Finance Division

To:     University Business Managers

From:  Roger Patterson, Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Finance

Date:  May 22, 2009

We've received several exemption requests from the state freeze related to graduate teaching and research assistantships paid from state funds. To date, we've had to submit these special exception requests to Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) on an individual basis. We discussed this with OSBM, who agreed to consider a blanket exception for graduate and research assistantships to relieve the burden of filing individual requests.  The request has been approved.  So exemption requests to pay these assistantships from state funds no longer need to go to the Budget Office.  OSBM has agreed to apply this exemption to current assistantships as well as awards for academic year 2009-10.

Best,
Roger

To:     Deans, Directors, and Department Chairs
          University Business Managers

From:  Dennis Press, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Finance and University Controller

Date:  May 18, 2009

Each year a financial audit of the University is conducted by the N.C. Office of the State Auditor.  The state auditors are now on site and have begun their work as part of the audit of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009.  Although the Controller's Office serves as a central contact point for the financial audit and interacts extensively with the state audit staff, there are occasions when State audit staff members contact campus departmental staff directly.

To:  Deans, Directors and Department Chairs

From:  Dennis Press, Assistance Vice Chancellor for Finance and University Controller

Date:  May 8, 2009

This memorandum is the annual notice regarding the special encumbrance and expenditure transactions that are processed to accommodate the biweekly payroll calendar.  Link to memo in PDF format for more details.

TO:      Business Managers
           HR Facilitators

FROM:  Brian Usischon, Senior Director, Benefits Services Office of Human Resources
           Elizabeth C. (Betsi) Snipes, Director, UNC Payroll Services Finance Division

Date:   May 7, 2009

In response to state budget shortfalls, Gov. Beverly Perdue issued Executive Order #11, which calls for a "Flexible Furlough Program" for all state workers, including higher education employees. The Governor’s mandate will result in a 0.5 percent (one-half of one percent) decrease in annual salary for all University employees, regardless of salary funding source.

To:     University Business Managers
 
From:  Martha Pendergrass, Director, Material & Disbursement Services

Date:  May 7, 2009
 
I write to you as a reminder that it is improper to order from any vendor that has been officially debarred from doing business with the State of North Carolina. A listing of debarred vendors may be found on the North Carolina Department of Administration Division of Purchase and Contract’s webpage. B&H Photo Video (NY, NY), which you may have received recent mailed solicitations from, is included in this list for noncompliance of the statute (N.C.G.S. 14359) and the provisions of NC Sales and Use Tax. Orders from this vendor are prohibited regardless of procurement methods. As with all departmental purchases, UNC and North Carolina State Term Contracts should first be reviewed for product inclusion. Term contracts for IT and AV equipment are linked here. 

Please address all questions to Bernard Law, Director of Purchasing Services, 962-3774 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

To:     University Business Managers
          Finance Advisory Council Members

From:  Roger Patterson, Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Finance

Date:  May 1, 2009

The introduction of Human Resource's website for the Flexible Furlough Program has resulted in several calls and emails to departments within Finance, so I thought I should provide you with an update.   The University is still awaiting guidance on how the program will work. The Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM), the Office of State Personnel (OSP) and General Administration (GA) have collected a number of questions from the UNC campuses and will notify the campuses when the operational aspects of the program have been finalized.