash Security Procedures
F09039	Cash Deposit & Security Procedures

If a new employee needs to complete any of the Finance Role-Based trainings listed above prior to October 1st, so that they may gain necessary access or perform necessary job duties, please contact the Customer Service Center at 713-743-3988 to make arrangements.

All mandatory trainings must be completed by December 31, 2008. Future merit eligibility and other related privileges or access may be withheld unless training is completed. Information on training completion will be provided on a weekly basis to the college/division administrators and monthly to the division vice president. If you have questions about mandatory training, please contact the Customer Service Center at 713.743.3988.
 

Please encourage your employees to complete their Mandatory New Hire Training by September 29th.  The following queries are available in HRMS to monitor employee New Hire Training status:

• UHSTRAIN_FY08_NEWHIRE_BYDEPT
• UHSTRAIN_FY08_NEWHIRE_BYCOLL
• UHSTRAIN_FY08_NEWHIRE_BYDIV

If you have questions about new employee mandatory training, please contact the Customer Service Center at 713.743.3988.

For further information on this or other HUB vendors contact the Purchasing Department :
713.743.5666

1. Write a realistic job description: tailor the job description to fit your department needs. Prioritize job tasks in order of importance.



2. Read resumes with a critical eye: confirm that candidates have the experience and qualifications required to perform the job. If there are gaps in employment ask for clarification.



3. Solicit referrals: source candidates via various media sourcing and networking.



4. Phone Screen: phone screens are scripted fact finding interview sessions with candidates. Be prepared for the phone interview by having the job description along with your scripted questions before calling candidates. Briefly explain the job responsibilities, ask a few basic job related questions and confirm if salary range is acceptable.



5. Conduct a thorough interview: to help you make an informed decision, gather as much information as you can about the candidates. Ask specific job related questions about how the candidates have handled a particular situation. If necessary, ask follow up questions on certain responses from the candidate. Quality candidates will expect and be prepared for such questions. Take brief notes so you will be able to recall key points from each candidate during the evaluation process.



6. Closing the interview: always end an interview on a friendly but neutral note; do not give false encouragement or go into details for rejection. Review the next phase in the hiring process with a clear and honest timetable and abide by the timetable.



7. Check references: contact previous employers listed, and if possible previous supervisors for references.



8. Perform background checks: if your position is security sensitive complete a CHRI before making an official job offer.

1. Choosing which ePAR form to use:
    

   Hire Form:	Hire a new employee
   	Rehire a terminated employee
   	Transfer an employee from another department
   	Promote an employee from another department
   	Add an additional job for an employee
   	Exempt Staff Overload

   
   

   Edit Existing Job:	Any changes for an employee in your department
   	Transfers within your department
   	Promotions within your department
   	Pay Rate Changes
   	FTE Changes

   
   

   Change Employment Status:	Terminations
   	Retirements
   	Leave of Absence (unpaid leave)
   	Paid Leave of Absence
   	Return from Leave

   
   

   Additional Pay:	Not for work performed
   	Communication Allowance
   	Car Allowance
   	Employee Awards
   	Incentive Pay (by HR approval only)
   	Human Subjects
   	Royalties
   	Miscellaneous Compensation (by HR approval only)

   
   
2. Always use “Search for People” before hiring a new employee. Many people already have a PeopleSoft ID, such as students, applicants, and visitors.



3. All hires and rehires with greater than one year break in service must complete an I-9 on or before the first day of work. If you have questions about completing an I-9, please contact HRIM or your generalist.
   
   
   1. Use a current unexpired I-9 form. The current form is available on the HR website.
   2. Ensure employee completes I-9 Section 1 completely.
   3. Complete all fields in I-9 Section 2.
   4. Write the ePAR number in the top margin of the I-9.
   5. Attach page 2 (List of Acceptable Documents).
   6. Do not scan or copy I-9 forms.
   7. Send I-9 to HRIM at mail code 5009, or room 342.
   
   


4. If the employee marked “An alien authorized to work until,” then the employee must complete the Foreign National Tax Information Form. Scan and attach the entire tax package with copies of requested documents to the ePAR and name the attachment “Foreign National.”



5. All new employees must complete the Personal Data Sheet (3 page New Hire Information Form). Scan and attach this to the ePAR and name the attachment “Personal Data.”



6. Do not combine the documents listed above into a single attachment. Foreign National paperwork and Personal Data go to different offices for processing.



7. Attachments should only be in Word document or Adobe PDF formats.



8. Attachments should not contain any information about other employees. These attachments and ePARs become a permanent part of the employee's personnel file, and including another employee's information could violate privacy regulations.
   
   
9. The new minimum wage for graduate students is $600 for 50% FTE. The reason for the $600 minimum is the new federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour and the Masters Student minimum for tuition waivers. (The $600 minimum can be adjusted for FTE, i.e. $300 for 25% FTE.)

If you are responsible for preparing personnel transactions and you have not attended ePAR training, please contact Mandi Oliver at 713.743.0903 or mcoliver@uh.edu to sign up for the next session.

1. In addition to the P-Card or Travel Card Application, the prospective cardholder/custodian completes the Authorization for Criminal History Investigation form located on the     Human Resources forms page and submits it along with the Application to Accounts Payable. (If the applicant previously completed the Authorization for Criminal History Investigation form within the past six (6) months, he/she should notify AP and the applicant will not be required to complete it again. AP will request a letter from HR with the date and results of the previous background check.)



2. Account Payable faxes the Authorization for Criminal History Investigation form to the designated person in Human Resources.



3. Human Resources coordinates with the UH Department of Public Safety to conduct the background check.



4. Human Resources e-mails a letter to Accounts Payable indicating if the applicant passed or failed the background check. Detailed information about the applicant’s record will not be included in the letter.



5. If the applicant passed the background check, Accounts Payable will proceed to issue the P-Card/Travel Card. If the applicant failed the background check, Accounts Payable will send an e-mail to the college/division administrator and applicant notifying them that the P-Card/Travel Card will not be issued because the applicant did not pass the background check. The letter from Human Resources will be retained by Accounts Payable in their P-Card/Travel Card application files.

The updated Applications and Guidelines are on the Finance website:

P-Card: http://www.uh.edu/finance/pages/AP_Pcard.htm

Travel Card: http://www.uh.edu/finance/pages/AP_Travel.htm

If you have any questions, please contact Armand Villacorte at 713.743.5660 or amvillacorte@uh.edu for P-Cards or Sandra Silva at 713.743.5883 or ssilva@uh.edu for Travel Cards.

The above percentages include HUB-eligible voucher and P-Card payments. However, HUB subcontractor payments are not included in the monthly HUB statistics but are included in the semi-annual and annual HUB reports. For departments with more than one DeptID, all DeptIDs were combined to determine the above ranking.

HUB reports by college/division and department are posted on the web at: 
http://www.uh.edu/finance/pages/HUB_Reports.htm

See the HUB Vendor Directory for a list of frequently-used HUB vendors: http://www.uh.edu/hub/

You can also call Alan Philips at 713.743.5671 if you need help finding a HUB vendor.