Flashpoints

In this April 2025 issue:

Departments that handle money in any form (cash, coin, checks, money orders, debit cards or credit cards) should review annually the Cash/Money Handling and Accounts Receivable Policy. During the review of this policy, the department needs to verify that they are following the procedures within this policy. For additional support please reference the Cash Handing and Accounts Receivable Presentation. For additional questions please contact Karen Labenz at 8785 or labenzk@unk.edu.

The Payment Card Industry has strict regulations which dictate how payment card acceptance can be implemented on campus. Departments at the University of Nebraska Kearney may request the ability to accept payment cards (credit and/or debit) as a method of payment provided they meet UNK policy, state and federal laws, contractual obligations, and the rules of UNK’s banks and financial institutions.

Departments must obtain approval from the Finance Department prior to initiating or engaging in any activity where payment cards (credit and/or debit) are used. Only approved equipment, payment gateways, processes and vendors may be utilized. Please involve the Finance Department as soon as possible when considering the acceptance of payment cards as the approval process takes time. Contact Jill Purdy at 8421 or purdyj@unk.edu with questions.

In accordance with State of Nebraska Statue 84-710, all cash, checks and credit card receipts must be deposited with the State Treasury within 3 business days of receipt if >$500 and within 7 days of receipt if <$500. Note that the time begins when anyone at UNK receives the funds, not just when the department Office Associate or the Finance Office receives the funds. The Finance Office requests that all departments routinely deposit receipts twice weekly at a minimum to comply with the state statute; however daily depositing is recommended. Receipts should be kept in a secure location at all times until the deposit is made with the Finance Office. For further guidance on controls & procedures regarding receipt handling, refer to the Cash/Money Handling and Accounts Receivable Policy | Finance | University of Nebraska at Kearney or contact Karen Labenz at labenzk@unk.edu.

The following notice should be clearly displayed by cash registers, payment windows/desks, and on forms in which payments are remitted to University of Nebraska at Kearney. "Electronic Check Re-presentment Policy – In the event that your check is returned unpaid for insufficient or uncollected funds, we may re-present your check electronically. In the ordinary course of business, your check will not be provided to you with your bank statement, but a copy can be retrieved by contacting your financial institution. "

Procedures for Check Acceptance:

Checks should be made payable to “University of Nebraska at Kearney” (not “UNK” or not left blank for later ink stamping). UNK cannot receipt checks made payable to the University of Nebraska Foundation or vice versa.
Checks should be accepted for the sale amount only. Checks may not be cashed or written for more than the sale.
All checks need to be payable through a US bank in US dollars.
Restrictively endorse checks and money orders with the University of Nebraska at Kearney endorsement stamp as soon as received. Endorsement must be placed on the back side of the “Pay to the order…” section of the check. The Finance Office orders and issues endorsement stamps to departments.
Do not make photocopies of checks. Do not scan checks.

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.

For more information regarding property and equipment, please see the UNK Property and Equipment Policy or contact Ross Pierce, Asset Records Manager, at piercerl@unk.edu or 308-865-8007.

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 Heather Foradori in the Finance Office by the due date indicated on the confirmation.

For more information regarding sensitive equipment (objects on loan), please see the UNK Sensitive Equipment Policy or contact Heather Foradori at foradorih@unk.edu or 308-865-8540.

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 Heather Foradori at foradorih@unk.edu.

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.

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 Jill Purdy at purdyj@unk.edu, or Karen Labenz labenzk@unk.edu.

Monday, April 28th, 3:00-4:00 p.m. Copeland 142 Register

Tuesday, April 29th, 9:00-10:00 a.m. Ockinga Auditorium Register

If you have questions on how to read SAP or Firefly Financial Reports to manage your department budget, if you need help generating reports, or if you are maintaining spreadsheets to track financial information and would like to see if available tools can save you time, please contact Karen Labenz at 8785 or labenzk@unk.edu or Heather Foradori at 8540 or foradorih@unk.edu to set up a one-on-one training, review or just general questions.