Below are procedural best practices, specific FASC policies, and general information.
Expense Management
Confirming orders/unauthorized purchases
Per the Procurement and Payment Policy, goods cannot be ordered and services cannot be rendered prior to the issuance of a purchase order. Doing so is considered a confirming order, or unauthorized purchase.
For FASC, confirming orders will not be allowable on operating accounts. Discretionary, gift, or faculty accounts will be used if the purchase is granted an exception by the Dean. In the event the Dean denies the request, the employee responsible for the purchase may be held personally liable and/or face disciplinary action.
Cash Advances
Cash Advances are considered a personal loan by the university and therefore cannot be requested by a Delegate. They are an advance of payment to cover work-related expenses, such as lodging, meals, and incidentals when needed. Cash Advances for travel can be requested up to 90 days before the departure date and will be paid out 2 weeks before the trip begin date.
To request a cash advance, travelers should:
- Navigate to the Oracle Expense Management System
- Click the “Request Cash Advance” link from the Action menu on the right
- Enter the required fields, add attachments, and click “Submit” for cash advance approval
Employee Relocation Reimbursement
Moving and relocation expenses of new faculty and staff members who are transferred from one geographic location to another may be paid by the University up to the amount agreed to in their offer letters.
The preference is to use one of the University contracted moving companies.
Click here for the different ways relocation expenses are processed, along with official Rutgers policies and guidelines.
All relocation expense payments for calendar years 2018 through 2025 constitute taxable income to the employee, regardless of whether they are paid directly by the University or reimbursed to the new employee.
HR/Onboarding
Class 5 & Federal Work Student appointments
Information coming soon.
Hire date vs Start date
Information coming soon.
Employee Relocation
Reimbursement Moving and relocation expenses of new faculty and staff members who are transferred from one geographic location to another may be paid by the University up to the amount agreed to in their offer letters. The preference is to use one of the University contracted moving companies. Click here for the different ways relocation expenses are processed, along with official Rutgers policies and guidelines. All relocation expense payments for calendar years 2018 through 2025 constitute taxable income to the employee, regardless of whether they are paid directly by the University or reimbursed to the new employee.
Payroll
Time Entry
Hourly staff employees have the option of using Web Clock to clock in/out, as opposed to departmental support manually entering hours in timesheets. Click here for a Web Clock guide for users, including directions to see payable times. This can also be accessed in PeopleSoft under Self Service: Main Menu > Self Service > Time Reporting > Report Time > Web Clock
If time is being manually entered into PeopleSoft timesheets, future hours are not to be submitted prior to the employee working. FASC will not pay out hours not yet worked.
Student employees should use the Time Sheet Form (DocuSign PDF) to fill out their hours to submit to their supervisors. Completed forms will forward to Rutgers–Camden Shared Services.
Employee Charging Instructions (ECIs) vs Combination Codes
ECIs (Employee Charging Instructions) are instructions in an HCM Peoplesoft record used to default wage allocations to COA account(s). Combination codes are shorthand codes (8 digits) for the full COA accounts.
Ideally, ECIs are updated to reflect where wages for the employee should be charged, making combination codes unnecessary timesheets directly. When combination codes are used in the timesheets, it prevents easy reallocation of wages, if needed. SWRJs then need to be calculated and submitted, and the reallocations can take a few weeks to post.
There are cases where combination codes are necessary for the timesheets. When specific hours deviate from the default, extra compensations or awards are being paid via a particular COA or grant, etc. We ask you to use combination codes only when necessary. PD (payroll distribution) reports can be provided upon request to assist in tracking wages either by an employee or per department.
Stipends/Extra Comp requests
Information coming soon.
Procurement and Purchasing
Confirming orders/unauthorized purchases:
Per the Procurement and Payment Policy, goods cannot be ordered and services cannot be rendered prior to the issuance of a purchase order. Doing so is considered a confirming order, or unauthorized purchase.
For FASC, confirming orders will not be allowable on operating accounts. Discretionary, gift, or faculty accounts will be used if the purchase is granted an exception by the Dean.
In the event the Dean denies the request, the employee responsible for the purchase may be held personally liable and/or face disciplinary action.
PCard (University Procurement Card)
Request Procedure
Unit 110 (FASC) P-Card usage needs to be requested by the department via the P-Card Request form. Once completed with all needed signatures, the form can be sent to FASC Budget and Finance for review, approval, and processing.
The P-Card should be used to procure goods or services (typically less than $2,500) that cannot be purchased via RU Marketplace. Full P-Card guidelines can be found here.
Allowable Expenses
Common, allowable uses:
- Catering
- Emergency office, maintenance, or operational supplies
- Facebook, LinkedIn, or other online forums used for ads
- Guest lodging
- Newspaper, journal
- Online purchases (except for RU Marketplace catalogs)
- Postage
- Professional memberships, application, and license fees
- Printing and binding services
- Registration for conferences and seminars
- Utilities
Unallowable Expenses
- Alcohol
- Animals
- Capital equipment (purchase of $500 or more with a life expectancy of at least 3years)
- Cash advances, cash back on purchases, cash refunds on returns
- Cell Phones
- Charitable contributions
- Chemicals
- Computers
- Contracted services from an individual
- Employee relocation and relocation related expenses
- Employee travel
- Entertainment (meals, movie and event tickets, sporting event tickets, golf, etc.)
- Gasoline
- Gift cards
- Hazardous/radioactive materials
- Independent contractors or sub-contractors
- Individual personal meals
- Medical/surgical supply items
- Personal purchases
- Pre-payment for purchase orders
- Purchases from contract suppliers participating in RU Marketplace catalog
- Purchases with a potential risk or exposure to liability for the University such as items that present special health, safety, occupational or environmental risks (e.g., radioactive material, animals, controlled substance, ammunition, etc.)
- Rental agreements
- Retreat expenses
- Sponsorships / Donations
- Tangible gifts for employees valued at $100 or more
- Temporary employment
- Tuition payments
Non-PO Uploads
General Information
The Non-PO Upload process is a transaction process used for paying individuals rather than businesses. Non-PO Uploads make it simple to submit a payment request for multiple individuals at once and allow you to track the status of the request. Payment is made in the form of a check. In some cases, a Check Request can also be used.
This process can be used to pay individuals for:
- Human subject payments/direct disbursements (to Principal Investigator)
- Non-employee refunds (excluding travel or business expense)
- Non-qualifying scholarships (formerly stipends)
- Petty Cash (pending Accounting approval)
- Patient refunds
- Royalties
Non-PO Transaction Matrix (password for the file is matrix, all lowercase)
Procedure
1.) Complete the tab labeled “Non-PO Upload Template” on the Non-PO Direct Upload Data File. See instructions on the excel file tab labeled “Instructions” (3a-3ii) for more information about individual fields.
2.) Complete the tab labeled “Non-PO Upload Approval Form” by filling out the department field, address (of department), and date. Enter both the total amount of the submission, as well as the total line items. The type of payment needs to be marked. If “Other” is marked, please provide further explanation.
3.) Send completed Non-PO Direct Upload Data File to FASC Budget and Finance at fasc-businessoffice@camden.rutgers.edu, along with all backup information for review and approval.
4.) Once approved, submit all files to the Shared Services Center for requisition submission and upload to Sharepoint. ALL NON-PO UPLOADS FOR FASC ARE TO BE SUBMITTED BY SHARED SERVICES.
Additional Information
- Non-PO Upload questions can be directed at uploads@finance.rutgers.edu
- Questions about COA information and approvals can be directed to FASC Budget and Finance: fasc-businessoffice@camden.rutgers.edu
- Non-PO Direct Upload Data File (instructions are on the first tab of file)
- SharePoint
- https://procurementservices.rutgers.edu/accounts-payable/non-po-upload-request
Gift Cards
More information coming soon.
Required documentation for purchases
Required documents for purchases will differ depending on the type of purchase made. See below for purchasing matrixes that will dictate the process for the purchase, as well as the backup needed:
- General information – Purchasing and documentation
- Check Request Matrix
- Non-PO Upload Matrix (password: matrix)
- Professional Services Matrix
For more general information, see the official Procurement website.
Travel
Travel Requests and Approval Forms
Domestic or international travel for employees with traveler profiles does not require the completion of a form. The approval flow built into the approved booking methods replaces the need to complete a form.
Travel Request/Approval Forms are required for the scenarios below. Please refer to the Travel Approver Listing to identify the designated approvers for each unit/division.
- Non-Employee Travel Request | Practice Form
This form is for candidates, guest speakers, students, other visiting guests, etc. (required prior to contacting the travel agency via phone or email). - Group Travel Request Form
This form is used to request domestic and international group travel when additional coordination or assistance is needed from the travel agency (excluding study/learning abroad). - Travel Accommodation Policy Exception Form | Practice Form
This form is for a policy exception request (i.e., medical exemption). - Travel Policy Violation Approval Form | Practice Form
This form is required when requesting reimbursement for expenses related to out of policy travel reservations. - Study/Learning Abroad Travel Forms
For faculty-led and externally provided study/learning abroad petition and authorization forms, please visit the EVPAA Travel Guidance webpage.
Concur Travel and Expense
To access the new system, please log in to your myRutgers Portal and search for Concur Travel & Expense app.
Concur Travel & Expense combines the existing Rutgers Online Travel Booking Tool with a new expense management system designed to improve expenses incurred using university travel and purchasing cards while also simplifying the reimbursement process for university-related purchases made using personal funds.
Concur Travel and Expense is a fully automated, end-to-end, customer-focused travel and expense solution that:
- Facilitates the completion of travel-related expense reimbursements
- Allows on-the-go capabilities through user-friendly mobile applications
- Provides pre-populated expense reports
- Enables travel and expense policy compliance, and
- Improves the university travel card program