Unit Name:
Unit Mission:
Business Affairs
To support the College’s teaching, research and public service functions by providing effective and efficient business, financial and budgetary services to all constituencies. With a
commitment to excellent customer service and the highest ethical values, the Business Office strives to ensure the financial strength and integrity of ESF.
Work Sheet for Unit Level Institutional Assessment
Results 2012
Unit Goal
Vision
2020
Goal
#*
Inst.
Priority
Code
(A-G)**
Goal #1
Address customer
needs by providing
efficient, responsive
and cost-effective
business services to
our students, faculty,
and staff.
a. Facilitate access to
Business Office
services through
periodic training
sessions,
newsletters, open
forums, and
partnering
opportunities with
other depts.
2011-12 Annual Objectives
Actions planned from Check
Key Performance
If
11-12 assessment
Indicator(s)
Done
Actions Planned:
 Review/refresh BO
Target(s)
(desirable
level)
Measurements:
X
website to ensure all
forms are available
and that information
is easy to access and is
understandable.
Results:
 Customer
 None
 N/A  a survey for each
satisfaction survey
 Maintain BO
spending within
budget
Defined
 None
Defined
administrative unit is to be
conducted every 3 years in
order to provide feedback.
The BO was not surveyed
in 2011-12.
 The BO should finish 201112 within budget once
several items are
transferred to where they
actually reside.
X
1, 2, 7
D
 Identify opportunities
to train constituents in
various procedures or
processes (i.e., Pcards)
 Develop newsletter,
identify content, and
distribute bi-annually.
 Seek opportunities to
“partner” with depts.
where combining our
financial/business
X
 Training sessions
with campus and
individual
departments
X
 Bi-annual
newsletter
X
Results of Assessment
(Data)
 Invitations to dept.
meetings to
“partner” on
various initiatives
 None
Defined
 None
Defined
 None
Defined
Some examples of the
“partnering” occasions
with depts. in 2011-12:
 College Accountant
routinely conducts SMRT
and P-Card training with
individuals.
 Met with Physical Plant to
develop protocol
regarding role of
Purchasing and how it can
best support them.
 Purchasing Manager
coordinated regional
meeting with Physical
Actions to take in
12-13
Revised Goals Below
2012-2013 Objectives
Key Performance
Target(s)
Indicator(s)
(desirable level)
Revised Goals
Below
Revised Goals
Below
expertise can serve
them best.
b. Increase training
and cross-training
within the
Business Office to
provide
outstanding and
consistent levels
of customer
service during all
hours of
operation.
Goals #2
Seek innovative
solutions to reduce
“red tape” burdens
to constituents and
use technology to
streamline processes
(e.g. e-refunds,
automated
timesheets, erequisitioning,
business
intelligence).
1, 2, 7
B, D
Plant staff from several
nearby campuses and
SUNY representatives to
discuss shared purchasing
opportunities and MWBE
best practices.
 Director and Bursar met
several times with
Outreach to support their
Summer Sessions program
efforts.
 Foster a “can do”
 Performance plans
attitude in the BO and
reinforce this in staff
meetings.
with every staff
member and
monitoring
progress
 Measure changes
in staff skill sets
 Add training elements
to performance plans
to address areas
needing improvement
Actions Planned:
1, 2, 7
B, D
 Continue to identify
areas where processes
can be streamlined.
 Develop and prioritize
project lists for IT
when their support is
needed.
 Develop Excel-based
and other tools to help
departments.
 100% of
Staff has
a plan in
place
 None
defined
Measurements:
X
 Customer waiting
time
X
 Time to process
student refunds
 Time from
X
requisition to
receipt of goods
 New tools
developed
(automated
timesheets, etc.)
 None
Defined
 None
Defined
 None
Defined
 None
Defined
 Performance plans for
UUP staff in place for first
time in 5 years.
 Performance discussed in
weekly meetings and
direct feedback provided
as needed. This helped
managers gain insight as
to how I think and what I
value so they could better
look for the same from
their staffs.
Results:
 An Excel-based monthly
reporting process was
developed whereby a
“data dump” of every
SMRT account was
formatted to build and
distribute VP-level reports
in less than two hours.
 Implemented OL billing
and ACH refunds. Both
served to reduce “face
time: needed by parents /
students.
Revised Goals Below
Revised Goals
Below
Revised Goals
Below
 Participated in several
Shared-Service discussions
with other campuses. This
led to an agreement to
use UMU’s Print Shop
thereby resulting in cost
savings.
 An Excel-based CSEA
timesheet was developed
and distributed so users
can efficiently report time
while helping Payroll by
eliminating potential math
errors and adding other
efficiencies to the process.
 The 2011-12 United Way
campaign was moved OL
(partially).
 Business Intelligence (BI)
functionality was
introduced by SUNY and
used in some limited
instances by the Director.
 Financial support for
College Foundation
expanded as Centennial
Hall opened and
procedures had to be
developed to sync data
between the Bursar, an
outside management
company and BO staff.
 Bursar’s group reviewed
workflow and this effort
led to Cashier’s position
moving to PT thereby
resulting in savings that
led to a shift in an FTE to
I/T Department.
Goal #3
Continue to
enhance/refine longrange flexible
budgetary planning
tools to shelter the
College from the
vicissitudes of a
short-range fiscal
policy.
4
D
Actions Planned:
 Continue building
templates to allow for
expeditious financial
modeling of scenarios.
 Move to “All Funds”
reporting
X
Measurements:
 Executive Cabinet
feedback as to
effectiveness of
model
 None
Defined
Results:
 Internal Financial Plan
report expanded to add
more information and
“un-net” several line items
so that gross activity is
shown as opposed to
“masked” as part of
various net numbers.
 Tuition revenue Excel
model was built to help
provide more accurate
forecasts.
Goal #4
Develop reporting
tools that deliver
timely and accurate
financial information
to:
a. Executive Cabinet
to help monitor
performance
versus the current
year Financial
Plan.
4
b. Departments to
support their
decision-making
processes
4
D
D
Actions Planned:
 Develop reports for
Executive Cabinet to
use in monitoring
performance and
decision-making.
X
X
 Develop/refine
reports for depts. to
use to help them
manage spending vs.
budgets.
 Develop schedule for
closing revenue to IFR
accounts so that
Measurements:
 Timely/accurate
forecasts
 Query Executive
Cabinet as to
effectiveness of
model(s)

X

 None
Defined
 None
Defined
Monthly Financial  By 5th
Plan performance Business
reports to depts.
day
Timely closing of
revenue from
general ledger to
 2x per
month
Results:
 Excel-based monthly
reporting process was
developed whereby a data
dump of every SMRT
account could be
formatted to build and
distribute VP-level reports
in less than two hours.
 Quarterly forecast
presentations provided to
Executive Cabinet.
 More account analyses
performed to better
understand activity and
forecast more accurately.
Some results were
discovery of Steam
overbillings due to faulty
meter and high water
Revised Goals Below
Revised Goals
Below
Revised Goals
Below
Revised Goals Below
Revised Goals
Below
Revised Goals
Below
departments have
timely access to data
Goal #1
Address customer
needs by providing
efficient, responsive
and cost-effective
business services to
our students, faculty,
and staff and ensure
that a high “ease of
doing business”
standard for all
constituents is
maintained.
Revised Goals
appropriate State
accounts (IFR’s)
by the Bursar
usage to be addressed
from Illick cooling tower
replacement. The
expanded analyses
flushed out expense
deviations that led to
solutions.
 Provided multi-year cost
analyses for Telephone
and Library accounts to
help Managers
understand their activity.
Revised Business Office Goals for 2012-13 and Thereafter
Revised Goals
Revised
Revised Goals
Goals
Actions Planned:
 Review Student Opinion
Survey scores and
comments; develop
actions based on both.
Measurements:
 Student Opinion
Survey

Targets:
 Highest ratings
achievable
 No adverse
comments
Internal Survey not
 Internal Survey
performed so specific data
to analyze yet but the
actions in sections (a) and
(b) below will be
implemented to ensure
high approval ratings when
survey is performed.
.
 Process all PO’s expense
 Time needed to
reimbursements, and AP
process activity
transactions timely.


Within 5
business days


$476.4k
Closely monitor BO budget  Total BO spending
to ensure no overruns
versus budget.
occur, share information
with staff to raise
awareness.
Highest ratings
achievable s
 No adverse
comments
a. Facilitate access to
BO services
through periodic
training sessions
and partnering
opportunities with
other depts.
1, 2, 7
D
Actions Planned:
Measurements:
 Periodic Training
 Periodic Training
- Develop protocol for
- Processed
contract reviews
documented
(internally and by SUNY
- Staff training
counsel); communicated
completed
to appropriate ESF staff.
- Communicate to campus
the rules regarding
reimbursements for
State and RF travel to
increase overall
awareness and reinforce
that that some past
practices have been
changing.
- Draft for review
by Executives
- Campus email
within one day
once approved
- Review who has SMRT
access but show little
use; contact them to
provide training and/or
determine if someone
else should be granted
access to support them
in managing their
budgets.
- System review
completed
- Complete all
applicable
training by
12/7/2102
Targets
 Training
- By 9/14/2012
- By 11/30/2012
- By 9/7/2012
- Within 1 day
of approval
- By 9/7/2012

Partnering Opportunities
 Partnering:
- Finalize Summer Session - Requirements
financial reporting
defined
requirements defined by - Final Summer
Outreach and provide
2012 reports
financial reports.
distributed
- Meet with Physical Plant
to re-visit “Purchasing
support” discussion
since new leadership is
in place.
- Documented
service level
agreement that
is agreed up by
both depts.
- By 12/7/2012

Partnering
- By 8/31/2012
- By 9/7/2012
- By 12/7/2012
- Monitor new process to
support Centennial Hall
with managing student
A/R based on lessons
learned in the first year
of dorms operations
- Review and refresh the
BO website to ensure
information is available,
easy to access, and
pertinent.
b. Coach, mentor,
train, cross-train
BO staff to
provide
outstanding and
consistent levels
of customer
service during all
hours of
operation.
1, 2, 7

B, D
Goals #2
Continually pursue
improvement
opportunities.
Revised Goals
Revised Goals
Revised
Goals
4
D

- Less than .5%
- Updated web
pages
- By 12/31/2012
Coach Staff
- Performance
Plans
- Quarterly
reviews

Coach Staff
- 100% plans in
place by
12/13/2012
- Progress to be
reviewed with
Director by
end of month
that follows
each quarter
(starting 1st Q
2013)
Revised Goals
Actions Planned:
Measurements:
Targeted expansion of
 Procurement card
State Procurement Card
usage.
usage to reduce manual
processing of small-dollar
purchases...
 Assess College Foundation  Recommendation
financial software to find
regarding a switch
ways to reduce effort
or stay scenario.
currently needed.
 Host visit by SUNY
 Improved access
Administrative staff to
to SMRT reports

a. Within BO - look
to streamline taskoriented
processes to free
up time that can
be re-directed to
higher value
analyses and
departmental
support.
Coach Staff
- Managers will establish
performance criteria for
their staffs that line up
with the BO’s values.
- Will hold managers
accountable for
providing periodic
feedback to their staffs
- Uncollectible
student A/R for
Centennial Hall.
Targets:
 100 cardholders
 Volume = $630k
 By 10/31/2012
 ’By 3/29/ 2013
help BO set up system
security that will expand
reports available to our
campus.
 Assess BI as a tool to help
ESF manage performance.
 Attend BI training
 Assess practical
 By 9/28/2012
 By 10/3102012
applications
b. For campus evaluate
opportunities to
implement more
efficient ways for
departments to
handle any
administrative /
business activities
that they perform
(examples: on-line
Time &
Attendance,
automated
timesheets, erequisitioning).
c. For students –
advocate, pursue,
and implement
ways to facilitate
interactions with
the BO (examples:
e-refunds, on-line
book and print
charge payments)
.
4
D

Work with ORP to
evaluate implementing a
Procurement Card for RF
purchases.
 Assessment of
Implement SUNY’s time &
attendance system to
provide automated time
reporting and limited selfservice capabilities, to
campus.
 Develop same Excel-based
time report for RF
employees to use.
 Evaluate paperless
processing and/or
electronic signatures for
procurement activities.
 Bo and HR pilot

 Web payments of
 $3,500,000
Tuition and fees
 ACH Refunds
 $725,000
 Assessment of
 By 12/7/2012

2, 4
B, D
Communicate ACH refund
capabilities to students to
increase number selecting
this option (so they do not
have to wait in lines at the
beginning of each
semester).
 Expand student OL
payment capabilities
(paying of books, print
charges, fines, etc.).
 By 3/29/2013
issues and
recommendation
whether to
proceed or not.
 By 10/31/2012
completed
 Roll out to campus  By 6/30/2013
for MC & UUP
staff (CSEA too if
SUNY is ready)
 Excel based time By 9/30/2012
sheet for RF staff
 Evaluation of
 By 3/31/2013
issues and
recommended
next steps
Issues
 Project plan
in
place with I/T
 By 6/30/2013
(target for next
academic year)
d. For SUNY –
support strategic
initiatives such as
shared services
and MWBE in
order to meet
targets that SUNY
establishes.
1, 4, 6

B, D, J

Goal #3
Continue to develop,
enhance, refine
reporting tools that
deliver timely and
accurate financial
information to:
Revised Goals
Revised Goals
Revised
Goals
Provide leadership and
support to our efforts to
increase MWBE usage at
ESF
 MWBE goals
Support for all SUNY
shared service initiatives
 Savings and/or
4
D
- Top 5 MBE
- Top 10 MWBE
new services from
other campuses
Actions Planned:
Provide monthly reports
with write-ups that
highlight potential issues
so that corrective action
plans can be developed.
 Prepare forecasts and
present them to Executive
Cabinet each quarter.
Measurements:
 Monthly Financial
Plan performance
reports
 Forecasts for
Executive review

Develop cash flow
 Analyses and
management reports to
planned sources &
address new requirements uses of cash
from SUNY/NY State.
 Develop “all funds” budget  Integrated budget
and performance
that include all
monitoring reporting.
funds
b. Departments to
support their
decision-making
processes
4
D
 $100,000 in Cost
reductions
versus 2010-11
baseline
Revised Goals

a. Executive Cabinet
to help
monitor/manage
performance
versus the current
year Financial
Plan,
 $260,000 / 20%
 SUNY Rankings

Develop new reports for
to help departments
manage their functions...
 P&L Statements
for:
- Student
Associations
- Food Service
Targets:
Monthly by 5th
business day


By 10/15/12,
1/14/13,
4/15/13, and
6/17/13 (prior
to FY end)
 By 8/31/2012


In place for
2013-14
New P&L’s by
10/31/2012 for
both
 Monthly
reports by 10th
business day


Continue to provide
 Quarterly data
analyses that departments queries for
want and can use to help
Telephone and
them manage their
Library activity
functions/budgets.
 Provide ad hoc reports on  Analyses as
request.
requested
Goal #4
Serve as Internal
Control Officer to
mitigate
opportunities for
fraud, waste, or
violation of policies,
regulations, or laws.
Revised Goals
D
Revised
Goals
10th business
day at end of
each quarter

Within 3
business days
of the request
date
Actions Planned:
Measurements:
Targets:
Execute current year audit  Annual SUNY IC
 All categories
internal plan to support
Certification
assessed as “in
the SUNY annual internal
process completed
compliance”
control certification
process...
 Catch up reviews of
 All P-card holders
 100% of
procurement card users
are audited at
cardholders
least once in a 3audited by
year period
6/30/2013
 33% of
cardholders
audited each
year thereafter
 The UG Student
 Audits of campus CPA firm audit
Association has not been
related entities
of all (100%)
audited in three years so
completed in
campus-related
ESF is not compliant with
accordance with
entities by
the requirement of an
SUNY policies.
9/30/2xxx
annual audit for this
(every year)
campus-related entity.
The situation will be
corrected in 2012-13.
* GOAL 1 Enrich academic excellence in both undergraduate and graduate education GOAL 2 Provide an outstanding student experience GOAL 3 Be the “go-to” institution with a strong and visible reputation
GOAL 4 Become financially secure and independent GOAL 5 Strategically build and enhance partnerships and collaborative relationships GOAL 6 Respond to the needs of society GOAL 7 Invest in ESF’s human
resources and physical infrastructure (http://www.esf.edu/vision2020/vision2020.pdf)
4
Revised Goals

Revised Goals

** A) Sustainability; B) Improve the Quality of Entering Students and Modest Enrollment Growth; C) Improve Visibility; D) Financial Stability; E) Community Engagement; F) Strengthen and Refine Assessment
Practices; G) Invest in Human Resources and Physical Facilities; H) Evolve Academic Programs to provide society with meaningful research advances and graduates who contribute to society’s well-being; I)
Information Technology Transformation; J) Institutional Diversity