Access to Department Reports/Budgets

Authorized personnel may have access to the Hornet HQ Finance Query option to view their department accounts. Account information is updated daily. Requests for access should be sent to BusinessOffice@kzoo.edu. The request should include the account number and the name of the person to receive access (including the College network user ID is helpful). Access will remain available until the Business Office is notified that access should be changed or restricted.

Helpful Hints:

  • You can export financial data from Hornet HQ - Finance Query to Excel using several web browsers.
  • The current fiscal will default, and you can view previous years by selecting from the drop down menu.
  • Filters can be saved and used as a default to access frequently viewed units and object codes.
  • During July, August and September both the prior and current fiscal year will be open. The previous fiscal year cannot be closed until the financial audit is complete and approved.
  • When two fiscal years are open, Restricted (fund 20, 21 and 23) and Agency (accounts that begin with 10-9-4XXXX) accounts in the current year will not show the opening balance correctly.

Accounts Payable Process

Accounts Payable (AP) includes student refunds, reimbursements, vendor payments, travel advances

What you need to know before submitting paperwork to the Business Office:

  • Only the payee can decide if the payment is direct deposit. The Business Office cannot alter the payment method at the request of someone else.
  • If the payee is in the process of changing from paper check to direct deposit there will be a delay in the processing time
  • Payees that are not in Colleague as vendors will need to complete a form W9. The Business Office will request the form from the payee. The payment will not be made until the form W9 is received.
  • Payment request that are missing information or are not compliant with the College policy will be returned to the signee for correction.

AP Process

  1. Requests are received by the Business Office and reviewed for compliance with College policy and the payee is verified as a vendor in Colleague
  2. Requests are entered into Colleague within 3-7 days of receipt
  3. Payments are processed every Thursday
    1. Paper checks are available by 3 p.m.
    2. Direct Deposit (ACH) payments are released to the payee's bank one business day after the processing date.

Questions

For the fastest response time to your inquiries, please email us at BusinessOffice@kzoo.edu

Approving Invoices

In most instances, invoice(s) are sent directly to the Business Office.  An electronic copy of the invoice will be sent to you with the following message: 

The attached invoice requires approval for payment if the items have been received in satisfactory condition. If you are the authorized approver for the account(s) that this invoice is being charged to, please reply with your approval and 13 digit account number(s). If the invoice has PO number listed on it, then you do not have to give us the account number(s) again.

If you are NOT the authorized signer for the account(s) to be charged, please forward this invoice to the authorized signer and let them know if you have received the items in satisfactory condition.

APPROVALS can be sent via e-mail as long as the invoice information remains in the subject line. In an effort to reduce resources (paper and staff time) the Business office would appreciate receiving approvals electronically, but it is not required.

Should you receive a bill directly from the vendor, please sign and date the invoice indicating your approval for payment, put the full 13-digit account number to which the invoice is to be charged, and send it to the Business Office.  Please do not submit a check requisition with the invoice to request payment.  The Business Office must have an invoice in order to pay the vendor.  Packing slips and Quotes are not acceptable.

Bookstore Charges

Authorized members from each department may purchase items from the College Bookstore for College use.  Items should be charged to the appropriate department account number.  College credit cards may not be used at the Bookstore.

Chart of Accounts


Account Structure

XX - X - XXXXX - XXXXX

Fund - Function - Unit - Account(Object Code)

Most Common Account/Object Codes

Object #Description
50005Salaries
50025Fringes
50100Student Employment Institutional
50135Student Employment Federal CWS
51017Entertainment
51030Fac-Stu Events
51038Honorarium
51054Meals
51070Personel Development
52010Office Supplies
52021Instructional Supplies
52027Internal Distributions
53021Books and Subscriptions
53039Dues and Memberships
53057Postage
53065Printing and Forms
54210Travel
54214Student Travel
54520Special Occasions
56031Maintenance and Repair
57000New Equipment
57676Print Materials
58049Other
58061Program Development
59000Scholarships

Cashing a Personal Check

Personal checks under $200 may be cashed in the Bookstore if sufficient cash is available.  You will need your employee/student ID card to cash a check.

Check Processing Schedule

Accounts Payable checks are printed on Thursday afternoons. Checks are available after 2:30 pm.  Please allow at least one week for check processing.  Incomplete account numbers, missing documentation, missing signatures, or obtaining new vendor documentation can further delay processing.

Deposits

Cash or checks to be deposited should be brought directly to the Business Office as soon as possible.   Please do not send cash through campus mail.  Please provide an account number for crediting the deposit.  Donations to the College should be given to the Advancement department for processing.

Direct Deposit

Electronic payments through Accounts Payable and Payroll are available to Employees and Students.  To enroll in direct deposit, please complete the Direct Deposit online form. Unless otherwise specified, all enrollments will include both Accounts Payable and Payroll.

Please send your questions regarding direct deposit to Payroll@kzoo.edu

Expenses

College expenses paid for with personal funds can be reimbursed with cash for purchases of less than $50.00 or by using the Expense Reimbursement Form (on the ALL Forms page).  Internal Revenue Service regulations require that we have sufficient documentation to support College expenditures that include the College business purpose of the expenditure, the date, and the amount (except below). In order to best comply with IRS regulations, original receipts provide the best documentation.  Employee supervisors may require more stringent documentation to support expenditures.

An acceptable receipt, as further defined below, for purchases equal to or greater than $25.00 is required to be submitted with the Expense Reimbursement Form.

  • Food, Travel, or Entertainment:  The IRS requires the date, location, College business purpose, names of the participants, and the amount.
  • Airfare:  A receipt that shows the itinerary, the names of the passengers, and the amount paid for the ticket. 
  • Meals and Food:  A receipt that shows the location, date, and amount (use the Expense Reimbursement form or the back of receipt for documentation of participants and business purpose).  We cannot accept food packaging.  For visits to the farmers market, generic receipts from vendors are acceptable (these can be ordered from Staples or contact the Business Office for a small supply).
  • Cab fare/taxi:  Receipts are required.  Please provide documentation of the date, location, and amount paid.
  • Receipts from a prior fiscal year cannot be reimbursed. 

The College generally does not accept personal credit card statements in lieu of receipts.

Inter-Department Charges

The following is list of departments that send charges to the Business Office.  Please note how they are posted to your accounts and who to contact if you have questions.

Facilities Management  

(description:  “FM-(description)” & "VH-(name of driver), posted monthly)

Media Services

 (description:  “Graphics”, posted monthly)

Parkhurst Dining

(description:  “PH-(description)”, posted weekly)

  • Catering and meal tickets
  • Questions: refer to the Sharepoint site to see supporting documentation for the charges

Mail & Copy Center 

(description: “MCC Postage Chrgs”, posted monthly)

Bookstore

(description: “(month)-Copy&Bkstore Chrgs”, posted monthly)

Cell Phones

 (description: “CELLPH-(last name)”, posted monthly)

  • Cell phone service
  • Questions:  Business Office

Library Copies 

(description: “LC-(number of copies)”, posted monthly)

Office Depot

 (description "OFC-(item description)", posted monthly)

College Credit Cards 

(description “(first four letters of the cardholder’s last name – vendor name)”, posted monthly.  Visa charges are posted to the last day of the month, American Express charges are posted to the 27th of the month.)

Petty Cash

 (description “PC-(description)”, posted weekly

New Vendors/Federal W-9 Forms

All companies and individuals paid through Accounts Payable are required to submit a completed federal Form W-9 regardless of the amount that is being paid or the tax treatment of the payment.  If you are paying a person or company for the first time, you should request that they fill out a Vendor form. This form can be can be sent electronically, by fax, mail or in person. It is not recommended that Form W-9 with social security numbers be submitted via email. 

Parkhurst Charges

Authorized members from each department can charge meals at all Parkhurst outlets by using meal tickets.  Meal tickets must be completed in full, which includes the appropriate department account number.  College credit cards may not be used at any Parkhurst outlet.

Payments to Foreign Businesses or Persons

Individuals

Please note that expense reimbursements or honoraria cannot be made to foreign individuals until they arrive in the United States and their visa immigration status is determined.  

The first step is to determine if an individual can legally be paid an honorarium and/or travel reimbursement--the visa classification must be that of a "B" visitor, and the individual must be engaged in academic activities at an academic institution or nonprofit research institution. The academic activity can last no longer than nine days. Visitors are limited to five (5) such reimbursements or honoraria payments in a six-month period (the 9/5/6 rule).  The foreign person should complete and sign the Payment of International Visitors form to document this determination.  Please provide a copy of the offer letter sent to the individual, as well as, a copy of the identity page and expiration date of his/her passport and Form I-94 received at arrival.

"B" visitor covers all of the following classifications. Any one of these classifications or a combination, as indicated, can qualify for honorarium payments and reimbursements.

•    B-1 visitor for business
•    B-2 visitor for pleasure
•    B-1/B-2 visitor for a combined purpose
•    WB visitor visa waiver for business
•    WT visitor visa waiver for tourism
•    WB/WT visitor visa waiver for a combined purpose

Canadian citizens may cross the border by land and their visa type is presumed to be "B" status.

If an honorarium or payment for other services provided in the U.S. is to be paid, Form W-8BEN is required and 30% federal tax withholding is applied unless there is a treaty available for the country of origin. A U.S. social security number or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) is NOT required, unless claiming an exemption from the 30% federal tax withholding.  In order to claim a treaty exemption, the foreign individual will need to complete IRS Form 8233.  If the foreign individual does not already have a SSN or ITIN, the Business Office can assist with filing IRS Form W-7 to apply for an ITIN.  If applying for a treaty exemption and SSN or ITIN, if applicable, the Business Office will need to provide the IRS with original copies with original signatures and in some cases, notarized copies of supporting documentation. Consequently, the visitor must be present in the Business Office to complete these exemption documents.  The Business Office does not need to wait to receive the taxpayer identification number before paying the person and filing Form 8233.  

For payments for services provided outside the U.S., Form W-8BEN is required, but no SSN or ITIN is required and no withholding is applied.

Foreign Businesses

Foreign businesses should submit either Form W-8BEN-E or Form W-8ECI.  The mandatory 30% federal tax withholding is applied unless an applicable treaty exemption is properly claimed or services are provided outside the U.S. (see above).

The rules for payments of honoraria and other services vary by country and visa type.  It is recommended that staff that intend to contract with foreign individuals or businesses contact the Business Office at least a month in advance to discuss their particular arrangements to help ensure that there is adequate time to research and prepare the appropriate documentation.   

Petty Cash Reimbursements

Employees

The Business Office petty cash fund may be used for reimbursements in an amount up to $50.00.  Bring the original receipt to the Business Office, complete a Petty Cash slip and receive cash.  The Petty Cash slip should document the business purpose for the purchase, participants’ names for meals or travel expenses and the account number to be charged.  It is not necessary to complete a check requisition.

Students

The Business Office petty cash fund may be used for reimbursements in an amount up to $50.00.  The student should bring the original receipt with a completed petty cash slip.  The slip should include the account name, account number, student’s name, the College business purpose, and the signature of a sponsoring College employee. 

Departmental Petty Cash Accounts

Departmental petty accounts are limited to reimbursements up to $25.00.  Petty Cash slips must be used to document the business purpose for the purchase, participant’s names for meals or travel expenses and the account number(s) to be charged.  As needed, departments can submit their receipts to the Business Office to replenish their departmental petty cash account.

Project Accounting

Project Accounting helps to maintain records for projects that do not fall within the College’s fiscal year and/or have specific budget requirements.  Projects can extend over multiple years and expenses can be categorized to match outside reporting requirements. 

For example:  You are awarded a federal research grant for $250,000, to be spent over 3 calendar years.  $50,000 can be spent on compensation, $75,000 on equipment and the balance, $125,000 on materials and supplies.  The granting agency requires annual reporting based on calendar year (January 1 to December 31).   Project Accounting would allow you to run reports that cross College fiscal year and would summarizing spending based on three categories, compensations, equipment and materials.  It would also show budget to actual expenses.

The Project Accounting Request form [PDF, 58KB] is the first step to establishing a Project with the Business Office.  If you need help completing the form or have questions, please contact molly.wunderlich@kzoo.edu

Receipts

The College appreciates and respects the personal integrity and discretion of each member of its faculty and staff and conducts expense account affairs accordingly. Internal Revenue Service regulations require that we have sufficient documentation to support College expenditures that include the College business purpose of the expenditure, the date, and the amount (except below). In order to best comply with IRS regulations, original receipts provide the best documentation. Employee supervisors may require more stringent documentation to support expenditures.

  • Food, Travel, or Entertainment:  The IRS requires the date, location, College business purpose, names of the participants, and the amount.
  • Airfare:  A receipt that shows the itinerary, the names of the passengers, and the amount paid for the ticket. 
  • Meals and Food:  A receipt that shows the location, date, and amount (use the Expense Reimbursement form, description section in IntelliLink for purchases made on a College credit cards, or the back of receipt for documentation of participants and business purpose).  We cannot accept food packaging.  For visits to the farmers market, generic receipts from vendors are acceptable (these can be ordered from Staples or contact the Business Office for a small supply).
  • Cab fare/taxi:  Receipts are required.  Please provide documentation of the date, location, and amount paid.

The College generally does not accept personal credit card statements in lieu of receipts.

Reimbursing the College for Personal Items

The purchase of personal items or services with College funds is strictly prohibited, even with the intent of reimbursing the College at a later time. 

Requesting a Purchase Order (PO)

To request a purchase order, please e-mail BusinessOffice@kzoo.edu with the following information: 

  • Vendor name. If they are new, please request Form W-9, otherwise known as a Vendor Form. A PO cannot be generated until we have the form W-9.
  • Amount of purchase
  • Description of item(s).  If this information is already on a sales quote, you can attach it to the e-mail.
  • Account number to charge

Please allow two business days for purchase orders to be processed.

Requisitions

The Requisition Form is used to request a check in those situations where a Purchase Order is not possible, such as an honorarium or money orders. (Please use the Expense Reimbursement form for out of pocket business expenses.) The Requisition form can be found online and filled out electronically.   Please allow 1 week for processing.

Completing the Requisition Form

Please make sure that the requisition is complete in order to avoid delays in processing the request.  Documentation supporting the amount requested must be attached.  If this information is not available, please provide an explanation.

  • Attach any supporting documentation to the Requisition form.
  • Attach anything that is to be sent with the check to the Requisition form.

Transfer of Funds

Requests for transfer of funds between College accounts can be submitted online using the Transfer Request form

Travel Expenses

For any reimbursement related to College travel, please use the Expense Reimbursement Form to document your expense.  This form includes an exchange rate calculator for foreign travel.