Accounts Payable

The Accounts Payable Office is part of Lesley's Finance Department. We're here to process the following items for our employees:

• Check requests needed for paying invoices
• Honoraria and payments for employees and non-employees
• Expense reimbursements
• Requisitions
• Purchase orders

• Check Requests

  Use a Check Request to pay invoices (e.g. that you receive from vendors) that are not associated with a purchase order. Once your department receives an invoice, have an authorized signer approve it for payment.

  1. Submit the original invoice along with a Check Request Form (PDF) to the Accounts Payable Office.
      
  2. Fill out all fields on the check request form. If you don't know the vendor number, leave it blank and our Finance staff will complete it.
      
  3. Forward the white copy of the check request to the Finance Office/Accounts Payable for processing.
      
  4. If you're submitting multiple invoices for the same vendor, list each invoice with the appropriate invoice number, date, and amount on the check request. Attach a separate sheet detailing the pertinent information. This is necessary because when the payments are made to the vendor, the invoice being paid is listed on the check. If multiple invoices are not listed separately, Finance personnel must rewrite the check request, which may delay the processing of the payment.
      
  5. For all membership and subscription renewals, conference registrations and order forms, send a copy of the form with the original.

  
  Most invoices are paid 30-45 days from date of invoice, assuming the paperwork is received within that time frame and it has been filled out correctly.

• Honoraria

  As of July 2015, all payments to individuals for their services must be submitted through the Colleague system as an "Other" Contract, using the form XCO1. Lesley University Expense Vouchers will no longer be accepted.

  If you don't have access or have not been trained in this process, email it@lesley.edu for training. Complete one of the following Colleague request forms, as applicable:

  • Colleague New Account Form (PDF)
  • Colleague Update Account Access Form (PDF)

  
  Payments to Non-Employees

  Honoraria payments to a non-employee (1099 payments) are processed through Accounts Payable.

  • Honoraria payments must be entered and approved in the Colleague system and received by the Accounts Payable office by Friday to have checks issued on the following Friday.
     
  • If the recipient wants to pick up their check, then enter "PICK UP" in capital letters on the second line of the description of the "Other" Contract. All other checks will be mailed out, so make sure that the addresses entered are correct.
     
  • If a non-employee has not been paid an honorarium before, has not been paid within the last year, or has different demographic information from what is recorded in Colleague, then the non-employee must send a complete W-9 Form (PDF) to Accounts Payable before the data can be entered into the Colleague XCO1 form.
     
  • If non-employee is not a U.S. citizen, then they need to fill out a W-8 Form (PDF). If the non-employee does not have a U.S. Tax Identification Number and works within the United States, then 30 percent will be withheld from their check, per IRS regulations. If a non-employee performs their service on foreign soil, they are not required to have a U.S. Tax ID Number and 30 percent will not be withheld from their check.
     
  • Honoraria payments to employees will be reflected in their paychecks. Therefore, honoraria payments for employees must be entered and approved according to the payroll deadlines. You can view the deadlines for monthly and biweekly payrolls using the Colleague form XPP3. 
     
    • Monthly Payroll: The monthly payroll deadline is the 10th of the month. If the 10th of the month falls on a weekend, then the deadline is the following Monday. Any paperwork submitted after this date will be reflected in the subsequent month's paycheck.
       
    • Biweekly Payroll: Honoraria payments are paid out to biweekly payroll employees on the second payroll of the month only. Honoraria payments must be entered and approved in the Colleague system and received by the Payroll Office by the Friday prior to the second biweekly payroll pay date. If the Friday falls on a holiday, then the deadline is the following Monday. If this deadline is missed, then the payment won't be processed until the second biweekly payroll in the following month.

  
  Exemptions

  The following are exempt from the Colleague XCO1 process:

  • Expense reimbursements to individuals
     
  • Gross-up Payments (Where the net pay equals the amount of the desired payout.)
• Expense Reimbursements

  We reimburse employees and non-employees for personal funds they have expended on behalf of the University.

  Submit a Reimbursement Request

  Submit your request for reimbursement, and supporting documentation (such as receipts), within 60 days of incurring the expense. If we receive the request for reimbursement after the 60-day period, we won't be able to process the payment and we'll return the request to you.

  1. Complete the Expense Voucher Form (XLS) and have it signed by an authorized approver in your department. You can also pick up a paper Expense Voucher Form in the Accounts Payable Office.
      
  2. If you are using the electronic form, enable the macros if a dialog box appears when you open the form.
      
  3. If you download the form to your computer, save the changes each time you open it for the sequential numbering to work.
      
  4. Forward the form with all original, itemized receipts to Accounts Payable for processing via interoffice mail, or drop it off in person. Do not submit the form electronically.

  
  Provide the following information and documentation:

  • Name and address of the person getting reimbursed.
     
  • Social Security number of the person getting reimbursed. Do not write that the number is "on file." Provide the number.
     
  • Budget Number: Include your department's 10-digit account/budget number.
     
  • Approval: You'll need your department's authorized signer's approval. Authorized signers can't approve their own reimbursements. And, employees are not authorized to approve expenses of a colleague or supervisor.
     
  • Receipts: Include all original, detailed (itemized) receipts with proof of  payment. We can not accept copies of receipts. Payments can be made up to $25 without a receipt; however, you'll need to provide an explanation as to why there is no receipt.
     
  • Mileage Log: If you're requesting reimbursement for mileage, include a log of all trips and the mileage for each one. If you're being reimbursed for mileage, there is not an additional reimbursement for gasoline. The mileage reimbursement covers gasoline. Review our travel policies.
     
  • Contact: If the check is going to be picked up, there must be a contact name and telephone number on the form.

  
  Payment Date

  Standard turnaround time for expense vouchers depends on the date we receive it in Accounts Payable. 

  Expense vouchers received by Friday will have checks issued on the following Friday. 

  Checks will be available on the Monday after the check is cut if "Pick Up" is checked on the expense voucher. Otherwise, we'll mail the check early the following week after the check has been processed.

  Reimbursement Policies

  $25 Minimum

  As of November 1, 2013, expense vouchers totaling less than $25 will not be processed. Accumulate your small dollar receipts until the net total reaches $25, or more, before you submit the expense voucher for reimbursement. Do this even if the receipt date(s) exceed the 60-day time limit.

  Catering

  University policy does not permit billable catering for staff meetings, internal departmental meetings, birthday parties, wedding or baby showers, or other personal employee-related purposes.

  Participants should pay for the refreshments for these events. There should be no expectation that the University will reimburse these expenses.

  Farewell parties may be paid for by the University, but the event must first be approved by the department head. The size and expense of the party should be commensurate with the length of employment at the university and the employee's position.

  Individual Memberships

  Individual memberships for warehouse stores (BJ's, Costco, Sam's Club, etc.) are not reimbursable expenses. 

  Gift Cards

  As a Lesley faculty or staff member, you may purchase gift cards as promotional gifts for marketing and recruitment events. You may also purchase them for research study participants. However, you may not purchase gift cards for Lesley University employees and student workers who are employed in the current calendar year. The IRS will consider the gift cards as income and will report them as part of the employee’s salary.

  Gift cards should be for nominal amounts ($25 or less) and must be for specific vendors (such as Amazon, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, etc.). The Lesley University Finance office cannot reimburse you for the purchase of generic gift cards such as VISA, Mastercard and American Express.

  Lesley faculty and staff should not purchase gift cards with the Lesley University Purchasing Card. To get a reimbursement, you must provide a list of gift card recipients, the date the participants received the gift card, and the amount of the gift card along with a Lesley University Expense Voucher.

  Exception: If the gift cards are for research study participants, then you will not have to submit the list of recipients with the expense voucher. Instead, refer to recipients as Participant A, B, C etc. Include the date the participant received the gift card and the amount of the gift card. You must keep actual names of the participants with the research material.

• Requisitions

  A requisition is a request from a department to place an order with a vendor. Departments can use a requisition to request an order from a vendor for advertising, printing, travel, furniture, supplies, books, computer equipment, among other goods and services.

  Once the Finance Department has received the requisition from the Lesley department, we review it and then generate a Purchase Order (PO). A Purchase Order acknowledges that a payment will follow in the future for the goods or services.

  Submit a Purchase Order Requisition Online

  Download and fill out Purchase Order Requisition Form (XLS). Then, have your department's authorized signer forward it to the Finance Department for approval at po@lesley.edu.

  Exception: For catering, forward requisitions directly to Lesley Hospitality and do not forward them to the Finance Department or to the Purchase Order mailbox.

  Filling out the form:

  1. Budget/Account Number: On the right hand side of the requisition form, under budget number, fill out your budget and detail account numbers. For example: 1-6710-52802.
      
  2. Vendor Name: Type the name of the vendor to whom the purchase order will be issued.
      
  3. Vendor Address: Type the address where you want the purchase order to go.
      
  4. Fax: Type the fax number if you want the PO to be faxed as well.
      
  5. City, State and Zip Code: On the vendor side, fill out these fields accordingly.
      
  6. Preferred Ship Method: Type "Best Way" or your preferred shipping method.
      
  7. Building Name: Put the building name where you want your order to be shipped to. For example: University Hall.
      
  8. Building Address: Type the address where you want your order to be shipped to. For example: 1815 Mass Ave., Suite 380.
      
  9. Ship To: On this side, choose the City, State and Zip Code field, and fill out accordingly.
      
  10. Attention: Type the name of the person requesting the purchase order in this field.
       
  11. Extension: Type the extension number of the person requesting the purchase order.
       
  12. Quantity. Type the quantity of items you want to order and the description of the item you want to order. Type in the unit price of the item.
       
  13. Shipping Cost: After all items have been listed, enter a line for the shipping cost. If there is no shipping cost, then enter "No shipping".
       
  14. Totals: You do not need to enter the subtotals or grand totals. The requisition automatically calculates those totals.
       
  15. Save & Send: Save the form as an Excel file, and send it to the authorized signer in your department for approval. Save a copy for your records.
       
  16. Forward to Finance: The authorized signer must forward the approved form to the Finance Department at po@lesley.edu.
       
  17. The Finance Department will email the PO number to the initiator and the authorized signer.

  
  Please Note:

  • If you do not receive an email indicating your purchase order number within 2 business days, contact Accounts Payable immediately.
     
  • For travel purchase orders, if you do not receive an email indicating your purchase order number within 24 hours, contact Accounts Payable immediately.
     
  • Travel requisitions must be received by Accounts Payable by 4:00 pm, at the latest, to be processed that same day. We will process any travel requisitions that we receive after 4:00 pm on the following day.
     
  • Failure to forward travel requisitions to Accounts Payable in a timely manner may result in higher ticket prices which the requesting department will have to cover in its budget. Due to changes in airline policy, the university's travel agency can no longer honor a 24-hour guarantee on ticket prices.
     
  • If you incur fees for any changes made to your original ticket, submit an approved requisition for those fees as well as an explanation for the changes.
• Purchase Orders

  A purchase order (PO) serves as an acknowledgment, or promise, that payment will follow in the future for specific goods or services.

  We recommend that you use a PO for purchases of goods and services over $250. Accounts Payable will not process purchase orders or invoices for major purchases which have not been approved by our Procurement Office.

  After you submit an approved requisition to the Finance Department (see "Requisitions"), and we create the Purchase Order, the amount that is available to spend from the budget—as indicated by the the account number used on the purchase order—decreases by the dollar amount of the PO. This is called an encumbrance, meaning, those funds have been set aside for this purchase and can't be spent elsewhere.

  We mail or fax the original purchase order to the vendor and the merchandise is sent to the "Ship To" address on the purchase order. We then send the pink and gold copies to the department that requested the purchase order.

  The pink form is the department's copy. Once the department has received the goods or services, the department's authorized signer should return the gold copy to the Finance Office, with the signer's approval to indicate that payment for those goods and services can now be made. 

  Partial Shipments

  If you receive a partial shipment, and the remaining balance will not be received within the immediate future, we can make a partial payment against the PO. Make a copy of the purchase order and place a notation by the goods that have been received, and that it is "okay to pay."

  Once you have received all the goods, forward the signed gold copy to Accounts Payable, noting that a partial payment has already been made. This will allow prompt payment to be made on the goods that have already been received. 

  Variances

  Any variances over $50 between the actual invoice and the purchase order amount will require additional payment approval from the department's authorized signer. Approval can be by email, fax, signing the invoice, or noting the increased price on the gold copy of the Purchase Order.

  Office Supplies

  Order all office supplies from Staples. As much as possible, use online ordering for Staples. Contact Procurement at procurement@lesley.edu for information about online ordering.

  Purchases of memberships, subscriptions and conference registrations do not need to be done on a purchase order; a check request is sufficient as long as the appropriate documentation is attached. 

  If a purchase order is still open at year-end and the goods and services have not been received by June 30 or paid for by the end of July, the purchase order will roll-forward to the new fiscal year. When the purchase order is paid, the expense will be recorded in the new fiscal year's budget.

  Blanket Purchase Order

  A blanket purchase order is used to purchase a year round service. An example of this type of service is travel, courier service, books, supplies, etc. Blanket purchase orders are not established for FedEx or Staples.

  Major purchases (totaling $2,500 or greater) must comply with the University's Procurement Policies.

  Submit the requisition with the vendor name and address, description of services or goods, the 10-digit general ledger account number, and the estimated cost for the fiscal year. An authorized signer must sign the requisition.

  Submit any invoices that are associated with a blanket purchase order to the Finance Office. Be sure to include the department and expense line, and the approval of an authorized signer.

  In addition, you must write the blanket purchase order number on the invoice, or the payment will not be deducted from the blanket purchase order. Due to the large number of blanket purchase orders, the Finance Office cannot research the appropriate blanket purchase numbers. 

  If the actual cost of the goods or service used is expected to exceed the original blanket purchase request, you must send another requisition to the Finance Office to increase the amount of the blanket PO. Include the blanket purchase order number on the request. 

  Once the fiscal year ends, the blanket purchase order is closed and you'll have to establish a new for the new fiscal year. This does not happen automatically—the department must request it.

• Due Dates
  • Submit invoices, check requests, and expense vouchers to Accounts Payable on a timely basis.
  • Checks for vendor payments, check requests, reimbursements and non-employee honoraria are processed on Fridays.
  • For year-end (June 30) Accounts Payable must receive payment requests by the end of July, so the expense goes into the correct fiscal year. Once the fiscal year has closed, any payments of prior year expenses will show up in the current year's expense lines.
• Finance Forms

  Check Request Form (PDF)
  Expense Voucher Form (XLS)
  Requisition Form (XLS)
  Departmental Transfer of Expenses Form (PDF)

  Forms for vendors can be found through our Procurement Office.