Manuals, Guides, and Procedures
Construction Projects: Asset Categories and Other Guidance
Purpose: Guidance on Capitalizable Construction Projects
Last Updated: November 13, 2014
Consulting Services, How to Procure and Pay
Definition:
Consulting services are services provided by a contractor who is not actively involved in the process being studied, but rather provides expert, outside insight or advisory services about how to complete a task or perform it more efficiently. They possess specialized knowledge, experience, expertise, or professional qualifications that make them ideally suited to provide insights and direction. Generally, consultants are not managed by University personnel and are tasked with analyzing the situation in the manner they deem to be best. After they have collected and analyzed their data, they provide recommendations to the University about how to complete or alter the subject matter in question.
Payment method:
The preferred method for paying for services meeting the definition listed above is to use 49er Mart. If the services are to be provided by an individual rather than a business, please follow the instructions on how to Pay for Independent Contractors.
Rationale and other considerations:
A sole-source agreement or RFP may be required for certain consulting services. Please refer to the Purchasing Manual for additional guidance.
How to do it:
1. Complete a written justification memo to explain why the work to be performed by the consultant cannot be reasonably accomplished by employees of the ordering department (refer to Purchasing Manual for additional guidance).
2. Written justification must be approved by Materials Management and the Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs.
3. Login to 49er Mart, enter the request using the General Services form and attach a copy of the agreement.
| Policies | Procedures | Forms / Links | Training and Reference Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Policy 601.11, Purchasing Policy State of NC Purchase and Contract Division, Administrative Code University Policy 601.8, Appropriate Use of University Funds |
49er Mart Requester – Step-by-Step Guide | 49er Mart Login | 49er Mart Training in Canvas |
Contact for additional questions:
Send an email to the Purchasing mailbox at purchasing@charlotte.edu or refer to the list of Purchasing contacts.
Last Updated: September 14, 2018
Contract Checklist
Displays the Contract Checklist Flowchart
Last Updated: November 13, 2014
Contract Review Workflow
Departmental ePrint Reports
Purpose: Table of Departmental ePrint Reports
Last Updated: November 13, 2014
Disbursement Cutoff Dates for Fiscal Year End
Disbursement cutoff dates for fiscal year 2023-2024 [revised]
Purpose: The chart in the memo details the FY 2023-2024 disbursement cut-off dates for Financial Transaction Requests (FTR), Employee Student Direct Pay Requests (ESDPR), Purchase Order payments, and travel to be included in the current fiscal year. Expenses incurred after the dates noted, will be charged to the next fiscal year.
Questions: If you have additional questions regarding year-end cut-off dates, please email the respective office below:
| Office | |
|---|---|
| Budget Office | budget-genfund@charlotte.edu |
| Disbursements (Accounts Payable & Travel) | acctpay@charlotte.edu or travel@charlotte.edu |
| Financial Systems Support (e.g., Banner/49er Mart) | finsystems@charlotte.edu |
| General Accounting | generalaccounting@charlotte.edu |
| Purchasing | purchasing@charlotte.edu |
| Purchasing Card | purchasingcard@charlotte.edu |
Last Updated: April 19, 2024
eCommerce Glossary
Analog: For eCommerce purposes, a non- digital line i.e., a phone line as opposed to a network or Ethernet cable.
Attestation: To certify by signature the accuracy and truthfulness of information provided. Attestation is one component of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) validation process.
Authorization: In the context of a payment card transaction, authorization is the first step in processing a payment card. It occurs when a merchant enters cardholder data for a transaction to their bank (acquirer) for processing and requests approval to proceed with the sale. The merchant’s acquiring bank then routes the request to the card-issuing bank where the transaction is authorized or denied and the response is then routed back to the merchant or their processing system.
Cardholder Data (CHD): At minimum, CHD consists of the full Primary Account Number (PAN). CHD may also appear in the form of the full PAN plus any of the following: cardholder name, expiration date, and/or service code. See Sensitive Authentication Data for additional data elements that may be transmitted or processed (but not stored) as part of a payment transaction.
Card Present (CP): A payment card transaction made where the credit card is physically present (e.g., a face to face transaction, or a customer swiping their card directly into a POS terminal).
Card Not Present (CNP): A payment card transaction made where the merchant does not see or touch the card and the cardholder does not, or cannot physically present their card for direct input to the merchant’s card/chip reader (e.g., transactions entered over the internet, telephone, mail, or fax).
Credit/Debit Card Processing: Act of storing, processing, or transmitting credit/debit cardholder data.
eCommerce: Any internet-enabled financial transaction.
Employee: Any employee (as defined by the Employee Handbook): faculty, student employee, or contractor employed by a third party and providing services to UNC Charlotte.
Master Services Agreement (MSA): The contract between a merchant and a bank that defines their respective rights, duties, and warranties regarding how each will handle bank card transactions/activity. The MSA for the University is contracted through the state of North Carolina.
Merchant: Any entity that accepts payment cards as payment for goods and/or services.
Merchant Account: A bank account established to allow a business to accept payment card transactions.
Multifactor Authentication: A means of authenticating a user when two or more factors are verified. These factors include something the user has (such as a smart card, dongle, or device), something the user knows (such as a password, passphrase, or PIN) or something the user is or does (such as fingerprints, other forms of biometrics, etc.)
PAN: Acronym for “primary account number” and also referred to as “account number.” It is a unique payment card number (typically for credit or debit cards) that identifies the issuer and the particular cardholder account.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS): A proprietary information security standard for organizations or entities that store, process, or transmit payment card data. The Standard is mandated by the card brands and administered by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC). The Standard may be referenced at: https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/.
Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC): the governing body whose goal is to oversee the ongoing evolution of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. The Council currently consists of the five major payment brands: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and JCB, and other registered participants (e.g., banks, processors, and merchants).
Payment Cards: Any payment card/device that is used by a card/device holder and accepted by a merchant for payment of a purchase or other financial obligation. It typically bears the logo of one of the major card brands (e.g., Visa, Inc., MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and JCB International).
Payment Gateway: The application interface between the merchant or customer and the payment processor which authorizes credit card payments for internet based transactions. The gateway is responsible for receiving the payment data from the front-end system, encrypting the card information for security purposes, sending it to the bank for processing, receiving the bank’s authorization, and then communicating the authorization back to the front end system.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII): Please see Confidential University Data.
PIN: Acronym for “personal identification number.” This is a secret numeric password known only to the user and a system which is used to authenticate the user to the system. The user is only granted access if the PIN the user provided matches the PIN in the system. Typical PINs are used for automated teller machines for cash advance transactions. Another type of PIN is one used in EMV chip cards where the PIN replaces the cardholder’s signature.
POS – Acronym for “point of sale.” Hardware and/or software used to process payment card transactions at merchant locations.
Sensitive Authentication Data (SAD) – Security related information (including but not limited to card validation codes/values, full track data (from the magnetic stripe or equivalent on a chip) PINs, and PIN blocks) used to authenticate cardholders and/or authorize payment card transactions.
Security code: Also known as Card Validation Code or Value. This value appears as a three-digit value printed in the signature panel area on the back of the card for Visa, MasterCard, and Discover; or, a four-digit number printed above the PAN on the face of an American Express card. The code is uniquely associated with each individual price of plastic and ties the PAN to the plastic.
Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ): A reporting tool used by merchants and service providers to self-report their adherence to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).
Service Code: Three digit or four digit value in the magnetic stripe that follows the expiration date of the payment card on the track data. It is used for various things such as defining service attributes, differentiating between international and national interchange, or identifying usage restrictions.
Service Provider: A business entity that is not a payment brand, directly involved in the processing, storage, or transmission of cardholder data on behalf of another entity. This also includes companies that provide services that control or have the ability to impact the security of the cardholder data (e.g., companies that provide managed firewalls or hosting services).
Third Party: An entity outside of the principal organization. For eCommerce, it is a company/software/equipment that provides payment processing functions outside of UNC Charlotte infrastructure.
Truncation: A method of rendering the full PAN unreadable by permanently removing a segment of the PAN data. Truncation relates to protection of PAN when stored on receipts or in files, databases, etc. Only the last 4 digits of the PAN should appear on a payment card transaction receipt.
Virtual Terminal: A web-browser-based access to an acquirer, processor, or third party service provider website to authorize payment card transactions, where the merchant manually enters payment card data on behalf of the customer, or provides the customer with computer/device access to the internet to enter their own card transaction data for processing. Unlike POS terminals, virtual payment terminals do not read data directly from a payment card. In addition, the web interface must be properly configured to secure the CHD; it must route the transaction through the designated approved PCI network and not onto the main network for the University.
Last Updated: January 7, 2022
Electronic Personnel Action Form
Electronic Personnel Action Form
Overview: This documentation focuses on entering EPAFs for Part Time Faculty, Special Payments, and Student workers.
Resources:
- EPAF General Instructions (UPDATED: 10/5/2018)
- Hire Part Time Faculty – E50PTF (Includes instructions for E50CE – Continuing Ed)
- Hire Part Time EPA Staff – E50PTS
- Special Pay for Full Time Employee – E45SP
Last Updated: October 5, 2018
Endowment Overview and Update Training
Endowment Overview and Update Recorded Presentation (20-minute video)
Purpose: To share the results of the annual spending calculation and to provide a high-level overview of the University’s endowment process. This is targeted to those who manage endowment funds for their department (typically business officers and business coordinators).
Last Updated: April 28, 2023
ePrint User Guide
Purpose: This guide provides instructions for Banner ePrint features used in viewing and printing Banner financial reports on the web. Banner access is required to view reports on Banner ePrint. Adobe Acrobat® Reader and a NinerNET ID and password are needed to use Banner ePrint.
Last Updated: February 20, 2023
Expense Account Code Descriptions
Purpose: Provide a list of Expense Account Codes and Descriptions
Last Updated: December 19, 2023
Expense Account Code List
Purpose: Provides a detailed list of expense account codes.
Last Updated: December 19, 2023
Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Rate Agreement 2023-2025
Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Rate Agreement 2023-2025
Purpose: The Facilities and Administrative Rate (F&A Rate) is the mechanism used to reimburse the University for the infrastructure support costs associated with sponsored research and other sponsored projects.
Contact Email: gca-billing@uncc.edu
Last Updated: December 9, 2022
Financial Management Guidelines
Last Updated: September 7, 2023
Financial Management Guidelines
Purpose: Provides financial management guidelines for business officers and other faculty/staff involved with managing departmental finances. Reference the companion piece to this guidance, the FMG Snapshot, for a high-level overview.
Financial Statement Audit Reports
Purpose: Provide the financial statement audit reports for UNC Charlotte for the past five years.
Contact Email: financialreporting@charlotte.edu
Last Updated: November 10, 2023
Financial Transaction Request (Journal Entry) Guidelines
Financial Transaction Request (Journal Entry) Guidelines
Purpose: Guidelines for departmental staff on how to record different types of journal entries.
Last Updated: September 1, 2022
Fixed Assets Guide Book
Purpose: This guidebook ensures that assets are properly acquired, accounted for, maintained, and disposed.
Last Updated: November 17, 2023
Fixed Assets Training
Purpose: Training presentation on the processes, procedures and everyday activities of the Reporting & Fixed Assets Office.
Register for this two-hour virtual training session by logging into the University’s Learning and Development Portal. Once logged into the Portal, select Learning > Learner Home. Enter “fixed assets” in the search box and tap the enter key. Select the fixed assets result to view the available session and register. This workshop is offered once a year in the spring. For additional Portal details, please reference the Learning and Development FAQs.
Last Updated: April 23, 2024