Debra Cook
Basic Skills Instructor
ACHIEVE Program
427-5096

New Mileage Reimbursement Rate Effective July 1, 2006 For individuals at USC Upstate who travel on University business using a personal vehicle, the new reimbursement rate will be 44.5 cents per mile.  This is an increase from the previous rate of 34.5 cents per mile.  Please use this new rate when preparing Travel Authorizations (TAs) and Travel Reimbursement Vouchers (TRVs) for travel that will occur on or after July 1, 2006.

If you have any questions about the mileage reimbursement rate or other related questions concerning University travel, please call Annette Jordan or Kim Griffin on the Columbia campus at 62-7-2602.

Vacation Reminder
With the summer months, many of us are taking vacations. This is a gentle reminder to update your phone’s voice mail message and e-mail out-of-office-auto-reply, so that fellow co-workers will know your whereabouts. Thanks.

Summer Grades Reminder Lori Kopf, assistant registrar, reminds everyone that Summer I grades are due at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, July 5. Faculty will be receiving a memo via campus mail.

Campus Capital Projects Status Report

A comprehensive list of the campus capital projects has just been released, and includes new construction and renovation projects, deferred maintenance projects and capital leases.

Bid/Quote Threshold Increase
On June 13 Governor Mark Sanford signed into law S.572, authorizing amendments to the consolidated Procurement Code. The Act became effective immediately. Although purchase procedures have been amended significantly, the ones that will most affect our everyday work are listed below:

• Purchases =/< $2,500 (old code: =/<$1,500) - no competitive quotation required
• Purchases >$2,500 - $10,000 (old code: >$1,500 - $5,000): 3 written quotes required
• Purchases >$10,000 - $50,000 (old code: >$10,000 - $25,000): advertised in the SC Business Opportunities publication (SCBO) and written quotes.

Note: Due to the increase in the first threshold, the transaction limit for procurement cards also increased from $1,500 to $2,500. If you need clarification or have a question concerning other changes, please call the Director of Purchasing, Denis Ellinger at ext. 5771.

School of Nursing Evaluation
The baccalaureate program at the Mary Black School of Nursing is scheduled for an onsite evaluation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in early October. You have the opportunity to provide written input to the evaluation team. All written and signed comments will be accepted by CCNE until September 9, 2006. 

Please direct all comments to: Ms. Sarah Jameson, Accreditation Assistant, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036-1120

Guest Artist Speaks
Last Monday artist Caesar Pagan spoke and showed his work to the Art History 105 Class, taught by Fr. Aaron Cass. Pagan was born in the Bronx, NYC and has been in the Upstate for many years. A textile designer by trade, he has won notoriety for his pen and ink drawings and wonderful dry brush watercolors. Excited about learning all he can, he continually studies his craft of painting, and perfects his techniques.

World Goalball
The World Goalball Championships were held all last week, bringing blind athletes from all over the world to the USC Upstate campus. These pictures show the men’s teams from Lithuania (green and yellow uniforms) playing China (in grey uniforms) playing last Thursday.