April 2021 Flashpoints

Allocation of tuition remission credits for Summer and Fall 2021 Semester can be entered beginning April 5^th. Final submission for Summer is June 4^th and for Fall is September 17^th. Allocate credits via Firefly/ESS, under Employee Self Service ESS tile, click Employee & Dependent Scholarship tile. For more information on Employee and Dependent Scholarship Program, please see the link below.

https://nebraska.edu/faculty-and-staff/resources/employee-dependent-scholarship-program

Events and Reservations now has an electronic (Qualtrics) version of the reservation request form available for your convenience. If your preference is the original paper form, it will still be accepted and can be obtained by contacting Betsy Warren (warrenbn@unk.edu ext.8692). Both versions of the form are equal, the additional format is merely to accommodate requests we received for an electronic version. Please also see our Events & Reservations webpage for clarification on how to reserve a space on campus. We have updated the page to address frequently asked questions.

The UNK Property and Equipment Policy has been updated to the newer policy template and has been posted to the UNK Policies & Procedures website.  Please read through the policy as some processes and procedures have changed or been clarified.  If you have any questions, please contact Ross Pierce, Asset Records Manager, at piercerl@unk.edu or 308-865-8007.

The UNK Sensitive Equipment Policy (formerly called the Objects on Loan Policy) has been updated to the newer policy template and has been posted to the UNK Policies & Procedures website.  Please read through the policy as some processes and procedures have changed or been clarified.  If you have any questions, please contact Ross Pierce, Asset Records Manager, at piercerl@unk.edu or 308-865-8007.

In April, departments will receive a current listing of capital equipment assets (cost $5,000+ and useful life of more than 1 year OR any licensed vehicle) for the department as recorded in the University’s fixed asset system.  Departments should confirm the list of items by physically inspecting the equipment, verifying the accuracy of the recorded information, and indicating the condition of the asset on the confirmation.  If the department has any capital equipment assets that are not listed, please add them to the confirmation.  Departments with no capital equipment assets recorded will need to confirm they do not have any.

Please assist in the physical inventory of UNK capital equipment assets by completing the confirmation and returning it to the Asset Records Manager by the due date indicated on the confirmation.

In addition to a listing of capital equipment assets, departments will receive a separate list of sensitive equipment items that are recorded as objects on loan in their employees’ SAP HR profiles. 

• Departments are required to record laptop computers and other mobile electronic devices such as iPads, tablets, cell phones, and external hard drives as objects on loan if assigned to an individual or taken/kept off-campus.
• Laptops and other mobile electronic devices held for general department use and kept on campus are not required to be (but can be) tracked through objects on loan. However, each department is responsible for its equipment and should track these items in some way. 
• Desktop computers, printers, or fax machines that are taken home or off-campus are also required to be recorded as objects on loan.
• Departments, at their discretion, may include other specific items such as cameras, iPods, research equipment, or other equipment on an individual’s objects on loan.
• Accessories to these items such as a laptop docking station, keyboard, case/cover, etc. do not need to be recorded as separate items but may be included in the description of the main item, if desired.

Departments should confirm the list of items by physically inspecting the equipment and verifying the accuracy of the recorded item information and employee assignment. If sensitive equipment items that should be on an individual’s objects on loan are not listed, please add them to the confirmation. If there are no objects on loan recorded for department employees, then the department will need to confirm that is still the case.

Please assist in the physical inventory of UNK sensitive equipment items listed as objects on loan by completing the confirmation and returning it to the Asset Records Manager by the due date indicated on the confirmation.

Employees can review items assigned to them in SAP objects on loan by navigating to Firefly > Employee Self Service > My Employment > On Loan.

Departments can review information for all employees in their department by running a report in SAP. See instructions at UNK SAP Objects on Loan Report Instructions (also located at Firefly > SAPPHIRE > UNK > Finance Office > Reference Guides > UNK SAP Objects on Loan Report Instructions). 

• To update objects on loan information in SAP, complete the Objects on Loan Update Form (also located at Firefly > SAPPHIRE > UNK > Finance Office > Forms > UNK Objects on Loan Update Form) and email the completed form to the Asset Records Manager at piercerl@unk.edu.

Personal use of University property is prohibited, except where allowed by Board of Regents policy.  University property includes any items purchased with University funds including grants, contracts, awards, gifts, and Foundation funds as well as donated items. If you have any questions, please contact Ross Pierce, Asset Records Manager, at piercerl@unk.edu or 308-865-8007.

If UNK property is taken off-campus by employees for work-related activities, the department must maintain written documentation showing the department head's authorization, the specific property involved (including serial number and asset tag number, if applicable), reason for taking the property off-campus, location, and dates taken off-campus and returned to campus. In the rare occasion that off-campus work-related use of UNK property is necessary and frequent in nature, a blanket authorization covering multiple off-campus locations and/or dates is allowed. Items recorded as objects on loan on an employee’s SAP HR profile, such as laptops, are exempt from this requirement.  If you have any questions, please contact Ross Pierce, Asset Records Manager, at piercerl@unk.edu or 308-865-8007.

Loper Dollars make a great gift for a high school graduate who will be attending UNK next fall. Loper Dollars can be used at all campus dining locations, the Nebraskan Welcome Desk, and select copiers and printers. Remember, purchases at campus dining locations using Loper Dollars are discounted 20% automatically! Contact the Finance Office for more information at 8012.

There will be two opportunities for you to attend an Informational Meeting on Fiscal Year-end Procedures. Topics to be covered include budget encumbrances and balances carried forward, accrual adjustments, payroll processing, AP parked document processing, procurement card processing and more. Please contact Scott Olson at 8785 or Carrie Stithem at 8865 if you have questions. 

Monday, April 26, 3:00-4:00 PM, Ockinga Auditorium Register

There will be two opportunities for you to attend an Informational Meeting on cash handling and accounts receivable Procedures. Departments who should attend are ones that handle or collect cash on behalf of the University.  We will review in detail the Cash/Money handling and Accounts Receivable Policy. Please contact Scott Olson at 8785 if you have questions.

Tuesday, May 11, 3:00-4:00 PM, Ockinga Auditorium Register

Thursday, May 20, 3:00-4:00 PM, Copeland 140 Register

Training on the financial reports that are available in SAP and Firefly is available upon request. The training can assist departments in managing their budgets and demonstrate how to read and understand financial reports. Please contact Scott Olson at 8785 if you have questions.

Financial Report Training - available upon request Register

Employees and Departments/Groups of Employees can be nominated for different awards. The awards are presented monthly during the Staff Senate meetings.

Please consider nominating a staff member or group who has demonstrated excellence.  It’s time to show our colleagues how much we appreciate what they do and why we’re so very proud to be Lopers!!

Make a Nomination