In order to stay within budgets, many departments are forced to place monthly limits on the dollar volume of STS ("long distance" using the more favorable State Telephone System rates [dial 8 rather than 9!]) calls each faculty member can make. While we all wish this were not necessary, chairs should know it is not an uncommon practice across the College.

The annual phone rental appears as a single charge on the September or October ledger sheets. STS, toll, and local call charges are assessed each month and are listed on the monthly budget control sheets.

For information on charges, standard and optional features of telephone lines available at no additional rental cost, and other questions about telephone systems, you may call the Campus Telecommunications Office, 2-0521.

4. Blanket Orders and Encumbrances.  As the end of the fiscal year approaches, it is wise to review the amount of funding available in blanket orders and to reduce excess encumbrances so the funding can be spent elsewhere. Blanket orders on 101 funds expire June 30. Goods and services received after that date but ordered prior to June 30 will be charged to the prior year blanket order provided the vendor invoice is received and processed by the fiscal year-end cut-off date (approximately July 7). Regular requisitions, on the other hand, carry forward the encumbrance until the item ordered is received and invoiced. (Note: if the charge for such an item is over $50 more than the amount of the requisition, the entire difference will be charged to your current year 101 funds. If the amount is less, the excess is retained at the campus level and does not revert to the department or the College to spend.)

Late fiscal year charges may be invoiced against the next fiscal year, leaving money you had set aside in a blanket order to lapse. This can cause serious problems for an already stressed departmental budget. In order to avoid this, you may want to place late-in-the-year orders as regular requisitions rather than blanket orders. Money set aside in a regular requisition will remain there until the specific invoice is processed against it, even across fiscal years.

5. Extraordinary Expenses.  We do not expect that regular departmental budgets will cover nonelective extraordinary expenses such as costs of moving, major telephone changes, or emergency repairs of a major sort. If such a situation is anticipated or occurs, call to see if your Academic Associate Dean can provide help. However, as noted previously, the College is vesting more resources and authority with its departments and expects more departmental needs to be handled within the departments.
   
6. Travel.  We cannot ordinarily provide funds for staff travel; this must be handled as a departmental priority when the department allocates its supplies budget. 
   1. Faculty Recruitment.  The College will assist with the cost of faculty recruitment, however, to the extent of two campus interviews per authorized vacancy.  Requests for such visits must be made and authorized in advance, and it is expected that candidates will be interviewed in South Hall.
      
7. Requests to exchange funding types.  We will consider a departmental request to exchange supplies funding for capital, and vice versa. We cannot as a general rule make exchanges between salary funding and supplies or capital because of State regulations.  
   
8. Budget adjustments.  When we make an adjustment to your salaries, supplies, or capital budgets, we will do so by budget transfer. We will send you a department copy of the transfer forms for your records. A sample transfer form follows this section.
   
9. Emergency and Special Handling Transactions.  You must call ahead to your L&S Business Office contact person for ALL emergency transactions and special handling transactions. Calling ahead allows us to discuss your need, confirm if an emergency or special handling transaction is the best route to obtain the supply or service you require and to ensure that staff are available to handle your request.

An Emergency Transaction involves a requisition, PIR or travel advance that requires same day processing AND is defined as a situation that:

• threatens health, safety, welfare 
• calls for immediate action
• was unavoidable through proper prior planning

Emergency transactions will be accepted from 7:45 a.m. to 9:45a.m. unless other arrangements have been made with the L&S Business Office. This time frame is set to conform with Purchasing's schedule. All emergency transactions must be hand-delivered to the Purchasing reception desk, second floor, Peterson Building by 10:00 a.m. in order to be processed the same day. If received at Purchasing after 10:00 a.m. they will be held for processing the subsequent workday.

An ET form is required for each emergency transaction. The ET form must be completed and signed by the department chair and the L&S Business Office.

Special Handling Transactions are those that have unique requirements such as a processing deadline, unique mailing instructions, etc. They are not emergency transactions requiring same-day processing. You must identify them as "Special Handling" or "Rush" transactions.

Special handling transactions may be hand-delivered anytime during normal business hours. These transactions will receive priority attention but will not be handled as "walk throughs", except at the discretion of the L&S Business Office. Special handling transactions will be processed within 48 hours of receipt at the L&S Business Office; the department will be notified when processing is complete and to confirm whether the paperwork should be held for pick up or mailed (through campus mail) to the appropriate office in Accounting Services.

The special requirements must be documented on the requisition or payment request form. Highlighting or capitalizing this message is suggested. Be as specific as possible; for example, indicate the actual date needed, not "needed in 3 days".

Summer Sessions Budgets

Summer Sessions budgets are entirely separate from the regular College budgets, and are developed under the general campus direction of the Division of Continuing Studies and a council of Summer Sessions Deans representing the participating schools and colleges. Instructions regarding the establishment of L&S departmental budgets are issued in the fall each year. The College Summer Sessions programs and budgets are developed by departments in consultation with a committee composed of the Associate Deans; contact Associate Dean Nancy Westphal-Johnson with questions.