Interpreting Financial Statement Details

Information Distributed to University Departments

Each Department receives several reports:

Organizational Report - shows cumulative data for the fiscal year and summarizes information by account. This report also provides current year budget figures along with prior year amounts for comparison purposes.

Detail Activity - shows each transaction that has been processed for each account for the current month. Total for each account ties to "Current Month Total" on "Organizational Report".

Departments that have non-operating funds (restricted gift funds, agency funds) and receive monthly printouts showing available balances for those funds. "Detail Activity" reports are sent with these funds. Vice Presidents and Deans receive customized reports showing all departments they are responsible for in summary format. Several versions are provided such as comparisons to annual budget or "Budget to Date" format. A report that Financial Records does not distribute is the "Gross earnings payroll expense by department". This report comes from payroll and summarizes payroll costs by employee.

Catagories of Financial Information Reported on department Reports

Financial information reported on the "Detail Activity" report is gathered from various sources. The columns "Transaction Description" and "Code" on this report distinguish where the transaction was generated from. The following are the majority of codes used on this report:

HGNL - Payroll postings (wages, labor). The financial records office cannot , from an entry on the "Detail Activity", determine which employee the payroll costs relate to. This information can be obtained from the "Gross Earnings Payroll Expense by department" report printed after every payroll or by calling the payroll office. Backup for these transactions is maintained in Payroll.

ACLA - Accrued Payroll. Payroll costs are posted through the last day of the month. Therefore if the final actual payroll pays through the 25th then the final 5 or 6 days must be charged to labor. This amount reverses on the first of the next month and actual payroll for the pay period is posted. This process occurs each month.

FT01 - A voucher made by the accounting office to either distribute costs or correct an transaction previously recorded to another account. Backup for these transactions is maintained in Financial Records.

INNI, ICNC, INNC - A bill (or credit) paid to an external vendor. Bills are paid from invoices or check requests with appropriate documentation. The original document is maintained in Financial Records.

CGEN - Departmental cash receipted or vouchers paid in cash from the departmental cashier. Vouchers paid must be supported by legitimate receipts. The original document is maintained in Financial Records.

CAFE / BOOK - Represents a purchase made from either the AU Bookstore or Foodservice. Special department charge cards are used for these transactions. The "Transaction Description" will designate which entity the items were purchased from. Original documentation is maintained in the bookstore and cafeteria offices. The special cards can be obtained from Staff Accountant #3 and due care should be exercised in keeping the card secure as it represents a credit card.

IDCW - Sales between departments on campus. No cash should change hands or checks written for sales between departments. A special form should be completed on-line for these transactions. See instructions listed on our website for IDC's.

TELE - Charges from ASTRA (AU phone department). Two type of charges are generated. A base cost for the use of the phone is recorded in account 9830. The cost of each call for each phone, local and long-distance, is recorded in account 9841. Fax machines are considered the same as regular phones. Original documentation is maintained in the ASTRA office.

CA1, PA1, CB1, PB1 - Charges or credits to student/staff accounts. Represents tuition, fees and other items passed to accounts. Original documentation is maintained in Financial Records.

ASCR - Funds donated from an external source. Original documentation is maintained in the Development Office.

FIRM - Billing made to external organization. A billing form is submitted to Firms who then generates an invoice. Billing forms can be obtained from the bookstore and there is no cost for this item. Original documentation is maintained in the billing office (Firms Office).

FUEL/TREQ/TRLA/TRWO - Fuel, Transportation Equipment charge, Transportation Labor charge, Transportation Work Order (respectively). All are charges or credits generated by transactions with the transportation office. Original documentation is maintained in the transportation office.

PLNT - Plant Services charge or credit for work done or supplies purchased. Original documentation is maintained in the plant services office.

PNCC - These are transactions made on the PNC Corporate Credit Card. The Document code reflects the month and year of the statement processed (PNC0819 = Aug '19). The first four letters in the description indicated the cardholder's name (JSMI: = John Smith).

If you encounter a code other than these listed and cannot decipher what it was for from either the "Transaction Description" or the account it is recorded in the Financial Records office can provide an explanation.

Policy on distribution of financial information to departments/employees/external entities

Typically departments may obtain financial information for the area’s they are responsible for. Permission for release of information other than their own department should come from their immediate supervisor. Financial information for individual departments is generally not released to students or other external individuals (be it for a project or otherwise). The Controller or Vice-President for Financial Administration will evaluate these requests and decide whether or not to give additional information.