Holiday Schedule to Continue
The recent practice of operating on a holiday schedule during the last two weeks of December will continue in 2011. The holiday schedule will run from Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011, through Monday, Jan. 2, 2012. During that time, all nonessential operations will be closed at all Kent State campuses. Normal business operations will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012.
This year the Christmas and New Year’s holidays fall on a Sunday. Classified and unclassified employees will receive paid leave for three days, Dec. 28, 29 and 30. The paid leave is in addition to the paid holidays of Dec. 26, 27 and Jan. 2. More information on the holiday schedule, including how employees should report time during that period, will be communicated in early December.
Don’t Forget the Fiscal Year-End Deadlines
Managers and supervisors should be aware of the cut-off date for financial transactions for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30. The deadlines for receipt of information are available on the Controller’s website. The Controller’s Office appreciates timely submissions of documents to ensure that a timely year-end cut-off has occurred.
Expense Reimbursements
Information on fiscal year deadlines for submitting electronic expense reimbursements is also available on the Controller’s website. Electronic reimbursements for travel and miscellaneous expenses incurred on or before June 30, 2011 must be approved by the final approver on or before this date. Any reimbursements in draft status or those submitted but not approved by June 30 will not be processed in FY 2011. Travel and/or miscellaneous expenses that span both fiscal years or are incurred after June 30 should be processed in FY 2012, which means the reimbursement should not be approved until after June 30. Questions on expense reimbursements should be directed to Accounts Payable at payments@kent.edu.
KSU Foundation
The KSU Foundation reminds department heads that June 23 is the deadline to submit any funding requests for the current fiscal year. This will ensure that the transfer of Foundation funds to a university account will be recorded in FY 2011. All requests must be submitted using the Foundation Funding Request form and must have the appropriate signatures and documentation. For more information, contact Yvonne Lee at 330-672-1077 or Mary Kay Hluch at 330-672-0420.
Summer Hiring Tips for Student Employees
The Student Employment office is reminding staff that it is important to follow the appropriate process to hire temporary summer employees, whether it is through Human Resources, Academic Personnel or Student Employment.
If a potential temporary employee meets the credit hour enrollment requirement, they should be hired through Student Employment. A supervisor may verify the enrollment requirement by logging into CampusWorks and beginning the hiring process using the student’s Flashline ID and selecting the hiring term. Once they click “continue,” a message will alert the hiring supervisor if the student does not meet the enrollment requirement. You may also contact the Career Services Center at 330-672-2360 for enrollment verification.
If your department plans on hiring a high school student, you must complete the paper Student Job Hiring Form, which is available in the Career Services Center Forms Library. This is for students who are attending high school, taking classes at Kent State through the Post Secondary Education Option Program, or graduating this spring and plan to start at Kent State in the fall.
Any questions regarding student employment should be directed to Ami Hollis at ahollis@kent.edu or 330-672-8380.
Reporting Leave in a New Location in FlashLine
Enhancements to FlashLine were implemented last month and impact many of the tabs used by students, faculty and staff. The changes were a result of feedback from focus groups, usability testing and an online survey conducted with students, faculty and staff.
As part of the enhancements, the Time Reporting channels have been moved from the My Action Items tab to the My HR tab. This includes the channels for reporting time in Kronos (classified), in Banner (unclassified and faculty) and Banner Time Reporting tutorials. Please note that the Time Approval tab (for those who approve time and leave) will remain on the My Action Items tab.
Tuition Waiver Reminder
Please remind faculty and staff in your unit that the tuition waiver for employees and their dependents may only be used for classes taken for credit hours. The benefit cannot be used for non-credit courses or to audit a course. This is in compliance with the University Policy Register, 6-09.1, administrative policy and procedures regarding tuition benefits.
Beginning this fall, the Benefits Office will monitor tuition waiver enrollments and notify employees if they or one of their dependents are taking a course that is not eligible for the waiver. In those cases the employee or dependent may continue in the class, but he/she will be responsible for the tuition payment. For more information, contact the Benefits Office at 330-672-3107.
Performance Evaluations End This Month
Don’t forget that all unclassified performance evaluations must be completed by June 6. Managers and supervisors should have received e-mail notification with detailed information regarding the process and access instructions. Information is also available online at https://www.kent.edu/hr/employee/performance-evaluation-unclassified-ma….
If you have questions or need assistance, contact Employee Relations manager Karen Watson at 330-672-4636 orkswatson@kent.edu; or Sandra Cole at scole3@kent.edu or 330-672-7501.
Cashnet Allows Departments to Accept Online Payments
The Bursar's Office provides eMarket software that assists campus departments with the flexibility of conducting business online by using storefronts or checkouts. Higher One's CashNet suite of payment services is the software that is used to set up various storefronts and checkouts. There are currently more than 60 campus departments set up to accept payments online.
Campus departments can use CashNet for various purposes including conference and event registration or product sales (T-shirts, posters, books, videos, etc.). CashNet allows a department to reach a larger customer base and automate the credit card verification and settlement process. CashNet can accept payments from Visa, Mastercard, Discover and electronic checks. You can also post photos and descriptions of items and retrieve detailed reports.
For more information, contact Pamela Wilkes at pwilkes@kent.edu or Les Carter at lcarter@kent.edu. You can also call the Office of the Bursar at 330-672-2626.
Dates to Remember:
June is Caribbean American Heritage and Gay and Lesbian Pride Month
June 6 Summer I and Summer II classes begin
June 7-8 Shavuot: Jewish holiday begins at sundown
June 14 Flag Day
June 19 Father’s Day
June 21 First Day of Summer (summer solstice)
July 4 Independence Day (University closed)
Tell Us What You Think
This e-newsletter is designed to keep you, the managers and supervisors, informed. Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think of it, along with any comments or suggestions. You may contact us atmanagersfeedback@kent.edu. We look forward to hearing from you.
For information about events and programs for university employees, please check out the Faculty and Staffcalendar and share the information with your staff.