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Frequently Asked Questions

PAYMENT

• Why do you charge fees for workshops that help employees add to their skills or improve their performance? How can I pay for these workshops?
  
  
• Why are charge card payments for workshops processed immediately - even when workshops are months away - but payments made by cost object number aren't processed until after workshops are held?
  
  
• Why do you request payment information if I just want to get on a waitlist? And if I use a charge card to get on a waitlist, why am I billed for the class when I don't even have a seat yet? What happens to that money if I don't get into the workshop?
  
  
• Doesn't our benefits package pay for workshops after a certain period of service?
  
  
• You charged me for a workshop but shouldn't have. How do I get a refund?
  
  
• I need a receipt for a workshop.

Why do you charge fees for workshops that help employees add to their skills or improve their performance? How can I pay for these workshops?

Some organizations offer workshops to employees at no charge. Other organizations use a fee-based model.

From an employee development perspective, charging fees imparts a real dollar value to workshops and to the time and effort that employees invest in learning. This encourages attendance, participation, and active learning. From an administrative perspective, offering all workshops at no charge would result in a large increase in registrations for trainings not necessarily aligned with employees' development plans. This increase would require additional training staff, space, equipment, and funding. From a management perspective, workshop fees encourage supervisors and staff to partner together in order to prioritize and plan professional development. Therefore, to manage Duke resources more efficiently, L&OD charges fees for most workshops.

L&OD is not a "for-profit" center. Our pricing recovers only a small portion of the costs involved in presenting workshops and is very competitive in the marketplace. Customer evaluations consistently rate our instructors and workshops very highly.

Some payment options follow:

• Department funds: More than 95% of workshop fees are covered by DUHS and University departments. Please check with your supervisor and ask about your department's training and development policy. For department funds to cover a workshop, the training must usually be consistent with the employee's development plan. Payments may be made by SAP R/3 cost object number, Internal Request and Invoice (IRI) form or procurement card.
  
  
• Personal funds: If other funding is not available, or if an employee prefers to enroll in a workshop without his or her department's involvement, we also accept cash (exact amount), personal checks, Mastercard and Visa.
  
  For payments by cash or check, we request registration in person. In compliance with security guidelines, payments by Mastercard and Visa can only be completed through the online registration process.
  
  If you register online, you will be prompted for your manager's name and email. But again, if you prefer to take a workshop on your own without department involvement, simply type "blank" for your manager's first and last names, and in the "manager's email" field, enter your own email address a second time.
  
  
• Employee Development Initiative (EDI): The EDI provides continuing education funds to qualifying Duke University Hospital employees. For more information, please visit the EDI web page using the link above, or paste the following address in your browser: http://www.hr.duke.edu/train/duhedi/index.html, or call 668-2170.

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Why are charge card payments for workshops processed immediately - even when workshops are months away - but payments by cost object number aren't processed until after workshops are held?

The DukePay credit processing system applies credit card and procurement charges immediately. This ensures the highest possible security by eliminating the need for local storage of sensitive charge card information for later use. Actually, no other human eyes need to see the information at all, except in case of a refund or an audit. The charge card information is only retained in the banking/financial system where the payment was processed. NOTE - All electronic and paper charge card records from previous years have been destroyed.

There are three disadvantages to instant fee processing:

1. When customers cancel or reschedule workshops, and we refund fees accordingly, the additional transactions require additional tracking and reconciliation.
2. By signing onto a waitlist with a procurement card, you are charged the workshop fee immediately - even though you don't have a seat. (Please see the next question for more information.)
3. If a personal charge card was used, interest starts accumulating from the transaction date according to the cardholder agreement.

While we regret these inconveniences, security concerns have priority.

As a courtesy to customers, we are glad to process payments made by Duke procurement cards. However, please note that internal use of procurement cards is contrary to Financial Services guidelines. All transactions within Duke can be accomplished using cost object numbers, and no transaction fees are assessed or paid to external vendors. On the other hand, Mastercard charges fees on all procurement card transactions, and this money leaves Duke. If your department has a procurement card, your department has a cost object number. Please check with your supervisor or department business office, and use your cost object number whenever possible.

There are almost no security concerns with cost object numbers, so we can handle these transactions in a way that both reduces workload and is more convenient for customers. By processing fees only after workshops are held, we avoid creating refunds and credits associated with registration changes prior to actual workshop dates.

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Why do you request payment information if I just want to get on a waitlist? And if I use a charge card to get on a waitlist, why am I billed for the class when I don't even have a seat yet? What happens to that money if I don't get into the workshop?

We require payment information in advance, and charge card information must be processed immediately for security reasons. If you choose to get on a waitlist using a charge card, the fee is therefore billed instantly. If no seats open up, this fee is refunded after the workshop is held. Please see detailed explanations below.

Advance payment information: People on waitlists for workshops may be contacted anytime right up to the day before the workshop. When time is short, we need to determine as quickly as possible who is able to fill the empty seat. By requiring payment information in advance, we know that departmental permissions have already been granted. The only remaining factor is whether or not the customer is still available, which we determine when we call to offer the opening. If payment information wasn't required in advance, there could be a lag time of several days while the person goes through department channels for approval. We often don't have the luxury of that much time.

Instant charge card processing & refunds: The DukePay credit processing system applies charges immediately. This ensures the highest possible security by eliminating the need for local storage of sensitive charge card information for later use. If you use a charge card to get on a waitlist, and no seats open up, we refund the charge after the class is held.

Preferred alternative: Instead, we strongly encourage use of cost object numbers for getting placed on waitlists - and for paying for regular registrations. If your department has a procurement card, your department has a cost object number. Please check with your supervisor or department business office, and use a cost object number whenever possible. There are four benefits to using cost object numbers:

1. Using a cost object number for internal transactions complies with Financial Services guidelines.
2. Workshop fees are only processed if you actually get into the workshop.
3. Workshop fees are only processed after the workshop happens.
4. Using a cost object number keeps all Duke monies within Duke.

Please see the previous question above for more information.

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Doesn't our benefits package pay for workshops after a certain period of service?

Duke's Employee Tuition Assistance Program, effective January 1, 2007, reimburses tuition for classes taken at Duke or other approved higher education institutions in North Carolina. Full-time employees with at least two years of continuous service are eligible. For more information, please visit the Benefits webpage using the link above, or paste the following address in your browser: http://www.hr.duke.edu/benefits/education/tuition_assistance.html, or call 684-5600.

The short-term, skill-based workshops and programs offered by HR/ Learning and Organization Development do not qualify for the Employee Tuition Assistance Program.

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You charged me for a workshop but shouldn't have. How do I get a refund?

If it appears we have made a billing error, please contact us immediately at
613-7600 or 613-7613. We will promptly investigate and work to resolve the matter. Where owed, refunds will be handled as follows:

• Original payment by cash or check: We do not keep cash or checks on hand. We will complete paperwork to have funds reimbursed through Employee Travel & Reimbursement (ET&R).
  PERSONAL FUNDS: the refund is added to your next paycheck. It is not treated as income in any way - neither taxed, nor added to your W-2 statement, etc. When ET&R has finalized the reimbursement, they will send you email notification.
  COMPANY FUNDS: ET&R will generate and mail a check. This takes approximately two to three weeks.
• Original payment by charge card: We will process a credit to the account.
• Original payment by cost object number: We will credit the amount back through the SAP R/3 system.

Although you can dispute any procurement/ credit card charges directly with your credit card vendor, we request that as a courtesy you notify us first and give us an opportunity to resolve the matter. Of course, if you feel we have not handled your inquiry promptly or resolved the matter to your satisfaction, you always have the option of disputing the charge through your credit card vendor.

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I need a receipt for a workshop.

Your confirmation notice is your receipt, and it can be used as documentation for both personal and departmental financial records.

If you registered online, three confirmations were generated: 1) web confirmation for participant, 2) email confirmation to participant, and 3) email confirmation to supervisor. If you registered using a hard-copy registration form, we will have emailed you a confirmation notice. If you did not provide an email address, we will have faxed or snail-mailed a confirmation notice to you.

If you did not keep a copy of your confirmation notice, please contact us at
613-7600 or hrlodregistration@duke.edu, and we will be glad to create a receipt for you.

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