Finance User Group
August 11th and 12th, 1999
Location: Central Lakes College, Brainerd
MINUTES
PRESENT:
Lori Bates
Jill Bemis
Jan Mahoney
Bill Maki
Rick Straka
Joan Rigdon
Ruth Siefert 8/11 only
Dave Thorn
Jerry Amble representing Bemidji State
Marcia Beukelman, representing MnWest
MNSCU PERSONNEL PRESENT:
Jan Ahmann
Al Finlayson
Kathy Froysland
Marie Krey
Dave Lund
Kim McLaughlin 8/11 only
Jennifer Richter
Teri Welter
Deb Winter
ABSENT:
Pat Nordick
Jerry Winans
Tony Bartovich
Karen Snorek
Lori Voss
Gary Swenson
GUESTS:
Mary Edwards, Metro State
Year End Review of Goals
Goals set October 1998:
1. One goal of the group last October that was to get CFO’s back to managing their operation. This was
hampered by the bank reconciliations
2. Get developers out of help desk and back to development. There has been significant progress made in this
area. Al is able to say that he knows what developers are working on. There has been a huge improvement in
knowing what bugs are out there and when and that they will be fixed
3. Assure software is working appropriately when going into production. It has improved but still needs further
improvements
4. Keep working to provide software that makes it easier to do business. Suggestion that this group take a step
back to review business practices to answer the question if the system really doing what we want it to do.
Comment that we are finally at a point that we can and should go back and do this. This would give an
opportunity to step out of their box and think through their processes.
5. Get the Helpdesk to have the tools to be effective. "They are now able to help the campuses". Al is working
on a view only security that would allow users to see any screen and not allow update (AR_01, AC_02).
6. Move campuses to new systems so we can allocate resources to ISRS - This has been accomplished other
than the CA and CI systems. All resources will be directed to these modules for the next few months.
Do we want the same goals next year?
Goal number 1 - Keep
Goal number 2 - Eliminate
Goal number 3 - Eliminated – it is an assumption and we now have a structure and process in place to accomplish this.
Goal number 4 – change to "Complete development of core business practices" as well as review and document
current business practices.
Goal number 5 – change to "Expect to have systems that operate efficiently and timely. (Identify where there are slow
response time, running batch programs from the regional centers)"
Goal number 6 can be eliminated
New Goals:
Strengthen the processes that are relating to other modules. Concern: Finance and Financial Aid User Groups need to
work together because of the impact that each of the systems have on each other. Currently there is not one Financial
Aid User Group. There is a concern for getting accurate 1098T’s out of the financial aid award information.
Refresher training and new user training will be available for all modules. Create a mentoring network.
Reviewed 10/98 discussions – progress may be noted with review of minutes.
Review of Current Top Ten Priorities:
Course fees – add a group number to courses – on course special fees add a group number for fees charged once to a
specific group of courses. This will work to charge liability insurance charged for specific courses.
o
This will not work for laptop leasing. It is tied to a student within a program major. It was suggested
that we develop a screen or use the consumable inventory or equipment module. The quirk is that
this is billed by term.
Housing minimum amount to the term related admin fees screen – add a minimum that will be charged if the
calculated fee is less than the minimum.
Obligation date for short courses is being added to meet drop/add requirements of new policy.
CT/CE – Exception table. Potential for Customized Training to invoice by course.
Third Party Bill and Screen
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Currently the description on the summary option is from the AR0050UG where you tie the student to the
Third Party. Check the FA0106UG to see if the authorization # can be tied to the award, sequence #. For the
time being, the description will be used from the AR0050UG, if null, the award description will be used.
Check what detail invoice is using for the description. It looks at the restrictions table and takes all the
charges in payoff priority and puts charges into description until all the award is used. It uses standard
description first, if none found, cost center object code. Request to include in detailed invoice the charges
similar to the AR0302CP and include an option to have the detail of the course schedule.
Has option to page break by student. O.k.
Description for summary option.
For Next User Group Meeting:
Review AR1001UG – non person. Can it be cleaned up or queried when establishing the third party.
Review process for aid that a student receives from a third party, how to easily receipt these funds to
a student account without causing problems on the students 1098T. If receipted to the students
account directly, the payment would look as if the student paid cash. This will be revisited in
October.
ISRS User Group Report/Planning for Next Millennium
We agree that we need to go through the business practices of each area of concern (addressing segregation of duties
and security issues). Financial reporting and Bank Reconciliations are key issues (use audit findings to support) that
need to be dealt with.
Priorities over next 1-2 years (group rated A,B, and C level, and scheduled review by meeting month)
A – Student PR – modification of the FICA audit process
A – Cost Allocation/Consumable Inventory (In process)
A - Repair Hard Bugs*
A - Tuition and fee calculation review – (laptop fees, PSEO, Senior Citizens that Audit, students exempt from certain
fees – i.e. Student association fees for PSEO and Concurrent Enrolled Students) - February
A - Reconciliation (MAPS and Banks) - October
A - Interfund Accrual (Local Payroll, Student Payroll, Third Party, Cost Allocation)
A - Accounts Receivable Collection - December
A - Accounting Batch Enhancements
A - Accounts Receivable Write-Offs - December
A - 3rd Party Money - October
A - Cancelled Check Oops
A - Cash Receipt Review (Credit Card Swipe) - April
B - 1098T
B - Review of the Labor Distribution Process
B - Student Payroll Reports
B - Web Exploration (1098T, Bill Display, Bill Payment, Payment with Web Admissions Form,
Create Links).
B - Financial Statement Enhancements
C - Retail Operations System
C - Check Printing Options
C - Review Security Administraion
C - Equipment – PC Tracking
C - 1099
C - PCS Review and Invoice Match*
C - Merging CP and CR Transactions*
Long Term Goal - Communications Module
The group feels that all these need to be addressed in the next year but realize that without additional resources this is
not feasible.
Long term goal not to have the CFO be able to blame the system for an audit finding.
OTHER:
Senior Citizen – When a senior is auditing the class, how do you record this is AR.
PSEO and Concurrent Students are exempt from student association fees. There had been some work done to exempt
students from standard fees.
HOLDS – "Prior Term Check is Available" request for new hold by SCSU. Check to see if there is a Financial Aid
Disbursement Hold.
Student Payroll:
FICA Refunds: There is no way to refund it at this time. People are giving them an imprest cash check at this time.
Classify this as a Hard Bug to be fixed by October.
What do we do when payroll was paid out of the wrong year? How can we fix? There is some confusion between
Financial Aid year and Fiscal Year. Should there be an edit that will not allow users to cross over fiscal years?
Problem only occurs on a split pay period. The fund transfer will not allow users to cross over fiscal years. ALLOW
TRANSFER BETWEEN FISCAL YEARS FOR THE ONE SPLIT PAY PERIOD ONLY.
Each pay period is tied to a term therefore we should be able to report by financial aid award year for work study
students. Needs to be developed.
The PR0009CP and PR0010CP need to report all taxes for that period regardless of the pay period. If hours are
reported for a prior pay include those taxes on this report.
Max Earnings/Financial Aid – Lisa handed out spec. and group approved.
Find out if America Reads is a separate object code. Are people using it?
Still allow users to use the PR0031UG for non-work study object codes.
Right now SAFE and SARA do not send over college workstudy awards to the Financial Aid table, FA0106UG. If we
do, we need to figure out how to not allow them to go through aid applied/funds applied processes and have PR edit
against them.
Some discussion of FA needs one user group to address some of these issues. Users are encouraged to go back and talk
to their FA people and talk to Chris Halling.
Audit process will modify the PR0031UG. NO – Have the system look directly to the FA0106UG instead of pulling
the award amount to PR0031UG – less room for error. Create one audit process to check both the FA0106UG and the
PR0031UG.
Review of Audit Processes:
FICA – Want to change so it looks at all employees whether they have the FICA exempt field checked or not on the
PR0021UG? Eliminate FICA exempt box altogether. Right now system only audits the student if the box is checked.
Is there any way to add consortium credits for those students? Are those credits in registration? How can we then find
the credits? Put it in registration module. This would help the FA users as well. For a short term fix we could add
consortium credits into the Student Payroll system. Long term – can we check another institutions table for registered
credits? This is being looked into by Al and Glen. Lisa will follow up with Cynthia to see if there is a consortium
credit field in FA. Have Pat address consortium credits in her document.
Have system look directly to registration records to check for grad and undergrad credits instead of user inputting
again. How do we add the credits from registration? What if they drop credits part way through the semester. Have
completed by October?
Are there different FICA rules for international students? Pat met with Metro SU. Where is this? Still defining the
rules.
PR0013UG – System office completes this screen. When school has 2 summer sessions this is screwing them up.
Schools should be allowed to add the two sessions together to allow the student to be exempt. They can be added
together for the work study award. What about FICA?
Need clarification if student is enrolled in both grad and undergrad courses. Do we determine by student status or
courses? Al will check on this with Pat.
All agree summer session needs to be worked on. Al and Lisa will set up a meeting with Pat and clarify some issues.
DIRECT DEPOSIT
Need to get it moving to the next stage (out of prototype stage and into production).
Security issues:
AP0112UG – set up once per institution – add to AC_01 security?
AP_03H and AP_03L - add 2 new identifiers for AP0111UG and AP0113UG - need to print checks and advices
before you can create your direct deposit file.
If they have AP_03H they shouldn’t have rights to process payroll in PR.
Group approved security rights identifiers.
A number of schools had FA entering WA but couldn’t approve them. You can’t approve a work auth. when left in
Financial Aid status but should be able to approve if change to Standard or Contract status and if the user has access to
the Routing ID and Cost Center. PR_4M is a FA rights identifier. Change PR_4M to just edit against object code.
Who approves WA and why? What is the purpose? Does the system do enough edits to not need an approval? If the
student enters a WA but does not enter or approve hours who can or should approve WA? Does it matter too much if
there is separation of duties. Do system controls mitigate risks? Fictitious employee risk. Where is the security for the
Set Up Screen? Originals of I9’s need to be kept by institution for audit. After extensive discussion and review of
business processes group decided to eliminate need for approval of work authorization. Also, to remove the Financial
Aid status on the PR0024UG screen.
Student PR has a separate priority list than the other finance modules. We don’t generally prioritize by module.
Because of this, some of the lower things on the student payroll list may get done before some of the higher things in
the other finance modules. Jan Mahoney moved that we integrate the student payroll priorities with the others. More
discussion ensued. Al will discuss this with Glen and Mark to clarify.
Training – What are Your Needs and Priorities:
Currently the number one priority is to cost allocation.
Site Visits – Are they useful? Mankato thought it was extremely helpful. It helped increase the comfort level. This is
good when campuses are first coming up on a new module. Campuses would like the ability to request a site visit to be
approved on a case by case basis.
Training of business rules along with system functionality. This is more appropriate after you have been in a system.
With a new system, it is not as feasible.
On the existing modules, what are the priorities for follow up training? Suggestion: Inventory the capabilities of the
system, survey the users on whether these capabilities are being utilized and train on any gaps. As we review the
business processes, we can try to flush these out.
Suggestion: A "Chart of Accounts Overview for Clerks" would be helpful.
Good descriptions of classes will help users determine whether or not training will be useful. (i.e., top ten things you
will learn in this class)
Training videos – Put a library together of what has been trained. Break videos down in smaller pieces.
Functional Specifications on the WEB:
Are they being looked at? Some of the user group members are looking at these as a planning tool and to get a general
idea of what is being done. The details of the spec are not being looked at. It is not necessary to keep every change as
the spec is developed updated.
PCS Review:
Documentation update to include standard abbreviations for establishing vendors.
It is difficult to change a cost center on a PO.
There are multiple ways to get encumbrance balances in PCS and Accounting modules out of sync.
There are some bugs in this module that need to be fixed, however module continues to function adequately the vast
majority of the time.
A flowchart is needed to show the various security levels and what can be done with status codes in each level. These
need to be included in documentation. Security needs to be reviewed and should be changed to standard identifiers.
OTHER ITEMS OF DISCUSSION:
Funds Applied – Add to AR_12 – Refunds
Interfund Accrual – Request to include Funds Applied - State Match & SEOG. To Be Reviewed.
Bookstore - Should summer session books be recorded in the new or old fiscal year. Summer Session varies by
institution for Financial Aid – header or trailer.
Future Meetings:
Next meeting to be held October 20-21, 1999. Thereafter the third Wednesday and Thursday of every other month
after October. The calendar will be reviewed at the next meeting.
Recorded by: Kathy Froysland, Teri Welter, and Dave Lund