Budgeting for Administrative Departments

In administrative organizations, spendable balances are primarily—and in some cases completely—set by General Fund and Institutional Expense Fund expense budgets that are planned in EPM - Planning.

A subset of administrative departments has a portion of their total activity supported by departmentally managed endowments and other funds. View the Departmentally Managed Funds section for balance-setting and planning practices specific to those groups.  The guidance below pertains specifically to budget and planning practices for the centrally managed General Fund and Institutional Expense Funds in administrative organizations. 

Please contact your analyst if you have questions about the budgeted expenses in your area.

Administrative Departments’ General Fund (A0000) Expense Budgets

Working under the direction of the Provost’s Office and Priorities Committee, the Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis centrally sets General Fund budget totals for each Administrative Vice President or Dean, which can then be allocated to specific Departments within each area.  These allocated budgets are periodically posted on Prime Financial Information Warehouse (IW) reports.

Administrative Departments’ Institutional Expense Fund (A0018) Budgets

Depending on your department, you may manage Institutional Expense Fund budgets to support expenditures on behalf of the University. Approved costs recorded on this fund include utilities, property taxes, and activities mandated by law. Balances on the Institutional Expense Fund:

  • Do not accrue to the detriment or benefit of the managing departments;

  • May not be assigned or transferred from the chartstring in which the budget is posted; and

  • Do not roll over from year to year.   

Working with the relevant administrative organizations, the Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis prepares annual updates of projected institutional expenditures recorded on Fund A0018. These updated projections are posted on Prime Financial Information Warehouse (IW) reports as part of the revised budget update each year. 

Best Practices for Administrative Departments

July

In early July, General Fund budgets are posted on Prime Financial Information Warehouse (IW) reports as Original Budget.

August-December

Subsequent General Fund budget updates and reallocations are posted on Prime Financial Information Warehouse (IW) reports monthly (usually the first week of the month) as Revised Budget until the final posting, typically in December.

February / March

Each year the Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis requests a Forecast of year-end actual activity on the General Fund and Institutional Expense Fund from each Administrative VP/Dean. 

May / June

Each spring, budget changes for the upcoming fiscal year (such as salary inflation, benefits rate, and supplemental budget adjustments) are made available to the office of the Vice President or Dean of each administrative area. Before the Original budget posting in July, Administrative VP/Deans can begin to allocate General Fund A0000 expense budgets to more specific departments, accounts, and programs under their management umbrellas.