[{"id":2000,"date":"2026-05-05T11:22:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/?p=2000"},"modified":"2026-05-05T12:26:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T16:26:36","slug":"updates-to-the-emburse-rental-car-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/updates-to-the-emburse-rental-car-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Updates to the Emburse Rental Car Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Whether you\u2019re heading to a conference across the state or visiting a partner institution, getting from point A to point B should be the easiest part of your trip. To support a smoother booking and reimbursement experience, we\u2019ve enhanced the Rental Car Tile in Emburse with updated guidance and policy prompts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s New<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>New in-system alerts when selections fall outside policy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Required justifications for non-contracted vendors or larger vehicle types<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Updated guidance aligned with current preferred vendor agreements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>While the tile itself will look familiar, you\u2019ll notice these updates as you move through the booking and expense process. These enhancements reflect our current preferred partnerships and policy requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"114\" height=\"115\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/05\/tile.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 114px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 114\/115;aspect-ratio:0.9913344887348353;width:122px;height:auto\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The Rental Car Tile in Emburse (shown above) remains the same\u2014updates occur after you select the tile and begin the booking or expense process.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Our Preferred Partners<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU maintains contracts with the following vendors to provide discounted rates and integrated insurance coverage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enterprise \/ National<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hertz<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These agreements are designed to protect both you and the university by including necessary insurance and pre-negotiated rates that align with budget guidelines. All rental vehicles for university business should be booked through one of these contracted vendors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vehicle Selection Guidelines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When selecting a vehicle, please keep it practical:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Midsize \/ Intermediate vehicles (or smaller) are within policy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If your travel requires a larger vehicle\u2014such as transporting equipment or traveling with a group of four or more\u2014you may still reserve one. However, an additional justification step will be required in Emburse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding Emburse Justifications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Emburse will automatically flag rentals that fall outside standard policy. You\u2019ll be prompted to provide a written justification in your expense report if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You use a non-contracted vendor (other than Enterprise, National, or Hertz)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You reserve a vehicle larger than a midsize\/intermediate (e.g., full-size or SUV)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Tip: You can sign up for a free Emerald Club membership to access potential upgrades when booking a midsize vehicle. Details are available on the Travel <a href=\"https:\/\/procurement.vcu.edu\/i-want-to\/travel\/learn-about-transportation-options\/#rental-car\">website<\/a> (behind CAS security).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick Tips for a Smooth Trip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Book through Collegiate Travel Planners (CTP) to automatically receive VCU contract rates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure a personal credit card is saved in your traveler profile when reserving through CTP<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You may also book directly with vendors using VCU corporate <a href=\"https:\/\/procurement.vcu.edu\/i-want-to\/travel\/learn-about-transportation-options\/#rental-car\">discount codes<\/a> available on the Travel website<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When using preferred vendors, CDW and LDW insurance are already included<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Save your final itemized receipt\u2014you\u2019ll need to upload it with your expense report<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Questions about an upcoming trip? Contact <strong><a>travel@vcu.edu<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you\u2019re heading to a conference across the state or visiting a partner institution, getting from point A to point B should be the easiest part of your trip. To support a smoother booking and reimbursement experience, we\u2019ve enhanced the Rental Car Tile in Emburse with updated guidance and policy prompts. What\u2019s New While the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2024,"featured_media":2003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[184,198],"class_list":["post-2000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-procurement-services","tag-emburse","tag-rental-cars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1996,"date":"2026-05-04T13:33:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T17:33:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/?p=1996"},"modified":"2026-05-05T13:04:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T17:04:29","slug":"enhancing-safety-new-international-travel-approval-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/enhancing-safety-new-international-travel-approval-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Enhancing Safety: New International Travel Approval Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>At VCU, our commitment to our faculty, staff, and students extends far beyond the borders of our campus. We are dedicated to providing excellent <strong>Duty of Care<\/strong>\u2014the moral and legal obligation to ensure your safety and well-being while you represent the University abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To further strengthen this commitment, we are introducing a key update to our international travel workflow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s Changing?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As of <strong>Tuesday, April 28, 2026<\/strong>, the routing process for international travel pre-approvals will include an additional layer of review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before your request follows its traditional departmental routing path, it will first be reviewed by the International Travel Advisory Committee (ITAC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why the Change?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The global travel landscape is constantly evolving. By involving ITAC at the start of the process, VCU can provide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Expert Risk Assessment: Real-time evaluation of health, safety, and security conditions in your destination.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proactive Support: Ensuring travelers have the necessary resources, insurance information, and emergency protocols before they depart.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consistent Compliance: Streamlining University standards for international engagements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What This Means for You<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While the primary goal is safety, this update does add a step to the electronic workflow. To ensure your plans stay on track, we recommend the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Submit Early: Aim to submit your international pre-approval requests well in advance of your booking date to allow ITAC sufficient time for review.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monitor Your Requests: You can track the progress of your pre-approval within the Emburse system to see when it has moved from ITAC to your standard departmental approvers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide Detail: Ensure your travel itinerary and purpose are clearly outlined to help the committee provide a swift and informed approval.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Our Priority is You<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This enhancement to our Duty of Care program isn&#8217;t about adding &#8220;red tape&#8221;\u2014it&#8217;s about adding a safety net. VCU wants to ensure you can focus on your work with the peace of mind that we have your back.If you have any questions, please email <a href=\"mailto:Travel@vcu.edu\">Travel@vcu.edu<\/a> for questions regarding Emburse or the pre-approval process and email &nbsp;ITAC@vcu.edu &nbsp;for questions regarding international destination alerts or about the required employee or student travel petitions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At VCU, our commitment to our faculty, staff, and students extends far beyond the borders of our campus. We are dedicated to providing excellent Duty of Care\u2014the moral and legal obligation to ensure your safety and well-being while you represent the University abroad. To further strengthen this commitment, we are introducing a key update to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2024,"featured_media":2004,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[229,282],"class_list":["post-1996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-procurement-services","tag-international-travel","tag-travel-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1996\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1997,"date":"2026-05-04T13:31:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T17:31:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/?p=1997"},"modified":"2026-05-05T12:35:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T16:35:29","slug":"%f0%9f%8e%af-will-it-hit-this-fiscal-year-the-four-step-payable-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/%f0%9f%8e%af-will-it-hit-this-fiscal-year-the-four-step-payable-test\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udfaf Will It Hit This Fiscal Year? The Four-Step &#8220;Payable&#8221; Test"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It&#8217;s the question we hear more than any other this time of year: <em>&#8220;<strong>How do I make sure this hits the current fiscal year?&#8221;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer isn&#8217;t &#8220;send the invoice early&#8221; or &#8220;submit the req in May.&#8221; It&#8217;s a four-step chain \u2014 and every link has to connect by the deadline on the Year-End Calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Four-Step Test<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For a transaction to land in FY26, <strong>all four<\/strong> of the following must be true by <strong>noon on the date listed on the year-end calendar<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u2705 <strong>Purchase order created<\/strong> \u2014 The PO has to exist in RealSource. A requisition still in workflow, awaiting approval, or hung up on a budget check doesn&#8217;t count.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 <strong>Receiver completed<\/strong> \u2014 Goods or services must be marked as received in RealSource. No receiver, no payment \u2014 and no FY26 expense.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 <strong>Invoice in the system<\/strong> \u2014 The supplier&#8217;s invoice has to actually be entered into RealSource. If it&#8217;s sitting in someone&#8217;s inbox, taped to a monitor, or &#8220;on its way from the vendor,&#8221; it isn&#8217;t in the system.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 <strong>Invoice in &#8220;Payable&#8221; status<\/strong> \u2014 This is the one that catches people. An invoice can be entered, matched against the PO, and still sit in Pending, In Review, or Hold because of a match exception, missing receiver, or routing question. Only invoices reading <strong>Payable<\/strong> by the noon deadline are processed against FY26.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why &#8220;Payable&#8221; Is the Real Finish Line<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of &#8220;Payable&#8221; as the invoice&#8217;s green light to leave the station. Until it gets there, the train doesn&#8217;t move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the noon deadline passes and an invoice is still showing anything else \u2014 Pending Match, Pending Approval, Hold, Exception \u2014 it rolls forward into FY27. Same expense, same vendor, same goods\u2026 different fiscal year. And that&#8217;s the kind of surprise no department wants when it&#8217;s reconciling its budget in July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is also why the fourth criterion is the one we see trip up the most departments. You did everything right: PO in place, goods received, invoice loaded. But a $0.04 price variance triggered a match exception three days before the deadline, and nobody cleared it in time. Result? FY27 expense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Stay Ahead of It<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A few habits will save you from a late-June scramble:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\ud83d\udcec <strong>Don&#8217;t sit on Match Exception emails.<\/strong> Every one of those notifications is a transaction at risk. Clear them the same week \u2014 ideally the same day \u2014 they arrive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\ud83d\udce6 <strong>Receive promptly.<\/strong> The single most common reason invoices get stuck is a missing receiver. If goods or services have been delivered, complete the receiver right away.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\ud83e\udd1d <strong>Loop your suppliers in early.<\/strong> Ask vendors to invoice as soon as work is complete or goods ship. Don&#8217;t wait for them to remember.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\ud83d\udd0d <strong>Run a status check the week before the deadline.<\/strong> Pull a list of your open POs and check the status of their associated invoices. Anything not reading &#8220;Payable&#8221; is your action item \u2014 not next week&#8217;s.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Calendar Tells You <\/strong><strong><em>When<\/em><\/strong><strong>. This Post Tells You <\/strong><strong><em>What.<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Specific deadlines for each transaction type \u2014 POs, payment requests, expense reports, P-Card reconciliations, and more \u2014 live on the <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/2026-fiscal-year-end-calendar\/\">FY26 Year-End Calendar<\/a>. Bookmark it. Print it. Tape it next to your monitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But remember: the calendar tells you <em>when<\/em> the door closes. The four-step test tells you <em>what<\/em> has to be true for your transaction to walk through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Questions or something looking shaky on your end? Reach out to your assigned buyer or email <a href=\"mailto:procure@vcu.edu\">procure@vcu.edu<\/a> \u2014 the earlier the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>VCU Procurement Services<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s the question we hear more than any other this time of year: &#8220;How do I make sure this hits the current fiscal year?&#8221; The answer isn&#8217;t &#8220;send the invoice early&#8221; or &#8220;submit the req in May.&#8221; It&#8217;s a four-step chain \u2014 and every link has to connect by the deadline on the Year-End Calendar. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2024,"featured_media":2005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[21,281,47,91,280],"class_list":["post-1997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-procurement-services","tag-accounts-payable","tag-payables","tag-purchase-order","tag-receiving","tag-year-end"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1991,"date":"2026-04-28T12:29:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:29:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/?p=1991"},"modified":"2026-04-28T12:37:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:37:33","slug":"armics-fy26-friendly-reminder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/armics-fy26-friendly-reminder\/","title":{"rendered":"ARMICS FY26 \u2013 Friendly Reminder"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026 \u23f0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of VCU\u2019s annual ARMICS (Agency Risk Management and Internal Control Standards) process, departments are asked to review key financial activities, assess potential risks, and confirm that appropriate internal controls are in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This process helps ensure our operations remain accurate, consistent, and well-documented\u2014and we appreciate your role in supporting that effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What to Do<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you haven\u2019t already completed your ARMICS review, here are your next steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Review your department\u2019s assigned areas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Address any outstanding items<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Submit your certification by <strong>Friday<\/strong>, <strong>May 1, 2026<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve already finished\u2014thank you for taking care of it early! If not, there\u2019s still time to wrap things up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Need Help?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have questions or need support, resources are available through the Controller\u2019s Office website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026 \u23f0 As part of VCU\u2019s annual ARMICS (Agency Risk Management and Internal Control Standards) process, departments are asked to review key financial activities, assess potential risks, and confirm that appropriate internal controls are in place. This process helps ensure our operations remain accurate, consistent, and well-documented\u2014and we appreciate your role [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2024,"featured_media":1993,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[159,161,188,158,162,160],"tags":[178,249,250,279,278,277],"class_list":["post-1991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-budget","category-controllers-office","category-grants-and-contracts","category-procurement-services","category-resource-and-financial-analysis","category-treasury-services","tag-armics","tag-controller","tag-internal-controls","tag-management","tag-risk","tag-testing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1991"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1988,"date":"2026-04-28T12:08:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/?p=1988"},"modified":"2026-04-28T12:37:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:37:08","slug":"%f0%9f%94%92-a-quick-heads-up-on-social-security-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/%f0%9f%94%92-a-quick-heads-up-on-social-security-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udd12 A Quick Heads-Up on Social Security Numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We wanted to share a friendly reminder that&#8217;s been on our radar lately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Procurement Services has noticed an uptick in documents being submitted \u2014 attached to requisitions, uploaded into systems, sent over email \u2014 that include full Social Security Numbers (SSNs). We know this is almost always unintentional, so we wanted to make it easy to know what to do going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A Little Context<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SSNs are among the most sensitive pieces of personal information out there. When they show up somewhere they shouldn&#8217;t \u2014 an email, an attachment, a system upload \u2014 it creates real risk for the individual involved and for the university. The good news: this is very easy to prevent once you know what to look for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Simple Guidance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most procurement transactions don&#8217;t require an SSN at all. Before attaching or uploading any document that includes one \u2014 in RealSource, Works, Chrome River, email, or anywhere else \u2014 it&#8217;s worth a quick gut check:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>Does this process actually need an SSN?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>More often than not, it doesn&#8217;t. If you&#8217;re unsure, reach out to the relevant team before submitting and they can confirm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A Better Path for One-Time Individual Payments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a lot of payments to individuals \u2014 honoraria, awards and prizes, stipends, research participant compensation \u2014 <strong>there&#8217;s a way to skip SSN handling on your end entirely: <a href=\"https:\/\/procurement.vcu.edu\/i-want-to\/pay-an-individual\/make-a-payment-using-candex\/\">Candex<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/Candex-1-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1989 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/1024;width:630px;height:auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/Candex-1-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/Candex-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/Candex-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/Candex-1-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/Candex-1.png 1080w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Candex is VCU&#8217;s secure third-party payment platform for one-time payees, accessible as a catalog in RealSource. Rather than collecting a W-9 from the recipient and routing it through email, attachments, or shared drives, the payee enters their own information \u2014 including their SSN \u2014 directly into Candex&#8217;s secure portal. The data gets where it needs to go without ever passing through a VCU inbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re processing one of those payment types, <strong>it&#8217;s worth checking whether Candex fits before you start collecting paperwork. Less for you to handle, less for us to redact, and the recipient&#8217;s information stays better protected end-to-end.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If a Document Happens to Contain One<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes you&#8217;re working with a form or record that includes an SSN and you need to submit it for another reason entirely. In that case, just redact the SSN before it goes anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A couple of things worth knowing about redaction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Placing a black box over text in a PDF doesn&#8217;t always remove the underlying data \u2014 use your PDF editor&#8217;s actual redaction function (Adobe Acrobat has a dedicated &#8220;Redact&#8221; tool) or remove the field entirely<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A marker on a printed and scanned page may not hold up either \u2014 the number can sometimes still be recovered<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When in doubt, remove the SSN entirely if the document&#8217;s purpose doesn&#8217;t require it. Showing only the last 4 digits is fine when partial identification is genuinely needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What This Helps Avoid<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond the security piece, submissions with unredacted SSNs can result in delays or require resubmission \u2014 so catching it upfront saves everyone time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Questions? We&#8217;re Happy to Help<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re ever unsure whether an SSN is needed, how to redact properly, or which channel is appropriate for sensitive documents, just reach out to Procurement Services before submitting. We&#8217;d much rather answer a quick question than have to sort things out after the fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for helping keep our community&#8217;s information safe! \ud83d\ude4c<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We wanted to share a friendly reminder that&#8217;s been on our radar lately. Procurement Services has noticed an uptick in documents being submitted \u2014 attached to requisitions, uploaded into systems, sent over email \u2014 that include full Social Security Numbers (SSNs). We know this is almost always unintentional, so we wanted to make it easy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2024,"featured_media":1990,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[21,65,275,76,4],"class_list":["post-1988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-procurement-services","tag-accounts-payable","tag-candex","tag-email","tag-invoices","tag-purchasing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1988\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1985,"date":"2026-04-28T11:45:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T15:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/?p=1985"},"modified":"2026-05-04T11:54:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T15:54:05","slug":"what-you-need-to-know-about-12-and-15-passenger-van-rentals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/what-you-need-to-know-about-12-and-15-passenger-van-rentals\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Need to Know About 12- and 15-Passenger Van Rentals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Planning a group trip for a department outing, club event, or research project often means using a 12- or 15-passenger van. Because these vehicles handle differently than standard cars, both university policies and rental vendor rules must be followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a simplified guide to help you stay compliant and safe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Driver Qualifications (University Requirements)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To be eligible to drive a passenger van under university policy, all drivers must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Be <strong>at least 20 years old<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have held a valid driver\u2019s license for <strong>at least two years<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have no medical conditions that could interfere with safe vehicle operation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.public.doctract.com\/doctract\/documentportal\/08DA32A740D337F56ACCABBD7768710A\">Vehicle Accident Prevention and Safety Policy<\/a> and sign the required <a href=\"https:\/\/healthsafety.vcu.edu\/media\/healthsafety\/assets\/insurance-risk\/Vehicle_Accident_Prevention_and_Safety_Acknowledgement_Form-EditedForm.pdf\">acknowledgment form<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Required Training<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before transporting passengers, drivers must complete all of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/safetyserve.com\/VCU\">University-authorized online defensive driving course<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/healthsafety.vcu.edu\/operational-risk\/driver-training\/\">University-authorized van driving safety course<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/police.vcu.edu\/services\/van-driver-class\/\">In-person \u201cbehind-the-wheel\u201d van training conducted by VCU Police<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong> Schedule your behind-the-wheel training early\u2014sessions fill up quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Rental Vendor Age Requirements (Important Distinction)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to university requirements, rental companies may have their own <strong>minimum age policies<\/strong>, which can be stricter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>University minimum age to drive:<\/strong> 20<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rental company minimum age to rent\/drive their vehicles:<\/strong> Often <strong>21\u201325+<\/strong>, depending on the vendor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Vendor<\/th><th>Minimum Age<\/th><th>What This Means<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Enterprise\/National<\/td><td>25+<\/td><td>You must be 25 or older to rent through them, even though the university allows drivers 20+<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Hertz<\/td><td>Typically 21+ (may vary)<\/td><td>Some flexibility, but drivers must still meet university requirements<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key takeaway:<\/strong><br>You must meet <strong>both<\/strong> the university\u2019s requirements <strong>and<\/strong> the rental company\u2019s requirements. If a vendor requires a higher minimum age, that rule takes precedence for that rental.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> Contact <a href=\"mailto:travel@vcu.edu\">travel@vcu.edu<\/a> if you have any questions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Planning a group trip for a department outing, club event, or research project often means using a 12- or 15-passenger van. Because these vehicles handle differently than standard cars, both university policies and rental vendor rules must be followed. Here\u2019s a simplified guide to help you stay compliant and safe: 1. Driver Qualifications (University Requirements) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2024,"featured_media":1986,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[100,197,221,274,3],"class_list":["post-1985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-procurement-services","tag-enterprise","tag-hertz","tag-national","tag-passenger-vans","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1983,"date":"2026-04-28T10:34:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/?p=1983"},"modified":"2026-04-28T12:38:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:38:17","slug":"how-to-combine-business-and-personal-travel-at-vcu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/how-to-combine-business-and-personal-travel-at-vcu\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Combine Business and Personal Travel at VCU"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When you\u2019re traveling on behalf of Virginia Commonwealth University, there\u2019s a bit of planning required to keep your finances and the University&#8217;s separate. Mixed-purpose travel, often called \u201cblended travel&#8221; refers to trips that combine business responsibilities with personal leisure time, requiring careful allocation and separation of personal and business expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is your quick guide to arranging a mixed-purpose trip while staying compliant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Booking<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re flying solo for business, the <a href=\"https:\/\/us.ctmsmart.com\/\">Lightning online portal<\/a> is great. But if your blended trip costs more than the business-only itinerary, you <strong>must<\/strong> use a CTP agent to book your travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All mixed-purpose trips with a <strong>higher fare than the business-only itinerary<\/strong>, must be booked directly through a <strong>Collegiate Travel Planners (CTP) agent <\/strong>by calling\u00a0 <strong>888-742-2896<\/strong> or emailing <strong>vcu@ctptravelservices.com<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The agent\u2019s job is to determine what the trip <em>would<\/em> have cost if you were only doing business. They will document the lowest reasonable available economy-class fare considering both time and cost for your required business dates in your reservation. This acts as the &#8220;price ceiling&#8221; for what VCU will cover.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the ticket including the leisure portion costs <strong>the same or less<\/strong> <strong>than the business-only itinerary<\/strong>, VCU will pay for the entirety of the ticket. This can be booked through Lightning or with a CTP agent. You must provide a cost comparison made at the time of booking with your expense report.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Splitting the Bill<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the biggest perks of this procedure is that you don\u2019t have to wait for a reimbursement to separate your airfare costs. The split happens right at the time of booking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Business Portion &amp; Booking Fee &#8211; Charged to the Agency Travel Card (ATC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Personal Portion &amp; Booking Fee &#8211; Must be paid at the time of booking using a personal credit card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong> Make sure you have your personal card added to your traveler profile in Lightning. You\u2019ll need to pay for your portion of the fare immediately to confirm the reservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For questions please contact <a href=\"mailto:travel@vcu.edu\">travel@vcu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you\u2019re traveling on behalf of Virginia Commonwealth University, there\u2019s a bit of planning required to keep your finances and the University&#8217;s separate. Mixed-purpose travel, often called \u201cblended travel&#8221; refers to trips that combine business responsibilities with personal leisure time, requiring careful allocation and separation of personal and business expenses. Here is your quick guide [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2024,"featured_media":1984,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[272,32,244,3],"class_list":["post-1983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-procurement-services","tag-booking","tag-ctp","tag-lightning","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1978,"date":"2026-04-20T10:59:56","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T14:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/?p=1978"},"modified":"2026-04-21T16:31:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T20:31:26","slug":"2026-fiscal-year-end-calendar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/2026-fiscal-year-end-calendar\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Fiscal Year End Calendar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Greetings! As we approach the end of the fiscal year, let\u2019s ensure a smooth wrap-up for 2026. Please take note of the key dates and tasks in the procurement closing schedule located in the document library on the Procurement Service website. <br><a href=\"https:\/\/procurement.vcu.edu\/document-library\/university-purchasing\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1GNE1k4_Nj1n7UOFH6z1zVvYrlbHKHjlQ\/edit?usp=sharing&amp;ouid=113738040551684981291&amp;rtpof=true&amp;sd=true\">Year End Activities FY26<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"394\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/image-1024x394.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1982 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/image-1024x394.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/image-300x115.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/image-768x295.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/image-1536x591.png 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1257\/2026\/04\/image-2048x788.png 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/394;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>VCU Procurement Services<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Greetings! As we approach the end of the fiscal year, let\u2019s ensure a smooth wrap-up for 2026. Please take note of the key dates and tasks in the procurement closing schedule located in the document library on the Procurement Service website. Year End Activities FY26 VCU Procurement Services<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2024,"featured_media":1979,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[21,127,271,4,5],"class_list":["post-1978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-procurement-services","tag-accounts-payable","tag-fiscal-year-end","tag-fy26","tag-purchasing","tag-realsource"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1978"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1978\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1965,"date":"2026-04-07T12:56:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/?p=1965"},"modified":"2026-04-07T12:56:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:56:55","slug":"why-the-po-date-matters-for-early-payment-discounts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/why-the-po-date-matters-for-early-payment-discounts\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the PO Date Matters for Early Payment Discounts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Early Payment Discounts (EPDs) help VCU stretch its purchasing dollars by allowing certain vendors to accept slightly reduced payments in exchange for faster payment than the standard 35-day terms. The program usually runs smoothly, but questions often arise during vendor transitions\u2014when a vendor is added to or removed from the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>EPD terms follow the PO, not the calendar<\/strong><br>Changes to a vendor\u2019s EPD arrangement apply only to new purchase orders going forward. Existing POs retain the terms they were created with; no PO is updated retroactively. This creates a natural transition window where old and new POs coexist under different terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How this works in practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>New vendor added to EPD:<\/strong> Only POs created after enrollment carry the discount. Existing open POs remain at full value. Departments may choose to replace older POs if they want to take advantage of the new terms immediately.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vendor exits EPD:<\/strong> Existing POs keep the discount until closed; only new POs reflect the non-discounted terms. Replacing old POs is the way to get a clean break.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Discounts already applied cannot be reversed, nor can they be applied retroactively to previously paid invoices.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Encumbrance cleanup during transition<\/strong><br>As discounted invoices are paid against older POs, small encumbrance balances may remain. A monthly script in Banner usually clears these automatically, but manual Journal Vouchers may occasionally be needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Questions about a specific vendor or PO?<\/strong><br>Check the \u201cEarly Payment Discount Vendors\u201d link on the RealSource homepage. For questions about a specific vendor or to enroll a vendor, contact Purchasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More details are available on the <a href=\"https:\/\/controller.vcu.edu\/cost-analysis\/fringe-benefit-rates\/\">Early Payment Discounts page<\/a> of the Procurement Services website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Early Payment Discounts (EPDs) help VCU stretch its purchasing dollars by allowing certain vendors to accept slightly reduced payments in exchange for faster payment than the standard 35-day terms. The program usually runs smoothly, but questions often arise during vendor transitions\u2014when a vendor is added to or removed from the program. EPD terms follow the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2024,"featured_media":1975,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[21,119,263,76,56,4,5,60],"class_list":["post-1965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-procurement-services","tag-accounts-payable","tag-early-payment-discounts","tag-epd","tag-invoices","tag-purchase-orders","tag-purchasing","tag-realsource","tag-vendors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1966,"date":"2026-04-07T12:41:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:41:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/?p=1966"},"modified":"2026-04-07T12:41:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T16:41:51","slug":"fringe-rate-changes-for-fiscal-year-2026-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/fringe-rate-changes-for-fiscal-year-2026-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Fringe Rate Changes for Fiscal Year 2026: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Controller&#8217;s Office and the Budget Office are working on updating the fringe rates applicable to fiscal year 2026. Formal rate approval was received on March 10, 2026, and is applicable to transactions incurred on or after July 1, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Updated Fringe Rates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Faculty\/Classified Fringe: 38.8% (increase from 38.1%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hourly Fringe: 7.4% (decrease from 7.5%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Update Process \u2013 Controller&#8217;s Office<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Payroll:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Input new rates in Banner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>New rates will be automatically applied to labor starting March 25, 2026 (Pay Period 7).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost Accounting and Financial Reporting:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prepare and post adjusting journal entries in Banner for all applicable labor from July 1, 2025, through March 24, 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Grants &amp; Contracts (G&amp;C) Accounting:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fringe adjustments on ongoing grants and contracts will be included on invoices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If a grant or contract has ended, departments will be required to provide an account to cover the unbilled fringe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Update Process \u2013 Budget Office<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Budget Office will process funding uploads to support budget adjustments related to E&amp;G fringe increases and any applicable University Fee increases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information, visit: <a href=\"https:\/\/controller.vcu.edu\/cost-analysis\/fringe-benefit-rates\/\">https:\/\/controller.vcu.edu\/cost-analysis\/fringe-benefit-rates\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Controller&#8217;s Office and the Budget Office are working on updating the fringe rates applicable to fiscal year 2026. Formal rate approval was received on March 10, 2026, and is applicable to transactions incurred on or after July 1, 2025. Updated Fringe Rates Update Process \u2013 Controller&#8217;s Office Update Process \u2013 Budget Office The Budget [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2024,"featured_media":1974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[159,161],"tags":[266,264,268,168],"class_list":["post-1966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-budget","category-controllers-office","tag-budget-updates","tag-fringe-rates","tag-grants-and-contracts","tag-payroll"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2024"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/procurement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]