UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
College of Education
Policies and Procedures
Receipt, Custody and Deposit of University Funds
FY 2005

I. GENERAL STATEMENT:
Procedures for the handling of cash receipts are designed to provide accountability for moneys received in accordance with accepted standards of internal controls. All employees of the College of Education are responsible for complying with the policies and procedures described below. Failure to adhere to these policies and procedures may result in disciplinary action being taken against the employee. The charging of fees or agreements to provide services for compensation are prohibited except with specific knowledge and authorization of the department head, the college/divisional administrator, the Budget Office, and the appropriate vice president. Compliance with these procedures will protect employees when questions arise and protect the University from criticism by auditors and other reviewing officials. The Office of Student Financial Services is responsible for receiving all University moneys after completion of paperwork for reviewing and forwarding on to the University's Bank. Gift receipts will be sent directly to the Treasurer's Office.

NOTE: "Cash Receipts" include currency (U.S. and foreign), checks, traveler's checks, money orders, credit card and debit card charges, and wire transfers.

All employees have an obligation to report any suspected theft, fraud, embezzlement, or any other irregularity causing a loss of cash. Employees who are aware of criminal activity and fail to report it may be subject to disciplinary action. Employees are required to cooperate with any police or audit investigation, and they may be requested to keep their knowledge of the investigation confidential.

II. GUIDELINES FOR RECEIVING FUNDS
A. Cash transactions are routed to the COE Business Office, including donations, gifts or payments.

B. All persons receiving moneys will strictly adhere to University of Houston Policy and Procedures MAPP 5.01.01.

C. The following responsibilities and duties are mutually exclusive and are not to be performed by the same employee:

1. Opening the mail for checks / swiping a credit card through machine / receiving cash and issuing a receipt.
2. Preparing the cash deposits.
3. Reviewing and approving the cash deposit.
4. Logging the cash deposits into COE spreadsheet (used as a log).
5. Reconciling the myUH (Peoplesoft) cost center activity.
   

D. All checks must be made payable to the University of Houston.
    Updated 1/5/05
E. All checks received from UH students must be reviewed against BAFMIS.
F. Prenumbered cash receipts are used for all transactions. These books are kept with the College of Education Business Office fiscal year files.

III. PROCEDURE FOR RECEIVING CASH RECEIPTS
A. Departments/Centers/Institutes receiving moneys will immediately restrictively endorse all checks For Deposit Only and provide the cost center and account     to be credited. A log of all cash receipts must be maintained by each department/center/institute receiving moneys to include the following:

1. Name/Customer Name (Name of Remitter)
2. Purpose
3. Indicate Pay Mode-either "Check," "Credit Card," or "Cash"
4. Amount Received
5. Cost Center Name and 21 or 26 digit number to be credited
6. Account Code

B. A Deposit coversheet will be prepared. A hard copy will be hand delivered to the appropriate
    individual in the COE Business Office. Deposit coversheets will not be accepted if not complete, accurate, and accompanied by two copies of checks,     receipts for cash, or the credit card information(name, credit card #, expiration date, signature, if possible, and phone number). One set of copies will be signed and dated by the Business Office staff and given as a receipt to the person preparing the coversheet.
C. Gifts, if not received in the Development Office, are immediately hand delivered to the appropriate individual in the Development Office. Checks are     restrictively endorsed and the appropriate cost center and account to be credited is supplied. A Gift Transmittal is prepared and hand delivered to the     appropriate individual in the COE Business Office.
D. After the above has been completed, any moneys received totaling $100.00 or greater must be deposited with Student Financial Services in accordance     with cash deposit procedures within one working day of receipt. Student Financial Services shall, in turn, deposit funds with the University bank within one working day of receipt. Amounts less than $100.00 may be held no longer than five (5) working days prior to deposit in a safe or locked drawer.

IV. PROCEDURE FOR OTHER FUNDS RECEIVED
A. There may be occasions when donors will visit the College and express a desire to give money. If this should occur, reasonableness and/or courtesy dictate that a check may be accepted without a receipt being issued immediately. The check should be treated as a "mail" receipt, restrictively endorsed For Deposit Only and entered on the appropriate office log at the first opportunity. Currency is never accepted without immediate issuance of a receipt.
B. All gifts are collected at the COE Development Office. The possible exception to this is when donors send gifts directly to the faculty member or staff member. This procedure will be handled later in the policy under GIFTS.
Updated 1/5/05

V. GUIDELINES FOR DEPOSITING FUNDS
A. Procedures for Journal Entry Request Forms (JERF)

1. Complete JERF according to University of Houston guidelines (see Section VI).
2. Attach back-up documentation to the original copy of the JERF. Retain copies of the back-up documentation, which includes copies of checks, copies of receipts, copies of the credit card information and the credit card transaction report.
3. Foreign drafts, which are those items drawn against foreign banks and requiring presentation to that bank for payment, must be processed on a separate JERF. These items can be identified by the lack of transit coding at the bottom of the check.
4. Credit card information is taken to the Treasurer's Office where they process the credit card, and actually charge the credit card. The Treasury Office sends the credit card transaction back to the COE representative.
5. A JERF is prepared according to UH guidelines. Once the JERF is complete, the credit card transaction is stapled to the JERF, it is signed by the certifying signature and sent to General Accounting. A copy of the entire document is made and filed for reconciliation.
6. Except for credit card transactions, prepare five (5) legible deposit slips (make sure carbons can be read easily) with the JERF number, bag/tag number, and COE name appearing on the deposit slip. Two deposit slips and calculator tape should be locked inside the bag with the money.
7. The following items should be prepared for the University Police to transport to the UH Cashier's office;
   1. JERF, copy of checks and one deposit slip stapled together.
   2. JERF, copy of the deposit slip taped to an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper
8. Paper clip multiple deposits together for transport by the University Police.
   To be kept in COE Business Office:
   
   1. Copy or duplicate of JERF
   2. One (1) deposit slip
   3. Copy of tape run on currency
   4. Copies of backup documentation: receipts, checks or terminal report.
   5. Bag # slip is to be stapled to the back of JERF

B. In the event that cash cannot be deposited the same day it is received, the cash will be physically safeguarded in a safe, locked drawer, or locked in a file cabinet until deposited.

VI. HOW TO PREPARE A JOURNAL ENTRY REQUEST FORM
Updated 1/5/05
A. Long Description - Department name for deposits, (H0058xxx), General Deposit, Bag #, Extension, and initials of preparer.
B. Reference Number-H0058xxx
C. Lines Description - brief description of deposit.
D. Save - Save and Edit journal to Budget Check.
E. Print - Go to the "Documents" tab and print 3 copies of the journal.
F. Complete deposit packets (See Sec. V. 7 and 8) and obtain certifying signatures for each of
    the 3 packets.

VII. PREPARATION OF GIFT TRANSMITTALS
A. All gifts are routed to the COE Development Office. Gifts that are sent directly to a faculty or staff member are to be given to the COE Development Office     within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of the gift.
B. All checks received are to be stamped For Deposit Only. Run three tapes on all checks to verify total. Two tapes will stay with checks; one is retained in     the College.
C. The gift transmittal is approved with the certifying signature.
D. Complete Gift Transmittal according to University of Houston Guidelines.
E. One copy of the Gift Transmittal is retained by the College of Education Business Office for reconciliation and permanent filing. The COE Development office     retains one copy of the Gift Transmittal.

APPROVALS:
Carol Barr, College Business Administrator College of Education
Robert K. Wimpelberg, Dean College of Education
Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance