Accounting User Group
June 9th and 10th, 1999
Location: Central Lakes College, Brainerd
MINUTES
PRESENT:
Lori Bates
Jill Bemis
Jan Mahoney
Bill Maki
Pat Nordick
Joan Rigdon
Ruth Siefert
Dave Thorn
Jerry Winans
Marcia Beukelman, representing MnWest
MNSCU PERSONNEL PRESENT:
Jan Ahmann
Tami Billing
Al Finlayson
Dave Lund
Teri Welter 6/9 only
Deb Winter
ABSENT:
Tony Bartovich
Karen Snorek
Lori Voss
Gary Swenson
GUESTS:
Jan Marble, MSU, Mankato
John Asmussen, MnSCU Internal Audit, 6/9 only
Beth Hammer, MnSCU Internal Audit, 6/9 only
Customized Training Update
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CT/CE does not have a total obligation end date. To accommodate this, customized training
courses will be tracked with an invoice number.
Rates are negotiated so system generated rates need to be overridden. A new screen is being
developed to allow an exception rate for a course for specific students. This will allow a
mix of Contract and General Public students in a course to be charged different rates.
Bank Reconciliation Workshops and Queries Update
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Three workshops are being given during the month of June. These provide queries and tips
campuses can use to reconcile their bank statements. Additional workshops will be
scheduled in July, and beyond if needed. Several schools have used these queries and
methods to successfully reconcile.
Issue: Campuses are being requested by internal auditors to prove cash that is requiring
campuses to look at and account for all cash transactions. John Asmussen said that it is
acceptable to develop a process to reconcile cash as long as reconciling items can be
proven.
Occurrence Dates were discussed and Internal Audit agreed that this date can remain as
"The Date the Receipts go to the Bank". Consistent use of the date by each campus is the
prime concern, and the System Office will be able to account for this date for financial
reporting concerns.
Bank Reconciliation Queries are on the WEB in ITS/Data
Management/Queries/Accounting.
Internal Audit Data Reliability Study
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MnSCU Board of Trustees Audit Committee’s Reaction – Were greatly distressed that
colleges could not reconcile banks. They would like periodic updates beginning in July.
User Group has done very well establishing development priorities. Should the AUG make
development staff accountable for system priorities? How can this be accomplished?
Discussion items related to this topic:
Help desk does not have technical staff to answer or problem solve the number of calls.
Development and architect staff is used for help desk support, which limits the amount of
further development.
Thought expressed that IS division is under staffed and under funded.
Project Management Software will be implemented to help evaluate the resource allocation
of development staff
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There is a task force that has been meeting to recommend a governance structure so that a
group can be formed to determine how to delegate resources and determine long range
planning as it relates to system development.
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Systems are complex and have unfriendly features.
Discussion items related to this topic:
Legislative directive for common systems, yet maintaining operational autonomy, has
necessitated much of the complexity.
With limited resources, focus has to be on initial creation of functional systems;
enhancements have had to wait.
Concern of how close are campuses to being able to record and provide comprehensive
financial statements:
Financial statements will be produced from each of the campuses individual
databases which means activity will need to be in accounting:
Investment balances – have not been moved to the correct object code.
Long Term Debt – need consistent reporting format.
Equipment Balances – Reconciliation from accounting is there. Perhaps we should be
creating the transactions automatically.
Land and Building Balances – Currently not done in accounting system and is
reported separately. Next year there are plans at the system office to review and
record this activity in the plant fund. Accounting user group will need to review this
process.
Compensated Absences - Need campuses to use leave accrual system in order to
report this accurately.
Credit Memo – This is available in the system but needs documentation. This may
be the reason not all campuses are using this process.
Balance Sheet – Accounts Payables will continue to be determined based on
occurrence and time process date. Need to come up with a process for determining
"allowance for doubtful accounts".
Fund Balance – Need to close FY 7. Roger Gillson has been responsible for this process and
it is very complicated. With campuses recording financial statement activity in accounting
for financial statements, fiscal years should be able to be closed after the Board Report has
been reconciled and completed.
It is yet to be determined how the Foundations should be accounted for in financial
statements.
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Campuses that were audited in the first year of MnSCU will be back on the schedule for
next year. The Audit Committee is expecting that reconciliations and separation of duty
issues will be resolved before a second audit.
Campuses need to take ownership in reports that are submitted to the board – Audited
Financial Statements are coming – by 2002 at the latest.
Financial Reporting Module will include:
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Appropriation, Fund, Grant Project, Reporting Category (a higher level than the object
subtype).
Review Top Ten Priorities and Open Functional Specs
1. Bank Reconciliations: AC000004 in development
AC000005 in development
AP000005 development completed, near release
AP000006 some of the requested modifications are complete. When queries have been finetuned, this will be revised to mirror them.
AP000007 development completed, near release
2. Funds Applied/Third Party AR000008 complete
AR000010 complete
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Fund Transfer Development completed, near release
Cancelled Check Needs small changes before it can go to production
Interfund Accrual Payoff To be discussed at this meeting
MAPS FY 2000 AC000003 – Done and in testing
Part 2 needs to be developed
7. Tuition Calc Changes Housing - need specifications for changes
Non refundable fees – plan is to use exception table to store these – need specifications
Trading Period – Has not been started
Write Offs – Has not been started – proposal should come back to group.
Refunds – Fall refunds complete
Third Party – Spec being developed
8. Cost Allocation Is in development. To be discussed later in the day
9. Financial Statements Changes being developed to move tables to the campuses databases.
10. Student Billing/AR Aging To begin work on later this summer, subgroup defining
And Collections
CC Aliss Scholarships and SW Asia Vets Appropriation Subsidy
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Appropriation that is dedicated to the community colleges for Aliss Scholarships and a
special line item appropriation for SW Vets Tuition Subsidy. Waiver codes will be added to
account for these.
PSEO Students
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DIG and allocation committees have requested that:
Tuition residency set as PSEO and record tuition with a PSEO tuition object code
A separate PSEO object code for the administrative fee.
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Issue: How do you identify Developmental Courses so that PSEO (THIRD PARTY) does
not apply the aid to these charges. Modifications to third party, aid applied and funds
applied are needed to not calculate the award for developmental courses which are not
eligible.
Issue: Senior Citizens are allowed a different rate on a space availability basis. This is not
easily done in AR. Currently campuses are waiving tuition for senior citizens.
Lori Bates expressed that she wants to keep concurrent enrollment.
The AUG has been working with the premises that as long as campuses use object codes
within a category, campuses have discretion as to which codes they prefer.
Object Codes
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DIG would like to get rid of object code 9101 and force campuses to set up object codes and
record revenue by residency.
Test out Experiential Assessment Learning Fee 9168 has a term flag "F". AUG proposes to
change the term flag to a "B". System office will send out this recommendation on the
listserv.
DIG asked for a definition of non credit course revenue and customized training.
Customized training has different definitions. AUG recommends that the DIG define object
code categories rather than at the individual object code level. The system can be modified
to accommodate grouping of object codes as the DIG and Revenue Allocation Committee
requests.
Accounts Receivable
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New funds Applied:
Users would like to see a push button from the AR0185UG to AR0155UG. Button should
be on the left side.
Prepayment refunds need to be addressed – possibly with return of modified 180 screen.
Work around with short term loan until this can be addressed.
Confirmed group approval of system functions: if a prepayment with an overage code 3 is
set up for a specific term, it will not pay off future term charges. If aid is applied late, with
an overage code of 2, payments will be applied to the next term if it has reached the start
date.
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Date Type 0048:
Should overlaps in this date type be allowed so that charges will show on either term’s bills.
Gaps will be addressed by programming the system to take the later date of end date on a
term or the begin date on the following term, whichever is later.
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AR Subgroup Billing Changes:
Student Billing Changes Approved – See Billing Subgroup Minutes – May 24, 1999
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Refund Review:
Group rejected idea of automatically issuing refunds if amount is under $100. Continue to
send to the refund screen, if they meet the criteria. Group rejected the idea of editing this
program to prevent printing of refund checks under $1.00. This was not deemed a
significant problem at this time.
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Security:
Proposed revision to security groups distributed and discussed. Proposal accepted with
clarification and additions.
Waiver security to be split, separating employee from customer waivers, and including
display with Receivable Query AR_02.
Institution Groups and Messages will be added to AR_05, Receivable Invoicing.
List requested detailing reports available by security level.
Group agreed to request to expanded AR_20 to include view only access to AR0036UG,
AR0037UG, and AR0185UG. Group also agreed to the request for a separate security group
for access to AR0360CB report, to process funds applied by individual on request.
Defined: System Office personnel should not have excessive access to an institution. They
need HEB_01, AR_02, AC_02, and EQ_03. It was also agreed that an A/P view-only level
needs to be established.
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Holds:
Group reviewed and accepted proposal for new screen to set up parameters for Financial
Holds. Report will be run at user’s request, and apply holds for a term based on new date
type ‘35’. Users will have the option to include term ‘0’ (non-term) charges in placing
holds. Group requested ‘Hold Screen’ security be added to the A/R security form, and if
possible to separate the ability to override holds based on the type of hold.
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International Person:
Rollout of International Person Module announced, with discussion of use for billing
student insurance. Module elements to be reviewed for discussion at next meeting.
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Clarification:
Prepay applies when bill calculation starts, Financial Aid applies at the start of a term.
Purchase Control System
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Discussion of wisdom and necessity of assigning P.O. numbers prior to funds being
encumbered. It was determined that this topic should be reviewed and discussed at the next
meeting, with a review of the complete module’s functionality.
Standards Update
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Review of Standards Committee’s goals with conversion to Uniface 7, to include standard
screen format, use of tree-style menus, and option to open multiple screens.
Removal of button panels from accounting screens was not well received; group requested
distribution of function key template handed out by Training.
Common Date format requested on reports.
Check Cancellation
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Group reviewed and accepted changes to Check Cancellation program, detailed in handout.
Program anticipated to be rolled out soon, with additional changes for Direct Deposit.
Functional Spec Review
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AR000017, PALS Accounts Receivable Interface: Group accepted, but unanimously
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prioritized behind existing top ten.
PC000002, Purchase Order Y2K Message: Group accepted after narrowing focus of this
spec, and reaching consensus on wording for message. Given timeliness of the message, and
assurance that it was a small project, the group asked for quick release.
Spec Requested for changes to journal voucher and AC0229UG, to allow corrections
between fiscal years with Asset Number change. This will provide a means of
accomplishing Equipment reconciliation.
Interfund Accrual Payoff – Review and Definition
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Process will payoff all Due From / Due To amounts in general ledgers (object codes 8211
and 8605) as defined for process creating transactions:
Student Payroll, to run as a back-end process with each payperiod.
Third Party, to run as user designates with control from AR0119UG.
Cost Allocation, to run as a back-end process each time accounting transactions processed.
Users will need to set up EFT with the State, as transactions could run nightly.
Reporting capability must provide adequate information to prevent bank reconciliation
problems.
Queries will be needed to identify State Treasury piece of current Due From / Due To
balances for manual cleanup.
UTCE Leave Donation Program
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New Leave Type codes will be added to permit proper identification for new program.
Student Payoll
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Funds (expense) Transfer program expected to roll out within a week. Group was asked for
process definition – Program as designed would allow expenses to be transferred only to
open work authorizations. Group discussed and determined that transfers should be
permitted to either open or closed authorizations. Change to be instituted prior to release.
Direct Deposit Cancel/Reissue screen reviewed. Group requested changes to wording to
clarify functions.
Problem identified by Bemidji – When Student Payroll processing was done on the same
night as another process, such as Funds Applied, errors were appearing in the Student
Payroll processing. No pattern to the errors has been determined. Al will investigate.
The need for split processing in fiscal year end payperiod was discussed. Request was made
to add automating this process to the enhancement list.
Group confirmed that I-9 / W-4 flag should default to On-Hand.
Action Items:
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System office will include definitions for Reporting Category so campuses
System office will add tuition waiver codes for Aliss Scholarship and SW Asia VetsTuition
Subsidy. System office will verify that waiver versus rev and exp is the appropriate way to
record this activity. Concern that this is not in the financial aid system and financial aid
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could possibly over-award that student.
Modifications to third party, aid applied and funds applied are needed to not calculate the
award for developmental courses which are not eligible.
Bring back to the next meeting a proposal for PSEO Students. Al will discuss with financial
aid.
Al will request developers to change the funds applied process so that aid applied and funds
applied can be run separately.
Pursue addition of "Max Fee" by fall. This would, as an example, allow an insurance
payment course fee to set up, and would only apply to first course taken that included that
charge.
Need to review prepayments at Minnesota West
Revise A/R security as agreed
Create A/P view-only security
Distribute function key template
Al to examine AR0009UG; some campuses get error message ‘amount does not match last
screen’.
Prepare Equipment Reconciliation functional spec.
Prepare Interfund Accrual functional spec.
Prepare Financial Holds functional spec.
Student Payroll Funds Transfer and Direct Deposit Cancel/Reissue screens to be modified
to clarify functions.
Al to review Student Payroll processing problem – losing transactions.
Next Meeting: As scheduled, Central Lakes College, Brainerd, August 11 - 12, 1999
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To include:
Review of Enhancements Requests and re-prioritize
Review of Purchasing System
Review of Employee Payroll processing
Recorded by: Dave Lund and Teri Welter