Two new FORMS pages have been added to the FBS web presence.  This will enable visitors to have access to all the FBS forms in one place.  The forms are sorted alphabetically and by department.  A FORMS link on the top row of the FBS website has been added.  This will make it easy to find the form you need especially if you are not sure which department to look in for that form.  This is similar to the FORMS pages in the FBS pagelet in CIS.  On September 15, 2008, the FORMS links on the FBS pagelet will be changed to direct users to the new FBS FORMS pages.

Each department should ensure the appropriate level of effort of Key Personnel on projects. Key Personnel include all Principal Investigators and others specifically listed on the awarding document.  Recently the auditors of grants and contracts have been concerned that Key Personnel have not been charged as budgeted on federal awards.  Normally a person’s home department has the knowledge of the amount estimated, accumulated and reported effort for each Key Person.

Would you please take the time to review the percent of effort budgeted for Key Personnel on federal awards.  Key personnel must provide effort at the level budgeted.  If there is a reduction of effort for Key Personnel greater than 25% of the budgeted amount, then it is necessary to obtain the appropriate approval from the awarding agency.

In regards to the management reports, it is important that the reports are reviewed promptly upon receipt and retained in the department.  Do not return reviewed reports to the accounting department. It is the responsibility of each responsible person to review his/her monthly Management Reports. Your review (or that of your designee) MUST be documented on the first page of each Activity or Project.

If you have questions, please contact the representative in Grants and Contracts Accounting responsible for your project.

Click here to view a memo from Theresa Ashman, University Controller, regarding the upcoming visits from the State Auditor’s Office.

On the Personal Activity Report (PAR) Memo there was a mistake on Item 2 under Important Changes. Item 2 stated: “Pens cannot be used for correcting and certifying PARs (pencils cannot be used)”. This statement should have stated: Pens can be used for correcting and certifying PARs (pencils cannot be used).

All Financial WEB systems will be unavailable this Sunday, November 4, 2007, from 2:00 AM until approximately noon. This includes the WEB Management Reports and other Financial links located on the Financial & Business Services Pagelet of the CIS.

Financial & Business Services Organizational Changes

We recently welcomed a new staff member into our midst – Theresa Ashman, as our Controller/Director of Financial Management. Theresa comes to us from Purdue University where she held a variety of financial administration positions over the past 14 years. We look forward to working with her.

We’ve taken this opportunity to examine our organizational structure and have made some additional changes that we hope will better align our personnel strengths with our mission, vision, and values statements.

Some individuals have been asked to take on additional duties, and others to change either their focus or reporting responsibilities.

Personnel assignment and reporting changes are as follows:

• Kori DeHaan has been given additional responsibilities and now reports directly to Jeffrey West. Kori’s new title is “Manager - Travel, Training & Policy Coordination.”
• Laura Howat has been given additional responsibilities and will continue reporting to the Controller. Income Accounting and Accounts Payable now report directly to Laura. Laura’s new title is “Associate Director – Accounting Operations & Controls.”
• Barbara Nielsen now reports to the Controller, and has been given a new title, “Associate Director - Compliance Accounting & Reporting.” Property Accounting now reports directly to Barbara.
• Jim Parker has been given additional responsibilities. The Support Service Units (Stores/Receiving, Surplus & Salvage, and Central Mail) now report directly to Jim.
• Dave Heaps, Manager of Investment & Endowment Accounting, now reports to the Controller.

Unit name changes taking place in connection with this organizational realignment:

• Purchasing becomes Procurement & Supply Management (Jim Parker)
• Financial Information Services becomes Financial Solutions (Dean Church)
• Governmental Accounting becomes Management Accounting & Analysis (David Beckstrom)
• Research Accounting becomes Grants & Contracts Accounting (Gary Gledhill)

For an overall visual representation of the new Financial & Business Services organization, please view our organizational chart at this link: http://fbs.admin.utah.edu/index.php/home/home-organizational-chart/

The “Year-End Informatin & Dates” link at the bottom of the Administrative Financials section of CIS (Campus Information System) has been updated for the close of the current fiscal year. Please review the document for any dates that may apply to you.