Important Notice Regarding Distribution of Vendor Checks

Effective Monday, June 1, 2015, RCUH vendor check printing and distribution will be managed by the Accounting office at the Manoa Innovation Center (MIC). Vendor check distribution will no longer be handled by the RCUH Disbursing office.

Checks are printed at 4:00 pm daily and will be available for pick up at 9:00 am the following business day in the RCUH Accounting office in MIC Suite 200. If your pick up location is at Burns Hall Room 4020, checks will be available for pick up after 10:30 am.

Effective June 1, 2015, please contact Kathy Chung in the Accounting office at 988-8330 or [email protected] for special requests to pick up or hold checks. For stop payments and reissue check requests, continue to contact Liane Murai in the Accounting office at 988-8342 or [email protected].

RCUH Employees Who Drive Their Personal Vehicles for Work-Related Purposes

To: All RCUH Employees

Our insurance company is requiring that RCUH provide information about RCUH employees who drive their personal vehicles in the course of performing their employment duties, in order to continue our insurance coverage.  Please be aware that this includes all employees who drive, or have driven, a personal vehicle for ANY work-related purpose (this request is NOT only limited to employees whose official job descriptions include driving.

If this is applicable to you, we are requesting that you provide the following information about yourself:

  • Name
  • Driver’s license number
  • State of driver’s license issuance
  • Date of birth

For Example:

  • John Doe
  • H00123456
  • Hawaii
  • May 1, 1972

If this does not apply to you, you do not need to supply any information.

The information you provide will be handled by RCUH in accordance with the Federal Privacy Act and will only be submitted to RCUH’s insurance company for liability insurance coverage purposes.

Please:
1) fax your information to (808) 956-3822, OR
2) call in your information to (808) 956-3608.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Please direct any questions to Erin Yoda at (808) 956-3969. RCUH Financial Services Department.

Fiscal Year-End June 30, 2015

To: Principal Investigators, Fiscal Officers/Designated UH Officials

Important Dates:

June 30 Last Check Run for FY 2015 (Payments must be approved by 12 noon)
July 6 RCUH Financial System scheduled to reopen
July 6 First Check Run for FY 2016 (4:00 PM)

On-line payment and purchasing transactions must be approved by fiscal officers by 12:00 noon on Tuesday, June 30. The last check run for the fiscal year will be on Tuesday, June 30, 2015.

During the period July 1 through July 5, on-line payment and purchasing transactions can be initiated, but fiscal officers will not have the ability to approve transactions. Transactions will not be posted to project accounts until the year-end processing is completed. The RCUH financial system is scheduled to reopen on Monday, July 6. The first check run for FY 2016 is scheduled for Monday, July 6 at 4:00 PM.

On an emergency basis only, manual checks can be issued during this period. Fiscal Officers/Designated UH Officials should contact the RCUH Disbursing Department directly.

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

Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Maile Brooks at (808) 988-8340 or [email protected].

RFP for Vendor Payment Processing Services

RCUH is soliciting proposals for payment processing services from qualified service providers, to include all labor, material and equipment and other services necessary to complete and maintain ongoing payment processing services per RCUH’s requirements as stated in the attached RFP/Statement of Work (SOW).

Interested parties should refer to the RFP.

Please note that the first key date is the due date of May 11, 2015 for the Notice of Intent to Submit a Proposal.

RFP for Vendor Payment Processing Services

Appendix D – Cost/Rebate Proposal (Excel template)

RCUH Tax Training (Attention: WCC, LCC, and HCC; Manoa Campus)

As discussed in the April 24, 2015 announcement, RCUH will be holding training sessions on the new Procurement & Disbursing Policies 2.005 through 2.012 (tax treatment policies) during May 2015.

The sessions are open to all fiscal administrators, principal investigators, and project staff who are interested in learning more about the new tax treatment policies.

For those located at the WCC, LCC, and HCC campuses, individual campus sessions have not been scheduled. If you would like to attend a session at the Manoa campus, we still have spaces available for the following dates, all at UH Manoa, Burns Hall, Room 4005:

  • May 5 (8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.) – 20 spots remaining
  • May 6 (8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.) – 3 spots remaining
  • May 14 (1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) – 14 spots remaining

If you are interested in attending any of the above sessions, please contact Erin Yoda at [email protected] at least one day prior to the session.

Individual sessions have been scheduled for the following areas/departments:

  • SOEST
  • Hawaii Island (in Hilo)
  • SPAS
  • West Oahu

The scheduling of individual sessions for the following areas/departments is pending

  • IFA (Manoa)
  • JABSOM/Cancer Center
  • KCC
  • Maui

RCUH Tax Treatment of Expenditures Policy Training Sessions

RCUH will be holding training sessions on the new Procurement & Disbursing Policies 2.005 through 2.012 (tax treatment policies) during May 2015

The sessions are open to all fiscal administrators, principal investigators, and project staff who are interested in learning more about the new tax treatment policies.

For those located on or near the Manoa campus, the following sessions will be offered:

UH Manoa, Burns Hall, Room 4005 (maximum capacity per session is 30 attendees; additional sessions may be offered if we are unable to accommodate everyone who responds)

  • May 5 (8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)
  • May 6 (8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)
  • May 14 (1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

Please email Erin Yoda at [email protected] by May 1, 2015 to RSVP.  Further announcements will be made if a session reaches the maximum capacity.

For those located on Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai, your lead Fiscal Administrator will be contacted to arrange a date, time, and location on your respective island.

For those located at JABSOM/Cancer Center, West Oahu, HCC, KCC, LCC, and HCC, your lead Fiscal Administrator will be contacted to arrange a possible date, time, and location at your respective campus.  An announcement regarding arrangements at your campus will be made at a later date. If arrangements cannot be made or if you would prefer to attend a Manoa session, you may do so.

2015 RCUH Annual Hawaii Food Drive

RCUH will be collecting donations for the Annual Hawaii Food Bank Drive through April 24, 2015. Let’s all make a difference in another’s life by sharing what we have. Take a look in your pantry for items you can share and donate. All donations are tax-deductible. Mahalo for giving!

Most Wanted Items:
Food Donations:
Canned meals, soups, meats or tuna, fruits, and vegetables
Non-perishable items such as rice, instant noodles

Monetary Donations:
Make checks payable to: Hawaii Foodbank
A $10.00 donation equals food for 25 meals.

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Locations for Food Drop-off& *Monetary Donations
*Make checks payable to: Hawaii Foodbank
ISLAND LOCATION DROP OFF HOURS
Oahu RCUH Human Resources Office
John A. Burns Hall, 4th Floor, 1601 East West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822
RCUH Coordinator: Kathy Oyadomari (808) 956-6965
Big Island
(Hilo)
The Food Basket – Hilo Branch
40 Holomua Street, Hilo, HI 96720
*Please call The Food Basket Coordinator at (808) 933-6030 in advance for pick-up
Mon – Fri
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Maui Hawaii Food Bank – Maui Branch
760 Kolu Street, Wailuku, HI 96793
*Please call Maui Food Bank Coordinator at (808) 243-9500 in advance for pick-up (Bin will be provided by them)
Mon – Fri
7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Kauai Hawaii Food Bank – Kauai Branch
Puhi Industrial Complex
4241A Hanahou Place, Lihue, HI 96766
*Please call Kauai Food Bank Coordinator at (808) 482-2224 or (808) 691-0439 in advance for pick-up
Mon – Fri
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Click here for more information about the Hawaii Food Basket, Maui Foodbank, Kauai Foodbank, Hawaii Island Foodbank.

Vendor Record Change – Office Depot Inc. Merges with OfficeMax Inc.

As a result of the merger of OfficeMax and Office Depot, OfficeMax now has a new taxpayer identification number (TIN), and is a subsidiary of Office Depot. OfficeMax stores will continue to operate and be invoiced under the name OfficeMax.

Due to OfficeMax’s new TIN, a new RCUH vendor record for OfficeMax has been established, and the old vendor records will be purged. The purge will not affect any existing purchase orders or subsequent PO payments, however, a vendor search will only return a single vendor record with OfficeMax’s remittance address of PO Box 79515, City of Industry, CA 91716.

When issuing a purchase order using an OfficeMax store address to mail your purchase order to, replace the above remittance address with the store’s address. The remittance address will be displayed when the purchase order payment is made.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions. Thank you for your cooperation.

NEW PROCUREMENT & DISBURSING POLICIES Effective March 31, 2015

The new Procurement & Disbursing policies and procedures are effective as of today, March 31, 2015.

On March 2, 2015, draft versions of the Procurement & Disbursing policies were made available for previewing on the RCUH website, along with a Summary of RCUH Policy Changes. As a result of the preview period, revisions were made, and the substantive changes are listed below. Thank you for your valuable feedback.

  1. Policy 2.002 Definitions:
    • A definition for “Third-Party Payment” was added.
  2. Policy 2.006 Tax Treatment of Non-Service Financial Assistance for Individuals:
    • All payments made to UH students and post-doctoral fellows must be processed through UH;
    • All summary reports and forms provided to RCUH Accounting should be sent in hard copy or via the UH File Drop system due to security reasons;
    • The definition of “Program Expenses” was clarified under Section 1.b.ii. of SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS;
    • The new Non-Employee Expense Payment Form can be used to make non-service (e.g., scholarship/fellowship, etc.) expense payments (the form will be available for use beginning April 6, 2015);
    • The tax withholding and gross-up process discussed under Section 3.e.iii. of SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS was revised and clarified;
    • Sections 1. and 2.a. under OTHER INCOME were revised and clarified; and
    • The corresponding decision tree was revised in accordance with the above changes.
  3. Policy 2.007 Tax Treatment of Compensation (Services, Rents, and Royalties):
    • All payments made to UH students and post-doctoral fellows must be processed through UH;
    • All summary reports and forms provided to RCUH Accounting should be sent in hard copy or via the UH File Drop system due to security reasons;
    • Section 3.b. under TYPES OF PAYMENTS was revised with regard to software purchases and royalties;
    • Under PROCURING SERVICES, RENTS, AND ROYALTIES, it is now required that the Scope of Service section of an Agreement for Services document the location where services will be performed;
    • Guidance regarding taxpayer identification numbers in Section 2.e. under GENERAL TAX TREATMENT OF PAYMENTS, was clarified;
    • The TAX TREATMENT OF THIRD-PARTY PAYMENTS (CASH ADVANCES) section was revised to clarify the requirements needed when using a cash advance; and
    • The corresponding decision tree was revised in accordance with the above changes.
  4. Policy 2.008 Tax Treatment of Business Expenses (Service-Related)
    • All payments made to UH students and post-doctoral fellows must be processed through UH;
    • All references to the Business Travel Expense Form For Service Providers was changed to the new Non-Employee Expense Payment Form (the form will be available for use beginning April 6, 2015);
    • The payment procedure described in Section 4.b. under PAYMENT OF BUSINESS EXPENSES THROUGH A THIRD-PARTY VENDOR, was clarified;
    • An EXPENDITURE CODES FOR THIRD-PARTY PAYMENTS section was added; and
    • The corresponding decision tree was revised in accordance with the above changes.
  5. Policy 2.011 Requirements When Paying U.S. Persons
    • All summary reports and forms provided to RCUH Accounting should be sent in hard copy or via the UH File Drop system due to security reasons.
  6. Policy 2.012 Requirements When Paying Foreign Persons
    • The requirements for a B visa holder, described in Section 1. under IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS (PERMANENT RESIDENT ALIENS, RESIDENT ALIENS, AND NONRESIDENT ALIENS), was revised and clarified; and
    • All summary reports and forms provided to RCUH Accounting should be sent in hard copy or via the UH File Drop system due to security reasons.
  7. Policy 2.204 Services Agreements
    • Under Section 2.b.i., Scope of Service or Performance Requirements, it is now required that the scope include the location where the services will be performed.
  8. Policy 2.301 Vendor Records
    • The explanation of the “taxpayer name” and “business name” under Elements of a Vendor Record, was clarified;
    • The process for creating a new vendor record was added under Section 3 of Create a New Vendor Record for U.S. Persons;
    • The descriptions of the IRS and UH/RCUH forms listed under Create a New Vendor Record for Foreign Persons, were revised; and
    • A reference to a new Sample Letter Requesting Vendor Form was added (the Sample Letter Requesting Vendor Form has been added to the Document Library).
  9. Policy 2.402 Insurance Requirements (Vendors):
    • Under Section 1.c. Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Insurance, a notation that waivers of subrogation should be provided in favor of the RCUH whenever possible, was added; and
    • Under Section 2. Certificate of Insurance (General Requirements), “Waiver of Subrogation” and “Priority of Coverage” were added as required elements of a certificate of insurance.

We would also like to remind you of the following major changes from the old policies:

  1. Threshold Increased for Purchases without Competition: The threshold for purchases that can be made without competition is raised from $2,500 to $3,000.
  2. Purchases Requiring Only Verbal Quotations: The threshold for purchases requiring only verbal quotations is raised from less than $15,000 to less than $25,000.
  3. Tax Clearance: A tax clearance is required for all Purchase Orders for the purchase of goods and/or services of $25,000 or more, upon both the Purchase Order issuance, and upon final payment on a Purchase Order.

If there are any questions regarding the changes, please contact Erin Yoda at (808) 956-3969 or [email protected].

Preview of New Procurement & Disbursing Policies

As previously announced on October 29, 2014, RCUH has been in the process of updating its Procurement & Disbursing policies. The policies are now available for viewing under 2.00 Procurement & Disbursing NEW Policies Effective 3/31/15. Note that the effective date of the policies has been changed to March 31, 2015, due to our postponement of the preview date.

In addition to what was previously announced on October 29, 2014, we would like to call your attention to Policies 2.005 through 2.012, which provide additional guidance regarding the tax treatment of payments. We will be holding training sessions on Policies 2.005 through 2.012 in the near future.

What was formerly known as the Attachments Index, located at the bottom of the old (current) policies, has been renamed the Document Library, and is located at the top of the new policies. For more details regarding the policy changes, refer to the Summary of RCUH Policy Changes.

If there are any questions regarding the changes, please contact Erin Yoda at (808) 956-3969 or [email protected].