Glossary of Terms | Accounting

The commitment of budgetary funds for a particular purpose, such as a purchase of supplies or equipment. This transaction is reported when a purchase requisition if first entered into the SUNY system to produce a purchase order.

The spending level designated by fund type for each Vice Presidential area, authorized by the President after notification of the campus's final appropriation amount and spending authority.

The financial plan distribution, at the account and sub-object level, that the President, Provost and Vice Presidents submit based on their Final Allocations. This data will be used to complete SUNY Form I exercise and will be reflected as the opening allocations for the fiscal year on the SUNY accounting system for the funds reflected therein.

This is a term to denote a measure or standard for comparing the number of full time students, faculty and staff between or among departments or institutions. For the purposes of the budget instructions, this definition is confined to its applicability to employees.

A group of accounts within a Major Purpose for specific activities of a related nature. These account groups, defined by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) are used by the State University of New York and SUNY at Stony Brook for budgeting and accounting to standardize the reporting across colleges and universities. The NACUBO Function Classifications help the university to:

- - - Ensure accurate and consistent expense classification
    - Measure and benchmark against peer institutions
    - Provide reliable internal and external reporting

The NACUBO Funcion Classifications are defined as follows:

Instruction and Departmental Research (00)	This function includes all instructional expenditures of the schools, departments, and other divisions of the institution. Expenditures for departmental research not separately budgeted should be included in this function. This category/function excludes expenditures and allocations for academic administration when the primary assignment is administration (academic deans). Some examples of Instruction and Department Research are: Credit and non-credit courses Academic, vocational and technical instruction Remedial and tutorial instruction Regular, special, and extension sessions Non-credit offerings that are part of adult education or continuing education, as well as adult basic education courses (community education) Expenses for department chairpersons and administrators for whom instruction is an important role
Organized Activity (01)	Organized Activities are programs established to support services for the institution's primary mission (instruction and research). This function includes the retention, preservation and display of educational materials (i.e., museums and galleries); services that directly supports the academic functions of the institution such as academic administration (academic dean but not department chair persons), awards, sabbaticals and development programs for faculty. Examples are: Media, technology and audio-visual services Course and curriculum development Academic advising and administrative support staff Academic Dean of a College or School Faculty start-up funding used primarily for academic support activities Faculty recruitment
Organized Research (02)	This function includes all expenditures for programs specifically organized to produce research outcomes. Research allocation can be awarded by an agency external to the institution or separately budgeted by the State of New York. Examples are Federal funds received from the National Institute of Health (NIH), and State funds allocated in support of Sea Grant or Marine Science. This category does not include departmental research associated with Instructional Research. Some examples are: Conferences, seminars or workshops held by a research center to discuss research finding Faculty chairperson, fellows, or professors used primarily for research activities Research assistants and post doctoral research associates Individual and project research Institutes and research centers Research equipment and supplies Research commissioned by an external agency or separately budgeted by an organizational unit within the institution
Public Service (03)	Public Service is a function that includes funds that are primarily established to provide non-instructional services that are beneficial to groups or individuals external to the institution. Some examples are: Community service programs and cooperative extension services General advisory services and consultation Public broadcasting services Conferences and continuing education Note, the services under this function should be outside the context of the institution's instruction, research and academic support services.
Library (04)	This function includes those activities that directly support the collection, cataloging, storage and distribution of published materials, primarily in support of the institution's academic programs.
Student Services (05)	This function includes central administrative services, admissions, financial aid, student records, counseling services, and student activities whose primary purpose is to contribute to student's emotional and physical well-being, and to their intellectual, cultural and social development outside the contest of the formal instruction program. It is intended to expand the educational experience of the student by supporting general recreational activities for the student body, and activities established to support special student groups and organizations.
Maintenance and Operation (06)	The maintenance and operation function consists of the services related to the maintenance of existing grounds and facilities, the cost of utilities (electricity, water, gas fuel and sewage), and the planning and design of physical plant expansion and modification.
General Administration (07)	This function consists of all central executive-level activities concerned with the overall management and long-range planning functions of the entire institution. Included in this function are all aspects of executive direction, fiscal management and central administrative functions of the institution, as well as those activities related to personnel records for faculty and staff.
General Institutional Services (08)	This function contains all the activity needed to support the campus-wide operations of an institution. Some examples are: Transportation Printing Mail Telecommunications Computing University relations Central stores Activities that relate to the environmental health and safety of students and staff
Auxiliary Enterprises (11)	The Auxiliary Enterprise covers both residence halls and food service. Both functions exist to furnish goods or services to students, faculty or staff. A fee is charged that is directly related to the cost of the goods or services. The distinguishing characteristic of the auxiliary enterprises is that they are managed as essentially self-supporting activities. Examples may include: Residence halls Food services College stores Faculty clubs Faculty and staff parking Faculty housing Transportation services Student health services
Intercollegiate Athletics (12)	This function consists of self-supporting activities associated with the campus' intercollegiate athletics program. Some examples are: Intercollegiate athletic teams - recruiting and marketing, associated equipment, facility maintenance, and associated equipment
Hospital (13)	This category includes all expenditure, except depreciation, associated with the operation of the Hospital including nursing expenses, other professional services, general services, administrative services, patient services, fiscal services and charges for the physical plant operations.
Student Aid (15)	This category includes all financial assistance provided to undergraduate and graduate students in the form of outright grants, trainee stipends, and fellowships and scholarships administered by the institution.
Vets Home (17)	This function includes all expenditures, except depreciation, associated with the operation of the Long Island Veterans Home including nursing, professional, patient and administrative services.
Educational Opportunity Center (69)	This function is to support the direct aid, the tutoring, counseling and administrative course for our equal opportunity program. This program was established to provide disadvantaged students, who are academically capable, and have the opportunity to attend college.

A self-supporting group of accounts that have activities essential to the campus's mission and operations with a clear and defined income/expenditure relationship. The unique aspect of the IFR accounts is their ability to carry forward cash balances from one fiscal year to the next. Fringe benefits, administration and maintenance/overhead are additional charges the IFR accounts must bear, except for accounts that receive appropriate waivers.

A mechanism to transfer costs or correct expenditure transactions erroneously charged to an account.

Period after the end of a fiscal year (June 30) during which commitments made against that appropriation may still be paid and liquidated.

The SUNY fiscal year ends on June 30th. The State allows the campus about three months to close our fiscal records after the June 30th date and this is what is referred to as the "Lapsing Period". The lapsing period reflects transactions expensed during July, August and September, that are associated with allocation from the prior fiscal year (prior to June 30th).

Transactions that were created prior to June 30th and will be paid after this date, must be paid from allocation from the prior fiscal year. Payment of invoices from prior periods with current funding is forbidden.

A University-unique level of reporting within a fund designated for a particular purpose or use. Examples include Instructional and Departmental Research (I & DR), Student Services (SS), and Institutional Support Services (ISS). Functions are a subset of Major Purpose.

There are three significant expense categories (Major Objects), Personal Service Regular (PSR), Temporary Service (TS), and Other Than Personal Services (OTPS). Within the major object categories are more detailed sub-object codes identifying specific expenditure types. Within the major object OTPS are sub-objects for supplies (3000), travel (4000), equipment (7000) and many others. A complete list of SUNY sub-objects can be obtained by contacting the Accounting Department.

"Other Than Personal Service" are expense categories covered by object codes 3000-8999. It is important to monitor the total of your OTPS allocation. If you have allocation available in PSR or TS and no available allocation in OTPS - you can not expend any funds for OTPS items without special approvals. You must arrange to have your available allocation moved from the salary categories to the OTPS category. Contact your Dean's office to change the allocation in the account.

Classification given to SUNY reported transactions initiated but not yet officially approved and posted on the books of the Office of State Comptroller. Example: Input of requisition on last day of the month.

A concern with funding a purchase after the close of the fiscal year can be avoided by paying careful attention to pending Purchase Orders. After several months of prior year reporting, Purchasing begins to close out the old fiscal year in August. It is important that you work closely with both Purchasing and Accounts Payable after July 19th to ensure that all items encumbered from the prior year funding are paid and closed in an orderly fashion. If any item is outstanding and needs to be resolved, contact Purchasing immediately.

A spending level designated by fund type for each vice presidential area, authorized by the President in advance of formal notification of the campus's final appropriation amount and spending authority. This planning allocation was formerly called Phase I. Knowledge of this authorization, that will very closely approximate the final vice presidential allocation, allows for appropriate planning and budgeting for the fiscal year to follow.

The financial plan distribution, at the account and sub-object level, that the President, Provost and Vice Presidents submit based on their Planning Allocations.

Process for ordering of goods and materials. Creates an encumbrance for commitment of funds.

An organizational unit of the University that has a mission, goals and objectives, and assigned resources to support its operations. Each responsibility center should have one individual identified as manager or director. That individual should be and authorized signatory with responsibility for the appropriate use of funds and the accomplishment of planned objectives.

Appropriations approved by the Legislature in the State Operations budget. Funds are used to support direct expenditures of New York State agencies.

A more detailed expense category within a major object. Travel and equipment are examples of sub-objects of OTPS.

Generates a check payable against a purchase order, for equipment, travel, honorarium, etc., services to students, faculty or staff. A fee is charged that is directly related to the cost of the goods or services. The distinguishing characteristic of the auxiliary enterprises is that they are managed as essentially self-supporting activities.

ADDITIONAL GLOSSARIES: