Chartfield Usage Procedures for Accounting Policy 22101

Accounting Policy 22101

Finance Account Code Structure

Procedure

Chartfield Usage

How chartfields are used can vary based on the purpose of the activity for tracking, budgeting or monitoring.  Below are recommended usages based on key areas or chartfield elements that help enable for system-wide reporting or standardized reporting across all business units. 

• Activities that require a limit to the amount spent should be controlled through the use of a DeptID, as controlled through the budgeting process, or a project code, as controlled through a project budget.

• Grant Incentive funds or Research Incentive funds (RIF or GIF) – Funds used by departments/divisions for research support and are not used to reach a specific outcome or goal.  Awarded to faculty to provide support for their research and to incentivize new research and scholarship opportunities.
  • DeptID should be used to identify RIF or GIF.  The DeptID should use an attribute for the SSCS of “RIF” in order to pull reports on all research or grant incentive funds as outlined above.  It is at the discretion of the business unit whether a separate DeptID is necessary for each faculty member.  If a separate DeptID is not utilized, then another chartfield should be utilized along with the DeptID to identify each faculty member separately.

• Faculty Start Up accounts – Faculty start-up funds as specified in the faculty member's contract.
  • DeptID should be used to identify start up accounts.  The DeptID should use an attribute for the SSCS of “Start Up” in order to pull reports on all start up accounts.  It is at the discretion of the business unit whether a separate DeptID is necessary for each faculty member.  If a separate DeptID is not utilized, then a project code specific to the faculty member is recommended first, then program code if project is not used.  Project is recommended first due to the desire to set time limits on the usage of the funding.

• Faculty Control accounts – Fellowships or support provided to increase compensation, stipends, instruction, development, or travel for specified period of time for faculty.
  • DeptID should be used to identify faculty control or support accounts.  The DeptID should use an attribute for the SSCS of “Faculty Support” in order to pull reports on these accounts.  It is at the discretion of the business unit whether a separate DeptID is necessary for each faculty member.  If a separate DeptID is not utilized, then another chartfield should be used in conjunction with the DeptID to identify the individual faculty member.  This could be done through a class or program code and is at the discretion of the business unit as to which is the most appropriate.  Either class or program are desired when utilizing a single DeptID due to the short-term nature of the funding.

• Fixed Price Contracts – Occurs when the University negotiates a firm price with a sponsor for the completion of a project regardless of the expenses associated with the project. 
  • A grant project code should be used and have an attribute for a fixed price contract in order to track these sponsored awards separately from cost reimbursable funding.  Once the contract is complete, the remaining funds from the completion of a fixed price contract should be transferred to a unrestricted fund using the transfer accounts specific to fixed price contracts (393700 transfer in and 863700 transfer out).

• Gifts & Endowments – Must be recorded in a gift or endowment fund with a program range of L0000-L3999 for endowments, L4000-L5999 for gifts, or L8500-L8599 for capital gifts.  The following gift accounts should be used in relation to the type of gift: 480015 for endowed gifts, 480010 for capital gifts, and 480050-480250 for gifts.  Gifts that require a University match, must also use the same chartfield string, including the program code, as used on the gift.   Gifts where the University decides to match should use a unrestricted fund and the same program code as used on the gift.  If using gift funds to fulfill matching requirements of a grant, the grant project code must also be used in addition to the gift program code.    

• Endowments – Must follow the guidance above on gifts as well as the guidance for endowments in CRR 360.090.  The gift and endowment decision tree may be used to help determine the proper fund to use between gifts and endowments.

• Endowed Professorships – Must follow the Missouri Endowed Chair and Professorship Program guidelines as outlined in CRR 360.090. 
  • In order to identify spending for this program, a deptID with a PCS code of 11 for instruction should we used.  As each campus is responsible for reporting their own activity for the program, it is highly recommended that a program attribute for endowed professorships is used in order to maintain consistent reporting across the campuses.  In addition to the above recommendations, a SSCS code tied to the deptID could also be used to track endowed professorships.

• Plant Fund projects – Project codes are required for projects tracked through the e-Builder system.
• Cost Share – Reflects the portion of a sponsored award that is provided by someone other than the sponsor.  This must be tracked using the same grant project code that is used on the sponsored portion of the award.  However, the fund used for cost share should be outside of the grants and contracts range of 2100-2299.

As an additional measure, DeptIDs that are created related to any of the faculty related activities above, the business unit may consider using the "manager name" field on the DeptID.  This would allow for queries to be ran in instances where a faculty member has multiple DeptIDs and would like to see financial information for all of their related DeptIDs.

In addition to the recommended usage, specific transactions require the use a program code.  System edits for particular funds are in place to ensure the proper usage of program fund ranges.  The program ranges are used to identify a particular activity.  The table below illustrates the chartfield combination requirements.

*L denotes campus indicator/business unit and U denotes specific business unit (UWIDE)

Programs can also be used in funds other than listed above.  If a program code is used, the program selected must fall within the range for the fund in which it is used as listed below

*L denotes campus indicator/business unit