General Accounting Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I still submit a hard copy of my journal entry to the Controller’s Office?
It is no longer necessary to submit a hard copy of the entry to the Controller’s office
Q: How do I key in Program Code 000 in the Journal Entry Template?
You must insert an apostrophe before the numbers 000 in the Journal Entry Template.
Q: Can I continue to send in a hard copy journal entry for posting.
The electronic format is required for processing. Hard copies and the old forms will no longer be accepted forms for the processing journal entries.
Q: Who is authorized to submit a journal entry?
Only individuals that have signing authority over the org are permitted to post journal entries.
Q: What is a debit, credit?
A debit transaction represents an increase to expenses or a decrease to revenue. A credit transaction represents a decrease to expenses or an increase to revenue.
Q: When can I review my departmental budget reports for the month?
Generally, a notice of month closing will be posted close to the 10th business day of the month for the closing of the prior month. Closing notices will be posted on the Faculty/Staff Conference and emailed to individuals on the Controller's Office mail list . Note that July and August closings are typically delayed due to year end closing procedures.
Q: When can I review my departmental budget reports for the year?
Final reports for the year will be accessible as soon as the external auditors perform their review and final statements have been prepared. The Controller’s office will post notices on the First Class Faculty/Staff Conference when the year has been closed and the new fiscal year is open for transactions.
Q: What is my username for the Banner Finance Access Form?
You are assigned a user name when you are set up in Banner. If you are unaware of this username, leave this item blank on the form.
Q: Why do I have to include the program code in the journal entries and window transactions?
We are asking departments to include full FOAPAL in all transactions with the Controller’s office now due to data entry improvements that have been implemented in our office. Currently, transactions from several departments are uploaded to Banner simultaneously instead of the manual input in the past.
Q: How do I know what FOAPAL to use?
An easy way to find the FOAPAL for a transaction is to access the Banner Form FWIBDST. If you input the org code, Banner will automatically fill in corresponding fund and program codes. Double click on a code field for a full listing of codes. Alternatively, your department might have a listing of frequently used account numbers.