Monthly Closing Deadlines

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

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.

Panther Tech Announcement

This serves as an important announcement regarding a global memory chip shortage that is currently impacting technology purchases across the industry. Manufacturers are now honoring quotes for only 14 days, and we are seeing prices increase almost daily as demand continues to exceed supply. This situation is also contributing to extended lead times, which may affect the delivery of laptops and other devices throughout the upcoming months.

If you anticipate placing large orders, or planning upgrades for the summer term, we strongly encourage you to contact the Panther TECH Team as early as possible. Engaging with our team in advance will allow us to explore available options, identify potential alternatives, and work proactively to help mitigate both price fluctuations and delivery delays. Our goal is to ensure you have the equipment you need with minimal disruption, and early planning will be essential given these evolving market conditions.

Replacement Check Request

As a reminder, any supplier requesting a replacement check should be directed to the Supplier Portal Home page. Step-by-step instructions for requesting a replacement check are available in the Disbursements section of the FIU Office of the Controller website.

Additionally, please note that the physical replacement check request form is required for single-vendor payments and certain exception cases. However, to improve efficiency, our Disbursement’s Office will now accept a pdf of the Affidavit Replacement Check Form to expedite replacing the check to the supplier.

Returns/Non-Delivered Orders

Market Place vendors submit invoices to AP after receiving a purchase order provided by the Procurement department. When the invoice is processed, a voucher is created to account for the liability with this vendor. The department should confirm the item, or service has been received, and then create a receipt in the financial system. When the voucher and receipt are matched, the payment is released according to the payment terms set up on the vendor’s profile.

When is a credit memo or refund needed?

Undelivered products – (examples: products on back order, shipping company unable to deliver the package, or delivery completed to the incorrect location)

In the case of any situation listed below, DO NOT create a receipt in the financial system.

• Incomplete order
• Order damaged
• Vendor sent the incorrect item
• Vendor shipped more than the ordered amount

The shopper/department who submitted the requisition is responsible for contacting the vendor and requesting the credit to offset the invoice. If the credit is not processed through Marketplace, the credit memo in PDF format should be sent to invoices@fiu.edu to be processed in the financial system.

What happens when the credit memo is received in AP?

When the credit is received by AP, it is reviewed and processed accordingly:

• If the credit is issued for the total amount of the invoice and the voucher is in match exception (no receipt has been created in Financials) the voucher is deleted.
• If the invoice contains items that should be paid (not all items listed in the invoice are entitled to the credit), the voucher will be adjusted and the line(s) related to the credit memo will be removed from the voucher. The department is responsible for creating a receipt corresponding to the remaining items that were received. The payment process will be completed when the voucher and receipt are matched.
• If the credit is granted for the total or partial amount of a paid invoice, the credit memo will be processed as a credit adjustment. It will be applied to the next payment processed to the vendor. The funds will be posted as credit to the department’s account where the related voucher expense was charged.

Who should I contact to request a credit memo?

Contact the dedicated customer support service by phone or email. Below is the contact information for the vendors with the highest volume of credit memo requests:

AMAZON

• Phone number – (888) 282-7853 or (866) 486-2360
• Email address: b2benterpriseexperts@amazon.com
• Dedicated service contact: Jody Mclaughlin- Sr. Account Executive
• Email address: jodymcla@amazon.com

ODP Office Depot

• Phone number: (800) 279-1528 or (954) 461-6336
• Customer Service email: strategicsupport@officedepot.com

CDW

• Phone number – (866) 223-0748
• Email address: jamehil@cdwg.com
• Dedicated service contact: James Hillebrand – Executive Account Manager-Higher Education 

Thermo Fisher Scientific

• Phone number: 1 (800) 766-7000
• Dedicated service contact:
  • Jillian Vicale Hodson – jillian.vicale@thermofisher.com
  • Edith Perez – edith.perez@thermofisher.com
  • James Dillahunt – jimmy.dillahunt@thermofisher.com

AP Recovery Audit

The Office of the Controller has engaged Broniec Associates to perform an audit and review of our disbursement process. The scope of work covers January 1st, 2021 through December 31st, 2024.

In connection with this review, Broniec Associates will be verifying that our accounts payable records agree with our vendor’s receivables records. Therefore, some vendors may be contacted by Broniec Associates to provide a current open item statement or accounts receivable aging of Florida International University or any of the following divisions: FIU Foundation, FIU Research Foundation, FIU Athletics Finance Corp, FIU Health Care Network, FD Enterprise Holdings or Wolfsonian, Inc.

Additional information will be provided in next month’s Panther Post.

Should you have any questions, please contact Liza Del Campo at 305-348-3889 or ldelcam@fiu.edu.

Invoices Delivery

When submitting invoices to invoices@fiu.edu, please keep the following in mind:

• Invoices@fiu.edu is a system monitored account and should only be used for submitting invoices.
• Limit supporting documentation to only what is necessary to approve the invoice for payment.  Any other documentation should be kept with the department.  Any supporting documentation required must be included in the PDF file.  The system cannot combine attachments.
• Only PDF documents are accepted.  All other documents will not be processed.
• Only one invoice per PDF file is accepted.  If more than one invoice is sent in one PDF file, only the first invoice is processed.
• Market Place Orders – Do not send invoice copies, receipt information, or any other documentation to invoices@fiu.edu. 
• Market Place invoices (any voucher that begins with the letter I) are sent to Accounts Payable electronically by the vendor.
• When corresponding via email with an AP staff member, do not cc invoices@fiu.edu. 

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 Website

We have updated our Travel Website and created various new forms to help you with the reconciliation of travel expenses.

Requirements for Domestic and Foreign Travel

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.

Requirements for Domestic Receipts

Receipts in Foreign Language and Currency Receipts issued in a foreign currency should show a computation converting the amount into U.S. dollars. All claims on the Expense Report must be submitted in U. S. dollars. When converting foreign transactions into U.S. dollars, the conversion date should be the same as the transaction date. Foreign currency conversions should be obtained from the Oanda currency converter website and attached to the Expense Report. If a foreign transaction was made using a credit card, you may attach the credit card statement in lieu of an Oanda conversion.

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.

Third Party Travel Reimbursements

All travel on behalf of the University requires an approved TA.  This includes any travel reimbursements due to a company/vendor/individual.

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.

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.

Avis/Budget Car Rental Guidance

Travelers requiring rental vehicles for official University business must utilize the State of Florida Reservation Portal to ensure contracted pricing, appropriate insurance coverage, and overall compliance with University and State requirements. Failure to reserve through the designated portal may result in expense adjustments or non-reimbursement.

At the rental counter, the traveler is required to provide proof of affiliation with the University (e.g., University ID (FIU One Card) or official documentation).

STATE OF FLORIDA RESERVATION PORTAL: https://www.carrental.com/abgPartners/sof/

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.