Roles and Responsibilities

Grant administrators at the department and dean’s office levels provide administrative support for one or more sponsored projects. With respect to financial management of sponsored projects, grant administrators are either “Preparers” or “Approvers.” Preparers complete and process financial, human resource and other electronic and paper transaction documents such as complete financial transactions, initiate re-budgeting requests, initiate no cost extensions, ensure that cost sharing is documented, use monthly accounting statements to monitor and oversee expenditures posted to the projects, reconcile accounts on a monthly basis, assist in reviewing subcontract invoices prior to a PI’s approval, complete necessary cost transfers and labor redistributions, review and approve final financial reports and invoices, assist with the effort certification process, and assist with project closeouts. Approvers approve and monitor documents prepared by others. An Approver cannot be the same person as a Preparer.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to look up the transactions
• View Direct – to run the standard reports
• EDDIE – to run the standard reports

Resources:

• FN 100 - Finance Systems Overview
• FN 102 -Advanced C-FOAPAL & Related Topics
• GL 102 – Retrieving General Ledger Reports
• GC 101 - Grants & Contracts for Professional and Administrative Personnel

 

You will use Journal Vouchers to post accounting entries to the General Ledger.  You may make original accounting entries or adjustments and corrections to previously recorded transactions.

You will need access to:

• Banner - to enter transactions

Resources:

• FN 100 – Finance Systems Overview
• FN 102 – Advanced C-FOAPAL & Related Topics
• GL 101 - Journal Voucher Processing

 

You will use general encumbrances as a management tool to aid in providing an accurate budget balance and during year-end reporting. (These do not include procurement or labor holds on funds.)

You will need access to:

• Banner – to view transactions
• View Direct – to retrieve the standard reports
• EDDIE – to run the standard reports

Resources:

• FN 100 – Finance Systems Overview
• FN 102 – Advanced C-FOAPAL & Related Topics
• GL 101 – Journal Voucher Processing
• GL 103 – General Encumbrances

 

You must process all your unit’s receivable transactions through Banner Accounts Receivable (Banner AR), the University’s centralized billing system, which supports both student (SAR) and general (GAR) accounts receivable. In order to do so, you must post all charges and credits to Banner AR accounts, and in the case of GAR request a new account when the customer does not already exist in Banner AR. You are also responsible for verifying the accuracy of your unit’s receivables in Banner AR and reconciling them to your corresponding accounts in the Banner Finance system.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to enter and look up transactions

Resources:

• FN 100 - Finance Systems Overview
• AR 103 - Accounts Receivable Processing

 

Budget adjustments are made because the unit has changed its plan for allocating its budget. You will use your campus Budget Adjustment Request Form to create and submit Budget Adjustments to the campus Budget Office.

You will need access to:

• Budget Adjustment Request Form (MS Excel) - to request the budget adjustment
• Banner - to verify FOAPAL segments and available balances

Resources:

• Procedure on How to Adjust a Budget
• General End-user Training for the Budget Adjustment Request Form (PDF)
• OBFS Budgeting - Budget Adjustment Requests website

 

You will use Budget Development to update permanent budgets for State, Institutional, and Self-Supporting funds during the annual budget cycle.

You will need access to:

• Banner Budget Development - to update budgets

Resources:

• OBFS Budgeting - Budget Development website
• Budget Guidelines
• Budget Development Web Based Training (FNBD 102)

 

You will use iBuy to purchase or approve the purchases of goods for your department within the University’s procurement guidelines.  Also, you can run reports of iBuy transactions.  

You will need access to:

• iBuy – to enter and approve transactions; to view transaction reports

Resources:

• iBuy

 

As a Cardholder, you can use your P-Card to buy goods and services of less than $5,000 with vendors that accept MasterCard™ within the University's procurement guidelines. After each purchase is made, you will log in to the P-Card system to record the transaction in an Order Log. Also, you may run transaction or vendor activity reports.

You will need access to:

• P-Card – to prepare an order log or to run a report

Resources:

• Purchasing Card (P-Card for Cardholder/Reconciler/Approver)

 

As an Approver, you will review Cardholders’ completed and reconciled transactions before they are recorded in Banner.  As a Reconciler, you will review and match Cardholders’ completed transactions in the Order Log with the charges from the bank.

You will need access to:

• P-Card – to approve or reconcile P-Card transactions

Resources:

• Purchasing Card (P-Card for Cardholder/Reconciler/Approver)

 

You will process the department’s new P-Card applications, modify existing P-Cards and cancel P-Cards.  Managers can run reports of transactions by all Cardholders within their department, vendor activity reports, property transaction reports, or Cardholder activity reports for a specific time period.

You will need access to:

• P-Card – to perform P-Card processing tasks and run reports

Resources:

• Purchasing Card (P-Card) for Department Card Managers

 

You will use the Banner purchase requisition to buy goods and services that cannot be purchased using iBuy or the Purchasing Card (P-Card).  You can also view the Banner Open Requisitions Report.  

You will need access to:

• Banner – to enter and approve transactions; to view the Open Requisitions Report

Resources:

• FN 100 - Finance Systems Overview
• PO 101 – Requisition Processing

 

You will receive and log in Banner purchases by completing the Receiving Goods form.  You can also perform adjustments, overrides, and returns for goods received.  You can query the status of receiving and related documents.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to complete the Receiving Goods form and to look up information

Resources:

• FN 100 - Finance Systems Overview
• PO 101 – Requisition Processing
• RC 101 - Receiving

 

You will locate and review records in Banner associated with vendor payments.

Resources:

• FN 100 - Finance Systems Overview

• AP 101 – University Payables Overview

 

You will complete reimbursement requests for domestic or foreign travel and miscellaneous business expense. Reimbursable expenses include transportation, lodging, meals, parking, telephone, and miscellaneous charges. 

You will need access to:

• Travel/Employee Expense Reimbursement Form (No security access from your USC is required.)

Resources:

• Employee Business Travel Reimbursement Regulations & Policies

 

Hiring employees to the University can involve conducting a search for candidates as well as processing the selected candidate as a new hire employee. HireTouch is a Web-based applicant tracking system, which allows users to easily post positions online and track candidates that apply throughout the entire hiring process. The HR Front End New Hire transaction is used to create a record for someone that is completely new to the University (New Hire) or someone that has been completely separated and is returning to the University (Rehire).

You will need access to:

• HireTouch – to enter transactions
• HR Front End – to enter transactions

Resources:

• HR Front End New Hire Tutorial

 

Changing an employee's job can involve tasks such as FTE changes, salary changes, ending jobs, adding job, and labor distribution changes. Transactions such as these are completed in the HR Front End application.

You will need access to:

• HR Front End – to enter transactions

Resources:

• HR Front End Add a Job
• HR Front End Employee Job Record Changes
• HR Front End Labor Distribution Only
• HR Front End Employee Data Changes
• HR Front End Job End Date
• HR Front End Reappointments
• HR Front End Employee Group/Class Changes

 

A separation is initiated when an employee is leaving the University completely.

You will need access to:

• HR Front End – to enter transactions

Resources:

• HR Front End Separation Tutorial

 

The HR Salary Planner Tool is used by departments to enter annual salary changes and account changes for budgeted positions and associated job records. Job title and FTE changes for Academic positions may also be entered with supporting documentation and approval. Other Salary Changes can be entered as a Job Change transaction within the HR Front End application.

You will need access to:

• Salary Planner – to enter transactions
• HR Front End – to enter transactions

Resources:

• HR Front End Employee Job Record Changes Instructions
• Salary Planner job aids

For additional information, contact your Master Salary Planner:

• UIC – Ken Scott (312-996-4849) kenscott@uic.edu
• UIS – Patti Sims (217-206-6616) psims1@uis.edu
• UIUC – Doug Lamb (217-265-5945) dougl@uiuc.edu
• UA – Jami Painter (217-244-8247) painterj@uillinois.edu

 

You will serve in a Department Originator role to extract timesheets and enter time for employees using Banner.  Other tasks will require you to restart and submit timesheets for approval. You may need to correct timesheets that may be returned by the Department Approver. Also, you may want to create a Proxy to do these tasks in your absence.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to perform entry, review and correction tasks

Resources:

• HRP 100 – Introduction to HR / PR Banner Systems and Structures
• Payroll Overview (recorded webinar)
• Department Time Entry for Bi-Weekly Employees

 

You will serve in a Department Approver role to review and approve timesheets for employees using Banner. You may need to return the timesheet to the Department Originator to be corrected or correct the timesheet before approval. When correcting a timesheet, adding a comment to the timesheet noting the correction is a recommended best practice.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to perform review, correction and approval tasks

Resources:

• HRP 100 – Introduction to HR / PR Banner Systems and Structures
• Payroll Overview (recorded webinar)
• TA105 - Department Time Entry for Bi-Weekly Employees

 

You will serve in a Department Approver role to review and approve timesheets for employees using Web Time Entry.  You may need to return the timesheet to the Department Originator to be corrected or correct the timesheet before approval.  When correcting a timesheet, adding a comment to the timesheet noting the correction is a recommended best practice.

You will need access to:

• Banner - Student & Faculty Self-Service – to perform review, correction and approval tasks

Resources:

• HRP 100 – Introduction to HR / PR Banner Systems and Structures
• Payroll Overview (recorded webinar)
• Approving Timesheets (online tutorial)
• Changing Employees’ Timesheets (online tutorial)

 

You will create a labor redistribution to transfer earnings from one FOAPAL to one or multiple FOAPALS due to an error or just a need for the funds to be transferred.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to create the transaction

Resources:

• HRP 100 – Introduction to HR / PR Banner Systems and Structures
• Payroll Overview (recorded webinar)
• PR 130 - Performing Labor Redistribution

 

You will make a payment to an employee with special, short-term expertise needed by the department.  This transaction allows you to set up the necessary employee and position information before the work item is passed to Central Human Resources for approval and to Payroll for deduction processing. One-time payments can be entered at any point in the payroll cycle.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to create the transaction
• Workflow – to route the transaction

Resources:

• HRP 100 – Introduction to HR / PR Banner Systems and Structures
• Payroll Overview (recorded webinar)
• PR 135 – One-Time Pay

 

You will submit a Student Account Payment Request to USFSCO Accounts Receivable Operations to award departmental scholarships, grants, prizes or awards to individual (i.e., less than 10) students.

You will need access to:

• Student Account Payment Request Form (Web Form)

Resources:

• OBFS Payments to Students
• OBFS Payments to Foreign Nationals

 

You will need to process reimbursements, contract payments, wages, royalties, scholarships, awards, and honoraria as well as adhere to the special documentation requirements for foreign nationals.

You will need access to:

• Banner - to process employee transactions
• Foreign National Processing Forms - for scholarships, reimbursements, payment eligibility determination tasks, etc.

Resources:

• Payments to Foreign Nationals website (some pages require your Enterprise ID and password)
• HRP 100 – Introduction to HR / PR Banner Systems and Structures
• Payroll Overview (recorded webinar)
• Overview – Foreign National Payments, Taxation and Reporting
• Training Materials for Tax Residency Status, Payments to Employees and Students, and Payments to Short-Term Visitors

 

You will request that University Payroll make pay adjustments in the cases of overpayments and underpayments.  Adjustments may be necessary due to late appointments/reappointments, time reporting errors discovered after time has been approved and the payroll period has been closed, adjustments to taxable benefits, employee awards or gifts (cash earnings), and processing terminal benefits.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to enter adjustments
• Adjustment Notification Application (ANA) to enter adjustments
• Workflow – to work with adjustments

Resources:

• HRP 100 – Introduction to HR / PR Banner Systems and Structures
• Payroll Overview (recorded webinar)
• PR 120 - Adjustment Processing for Units
• Adjustment Notification Application Guide (reference manual)
• Workflow Steps for the Originator (job aid)
• Adjustments and Corrections to Payroll (recorded webinar)

 

If you have been designated as a Superuser for a Timesheet Organization, you will need to set up its Routing Queue.  This Queue will contain information as to the Chart and Timesheet Organization numbers and who will fill various roles such as Approvers and Acknowledgers.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to set up the Timesheet Organization

Resources:

• HRP 100 – Introduction to HR / PR Banner Systems and Structures
• Payroll Overview (recorded webinar)
• Working with Routing Queues in Banner (job aid)

 

Departments who handle cash in all forms (including currency, check, credit card and electronic payments) must clearly, accurately and securely account for its receipt, deposit and custodianship. The University Student Financial Operations and Cashier Operations (USFSCO) unit is responsible for formulating, publishing and maintaining the policies and procedures relating to the proper handling of cash. 

Resources:

• OBFS Policies and Procedures Section 10 

   

Departments may request and receive University-approved funds to be used for small miscellaneous petty cash purchases, or for sales change drawers. USFSCO’s Cashier Operations unit is responsible for formulating, publishing and maintaining the policies and procedures relating to the proper training, approval, issuance, reconciliation, and administration of Petty Cash and Change Funds. 

Resources:

• OBFS Policies and Procedures Section 10
• USFSCO Online Petty Cash & Change Fund Website

You must take a physical inventory of the unit’s equipment biennially.  This involves comparing items of equipment physically located in each department’s facilities with departmental equipment as recorded in Banner. You will use the Fixed Asset by Organization standard report to obtain a listing of the department’s equipment.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to view transactions
• FABweb – to update equipment records and transfer and dispose of equipment
• EDDIE – to run the standard reports

Resources:

• FN 100 - Finance Systems Overview
• FA 101 - Introduction to Property Accounting
• FA 102 - FABweb Additions and Updates
• FA 103 - FABweb Transfers and Disposals
• FA 104 - Equipment Loans and Other Transfers
• FA 105 - Physical Inventory of Equipment

 

You will need to keep accurate equipment records in Banner for internal control purposes and to calculate overhead rates. This involves entering information for new equipment in FABweb accurately and timely. You will also dispose of equipment that is no longer needed or that has been damaged and loan or transfer equipment to other departments or institutions. It is also important to update equipment records when their location or use changes.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to view transactions
• FABweb – to transfer and dispose of equipment, and review records for transactions that were entered in Fabweb
• EDDIE – to run the standard reports

Resources:

• FN 100 - Finance Systems Overview
• FA 101 - Introduction to Property Accounting
• FA 102 - FABweb Additions and Updates
• FA 103 - FABweb Transfers and Disposals
• FA 104 - Equipment Loans and Other Transfers

 

Each department is responsible for reconciling their unit’s funds each month. You will use standard reports as well as Banner queries to reconcile your Unit’s Funds and locate budget balances.  Non-standard reports are used as additional management tools. (Non-standard reports must be written by a department user using the Business Objects tool.)

You will need access to:

• Banner – to view transactions
• View Direct – to retrieve the standard reports
• EDDIE – to run the standard reports
• Business Objects – to develop and run non-standard reports

Resources:

• FN 100 – Finance Systems Overview
• FN 102 – Advanced C-FOAPAL & Related Topics
• GL 102 – Retrieving General Ledger Reports
• GL 104 – Understanding University Financial Statements and the Reconciliation Process
• GL 106 – Reporting for Managers

The following AITS training courses are recommended:

• Desktop Intelligence: Reporting Basics
• Desktop Intelligence: Formatting Reports

 

Self-Supporting funds receive its money from revenue generated by providing products or services to customers.  There are unique requirements to establish and manage these funds. You must set rates, review the General Ledger to find fund and cash balances, and use appropriate account codes.  You must also complete year-end tasks specific to these funds.

You will need to access to:

• Banner – to view transactions
• View Direct – to retrieve the standard reports
• EDDIE – to run the standard reports

Resources:

• FN 100 – Finance Systems Overview
• FN 102 – Advanced C-FOAPAL & Related Topics
• GL 102 – Retrieving General Ledger Reports
• GL 104 – Understanding University Financial Statements and the Reconciliation Process
• GL 105 – Introduction to Self-Supporting Funds

 

FOAPAL segments allow departments and the University to categorize financial data for various reporting requirements. Departments can request the creation of new FOAPAL segment codes to assist in the management of their financial information.

Resources:

• FOAPAL Segment Request Forms

 

Departments are required to terminate any unused FOAPAL segments like unused fund, organization or program codes. Terminating these unwanted segment codes reduces the risk of misclassified FOAPALs.

Resources:

• Guide to Terminating FOAPAL Segments

 

You will use the UPS CampusShip system to perform various shipping tasks.

You will need access to:

• UPS CampusShip – to perform the shipping tasks

Resources:

• CampusShip Video Tutorial
• CampusShip User Guide

 

You can retrieve standard financial reports from View Direct (also known as Document Direct) or EDDIE (Enterprise Data Delivery and Information Environment).  Standard reports are a set of reports run at the close of every fiscal period. View Direct allows you to view the reports at month end while EDDIE allows you to retrieve the data using pre-developed reports. Banner is used to query the data source to view up to the moment data and additional information about the transactions.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to view transactions
• View Direct – to retrieve the standard reports
• EDDIE – to run the standard reports

Resources:

• FN 100 – Finance Systems Overview
• FN 102 – Advanced C-FOAPAL & Related Topics
• GL 102 – Retrieving General Ledger Reports

 

You will examine the funds and financial activities that you manage to determine transactions (labor redistributions, journal vouchers, purchases, etc.) that must be made before the end of each fiscal year.

You will need access to:

• Banner – to view transactions
• View Direct – to retrieve the standard reports
• EDDIE – to run the standard reports

Resources:

• FN 100 – Finance Systems Overview
• FN 102 – Advanced C-FOAPAL & Related Topics
• GL 101 – Journal Voucher Processing
• GL 102 – Retrieving General Ledger Reports
• GL 103 – General Encumbrances
• GL 104 – Understanding University Financial Statements & the Reconciliation Process
• GL 105 – Introduction to Self-Supporting Funds
• PR 120 – Labor Redistribution
• PO 101 – Requisition Processing
• RC 101 – Receiving
• Fiscal Year-End Closing and Opening Procedures
• Useful Year End Resources (Fact Sheet Job Aids, Reducing Standing Purchase Order Encumbrances, Year-End Deadlines for Labor Redistributions, etc.)
• Webinar - Fiscal Year Closing & Fiscal Year Opening Procedures (Year End Procedures) – dates will be announced each year