Save the Date!

If you’re not quite ready to jump right in, and instead want to learn more about eShop and our vendors, come out to the eShop Vendor Showcase from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Nov. 19 in the River Building Conference Rooms and Atrium. Dining Services will be showcasing their new menu and there will be draws for prizes! Be sure to watch Today@�Ӱ�ԭ�� for details and our which will highlight the various eShop vendors!

Very important to note!

• All paper cheque requisitions, purchase requisitions and internal chargeback (ICB) forms can be submitted electronically once you become an eShop user. But not to worry – the forms will be phased out gradually by June 2016.

Watch for more information about how to sign up to become a participant in Round 2 (Feburary/March 2016).

On behalf of Purchasing Services and Financial Services,

The eShop Team��

Don’t be caught off guard by financial activity on your student account that can affect your registration.�� This year offers students a new way to stay up-to-date on financial activity.

• Receive a notification when you have financial hold that prevents you from registering!
• Sign up to get an official receipt when your payment is received!
• Know when unpaid fines are posted to your account!
• Get notified when your account is in a refund position…and more!

Login to and click on Manage Email Communications in the Personal Information menu to sign up for a number of notifications.�� You can use this menu to unsubscribe from notifications at any time.

For more information, contact student_accounts@carleton.ca.

Congratulations to Ryan Griffin, a Graduate Student in the Faculty of Engineering and Design!�� Ryan was randomly selected by the Travel and Expense Advisory Committee as the winner of a $250 VIA Rail Gift Certificate.

We value your opinion! ��Click here to fill out our for the chance to win a $250 VIA Gift Certificate. ��The winner will be randomly selected from the participants at the end of the questionnaire period. One entry per participant.

1. ��Errors in Tax Amounts

Taxes….who cares about taxes?�� While we understand that tax amounts on expense items are not your top priority when seeking reimbursement, it is important for the University that the tax components are accurate.�� To ensure our rebates from the government are correct, the Business Office must verify that the tax components of each expense match your receipts.�� While the system attempts to calculate taxes, it cannot always guarantee that the amounts are what you were actually charged.�� It is your responsibility to enter your expenses fully and accurately, including updating the tax components. If the Business Office discovers any discrepancies, they must return the request to the originator before any edits can be made to the document.�� If you experience any problems during the return for correction process, the Business Office is happy to assist you at that time.

For more details on how to update the taxes on expense items, visit the following resources:

• Pages 12-16 of the ,
• The video Updating Taxes on Expenses at , or
• Follow the Travel and Expense Wiki on the left hand side of your screen while in the system.

2. ��Incorrect or Missing FOAPAL/Funding Source

When submitting any request, you should make sure that the FOAPALs in your report are the ones to which you intend to charge your expenses.�� To avoid errors, follow these steps:

1. In the first step of your request (General Information), ensure the FOAPAL in the Funding Default is the one you intend to charge, or at least the one to which most of your expenses should be charged. If it is not correct, delete the existing FOAPAL and add the correct one.
2. While adding your expense items, for any expense that should not be charged to the funding default in (a), click on the Funding link when you enter the line item and change the FOAPAL.
3. Review page 3 of your report before you hit submit to verify the FOAPALs are correct.

If you see a warning symbol next to any of your expenses, either the FOAPAL is missing or you have not included FOAPALs for 100% of the expense.�� You must update these items before you hit submit or you will receive an error.

For more details on how to change a FOAPAL, visit the following resources:

• Page 6 or 14 of the Travelers and Delegates User Guide,
• The video Changing a FOAPAL at ,
• The detailed video Working with Funding (FOAPAL) Defaults at , or
• Follow the Travel and Expense Wiki on the left hand side of your screen while in the system.

3.��Submitting the Wrong Type of Report

It is important to submit the appropriate type of report to ensure your payment is received.�� There are 3 main types of report requests:

Authorization Report: This type of request is used solely for budgeting purposes. You are not required to request an authorization through the system unless you need an advance.�� Authorization reports ONLY encumber funds in FAST Finance – they do not result in a payment to the traveler.�� An authorization report is created by clicking on the “+New” icon in the Authorization Reports Listing.�� If you accidentally submit an authorization instead of an expense report, you can turn the authorization into an expense report by highlighting it in the Authorization Reports listing and clicking on the “Generate Expense Report” button at the bottom right; this will save you from having to recreate the entire report.

Advance Request:�� This request is initiated when you have pre-paid expenses for your trip or when you need a cash advance, as permitted under the Travel Policy.�� To create an advance request, you must start by creating an authorization report (see above).�� When you come to the end of the authorization report click on “Request Advance” instead of submit. If you inadvertently submit the authorization request without the advance request, you can still request an advance once the authorization has been approved by simply opening the report and clicking on the “Request Advance” button.�� Select the appropriate type of advance request, enter the amount you are requesting (up to the dollar value of the authorization), and click submit.

Expense Report: This report is initiated when you return from your trip.�� If no previously submitted advance or authorization is outstanding, the expense report is created by clicking on the “+New” icon in the Expense Reports listing. ��If you are clearing a related outstanding advance you must highlight the outstanding advance in the Outstanding Advance Listing and click on the “Generate Expense Report” button on the bottom right.�� If you are clearing an outstanding authorization, for which no advance was issued, you must highlight the authorization report in the Authorization Reports listing and click on the “Generate Expense Report” button on the bottom right.

��4.��Requesting the wrong type of Advance

When requesting an advance, you are required to select an advance type:�� Cash Advance or Prepaid Expenses Advance.�� Prepaid expenses cover items such as air fare, conference registration or hotel charges you have already paid. Advances for prepaid expenses will be issued any time up to 21 days before your return date.���� A cash advance is provided under specific circumstances as outlined in �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Travel Policy.�� It will only be issued within 14 days before your departure. So, if you select a cash advance when you really have pre-paid expenses, your payment could be drastically delayed.�� .�� Pay close attention to the wording next to your advance amount request – it will tell you the earliest date you could possibly receive payment, not including wait times for approvals.�� If the date is far in the future, and your advance is for pre-paid expenses, cancel the request and select the correct advance type before clicking Submit.

If you have any questions about the system, or require any assistance, please email financial_systems@carleton.ca or visit our website at .

5. ��Missing Documentation and/or Insufficient Information

The Business Office will not approve your electronic report until they receive the required documentation, including the original receipts and signed declaration. This also means your supervisor will not receive it for approval. So the sooner you send the documents to the Business Office, the sooner you will receive your payment.�� The information included in the title, purpose, and comments of the travel claim is used by the Business Office, your supervisor, and the audit team, to determine whether the trip was for University business and/or research purposes. ��It is important that enough information is included in these sections to make this determination clear.�� Keep in mind that the backup documentation which may include information regarding the purpose of the trip is not forwarded to the supervisors who are required to approve the trip. ��A supervisor will not approve the electronic report if they cannot determine the legitimacy of the travel, so always be sure to elaborate in the descriptions fields whenever possible.�� If you are ever wondering where your request is in the process, check the Status History of your report.

For information about supporting documentation requirements or lost receipts, read our FAQ at .

Basic training sessions are available at the end of January through the Learning and Development section of .�� Additional sessions will be posted in the new year for February and March.�� Please follow the links below for other forms of assistance:

Documentation

The user guide for Travelers and Delegates can be found at www.carleton.ca/travel/training/training-materials.

Wiki Assistance

The Travel Process Wiki is available on the left hand side of your screen when you log into the system.�� Pick topics or procedures to assist you in filling out your request, step by step.

Videos

Watch short videos demonstrating how to use the system at www.carleton.ca/travel/videos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Read the various questions and answers available in our FAQ section at www.carleton.ca/travel/faq.�� This section is organized by topic.

One-on-One Help

Email financial_systems@carleton.ca to request assistance.�� We may set up an appointment for a hands on session in your office, or we can send you a remote assistance ticket to share your computer screen.

Visit for more information or visit our videos and tutorials page to watch introductory videos and other tutorials for the Travel and Expense Reimbursement system.

Don’t forget! The paper travel advance request form will no longer be accepted as of Oct. 15 and the paper travel expense report will no longer be accepted as of Dec. 21. If you have received a travel advance via the paper method, you must also submit your expense report on paper.

All continuing staff and faculty who have travelled at least once since August 2011 will be given an account.�� Please watch for email notifications of your account creation from financial_systems@carleton.ca.

Please Note: The paper travel advance request form will no longer be accepted as of October 15, and the paper travel expense report will no longer be accepted as of December 21. If you have received a travel advance via the paper method, you must also submit your expense report on paper.

Log into the FAST Portal at to access this new option. The Payroll Expenses Query is available as a quick link on your MyResearch Dashboard, or in the Research Administration/MyResearch menu listing.�� Access the Phase 2 Help documentation from within the application, or visit .

If you have any questions about the new option, or the MyResearch project, please email financial_systems@carleton.ca.