CORE Support Uprooted Myths
Providing Clarity for Business Processes
It’s not uncommon for inaccurate or incomplete information about business processes to circulate. CALS staff, faculty, and students are invited to submit such “myths” to CORE Support for review. We will clarify or confirm their accuracy by responding directly to the individual who submitted them and sharing select examples during the CALS Finance Forums and on our website to help address common misconceptions.
Submitted and Answered “Myths”
Contract services (less than $5,000 and registered as a vendor) require a formal contract to be in place to pay an invoice.
Partially Uprooted: For independent contractors conducting business under their Social Security Number (SSN), a signed Independent Contractor Agreement is required before payment can be processed, regardless of the payment amount.
Payments under $5,000, the payment is processed through the voucher system and requires a Contract Control Number. The Contract Control Number is assigned by the University Contract Review team after the Independent Contractor Agreement has been reviewed and approved. The University does not sign contracts after-the-fact. If a required contract was not approved prior to services being provided, the invoice must be processed as a confirming purchase order, which requires a justification memo.
Vendors, even longtime vendors, now need to be set up in PaymentWorks.
Confirmed: Suppliers must be in the Supplier Center to be paid by NC State. New suppliers, or existing suppliers who need to update information, must complete the process through PaymentWorks.
JV requests must be submitted within 30 days of a transaction posting.
Confirmed: While you can technically submit them at any time, it is highly recommended and expected that you submit them within 30 days.
There are no requirements as to how quickly I submit an invoice for payment.
Uprooted/busted: Invoices must be submitted promptly upon receipt by departmental units to ensure compliance with the State Budget Manual and the North Carolina Procurement Manual.
I have to provide hotel comparisons if I am staying at the hotel where the conference is being held, and the base rate exceeds $300/night.
Uprooted/busted: Per the Travel Manual, hotel comps are not required for lodging exceeding $300/night when the hotel is the conference/event location or the conference/event has a negotiated rate with the hotel. Simply upload the lodging option documentation into your TA/TR.
I can’t take rental cars on gravel roads because we don’t have supplemental insurance.
Uprooted/busted: When renting through the required state term contract, supplemental insurance is included. Driving on dirt or gravel roads? You’re covered!
Reimbursement for continental breakfast is not allowed.
Uprooted/busted: Per the Travel Manual, a traveler may be reimbursed for breakfast even if the lodging establishment or conference offers a free continental breakfast. Continental breakfasts include grab-and-go pre-made food options (i.e., baked goods, fruit, cereal, yogurt, etc.).
Uniform Guidance only applies to competitive grants (e.g., NIFA, NSF, etc.) awarded to NC State PIs/Co-PIs.
Uprooted/busted: UG, or Uniform Guidance, applies to all federal funding (competitive, capacity, etc.), though we also need to refer to agency-specific terms and conditions.
Since the 2019 3D Memo, Student Fees are and will continue to be unallowable on ledger 5 projects. This is an NC State rule.
Confirmed:
- UG requires costs to be consistently paid from all sources
- However, Student Fees were primarily charged to ledger 5 projects
- To pay fees across all sources would cost ~$12M per semester
- Therefore, the university has retained the stance that they are not permissible