Meeting:
Date:
Start Time:
Finance User Group Meeting
October 17 and 18, 2002
12:30
Location: South Central Technical College – Room E110
Participants: Stephanie Adams, Jan Ahmann, Dawn Belko, Garnet Cafourek, Connie
Garrahy, Rosalie Greeman, Karen Kedrowski, Deb Kerkaert, Lisa
Liljedahl, Dave Lund, Larry Margolis, Dennis Paesler, Marie Peterson,
Marlene Roede, Jim Schneider, Rick Straka, Jeff Wagner, and Teri
Welter
10/18/02 – Diane Hamilton, Margaret Jenniges, Dave Neve, and Paul
Portz
TIME (min.) TOPIC
Thursday
12:30 p.m.
1:30
ISRS Current Status (Handout)
Web On-line Payments Update and Demo
2:00 Break
2:15 Budget Unit Update
Chair: Jim Schneider
Recorder:
Steve Smith
Lisa Liljedahl
Not in attendance: Craig Erickson, Denis Kelly, Ruth Seifert, and
DISCUSSION
LEADER
Lisa Liljedahl,
Dave Lund
Teri Welter
Dave Lund
DESIRED OUTCOME/DISCUSSION
St. Cloud State had some unprocessed transactions but a minimum amount considering the amount that was done on-line. These appeared on a log file and the college was able to resubmit on a screen without any problem.
Gave a demo. from Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
Address verification is being worked on.
Payments process within 5 – 8 seconds.
Campuses are telling the students to reference the full account detail if the student asks for a receipt.
A future enhancement is that there will be the capability for the student to create a separate (proxy) user ID so that someone (parent) else can have access to certain items on the web for their account. For example, access to bill but not registration data. This is part of the e-services project.
Separate security for the web log (AR2057UG, AR2058UG, and AR2059UG)?
Yes, create a separate group for this with a High and Low.
Karen Kedrowski Exception Reporting – Going to exception reporting versus every quarter reporting.
Budget Module – Need to get back together and work on defining what is needed.
The Administrative Steering Committee established this as the first Finance priority.
Biennual budget – asked for $107 million.

2:45
3:00
3:15 Break
3:30 FY Calendar a) Rolling Receivables - Rolling before calc was closed. Possible Options:
Close calc first before end of year
Wait until year and calc is closed
Not Roll RE’s – leave in old FY.
Payments would be recorded to current
FY when received. b) Posting payroll before 6/30 c) EN and EF’s – still need to be open until Jan
31? d) Review calendar for any changes. e) Insurance Rates
4:00 Senior Citizens fee – Chris’s e-mail
4:15
PeopleSoft 8.0 Update
New E-services Project (Handout)
Back Dated Drops
Rosalie
Greeman/Lisa
Liljedahl
Dave Lund
Teri Welter
Lisa Liljedahl
Lisa Liljedahl/Dave
Lund
Jim Schneider
Lisa Liljedahl
Rosalie Greeman
Jim Schneider
Janet McMahon
•
Some of the benefit information will be maintained in SCUPPS and will interface to SEMA4. There will no longer be a separate insurance information system and this will now be a part of SEMA4.
•
The schedule of the lump sum interface will change. MnSCU will be sending a file on Tuesday and Wednesday instead of on Monday.
Unclassified Dept. IDs won’t be available for mass time entry until
Wednesday and if a Dept. ID doesn’t have a lump sum payment then it won’t be available until Thursday.
Are there any NEW E-Service functions that we are interested in introducing to the E-Services group for consideration to included in their project?
Student Tax information – W-2, 1098-T, and 1042-S.
PR and AR advices.
Course availability – the ability of the general public to see courses. Right now you have to be enrolled. More on the non-credit side versus credit side.
PIN number – be able to reset your PIN or reminder.
Perkins Exit Loan Counseling
Transcripts – ability to request official transcript a) Close the calc. b) Yes, that helped. c) Close ENs & EFs on 10/31. d) No changes. e) Since there are significantly less rates to enter now due to the fact there aren’t different rates per county. When we hear what the projected insurance increase is going to be we can enter that right away so we know the estimated expenses for the next calendar year.
Not sure how high of priority this is because of the number of seniors enrolled.
1.
Teri will check with Cynthia regarding new instruction type.
2.
Teri will check to see if there is a waiver code set up.
Note: If programmed, it wouldn’t work if the senior was taking “non-senior” classes in addition to the senior classes.
Are these all of the valid back dated drops?
Paper Drop – Entered into System - rename to Actual Drop prior to System Entry
Drop for Non-Payment
Free Drop Add Period – rename to Course Exchange
Number 9999
Add Drop for Non-Attendance – never attended a class session.
On the report, put the user name of who changed the drop date.
Add a date range parameter.

4:30
Friday
8:30 a.m.
Break until Friday
AR Collections
Write Offs Demo
Override “Expense Not Allowed” edit
AR Collection Activities
Other Remaining Items
9:15 Discussion of write-off procedure
9:30 Break
9:45 Financial Reporting Update/Website/MAPS object code project
Teri Welter Yes, override the expense not allowed edit.
A program is being designed to write-off small balances. Anything under $25.00 can be written off.
AR2204UG (AR Collection Activity Maintenance)
•
Will have a low and high security so could just query.
•
The system stores who completed a void.
•
Should be in production in 4 th
quarter 2002.
Reports
•
Will be done last because we need to get the info. in the system before we can complete reports.
•
There will be 3 reports:
1. Outside Collections - Transactions Report
2. Collection Activity Listing
3. Customer Collections Summary
•
Can run the report by student, by collection agency
The Dept. of Finance quarterly report will be modified to include this.
Aging report will be done in the 2nd Phase.
Would like more direction on when to write-off, when to waive, when to cancel.
This will be in the guidelines.
Rosalie Greeman
Marie Peterson
Margaret Jenniges The 6 campuses are doing a thorough job.
Deloitte sending out sample requests and really like to get them back from the campuses within a day.
OOC is working on the 30 campuses financial statements. In a couple of weeks, will be sending out preliminary statements and adjustments.
The Financial Statements are due in the middle of November.
Statements will look different this year. Bring in Revenue fund.
Will start working on who will be added to do their own financial statements for next year. Instead of 12-14 additional we are proposing 6-7. This needs be approved by the Board. Will be looking at the size and if the campus can handle the audit on determining which campuses.

10:00
10:15 Update on Administrative Systems Steering
Committee and IT Roundtable
10:30 Withdrawal Rules for Customized Training
Courses
11:00
State Grant Calc process
ƒ
New Query Screen – FA0254UG
ƒ Use of FA0252UG for waivers
ƒ
One time fees for a program– not charged by term
Laptops
Any others
ISRS Standards – minutes and input
Teri Welter
Rosalie Greeman IT Roundtable – high level direction. This is composed of presidents, student representatives, CIOs, and Office of the Chancellor staff.
Administrative Systems Steering Committee – Communicate with the other groups. This group is affected and affects the Finance User Group. Taking all of the requests and establishing the priorities.
Rosalie Greeman
Jim Schneider
Withdrawal of all credit classes and only keeping non-credit classes. Currently, this can’t be processed on the withdrawal screen. So, they waive and then waivers are inflating.
Then this would be a required maintenance project to change the system to allow the withdrawal of credit classes.
Dave Lund
FA0254UG – shows how state grant was calculated. Adjustments are from
FA0252UG screen.
If waivers aren’t recorded on FA0252UG then potential to over award. There isn’t a way to tie waivers to courses.
Could put all waivers on FA0252UG then if the waiver isn’t eligible then you would need to remove? A chance of under awarding. The group would rather under award than over award.
Could we define the rules and automate? For example, laptops should be on
FA0252UG screen.
Need to get together with FA group to work out a process.
Dave Neve, Winona for the group, and Teri will contact others to be involved.
Someone changed $10.00 Fee to $12.00 and the state grant recalculated so make sure if you change fees to tell FA so they know why there is a change.
The committee was set up to set a Standards document for the developers to use so the screens and reports have the same “look and feel”. Basically, look the same when going between different modules.
Working on ideas for bringing the reports to the users in different formats. For example, via e-mail, or in files that can be imported to other programs and manipulated.
Plan to introduce “Non-modal” screens so user has the ability to work on one screen and then minimize it and go to another screen and work on that screen too without closing out of your first screen. For example, to run a report and keep a screen open too. This should reduce the need for multiple sessions.

11:15 Brio update regarding what is available for
Finance, AR, and faculty load. (by phone)
11:30
11:50
11:55
12:05
12:15
12:25
Internal Audit Update
Object Code 2D90
MSCF Tuition Waiver
Sales Tax Return
New Membership
Schedule Next Meeting and adjourn
Miscellaneous Items
Gerry Rushenberg
Call 651-470-9792 or
651-296-5263
Paul Portz
A training session will be scheduled for the end of this month for the auditors.
Included in this training will be 3 years worth of expenditure and revenue transactions. Plus, current year data. Not sure how often it will be updated.
Trained the HR staff. There is an assignment table. A security report established for them that shows user’s security. This isn’t out there but they are working on it.
Training set up in November and December for Institutional Research.
Trying to get some accounting training set up but Data Mgmt. training is full right now.
Carl Perkins training has been done.
Overviewed MnSCU’s Fraud Policy – MS 609.456 Subd. 2, MS 10.47, and MS
43A.39 Subd. 2 these are state laws.
Customized Training Audit – assurance service requested by Academic Affairs.
This needs to be done by the end of November.
Key indicators were established since MnSCU is so big. These key indicators are checked and if they are OK then you won’t here anything. There is something wrong if key indicators don’t check out. Gerry Rushenberg will be pulling the data. Information on the key indicators has been promised for the January meeting.
Jim Schneider
Jim Schneider
The State feels this object code is being overused. A group has been established and Connie Edwards and Heather Anderson from the Office Of the Chancellor is on it. This would take effect in FY2004. So, new object codes will be established.
Need to establish a procedure to handle this.
Set up one Award ID and use the Third Party process.
Stephanie Adams Taxable and nontaxable sales tax object code. Some candy and beverages are taxable and some are nontaxable.
All
All
North Hennepin Community College, South Central Technical College and
Minnesota State University, Mankato will be rolling off the user group so this was their last meeting. It was decided to keep Rick Straka on because he is also on the
Adminstrative Systems Steering Committee which creates one of the links between the Administrative Systems Steering Committee and the Finance User
Group.
There will be 3 new members starting in January. There will be a representative from a community college, state university, and technical college.
Next meeting 01/27/03 – 01/28/03 at Metro State

Thursday
Friday
AP0001CB – when canceling a check allow a comment.
AC0452UG – scroll bar disappears – is there anything that can be done?
Be able to cancel when you input something incorrectly. Hour glass just hangs. On any screen.
Add Accounting Queries and Reports to PCS so that generic security can be implemented.
Cost Allocation, CI, and PR it goes even if they don’t have any budget for it. Wants an e-mail sent to the Business Office. A report showing any budgets negative. Maybe a replicated query.
Can not reprint an invoice when a 3 rd
party makes a partial payment.
New Financial Reporting website: www.financialreporting.mnscu.edu
Wants to charge a one time fee for the data card.
Make sure it is a one time fee for the student.
$30.00 fee for full-time and $10.00 fee for part time for all new students – that Southwest is putting in manually and would like it to be automatic.
Would have to enhance the calc program – would need to look at priorities.
Would like to be able to record comments about students. There is a screen fur users that can get to the person table via the PS0001UG to record comments about the person but most business office staff would not have access to this screen.
Jeff Wagner
Jeff Wagner
Jeff Wagner
Jeff Wagner
Jeff Wagner
Lisa will add as a service pack.
Lisa will research.
Dave will bring to Standards committee.
Dave will research.
Dave will research.
Dennis Paesler
Jim Schneider
Jeff Wagner
Teri Welter
Teri will research. Would like a statement – balance due per student.
Going to add links to GASB, NACUBO, link to the statements. Also will add
Fund Matrix, Object code crosswalk to fundware reporting categories, sample
MD &A and transmittal letters, and bank reconciliation/cashiering tips.
The data card fee is allowable under the policy but rules would need to be defined in order to automatically charge.
We will be doing a redesign of the tuition calc down the road to get it converted to the new database structure. At that time we will explore the possibility of adding any additional charges we can define so they can be automatically recorded. Another option you would have once the RE transactions are defined in
3-tier architecture is to load these transactions from a file.
Note sent to IT staff ( Mark and Janet) on 11/1: At the Finance User Group meeting a few weeks ago it came up that they would like to be able to record comments about students. I see that there is a screen fur users that can get to the person table via the PS0001UG to record comments about the person but I doubt that many business office staff have access to this screen. It seems to make sense that the campus use the same table since many of the comments could be valuable across areas.
Could PS0028UG be made available from the AR1000UG? Are there other concerns like data that shouldn't be shared? Al thought there was going to be a privacy code added which seems to make sense to take care of that issue.
# Originatio n Date
Critical
Due Date

1.
2.
3.
8.
12.
02/23/01
05/24/01
08/09/01
4.
11/15/01
5.
2/21/02
6.
2/21/02
7.
2/21/02
2/21/02
9.
2/21/02
10.
11.
2/21/02
6/6/02
Need an AG opinion on whether or not we are obligated to follow 16A.49
“Refunds of $1 or less”. – Will be included in AR Collections project.
User Group would like a total on the AC0450UG. Al agreed to put together some possible rules as to what makes sense for different transaction types.
Add as a discretionary maintenance item.
Set up task force to discuss statements for bills – add Denis Kelly to the group. Teri Welter
Third party receivable balance by TP customer and student query moved to replicated query library
Need to document the reconciliation process as it pertains to voids.
Rosalie
Al Finlayson/Teri
Welter
Jim Schneider
Dave Lund
Note sent to AG on May 2.
Added as a Discretionary
Maintenance Project
This will be done when business rules are defined for AR
Collections –Phase II
Will get query out on web
This information is included in the
Online Student Payment documentation included in the A/R
Initial Setup Process manual on the
ISRS web site.
Added as a Discretionary
Maintenance Project.
Discuss with Richard Tvedten regarding courses that end before 6/30 and what term they should be recorded in. (Summer vs. Spring)
Investigate the possibility to have a summary option on MAPS interface report or summarize JC transactions on the interface program.
Add the ability for Business Manager or Purchasing Head security levels to blank out the Ship to Bldg Code field. That way the institution’s address won’t appear on the P.O. and they can write special instructions to get it mailed to an off-campus site. For example, to a resort that they are having a conference at. Requestor would need to insert a memo on the memo screen with a request to have it changed. This will be added as a discretionary maintenance item.
Allow users to record a comment in the transaction description field on general receipts.
Explore the possibility of adding comments as a parameter option on the
AC0531CP report.
Check with internal audit as to whether campuses should be using positive pay.
Karen Kedrowski
Dave Lund
Lisa Liljedahl
Teri Welter
Teri Welter
Deb Winter
Can other campuses get the report that Al did for the 6 campuses being audited?
Teri Welter
Added as a discretionary maintenance project
Added as a discretionary maintenance project
Rosalie is trying to get copies of court cases from US bank to run by MnSCU General Counsel to try to determine who really is liable if we decline to go on positive pay.
10/18/02 – Rosalie reported that the campus liability has not increased.
This information was loaded into the Data Warehouse for all campuses. Need to contact data management to get access.

14.
6/6/02
15.
6/6/02
16.
10/17/02
17.
10/17/02
18.
10/17/02
19.
10/17/02
20.
10/17/02
21.
10/17/02
22.
10/18/02
23.
10/18/02
24.
10/18/02
25.
10/18/02
13.
6/6/02
26.
10/18/02
How do the campuses get around the personal guarantee at Wells Fargo when setting up a new Merchant ID? Suggestion from group was to work with AG office to get this language removed from the contract. Follow up with Inver
Hills and others for their experiences.
Dave Lund Found that a couple of schools had signed the document. Also learned from MnWest that they not signed in that spot (Lori believes that she was instructed to skip it), and their application went through without any problem.
Customized training revenues – not consistent – Does all customized revenue have to be in fund 120. Need procedures for this.
Can W-2 and 1042-S information be displayed on web?
Jim Schneider
Before or after registration (or both?) give disclaimer for on-line payment that they are responsible for payment.
Allows you to modify the tran desc. on funds applied transactions and it shouldn’t.
Add the comment field to the AC0450UG screen.
Ability for the Accts Payable to print the working copy of the purchase order.
Rosalie thinks there is a way and will check.
Check with Cynthia regarding a new instruction type to put on the course for
Senior Citizen course.
Define residency edits. Discuss PSEO. Note: Southwest has an exception.
Lisa Liljedahl
Dave Lund
Teri Welter
Teri Welter
Rosalie Greeman/Jim
Schneider
Teri Welter
AR2201UG – losing decimal when backing out.
Complete a guideline for when to write-off, when to waive, and when to cancel for AR Receivables.
Note: A procedure needs to be written for when withdrawing from all credit courses but keeping the non-credit courses.
Run the Financial Reporting preliminary report for the campuses.
Changes to the Campus Assistance/Financial Reporting Website
•
Add bank rec. recommendations on the campus assistance website.
•
Have a link for data mgmt.
•
Financial Reporting – add sample transmittal letters and other sample letters.
•
Add Object Code Rollup – what object codes go into the Fundware categories.
•
Which HEB Funds go into which appropriations.
If the student is coded as to not release her/his information then is there a way to display this on all or some of the screens? That way the user doesn’t have to go back to the PS0001UG to see if you can release information on this student to the parent. Maybe a standard?
Karen Kedrowski and
Teri Welter
Teri Welter
Rosalie Greeman and
Jim Schneider
Margaret Jenniges
Jim Schneider
Margaret Jenniges
Dave Lund
09-09-02 – it was decided not to explore this for calendar year
2002. Will be kept open as an enhancement.

27.
28.
29.
30.
10/18/02
10/18/02
10/18/02
10/18/02
What are the key indicators that show a college is succeeding or not?
Setup a common Award ID for MSCF Tuition Waiver.
Edit on the payment to allow the use of the waiver expense object code.
Research which items that can be taxable or nontaxable. For example, some candy can be taxable and some nontaxable. Need to create separate object codes for these – one for taxable and one for nontaxable.
Jan Ahmann, Century College
Dawn Belko, North Hennepin Community College
Craig Erickson, Normandale Community College
Connie Garrahy, Dakota County Technical College
Denis Kelly, St Paul Technical College
Deb Kerkaert, Southwest State University
Larry Margolis, Inver Hills Community College
Dennis Paesler, Northland Community and Technical College
Ruth Siefert, Rochester College
Steve Smith, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Rick Straka, South Central Technical College
Jeff Wagner, St Cloud State University
Paul Portz
Teri Welter
Teri Welter
Ann Paige and
Melissa Fahning
11-01-02 – Lisa sent Paul an email. Paul’s response was that
John Asmussen who worked on the indicators project agreed to make a presentation at the January
FUG joint CFFO meeting at
Metro.
10196 was set up on 10-22-02.
OK
Rosalie Greeman, Assoc. Vice-Chancellor-Financial Reporting
Karen Kedrowski, Program Dir. - Budget
Lisa Liljedahl, Finance Business Analyst
Dave Lund, Finance Business Analyst
Jim Schneider, Campus Assistance
Teri Welter, Finance Business Analyst
Internal Audit Representative
HelpDesk Representative