Glossary
training manual section 7
Assigned revenues: Revenues from course fees, departmental revenues and auxiliaries.
Auxiliary unit: This is a self-supporting entity that exists principally to furnish goods and services and charges a fee for the delivery of goods and services.
Budget entry spreadsheet (BES): The Budget Entry Spreadsheet is an application that is used to create and correct one-time adjustments and permanent budget requests.
Business manager: A business manager oversees business operations within a moderately large or complex department, college or division.
Central support units: These are the source of standard reports and information and which also provide a centralized service, such as accounting services, university budgets, human resources, and institutional research.
Cost: Items such as salaries, supplies, scholarships, space, debt and utilities constitute costs.
Course fees: These are supplemental fees charged per class. Also see the policy on course fees.
Differential tuition: Distinct pricing for undergraduate tuition in the College of Fine Arts, the Haworth College of Business and the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences that reduces the amount of fees assessed to these students.
Direct operating expense: These are expenses incurred in connection with the normal business operation of a college or unit.
Exempt: Employees (regular, terminal or temporary) who meet definition of "exempt" under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). FLSA are exempt from the provisions of the act. As such, they are not paid extra for overtime work. Exempt employees are paid on a salaried basis.
Enrollment forecasting committee: This committee reviews the enrollment forecast prepared by Institutional Research and provides input/discussion on items specific to each area represented (VPAA Office for Budget and Personnel, Institutional Research, Office of University Budgets, Student Affairs, Graduate College, Registrar, and Haenicke Institute for Global Education).
Facilities and administrative cost recoveries (F&A): F&A costs are part of the funds awarded to the University to maintain the underlying research infrastructure, such as the construction and maintenance of laboratories and high-tech facilities; energy and utility expenses; and safety, security, and other government-mandated expenses. These also include, for example, utilities, custodial services, payroll, purchasing and departmental administration.
Full-time equivalency (FTE): FTE is a unit that indicates the workload of an employed person or student in a way that makes workloads or class loads comparable across various contexts. A position’s full-time equivalency determines benefits eligibility.
Guiding principles: These are principles intended to support behavior, strategies and initiatives that are consistent with the mission and goals of the University's strategic plan.
Journal entry system (JES): The Journal Entry System is an application that is used to create a transaction in the general ledger.
Non-exempt: Employees (regular, terminal or temporary) who meet the definition of "non-exempt" are eligible for overtime pay as required by federal and state laws or University policies. Non-exempt employees are paid on an hourly basis.
Research policy council: This council reviews, develops and recommends policies dealing with the enhancement and implementation of research and creative activity at the University.
Responsibility unit (“RU”): Primarily colleges and auxiliary units, these are University units that are generating revenue. They are held accountable for the effective and efficient management of their resources and are responsible for developing strategic and financial plans that align with overall academic and University plans.
Revenue: This is funding derived from state appropriation, tuition and course fees.
Salary savings: These are savings created when a position is vacant for a period of time or filled at a lower rate than the previous employee.
Service unit (“SU”): A service unit does not have sufficient capacity to generate revenue necessary to be treated as a full RU. Service units provide University-wide services and benefits and thus should be funded by the university participation assessment.
Space costs: Expenses that arise from the upkeep and maintenance of a space, including custodial services, utilities and debt service.
State appropriation: This is an allocation granted by the state constitution or legislature to make expenditures or incur obligations for a specific purpose. An appropriation is usually limited by amount and the period in which it may be used, normally a calendar or fiscal year.
Strategic direction and steering committee (“SDSC”): This committee provides strategic direction, funding and incentives. It is comprised of the president, vice presidents, chief of staff and the director of athletics.
Strategic initiatives: These funds are established to consider funding one-time requests, multi-year commitments (i.e., program seed money) or permanent funding requests.
Strategic investment allocation: This is an allocation of funds that covers the shortfall between allocated revenues and expenses for a responsibility unit.
Strategic resource management (“SRM”): Strategic Resource Management is a philosophy and model, not a budget. It is a means to achieve the University's strategic goals, but it does not determine those goals. SRM aims to create transparency and clarity in the process of resource allocation, and it is most effectively applied in an atmosphere of shared commitment and engagement from the campus community.
Strategic resource management advisory work group: The SRM advisory work group addressed any implementation issues that arose and made corresponding recommendations. Membership was comprised of the SRM champions, the core team, college RU deans (or designees) and a representative from the offices of Business and Finance, University Advancement, and Research and Innovation
Strategic resource management champions: The SRM champions are the provost, vice president for student affairs and vice president for business and finance. Their role is to champion the SRM project throughout the University community.
Strategic resource management core team: The SRM core team manages the project and develops the approved budget model. It is also a conduit for work group communications to the SDSC.
Tuition:
- Undergraduate: Tuition charged to students enrolled in an undergraduate program at the undergraduate tuition level. The undergraduate lower-level tuition is charged to students with 55 or fewer credit hours. The undergraduate upper-level tuition is charged to students with 56 or more credit hours.
- Graduate: Tuition charged to students enrolled in a graduate program at the graduate tuition level.
University participation assessment (“UPA”): An assessment incurred by college RUs on total general fund (fund 11) revenue that is enough to cover general fund SU expenses, strategic initiatives, renewal and replacement reserves and auxiliary unit strategic investment allocations. Auxiliary unit RUs are assessed a UPA on revenues at a rate sufficient to cover overhead charges. Designated fund (fund 23) activities are assessed a UPA at either the college RU UPA rate or the auxiliary unit UPA rate depending on the type of activity.