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Financial Reference Guide Index

IBIS Function/Forms

DBAF
GREQ
IDCC
JVDP
LO
PCA
POCH
REQR
ROCR
SRFC
TSF
VRES

Equipment Definitions

General Purpose Equipment
Computer Equipment
Non-Computer Equipment
Capital Equipment
Fabricated Equipment

Purchasing Card

Travel

Online Self-Booking System

Reporting

Data Warehouse
FIT

General Funds Information

Finance Office Staff
General Funds Used as a Match for Research Funds
X-Coding

Helpful Information

Appendices
Glossary
Group Meals
Imaging
ListServs for Staff Assistants
Meeting Expenses
Tips for Processing Expenditure Documents

Purchasing Card: A Penn State Visa charge card used for business where credit cards are accepted. Issued to individuals authorized by their department and the Financial Officer. (See Appendix A)

• Back up for purchasing card transactions must include a completed purchasing card support form and acceptable invoice/receipt.
• Examples of acceptable invoice/receipts for the purchasing card are (see Appendix A for additional instructions):
• Itemized priced packing slip.
• Original itemized invoice/receipt.
• Copy/fax of invoice/receipt or priced packing slip is accepted if original is not available.
• A memo, signed by the department administrator, is required if the card was used in a manner prohibited by the purchasing card policy or procedure (see link below).
• If no receipt is available the Lost or Unobtainable Receipt Form must be completed and submitted for reconciliation.
• Card cannot be used for employee travel expenses except for rental cars or air/rail booked through ResX or the approved travel agencies.
• Maximum limits are: $2,000 limit per transaction (including shipping and handling); $18,000 per day limit and $18,000 per 30-day cycle limit.
• Purpose/Description area: List all items purchased and detailed explanation of use.
• See Group Meals Section for more information on handling group meals charged to the purchasing card.
• For further information (http://guru.psu.edu/policies/psu/BS14.html)
• For further information for reconcilers only, please see (http://ais.its.psu.edu/ibis/media/rpcc.pdf) {top}

 

On-Line Self-Booking: Allows travelers to use a University Sponsored web-based travel system to book travel arrangements.

• Penn State Purchasing Card is the required form of payment.
• Priced itinerary will be issued as back up for the purchasing card support form.
• If charging to restricted funds, must be resolved to the clearing account (255A).
• If charging to general funds, can be charged to the clearing account (255A) or directly to the fund.
• Journal voucher (JVDP) should be processed at the time expenses are submitted to transfer the on-line self-booking charges from the clearing account (255A) to the appropriate budget and fund.
• The traveler must use a U. S. Flag Carrier when charging federal research projects. The use of a foreign air carrier is disallowed unless a memo adequately explains why a U. S. Flag Carrier is not available. The memo must be attached to the travel support form. Cost, Convenience, and/or Personal Preference is not an acceptable justification of use of a foreign air carrier. (See Appendix B )
• Website for on-line booking (http://www.resx.com)
• For further information (travel services ) {top}

 

General Funds used as a Match for Research Grants

Matching funds are subject to the same rules and restrictions as the associated grant.
• In most instances, matching funds should be spent before the grant funds.
• Complete accounting section of purchasing documents as follows:
o When equipment $5000 and more is purchased on    general fund matching funds the cost must be coded as    matching on the FANS window.
o Post Code Field = Cost Center Name.
• Equipment should not be purchased in the final 6 months of the project unless evidence of funding for a continuation or renewal and/or may require special justification.
• For further information see: Cost Sharing Guideline {top}

 

X-Coding (Unallowable for the purpose of the overhead rate calculation)

* Only X-Code on general funds (10010).
* General funds expenses must be X-coded on the FANS window..

The following are costs that are unallowable because of the function that is supported. Budgets whose purpose falls into these categories should be totally excluded. Individual expenditure items that are incurred for these purposes should also be excluded:

• Advertising and Public Relations (Section J.1. Some advertising and public relations activities are allowable…see the section for those costs)
• Alumni Activities (Section J.3)
• Commencement and Convocations (Section J.6 ; some salary allocation is allowable, see Section F.9)
• Fundraising and Development (Section J.22.b)
• Lobbying (Section J.17 and J.24)(50% of membership should be x-coded, 100% if offer institutional membership)
• Selling and Marketing of products or services (Section J.42)
• Student Activity Costs (intramural, student publications, student clubs, etc.) (Section J.45) Any costs to recruit or retain students in these activities are also unallowable.
• Costs for the recruitment of graduate assistants/fellows and post-doctoral fellows are considered student recruitment and are not allowable.
• Group meals with 100% PSU employees (no visitors).
• Spouse expenses for faculty candidate.
• Non-refundable tickets.
• Pre-paid calling cards.
• Late fees.
• Tables for group functions such as Martin Luther King Day.

Note: Admissions and student recruitment/retention activities, such as advising or counseling that are available to the entire student population are allowable. However, recruitment or retention activities focused toward a specialized segment of the student population, such as minorities, women or athletes, are unallowable and should be excluded. {top}