Monthly Closing Deadlines

The May 2026 period in the general ledger has closed.  The current and future month-end processing deadline schedules are located at Monthly Closing Deadlines.

Year-End Closing Reminders

The fiscal year end closing process is quickly approaching. In preparation for the fiscal year end close, please refer to the FY26 Year End Memo for important information including all year end closing deadlines and a listing of departmental contacts. Our team counts on you to meet crucial year end and monthly closing deadlines, so we thank you for your efforts and cooperation throughout the year.

Enhancement of the Smart Journal Tool

The Smart Journal tool used for verifying available cash and processing cash transfers has been further enhanced to validate available cash for Funds 651, 652, and 655 against central activity number 1244150001.

Users will also receive a pop-up notification for Funds 651, 652, and 655, stating the available cash is being validated against central activity number 1244150001.

We encourage all users to continue taking full advantage of the Smart Journal tool and discontinue use of the paper form.

For any questions, feel free to contact Financial Systems and Support Services at (305) 348-7200 or email controller@fiu.edu.

Timely PCard Cancellations Are Critical

Per the Departmental Card Guidelines & Procedures Manual, departments must follow the proper card cancellation process. Departments must promptly notify the Credit Card Solutions Team (CCST) whenever a cardholder’s employment status changes.

To prevent audit findings, the Office of the Controller requires the following:

Key Steps:

1. Notify CCST immediately when a cardholder resigns, transfers, separates, retires, or changes duties.
2. Notify CCST before submitting the CSS08 Card Cancellation form.
3. Wait for CCST confirmation that the card is cancelled.
4. Submit the completed CSS08 form only after confirmation.

Why It Matters

1. Timely notification reduces liability and prevents unauthorized purchases.
2. Failure to follow proper and timely card cancellation steps can result in loss of PCard privileges for your entire department.

Action Required

Review Section 2.10 of the Manual and verify your team follows these steps every time.

Your efforts help safeguard University assets and ensure compliance. For questions, email ccsteam@fiu.edu.

Account Payable (AP) Deadlines

Please note the year end deadlines below for AP:

All invoices should be submitted to AP by Friday, June 16th.

1st Accounts Payable accrual

Invoices must have a receiving date prior to July 1, 2026 and must be entered, matched, and approved in Accounts Payable by July 13, 2026

2nd Accounts Payable Accrual (will be recorded in Financial Statement Activity ID only)

Invoice amounts must be $5,000 or greater.  Invoices must have a receiving date prior to July 1, 2026 must be entered, matched, and approved in Accounts Payable by July 24, 2026.

Receiving

Please complete the receiving in PeopleSoft as soon as services are rendered or ordered items are received.  In most circumstances, you should not need to review the invoice to complete the receiving in PeopleSoft. 

The receiving date in PeopleSoft should always be the date the product was received – not the date that the receiving entry is made.

The job aid for receiving can be found under the Procure to Pay header.

Please review transaction reports to make sure that items that have been received have been invoiced.  If the invoice has not been entered, the expense will not be recorded.

Avoid Duplicate Entry – During your year-end review, if you notice that an invoice that you previously sent to invoices@fiu.edu has not been entered, please do not resubmit.  E-mail Liza Del Campo (ldelcam@fiu.edu) or Betty Blanco-Hernandez (bblancog@fiu.edu) for an update on the status of the invoice.

Receiving Transaction E-mail Notifications

During the month of June, the receiving notifications will be sent out daily.  If you are receiving this notice, Accounts Payable has already received and entered the invoice in PeopleSoft.  Please DO NOT send the invoice to AP when you have entered the receipt.  PeopleSoft will automatically match the invoice to the receipt.  If you continue to receive the notification that a receipt is pending after the receipt has been entered, please notify Liza Del Campo by e-mail, ldelcam@fiu.edu or Betty Blanco-Hernandez (bblancog@fiu.edu).  Do not send the invoice to invoices@fiu.edu.  This will cause a duplicate entry of the invoice.

Cash Controls Policy Compliance

The Cash Controls Policy 1110.010 establishes requirements for departments handling cash outside designated University Cashiering locations.

Key Points

• Required Authorization: Departments collecting more than $1,000 per fiscal year must apply to become an authorized Cash Collection Point (CCP).
• Expanded Background Check: Mandatory for all employees in the process.
• Three-way Segregation of Duties: Required for all departments – no exceptions.

Action Required

Please review the following for guidance:

• Cash Controls Policy 1110.010
• CCP Standard Operating Procedures
• CCP Training in FIU Develop

The Quality Assurance Services (QAS) team will contact departments as needed to initiate the CCP application process.

Your efforts help safeguard University assets and ensure compliance. For questions, email QAS@fiu.edu.

Safeguarding Attractive Property

Departments are responsible for protecting Attractive Property—items under $5,000 that are portable, unsecured, and often contain new technology or can be adapted for personal use.

To prevent audit findings, the Office of the Controller requires departments to:

• Identify and assess risk for Attractive Property
• Record and track these items

We also recommend an annual inventory to maintain accountability.

Please review the resources below as you implement or update your tracking process:

• Property Control #1130.010
• Property Control Manual
• Attractive Property Tracking Template

Your efforts help safeguard University assets and ensure compliance. For questions, email property@fiu.edu.

Travel News and Reminders

Travel and Expense Year-End Important Dates

June 1, 2026 – Last day for Expense Reports (ER) in the Prepay Auditor (Travel) queue to be processed against FY26.  All required documentation must be included to meet this commitment.

June 12, 2026 – System access to the Travel & Expense module will be removed.

The travel staff will continue to approve ERs for payments after June 1, 2026.

July 1, 2026 – All TAs in an approved status will roll over to FY27.

Travel to Multiple Locations

Users may create Travel Authorizations (TAs) that include multiple domestic destinations when a trip involves multiple stops within the United States. Additionally, if a traveler includes both domestic and international destinations within the same TA, the system will automatically classify the entire trip as international travel. This enhancement supports travelers with multi-location itineraries while ensuring proper classification for any travel that includes international segments.

Important: All Travel Authorizations must accurately list every destination, including all cities and countries associated with the trip, to ensure compliance and proper routing.

Requirements for Student Travel

Effective March 2026, all Student Travel Authorizations and Expense Reports must begin with “STU_ [Name of Event]”. This prefix should be used only for student travel and should not be used for full-time employee submissions. Using the correct prefix mentioned above will help ensure proper routing, review prioritization, and compliance classification within the system. Failure to comply may result in delays or return for correction.

Requirements for Non-Employee Travel

Effective November 2025, all Non-Employee travel must include the prefix “On Behalf of [Traveler Name]” at the beginning of the Travel Authorization (TA) and Expense Report (ER) descriptions.

Failure to comply may result in processing delays or a return for correction.

Requirements for Athletics

Effective November 2025, all Athletics-related travel must include the prefix “ATH” at the beginning of the Travel Authorization (TA) and Expense Report (ER) descriptions.

This change is being implemented immediately to ensure consistency and facilitate quick identification of Athletics travel within the Controller’s Office and other auditing units.

Required Format Example:

•  ATH_REC_11/5-11/8/2025
•  ATH_OV_11/5-11/8/2025
•  ATH_CON_11/5-11/8/2025

Approved Abbreviations:

•  REC – Recruting
•  OV – Official Visit
•  CON – Conference/Convention

Travel News – Important Reminders

•  Employee Signature Requirement

Expense reports must be signed by the employee listed at the top of the report. This can be done via DocuSign or using the Print and Sign option.

•  Receipt & Documentation Requirements

Ensure all receipts and supporting documentation are legible and uploaded prior to submission to avoid reimbursement delays. Departments are strongly encouraged to use the [Travel Reimbursement Checklist] to verify that all required documentation is included.

•  Combine Files into One PDF

All documentation should be scanned and uploaded as a single PDF file rather than as individual pages.

•  Ride Receipt Annotations

For Taxi, Uber, Lyft, or shuttle services, the pickup and drop-off locations must be clearly noted on the receipt (e.g., “home to airport”, “airport to hotel”).

•  P-Card or PO Usage Notations

If expenses were paid using a university credit card or purchase order, this must be clearly annotated on the corresponding receipts prior to submission.

•  Use of FIU Procurement Systems

To ensure compliance and efficiency, the University’s procurement system must be fully utilized for all operational needs, including travel, equipment, supplies, rentals, food, and furnishings. Departments should coordinate with Purchasing Services and Credit Card Solutions as needed.

•  Domestic and Foreign Meal Templates

All Expense Reports must include a Meal Reimbursement Breakdown Template to support per diem or actual meal claims. Two templates are available: the Domestic Meal Reimbursement Template and the Foreign Meal Reimbursement Template. This requirement is mandatory to ensure FIU Travel Policy compliance and timely reimbursement.

Important International Travel Compliance Reminder

Effective March 1, 2025, if you depart on an international trip prior to full Travel Authorization (TA) approval, a confirmation of which is emailed to you, there will be no reimbursement of travel expenses paid by you from personal funds, and repayment from the traveler to the University for expenses paid with University funds will be required. Further, an employee may be subject to discipline and/or restrictions on international travel privileges. Regardless of whether a proxy assists in the TA process, the traveler is responsible for verifying that the TA is fully approved before departing on the trip and will be held accountable if it is not.

Please reference the full memorandum, which also includes details from previous notifications.

Travel Authorization

An approved TA is official permission to incur travel expenses on behalf of FIU. Without it, the use of procurement cards and personal reimbursement is prohibited. This applies to Employees, Students, and Non‑Employees. A compliant TA must include projected expenses, a detailed business purpose, accurate travel dates, correct destinations, and an estimated trip cost.

Delivery of Invoices

Please remember that invoices attached to requisitions are not forwarded to Accounts Payable.  If the vendor does not send the invoice directly to Accounts Payable, the department must do so in PDF format only.