Panther Post

The Newsletter of FIU Office of the Controller

New Mission Critical Travel Form – Coming October 2026

Effective immediately, all University travel—regardless of funding source—must be limited to mission-critical activities due to current budget constraints… (click to read more)

Monthly Closing Deadlines

The September 2026 period in the general ledger has closed. The current and future month-end processing deadlines are located at (click to read more)

Feature Articles

FY 26-27 University Travel Restrictions

Effective immediately, all University travel—regardless of funding source—must be limited to mission-critical activities due to current budget constraints… (click to read more)

Domestic Travel Authorization Requirements

Effective September 1, 2026, all DOMESTIC travel on behalf of Florida International University must have a fully… (click to read more)

AMAZON Purchases

To improve efficiency and reduce the administrative effort associated with processing a high volume of low-dollar Amazon invoices… (click to read more)

Cash Controls Policy Compliance

The Cash Controls Policy 1110.010 establishes requirements for departments handling cash outside designated University Cashiering locations… (click to read more)

Invoice Delivery

When submitting invoices to invoices@fiu.edu, please keep the following in mind:… (click to read more)

Accountable Plan and Taxable Reimbursements

Effective September 1, 2026, travel reimbursements must satisfy the following Internal Revenue Service (IRS) accountable plan requirements… (click to read more)

Virtual, Webinars, and Online Events

A Travel Authorization will not be required for attending virtual or online events, including webinars, since no actual travel is expected to occur… (click to read more)

Timely PCard Cancellations Are Critical

Per the Departmental Card Guidelines & Procedures Manual, departments must follow the proper card cancellation process… (click to read more)

Safeguarding Attractive Property

Departments are responsible for protecting Attractive Property—items under $5,000 that are portable, unsecured, and often contain new technology… (click to read more)

Be Worlds Ahead!

Requirements for International Transaction Fee

Effective August 10, 2026, all international transaction fees must be recorded using GL Account 772141… (click to read more)

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… (click to read more)

Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) – IRS Form 990-T

Florida International University is required by Federal law to prepare an income tax return for net income from activities unrelated… (click to read more)

Return / Non-Delivery Orders

Market Place vendors submit invoices to AP after receiving a purchase order provided by the Procurement department… (click to read more)

Be Worlds Ahead!

Reminders & Deadlines

Departmental Card Approval Deadline

October 19, 2026

(click to read more)

Pending Travel Reports

Please approve Travel Authorizations, Cash Advances, and Expense reports in a timely manner. (click to read more)

Unidentified Wire Transfers and ACH Payments

The Controller’s Office occasionally receives payments that cannot be applied to the appropriate department due to inadequate information. Click here for the list of unidentified wire transfers and ACH payments as of September 2026.

To claim a payment, please contact Cash Management and provide the following information:

Payment details
Activity/Speedtype to which the payment should be recorded
Revenue Account to which the payment should be recorded

Payments that are not identified within 45 days of the wire/ACH date will be returned to sender.

Travel Reminders

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.

Third Party Travel Reimbursement

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

Panther Post

New Mission Critical Travel Form – Coming October 2026

Monthly Closing Deadlines

Feature Articles

FY 26-27 University Travel Restrictions

Domestic Travel Authorization Requirements

AMAZON Purchases

Cash Controls Policy Compliance

Invoice Delivery

Accountable Plan and Taxable Reimbursements

Virtual, Webinars, and Online Events

Timely PCard Cancellations Are Critical

Safeguarding Attractive Property

Be Worlds Ahead!

Requirements for International Transaction Fee

Travel to Multiple Locations

Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) – IRS Form 990-T

Return / Non-Delivery Orders

Be Worlds Ahead!

Reminders & Deadlines

Departmental Card Approval Deadline

Pending Travel Reports

Unidentified Wire Transfers and ACH Payments

Travel Reminders

Archives

Newsletter 2026-2027 Volume 2

Newsletter 2026-2027 Volume 1

Newsletter 2025-2026 Volume 12

About Office of the Controller

Mission & Vision

Location and Hours

Help us Help You

Explore FIU

Tools & Resources

Connect