Can there be electronic notification of monthly report availability?

Updated daily financial reports, such as Mobius, are generally available at the start of each business day. Monthly archives are posted within five to seven business days following a month-end closing.

Are graduate students eligible for ProCards?

ProCards are only available for full-time faculty and staff. If a graduate student is a full-time employee, he or she would be eligible for a ProCard based on the approval of his or her budget manager.

Travel and entertainment clarification on "reasonable" guidelines:

"Reasonable" is defined as within the bounds of common sense. To judge reasonability, ask:

• Is the expense justifiable given the situation and business needs?
• Would an objective outsider consider the expense appropriate?

Is tax at restaurants reimbursed?

Yes, it is reimbursed, as are other travel-related taxes such as airline, hotel and entertainment taxes. While DePaul is a tax-exempt institution, IRS regulations say this exemption does not extend to travel and entertainment-related taxes.

Do we have limits for travel and entertainment expenses?

While there is no hard limit, apart from funds available in the associated budget(s), DePaul requires that individuals exercise appropriate discretion when making travel and entertainment-related purchases.

Are there guidelines for reimbursements, such as holiday gatherings, special occasions and going away parties?

There are no specific guidelines, other than the following from the Entertainment Expenses policy:

• Entertainment funds are available for farewell receptions for employees who are retiring or resigning after 10 years or more of university service.
• Other special events may be acknowledged at the discretion of responsible academic or administrative managers who are responsible for funding them.

What is the policy regarding PC donations to charities?

Procurement Services will determine the appropriate method of disposal based on the item's nature, condition and estimated value. Common methods of disposal include:

• Redeploy - The item is re-assigned to another area of need within the university.
• Salvage - The item is sold by either an:
  • Internal sale, where the item is available for purchase by faculty, staff and/or students at an appropriate price determined by Procurement Services.
  • External sale, in which an individual or organization not affiliated with DePaul purchases the item through an auction, public sale, or other liquidation process.
• Donation - The item is a gift to an appropriate not-for-profit, charitable organization.
• Discard - The item is scrapped or recycled in a manner compliant with local, state and federal guidelines.

When redeployment is not feasible, Procurement Services generally prefers to generate revenue for the institution by selling items at market value. Donation requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and subject to appropriate EVP, VP or dean approval as outlined in the policy on gifts or donations by the university.

Does ProCard authorization require the signature of a supervisor? If so, what is the procedure?

A supervisor or associated budget manager must approve cardholder transactions by reviewing and signing the monthly Statement of Account report. In the instance where the cardholder is the departmental budget manager, he or she must obtain the approval of his or her direct supervisor. Departments are responsible for retaining the signed Statement of Account reports for seven years and must be able to produce these records and associated receipts upon the request of the Controller's Office or Internal Audit. See the Procurement Card policy for more information.

Is reimbursement in advance of use possible? (e.g. airline tickets)

Generally not, but Procurement can make arrangements for reimbursing registration expenses and in some cases airfare, particularly when expenses must be incurred long in advance of use. Such requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Contact Procurement Services if you have questions about a specific situation, (312) 362-7510.

Do we need student rosters at events to receive reimbursement?

Yes, reimbursement requests should include a description of the business purpose of the event and a complete list of the individuals attending. When non-employees participate, listings should also include titles and company or institutional affiliation.

If a bill for an expense falls between two fiscal years, how do I know which budget year to pay the bill from?

The expense should be paid in the fiscal year that incurs the larger portion of the expense. For example, if a cell phone billing period ranges from June 25 to July 24, more of the expense occurs during the new fiscal year and the expense is to be paid from the new fiscal year’s budget.

What is the length of time for maintaining records?

Personnel files are maintained for seven years in the Human Resources department according to federal and state guidelines.

What are the record retention guidelines for recruitment?

Federal and state guidelines require resumes and applications received for vacant positions be maintained for three years in Human Resources.

Do part-time employees complete an annual performance appraisal?

It is recommended that managers complete annual performance appraisals for part-time employees, but it is not required. However, managers are responsible for completing annual performance appraisals for all full-time staff.

Will you offer performance evaluation training?

Human Resources offers several workshop sessions in April for giving and receiving performance appraisals. Completed appraisal documentation is due May 15, in Human Resources.

Is it HR's responsibility to maintain current and past job descriptions? If not, whose is it?

No, it is the supervisor's responsibility to draft and update a complete job description. Job descriptions should be reviewed regularly as part of the on-going dialogue between managers and employees. Human Resources will review and approve all university job descriptions. The department also keeps all job descriptions that are submitted and approved.

Should you attach job descriptions to performance appraisals?

You are not required to attach your job description to your performance appraisal. However, your job description may be a useful tool during the performance appraisal process.

What requires a reclassification versus job description update?

A position may evolve over time for a variety of reasons, such as changes in technology or departmental structure. Though minor, these should be reflected in the job description to assist employees in better understanding position duties and requirements. Occasionally, business needs will prompt major changes to the nature of a position. If it becomes necessary to modify job description duties and responsibilities by 50 percent or more, please contact Human Resources for assistance.

Who is responsible for reporting leaves of absence for exempt employees?

Personal leaves: Employees should provide their manager a minimum of 30 days advance notice for leave requests. All employees requesting leaves must complete a Request for Leave form from HR’s Web site. Employees must complete the form and obtain the appropriate department head or manager's signature and submit completed forms to the vice president of Human Resources for final approval prior to the start of the leave.

Short Term Disability and/or Family Leaves: It is preferred that employees follow the specific procedures on the HR Web site and provide their manager a minimum of 30 days advance notice for leave requests when the need is foreseeable. In case of emergency, the employee should follow the procedures on the Web site and notify his or her manager as soon as possible, preferably within four hours of the start of the work day on which the first absence occurs. If the manager is unavailable, the employee should contact HR.

These policies apply to both exempt and non-exempt employees.

Where is the current organization chart for the university?

The organization chart can be found on the DePaul Information Directory Web site. Click the tab "Organizational Charts" and a PDF document with the charts will appear. Contact the Internal Information Infrastructure office at (312) 362-6153 if you have departmental updates to the chart.

What are the guidelines regarding emergency, evacuation and safety procedures?

The Office of Occupational Safety sends out quarterly e-mails to the entire DePaul professional community to remind them where to look for help regarding emergency plans or evacuation details. In addition, this office has also sent individual packets to all employees on the Loop Campus with detailed information about emergency procedures. Please contact the Occupational Safety Officer at (773) 325-4517 for further information.

What is the frequency and who schedules emergency drills? Can exams be taken into consideration? What is the fire safety standard?

Full evacuation drills are only conducted at the university's residence halls. Those drills are planned and overseen by the Office of Occupational Safety. In order to have the staff prepared for emergencies at academic buildings, silent drills are periodically conducted in which Facility Operations and Public Safety personnel respond to a fire or smoke alarm. Those drills are overseen by the Occupational Safety Office. Silent drills are similarly conducted by Facility Operations and Public Safety employees at the Loop Campus as well.

Do we have confidential shredding and recycling?

The City of Chicago does not require the separate collection of items that can be recycled. However, DePaul's refuse hauler does segregate DePaul's waste after it is collected and some recycling does occur at that end. Confidentiality has not been a component of the vendor services.

Do we have a standard for managers to report crimes?

DePaul's procedures and practices for crime reporting and disclosure are in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act for employees and students. For information, visit: http://policies.depaul.edu.

What are the guidelines for moving and relocating assets?

The Disposal of Equipment & Assets policy explains the liquidation process for long-term fixed assets no longer used by a department within the university. For details, visit: http://policies.depaul.edu.

Can a department disperse aspirin or any other kind of over-the-counter medication to its employees?

It’s OK to stock aspirin or another kind of over-the-counter medication in a department’s first aid kit. The safety issue has to do with how it is dispensed. When someone is in need of the medicine, he or she has to take it out of the first aid kit themselves. For example, someone in the department could bring over the first aid kit to another employee, but the employee would have to take the aspirin out for him or herself.

What is the length of time to keep a variety of records in our offices?

The university just began work on a comprehensive records retention policy. Due to the complexity of the task, a policy is not expected for a while. In the mean time, departments are advised to keep their records, regardless of the type of documents they are, for seven years, per IRS requirements. Then once the policy is enacted, departments will follow that schedule.

Can the university encourage students to register to vote?

DePaul is required to make a good faith effort to distribute voter registration information to its students.