Author: Gayle Hamasaki

Purchase Order Reminder

The University of Hawai‘i’s FY2020 Internal Control and Business Issues Report included a comment/observation related to the untimely execution of purchase orders (POs). Specifically, eight (8) POs were found to have been executed and approved subsequent to the receipt of goods or services from the vendor. 

An executed and approved PO serves as an indication that a formal agreement between the vendor and RCUH (for the benefit of UH), has been reached.  Failure to complete a PO prior to the receipt of goods or commencement of services from a vendor exposes RCUH/UH to undue risk related to the misuse of federal funds. 

This comment/observation has been identified previously, and efforts must be made to comply with the applicable RCUH and UH policies and procedures.  Please ensure that a PO is properly executed and approved prior to the receipt of goods or services from a vendor.

Should you have any questions, please contact Erin Yoda at [email protected].

Service Dates for Online Payments Processed During July 1 to August 31, 2021

The fiscal year-end cutoff for RCUH online payment transactions is 12:00 noon on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. All online payment transactions processed after Wednesday, June 30, 2021 through Tuesday, August 31, 2021, will require service dates. The service date format is MM/DD/YY.

For payments that will be processed or approved after Friday, July 30, 2021, are $100,000 or greater, and have service dates of June 30, 2021 or earlier, please complete the attached RCUH AP Worksheet. Please include estimates or projections for invoices that have not been received as of July 30. Please email your worksheet to Staci Saito at [email protected] by Monday, August 2, 2021. If there are no payments to report, please email Staci to report that there are no items by Monday, August 2, 2021.

A service date field is provided on all payment forms and is identified with the heading “S/D”. The service date is the date goods are received or services are performed. For certain types of payments including travel completions, petty cash reimbursements, extended services, etc., the service date entered should be the last day of the period covered by the payment. However, if the service period covers multiple fiscal years, allocate costs in each fiscal year incurred. For example, if the service period is from June 1, 2021 to July 31, 2021, record costs incurred from June 1 to June 30 with a 06/30/21 service date and costs incurred from July 1 to July 31 with a 07/31/21 service date.  

This information is needed to ensure that RCUH liabilities are properly reported as of June 30, 2021. Our auditors, N&K CPAs Inc., will be reviewing selected documents processed during this period as part of their audit procedures. Accordingly, please be advised that we may be requesting copies of payment documents for review. Please contact Maile Brooks at 988-8340 or [email protected] if you have any questions. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

RCUH Phones Temporarily Down at Mānoa Innovation Center Office

*P.M. UPDATE: The RCUH phones at the Mānoa Innovation Center are back in service.

RCUH phones are currently down at the Mānoa Innovation Center office location, affecting staff in Accounting, Project Administration, and Corporate Services. If you need to communicate with employees from any of these sections, please reach out via email.

If you’re unsure of who to contact, you may refer to the staff listing in the RCUH Financial Portal or Employee Self-Service, or you may contact [email protected] for assistance.

Procurement Policy Updates

In an effort to increase awareness of updates to RCUH’s policies and procedures, the following changes have been made on RCUH’s website:

Should you have any questions, please contact Erin Yoda at [email protected].

UPDATE – Problem with Payments – May 3, 2021

The RCUH Financial Portal is back in operation and you may resume approving transactions in the Financial Portal.

On Monday, May 3, 2021, we encountered a system error which affected our end of day business processing and consequently checks could not be printed.  Vendor payments approved from May 1 through May 3 will be processed today, May 4, 2021.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused, and we appreciate your patience.

Fiscal Year-End June 30, 2021

Important Dates:

June 30, 2021Last Check Run for FY 2021 (Payments must be approved by 12 noon)
July 6, 2021RCUH Financial System scheduled to reopen
July 6, 2021First Check Run for FY 2022 (4:00 PM)

Online purchasing, payments, and travel transactions must be approved by Fiscal Administrators by 12:00 noon on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 to be included in FY 2021. The last check run for the fiscal year will be on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Pending transactions will remain in the RCUH financial system, and will not be automatically deleted or disapproved.

From July 1 through July 5, online purchasing, payments, and travel transactions can be initiated, but Fiscal Administrators will not have the ability to approve transactions. Transactions will not be posted to project accounts until the financial system is reopened for FY 2022. The RCUH financial system is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. The first check run for FY 2022 is scheduled for Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 4:00 PM.

On an emergency basis only, manual checks can be issued during this period. Fiscal Administrators should contact RCUH Disbursing at [email protected].

Project reports will be accessible on the RCUH website. However, report balances will only reflect transactions posted through June 30, 2021, until processing resumes on July 6, 2021.

Please contact Maile Brooks at 988-8340 or [email protected] if you have any questions.

DEADLINE EXTENDED – Notice to Attorneys Interested in Providing Legal Services to the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘i

We have extended the deadline for submissions to Friday, May 7, 2021.

Licensed attorneys who wish to provide specialized legal services to the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘i (RCUH) for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2021, are invited to submit a Statement of Qualifications and Expression of Interest (SOQ) to RCUH pursuant to HRS § 103D-304.

RCUH is currently looking to contract for legal services in the following areas:

  1. Employment:  Employment, employee benefits, disciplinary, termination, workers’ compensation and discrimination/retaliation issues.  Services shall include, but not be limited to:
    1. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto;
    2. Providing advice and recommendations regarding responses to claims asserted by current and former employees; 
    3. Participating in negotiations regarding items (a) and (b); and
    4. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, and other legal requirements.

Previous experience advising employers is essential, and previous experience advising government agencies is preferred.  

  1. Immigration: Temporary visas and/or permanent residency applications.  Services shall include, but not be limited to:
    1. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto;
    2. Completing and filing permanent residency applications (previous experience representing both employers and employees in the permanent residency application process is essential);
    3. Completing and filing temporary visa applications and related documentation; and
    4. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, and other legal requirements.
  1. Tax: Payroll, IRS compliance, foreign payroll and/or nonresident alien and foreign entity contractor payments (crossover immigration experience preferred), IRS compliance.  Services shall include, but not be limited to:
    1. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, internal policies, and other legal requirements.
  1. Maritime: Charter, third-party vessel, and other marine-related agreements; marine insurance terms and policies.  Services shall include, but not be limited to:
    1. Drafting, reviewing, and providing advice and recommendations relating thereto; and
    2. Providing guidance on applicable statutes, regulations, insurance policies/terms, internal policies, and other legal requirements.

Please email your SOQ to: [email protected] by Friday, May 7, 2021, to be eligible for consideration.  An SOQ received after May 7, 2021 will be considered a “late submittal” for the balance of the fiscal year as follows: a late submittal received May 8, 2021 through May 31, 2021, will be considered for services beginning October 1, 2021.

SOQ forms are available here.