How do I request a new cost object?

Complete the New Cost Center Request Form, which is available on SAPPHIRE. Send the completed form to Accounting, 401 Adm, 0439. For questions regarding this process, contact Diane Ciecior at 472-2705. Questions concerning WBS Elements for grants or contracts should be directed to Michael Behne, Sponsored Programs at 472-6323.

The positive and negative signs seem backwards to me. How are they used?

The revenues are reported with their natural sign as a negative, which indicates a credit. Expenses are reported with their natural sign as unsigned (positive), which indicates a debit. This is routine accounting procedure. If you focus on the $Variance column on the Cost Center or WBS Element Revenue & Expense Summary, an unsigned (positive) number represents budget remaining to spend and a signed (negative) number means the budget has been overspent.

How do I know what my balance is in my revolving cost center?

The Revenue and Expense Summary with Prior Year Balance Forward report provides the current balance for a revolving cost center that includes any balance carried forward from prior years. The last column of the report is Total Balance and the number listed furthest to the right under Surpl/(Deficit) is your balance. This number is calculated as current year revenue - current year expense - outstanding commitments +/- prior year carryforward. If the Surpl/(Deficit) is unsigned (positive), then that is the balance that can be spent. If negative, then that is the amount that the cost center is overspent.

How do I find out what cost objects are assigned to my mail code?

Directions for running the Financial Master Data Report, which lists all cost centers assigned to a mail code, are available on SAPPHIRE.

Where can I find forms, such as Visiting Personnel, Expense Voucher, IBT, Journal Entry, Affidavit, etc?

Most forms are provided in SAPPHIRE under the Business Forms link on the left. If you are having problems finding something, contact Accounting at 472-2881.

How do I report a non-monetary donation or gift?

Regardless of the value, the procedure to report non-monetary donations and gifts (equipment, land, etc.) received from outside sources is to complete the Donation/Gift Form. The value of each donation will be recorded to the cost object that you supply. The recorded gift revenue and corresponding expense will net to zero and have no effect on the balance in the provided cost object. If the value of the donation or gift meets the criteria in the capitalization policy, it will be tagged/capitalized.