Glossary of Terms

Account - A 6-digit chartfield code that classifies assets, liabilities, fund balance, revenues, and expenses. Account is digits 1 - 6 in the chartfield string.

Budget – There are two types of scenarios used to track budget transactions in the financial system.
(1) Original - Tracks the permanent base budget for each division and unit.
(2) Adjustment - Tracks temporary budget changes to divisions and units.

Budget Journal Import Template - Used by departments to submit their annual budget to Budget Services.

Carryforward - A University policy that provides for the reallocation of unexpended General Fund balances at June 30 in the following fiscal year.

Chargeback – A journal allocation of expenses made at a central level on the departments behalf such as Postage, Telephone, etc.

Chartfield String - A 25-digit accounting code associated with all financial system transactions. It consists of the account, fund, department ID, program, and class codes.

Class - A 5-digit chartfield code that is used to track or report expenses/income within a department for allocation orders, projects, etc. Class is digits 21 – 25 in the chartfield string.

Combo Code (Account Code) - A 24-digit code that identifies the funding source used for labor cost distribution in the Human Resource system.

Department ID – A 5-digit chartfield code that uniquely identifies departments/operating units. Department ID is digits 12-16 in the chartfield string.

Divisions - All colleges/departments/units are divided into six (6) divisions: Academic Affairs, Administrative Affairs, Instructional and Information Technology, President, Student Affairs, and University Advancement.

Drilldown - The act of moving from the summarized to the specific. In Finance Web Tools you may drilldown on any field that has a magnifying glass.

Empl ID - A 10-digit code which appears on position management reports and uniquely identifies an employee.

Encumbrance – Amount of reserved funds on dispatched (Open) Purchase Orders, designated for pending expenses. Encumbrances represent the available balance on Purchase Orders. PO closure will eliminate remaining encumbrances.

Financial Services Reference Guide – Provides a contact list of University Accounting Services staff and a General Ledger ID reference to assist in reconciliation.

Fiscal Year - A 12 month accounting period that differs from the calendar year. In the California State University system the fiscal year is from July 1 through the following June 30.

Fund - A 5-digit chartfield code that identifies the lowest level at which a trial balance is created (i.e. General Fund POM01). Fund is digits 9 - 11 in the chartfield string.

HR Adjustment - The transaction description associated with a change in the distribution of the monthly payroll in the financial system.

HR Expenditure - The transaction description associated with the distribution of the monthly payroll in the financial system.

Job Code - A 4-digit code that identifies job classification and is used in position management.

Journal – The tool used for recording financial transactions other than Purchase Orders and their payments.

Labor Cost Distribution (LCD) - The process by which payroll expenditures are distributed monthly in the financial system.

Liquidation – Activity on a Purchase Order that reduces the encumbrance and available balance. Liquidation occurs as a result of invoice processing and represents the use of funds. The liquidation amount will not be greater than the PO amount.

Multi-head Count – A position with multiple employees (i.e. Student Assistants, Part-time Faculty etc.)

Operating Expenses - Non-personnel expenditures such as Supplies & Services, Equipment, Instructional Equipment, Telephone, Postage, Travel (In-state & Out-of-state), etc.

Payment Id – A number that PeopleSoft assigns to payments. Drilling down on Payment Id will show the check number, date and amount of the payment.

PO Amount – The current value of a Purchase Order including merchandise, freight, and taxes where applicable. The PO Amount is based on the original Purchase Order and any subsequent Change Orders.

Position - Uniquely identifies faculty, staff and administration and the departments they are assigned.

Position Number - An 8-digit code that is used in position management.

Program - A 4-digit chartfield code that groups expenses and revenues by functional category (GAAP and NACUBO). Program is digits 17 – 20 in the chartfield string.

Instruction - This category includes expenses for all activities that are part of an institution's instruction program, with the exception of expenses for remedial and tutorial instruction, which should be categorized as student services. Expenses for credit and non-credit courses, for academic, occupational, and vocational instruction, and for regular, special, and extension sessions are included. Expenses for departmental research and public service that are not separately budgeted are included in this classification. Expenses in an academic department which are primarily administrative in nature (e.g., academic deans) are not included in this category but in academic support.
Research - This category includes all expenses for activities specifically organized to produce research outcomes, whether commissioned by an agency external to the institution or separately budgeted by an organization unit within the institution. This category does not include all sponsored programs (for example, training grants are included in public service) nor is it necessarily limited to sponsored research, since internally supported research programs, if separately budgeted, might be included in this category. Expenditures for departmental research that are separately budgeted specifically for research are included in this category.
Public service - This category includes funds expended for activities that are established primarily to provide non-instructional services beneficial to individuals and groups external to the institution. These activities include community service programs (excluding instructional activities) and cooperative extension services. Included in this category are conferences, institutes, general advisory services, reference bureaus, radio and television, consulting, and similar non-instructional services to particular sectors of the community.
Academic support - This category includes funds expended primarily to provide support services for the institution's primary missions - instruction, research, and public service. It includes: (1) the retention, preservation, and display of educational materials - for example, libraries, museums, and galleries; (2) the provision of services that directly assist the academic functions of the institution, such as demonstration schools associated with a department, school, or college of education; (3) media, such as audiovisual services, and technology, such as computing support; (4) academic administration (including academic deans but not department chairperson) and personnel development providing administrative support and management direction to the three primary missions; and (5) separately budgeted support for course and curriculum development.
Student services - This category includes funds expended for offices of admissions and registrar and those activities whose primary purpose is to contribute to the student's emotional and physical well being and to their intellectual, cultural, and social development outside the context of the formal instruction program. It includes expenditures for student activities, cultural events, student newspapers, intramural athletics, student organizations, intercollegiate athletics (if the program is operated as an integral part of the department of physical education and not as an essentially self-supporting activity), supplemental educational services to provide matriculated students with supplemental instruction outside of the normal academic program (remedial instruction is an example), counseling and career guidance (excluding informal academic counseling by the faculty), student aid administration, and student health service.
Institutional support - This category includes expenses for: (1) central executive-level activities concerned with management and long-range planning of the entire institution, such as the governing board, planning and programming, and legal services; (2) fiscal operations, including the investment office; (3) administrative data processing; (4) space management; (5) employee personnel and records; (6) logistical activities that provide procurement, storerooms, printing, and transportation services to the institution; (7) support services to faculty and staff that are not operated as auxiliary enterprises; and (8) activities concerned with community and alumni relations, including development and fund raising.
Operation and maintenance of plant - This category includes all expenses for the operation and maintenance of physical plant. It includes all expenses for operations established to provide services and maintenance related to grounds and facilities. Also included are utilities, fire protection, property insurance, safety, security, and similar items. Depreciation on capital assets are not recorded in this category.
Student grants and scholarships - This category includes expenses for direct payments of grants and scholarships to students. This category also includes institutional loan cancellations.
Auxiliary enterprises - This category includes all expenses relating to the operation of auxiliary enterprises, including expenses for operation and maintenance of plant and for institutional support related to the auxiliary enterprise revenues; also included are other direct and indirect costs, whether charged directly as expenditures or allocated as a proportionate share of costs of other departments or units.

Purchase Order – A document authorizing a supplier to ship specified goods or provide specific services.

PO Status Complete – Purchase Order has been closed.

PO Status Dispatched – An open PO that has been sent to the Vendor.

Rate of Pay – The full monthly or hourly rate of an employee.

Reporting Unit - A 3-digit code assigned to all positions. The reporting unit identifies a group of employees for payroll certification and check distribution.

Staff Benefits - State employers cost of contributions for employees coverage of Health, Vision, Dental, Retirement, OASDI, Medicare, Life Insurance, Flex Cash, Industrial and Non-Industrial Disability, Long Term Disability Insurance and Unemployment Compensation.

State University Fee (SUF) - The mandatory fee that students pay to attend the University based on Student level (undergraduate, graduate or teaching credential) and units taken.

State University Grant (SUG) - A state grant program based on financial need available to California residents enrolled as undergraduate, graduate, and teaching credential students.

SWAT (Systemwide Allocation Transfer ) - Funds allocated from the Chancellors Office to the campus for a specific program or project.

Trees - A hierarchical structure developed for each individual chartfield code that is used for reporting purposes. Used to define organizational structure, chartfield summarization levels and reporting relationships.

Voucher/Voucher # - Invoices applied against the Purchase Order. This amount includes all invoices processed in Accounts Payable, either paid or pending payments. Voucher represents the true expenditures related to the PO. Unlike Liquidation, the Voucher amount can exceed the PO amount due to slight variances in the unit price, taxes, or freight that might not be recorded on the PO.

Work Order – Payment for services rendered by another department such as Facilities, Telecommunications, etc.

Specific Funds
Continuing Education Revenue Fund (TM---) - Funds generated through student tuition, workshops, conferences and various grants for credit and non-credit courses and certificate programs provided by the College of the Extended University.

General Fund (POM01) - The predominant fund for financing State operations. The primary sources of revenue for the General Fund are the personal income tax, sales tax, bank and corporation taxes, and the State University fees paid by students.

Housing Fund (TZ001) - Funds are generated from revenues such as rent, interest income, and other revenues received from the operation of dormitory and housing facilities.

Lottery Fund (TY---) - Appropriated each year from the California State Lottery for the enhancement of the instructional program.

Parking Fund (TW---) - Funds are generated from revenues such as parking fees, interest income and other revenues received from the operation of parking facilities.

Reimbursed Activities (PRA01) - Repayment to General Fund for the cost of work, or service performed, for or on behalf of other governmental agencies or outside entities. (e.g., Faculty Release Time reimbursed from Foundation Grants and Contracts, Lease of Facilities, etc.)

Trust Fund (T----) - Used as a depository of moneys received from various sources. Funds maintained in trust accounts are in connection with the following sources and purposes:
1. Gifts, bequests, devices and donations.
2. Fees and charges for services authorized by the Education Code and Executive order to offset the cost of providing services.