The University of Toledo

Academic Affairs Standard Practice Guide

SECTION IV: INDEX & ORGANIZATIONAL HIERARCHY MANAGEMENT


NEW INDEX REQUEST

As stated earlier in this guideline, the University utilizes and assigns an index to a unit that has budgeted funds, whether the index is for a lab, department, grant, Faculty Startup Fund (FSF), College or any other unit within the University. Indices are 6 digits in length. The University uses both numerical and alphanumerical digits to identify a unit or an area. All indices are unique and specific to a unit and are not duplicated. For example, a department index is identified as beginning with the letter “A”, a lab index begins with the letter “L”, the overhead index is identified as beginning with the letter “H”, Faculty Startup Funds begin with the number “1” and a grant is identified by beginning with the number “2”. When a faculty member obtains a new grant, the Grants Accounting office will assign the index. Please work with your college(s) respective Business Manager on setting up a new index for a new FSF. Following the aforementioned identifiers, should you have a need to setup a new index, the process requires filling out a “New Index Request Form” that can be obtained by visiting the ‘Accounting & Reporting’ department website in the Controller’s office. Once at the home page, click on the link titled “Forms” on the left side of the screen. For your convenience, a link below has been provided to take you directly to the form.

(http://www.utoledo.edu/offices/controller/accounting_reporting/forms.html)

Once you have obtained the New Index Request Form, the process involves completing the “Fund Hierarchy”, “Organization Hierarchy” and finally “Program Hierarchy” sections. To assist you in obtaining the correct index roll up information, you will need the “Fund Hierarchy”, “Organization Hierarchy” and “Program Hierarchy” reports found in WRL. These reports are located under the “Finance” folder in the “Chart of Accounts” subfolder. The “Fund Hierarchy” report will retrieve the fund code, description, and level at all five levels of the fund hierarchy. When running this report, the only Input parameter needed is the fund type. For purposes of indices that are academic in nature i.e. a department, lab, overhead or grant the fund types are classified as “21 Current Restricted”. The “Organization Hierarchy” report will retrieve the organization code, description, and level at all six levels of the organization hierarchy. Running this report will automatically retrieve all Organization Hierarchy levels as there is no Input parameter. Again, for purposes of indices that are academic in nature i.e. a department, lab, overhead or grant the Main Campus Colleges and department can be found under the “Provost – Academic Affairs Enrollment Services” which are classified beginning with “20”. The “Program Hierarchy” report will retrieve the program code, description, and level at all three levels of the program hierarchy. Similarly to the Organization Hierarchy report, there is no input parameter. The Main Campus Colleges/departments hierarchy follows the academic side of the University and is located under the classification “4000 Academic Support”. Once you have completed filling out al the necessary information for a new index, send to your supervisor/manager. The form requires the signature of the immediate VP/ Provost / Executive director before being sent to the ‘Accounting & Reporting’ department to be setup in Banner. Should you need further assistance please give the Budget Resource Analyst a call at 530-4477 or work with your college(s) respective Business Manager.

CHANGE/MODIFY INDEX

In order to change/modify an index for any reason, the process involves filling out a form that is sent on to the many affected departments, whom make the necessary changes in Banner. The “Account Index Roll Up Adjustment Form” can be obtained by visiting the ‘Accounting & Reporting’ department website in the Controller’s office. On the home page, click on the link titled “Forms” on the left side of the screen. At the top of the page, click on the link labeled “Account Index Roll Up Adjustment Form”. This form is to be used for either changing an index or modifying the hierarchy of where the index rolls up. All indices have six (6) levels for which they roll up. The following is the order that an index rolls up from lowest level to the highest level: 6) Organization; 5); Department; 4) Associate dean/director; 3) Dean/AVP; and finally 2) Provost/VP. The highest level is the index itself. Once open, you need to fill out the “Change From” and “Change To” section. To assist you in obtaining the index roll up information, you will need the “Indexes by Organization Hierarchy” report found in WRL. This report is located under the “Finance” folder in the “Chart of Accounts” subfolder. This report will retrieve the current roll up information for your index. Fill in the currently assigned numbers for each hierarchy level. Should you need further assistance please give the Budget Resource Analyst a call at 419-530-4477 or work with your college(s) respective Business Manager.

CLOSING INDEX

The process to close an index involves checking the year to date activity in WRL, filling out a form labeled “Index modification Procedures Form”, sending an email to notify the many affected departments to make the necessary changes in Banner and other software programs and finally submitting the completed form. First, start by visiting the ‘Accounting & Reporting’ department website in the Controller’s office. On the home page, click on the link titled “Forms” on the left side of the screen. Scroll down to the “Banner Index Modifications / Index Close” heading and click on the link labeled “Index Modifications Procedures Form”. Secondly, a user needs to check the “Budget Statement Summary” in WRL to verify there is no current activity, i.e. revenues and/or expense charges. Once you have verified your index has no year to date activity through the budget summary report, fill out the information in the form: 1) Index #; 2) Index Name; 3) date; 4) Name (which should be your business manager); 5) job title of #4, your business manager; 6) the department the index resides in; and 7) reason for requesting to close the index. Thirdly, submit an email to # Index Modifications which is sent to the many involved departments such as ‘Grants Accounting’, ‘Purchasing’ and ‘Accounting & Reporting’. State in your email mail: the purpose, the index # to be closed, the name of the index and an offsetting index such as your “Overhead - H” in case there are any unsuspecting charges that may need to be removed and charged against. After this email is sent, please check the “General Accounting – E-Mail” box on the “Index modification Procedures Form”. Finally, submit this form to Julie A. Graham the Sr. Financial Analyst in the Controller’s office at MS #454. Should you need further assistance please give the Budget Resource Analyst a call at 419-530-4477 or work with your college(s) respective Business Manager.