FINANCIAL INFORMATION & REPORTING
How do I view transactions in my fund?
 All financial transactions are recorded and viewable in UniFi, the
university financial system.
 A tool known as FAST also provides financial reporting information
from UniFi, and allows you to see a statement of activity and view
transaction information online.
 APEF balances are also available through the Admin Services tab in
PAWS.
Who should prepare invoices and financial reports for my projects?
 Financial Reporting works in collaboration with Research Services on
the administration of research projects.
 All financial reports, claims and invoices on research projects are
prepared by Financial Reporting. Financial reports are mailed to
researchers for review and signature prior to being mailed to the
sponsor or funding agency.
How are budgets used at the university?
 Currently, annual budgets are prepared for all operating, ancillary and
student aid funds by Budget Management in collaboration with
colleges, departments and administrative units. (Operating funds are
any funds starting with a one; ancillary with a two; and student aid
with a three.)
 An approach to budgeting research and capital for university funds is
under development.
I have found an error in a transaction processed against my fund, how
do I fix it?
 If you have recorded a transaction to an incorrect CFOAPAL, these
can be corrected by preparing a Journal Voucher in UniFi.
 If a charge has been made by another university unit to your
CFOAPAL, please contact the preparer of the transaction for
assistance.
 If an error has been made in the processing of an invoice,
reimbursement or other non-salary payment, please contact Payment
Services at payment_inquiries@usask.ca.
 If there is an error in the processing of a salary payment, please
contact Payroll at payroll_inquiries@usask.ca.
 If there is an error in a purchase requisition or purchase order, please
contact Purchasing Services at purchasing_services@usask.ca.
 If there is an error in a cash report, please contact Treasury at
fsd_treasury@usask.ca.
UNIFI
What is UniFi?
 UniFi is the university financial information system.
 All purchase requisitions, journal vouchers and budget transfers are
created online in UniFi. Interdepartmental charges or transfers are
also recorded online as journal vouchers.
 All financial information is viewed through UniFi or FAST.
 UniFi restricts access to information based on the security provided to
a user.
 Security is applied to funds and organizations.
 Users are assigned roles granting them access to perform
certain types of transactions and to view information.
How do I get access to, training in or help with UniFi
 Access to UniFi can be requested by sending the User Access Control
form to Support & Development. The form is available on the FSD
website under UniFi & Reports. (See UniFi Information).
 Training in the use of UniFi is offered through Support and
Development and is provided in sessions that vary in content and
duration. More details can be found on the FSD website under UniFi
& Reports. (See UniFi Information).
 Support for UniFi is available from UniFi Support at 966-8783 or
unifisupport@usask.ca
What is a CFOAPAL?
 CFOAPAL is the acronym used to identify the accounting string used
by UniFi.
 CFOAPAL stands for Chart, Fund, Organization, Account, Program,
Activity and Location.
 More information about the CFOAPAL elements is available on the
FSD Website under UniFi & Reports.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
QUICK
Getting started with financial
administration at the
university
Financial Services Division’s Mission
Our Mission is to facilitate and enhance innovative and
effective business decisions and the attainment, utilization,
and allocation of financial resources for academic,
administrative, and research units by providing relevant and
responsive financial and administrative services.
www.usask.ca/fsd
Please visit our website for more information
on the services we provide
April 2011
ESTABLISHING NEW ACTIVITIES
DOING BUSINESS AT THE UNIVERSITY
How do I establish a new fund to record revenues and expenses?
 All requests for new research funds must be coordinated through
Research Services.
 Research Services will authorize the creation of a new fund,
Financial Reporting will establish the fund and notify the
researcher.
 University grants and awards (such as new faculty start-up funding)
will be established by Financial Reporting based on authorization
from the appropriate Vice-President’s Office.
 Information on New Faculty Start-Up Funding can be found
on the VP Academic website:
(http://www.usask.ca/vpacademic/recruitment/startup.php)
 Information on university internal grants can be found on the
Research Services website:
How do I purchase and pay for goods and services with businesses
outside of the university?
 Purchases over $5,000 require quotations or a competitive bid process
and must be made through an online requisition in UniFi.
 Competitive bid processes and procurement questions are
handled by Purchasing Services.
 Purchases under $5,000 can be made using the university
Procurement Card (PCard), which is the university’s corporate credit
card.
 Application for a PCard is available on the FSD website.
 Payment questions are handled by Payment Services.
 For situations where one of the above purchase methods cannot be
followed, a Cheque Requisition/Reimbursement Claim must be
submitted along with original invoices and supporting documentation
to Payment Services.
(http://www.usask.ca/research/research_services/internal_funding_opps.php)

Requests for establishing a new fund for non-research projects,
awards and activities should be directed to Financial Reporting using
the form available on FSD’s website.
 When requesting a new fund ensure you provide copies of
budgets, award letters, contracts and any other supporting
documentation that defines the terms of the fund.
What is an Accountable Professional Expense Fund (APEF)?
 Depending on the employee group to which you belong, you may be
awarded Accountable Professional Expense Funds to be used for
activities related to your employment.
 APEF guidelines are available on the FSD website under
Forms & Guidelines.
 The employee groups eligible for an APEF are identified in
the guidelines on the FSD website.
 Dean and Senior Administrator expenses (DSAE) have a
separate set of guidelines.
 A fund will be established with your annual allocation shortly after
your appointment, and the appropriate allocations will be made on an
annual basis thereafter.
 You can review your APEF transactions and available balance on that
Admin Services tab through the APEF channel in PAWS.
 APEF claims are made using the Cheque Requisition/Reimbursement
Claim form available on the FSD website under Forms and
Guidelines.
How do I purchase and pay for goods and services from university
units?
 When purchasing goods or services from another university unit, you
will need to provide the appropriate CFOAPAL to allow the unit to
directly bill your fund or project.
 You may need to contact the particular university unit from which
you are purchasing, to determine the procedures for requisitioning
goods or services.
How do I request reimbursement for travel, professional
development, etc?
 All reimbursements are handled by Payment Services.
 Travel
 Travel Expense Guidelines can be found on the FSD website
under Forms & Guidelines.
 A Travel Expense Claim Form must be completed, and is
available on the FSD website under Forms & Guidelines.
 Current claimable rates for personal vehicle use and meal
costs can be found in the Travel Guidelines.
 Other Reimbursements
 Other claims for reimbursement should be submitted on a
Cheque Requisition/Reimbursement Claim form with
supporting original invoices.
 The Cheque Requisition/Reimbursement Claim form is
available on the FSD website under Forms & Guidelines.
 See “What is an Accountable Professional Expense Fund (APEF)?”
for details on submitting claims against your APEF.
DOING BUSINESS AT THE UNIVERSITY
I have a student working as a research assistant, how can I pay for
their tuition and fees?
 Where the terms and conditions of a source of funding allow for
payment of student tuition and fees, please contact Student Accounts
& Treasury to arrange for payment of these fees from your fund or
project.
How do I pay employees?
 Payroll handles the payment of all university salaries, however
recruitment and hiring is managed by the Human Resources Division.
 Employment and recruitment information and forms are available on
the Human Resources Division website
(http://working.usask.ca/).
What considerations are required when contracting an individual or
non-incorporated business for services?
 An Employment vs. Contracted Services policy exists at the
university to guide the distinction between employment and
contracted service arrangements.
 Employment vs. Contracted Services guidelines provide the details of
the considerations of employment or contracted service relationships.
 Guidelines can be found on the Financial Services Division website
under Forms & Guidelines.
How do I deposit money into my university fund?
 Some funding agencies and sponsors will mail cheques directly to
Treasury to ensure timely deposit and recording to your UniFi fund.
 All deposits to university funds should be directed to Student
Accounts & Treasury referencing the CFOAPAL.
 Additional information regarding cash handling can be found on the
FSD website:
 Managing & Controlling Monies can be found under Forms
& Guidelines.
How do I access tuition waivers?
• Depending on the employee group you belong to, you may have
access to tuition waivers for university courses.
• A Tuition Waiver form is available on the FSD Website under Forms
& Guidelines, and is handled by Student Accounts and Treasury.
This form identifies the employee groups eligible for tuition waivers.