Number: 
03-100-001
Type: 
Other
Policy Steward: 
Fiscal Policy Officer
Format Updated: 
DONE
University Policy & Standards Converted: 
DONE
Status: 
Current
Revision Date: 
Wednesday, February 2, 2022

This information replaces FIS 001 Introduction

 

Purpose

The Fiscal Policy Program (FPP) is a comprehensive program designed to effectively manage all aspects of fiscal policy in a professional, efficient and cost effective manner.  The Fiscal Policy Manual is applicable to all university departments, and provides users with policy, rules, procedures, guidelines and other resources associated with fiscal activities at Oregon State University (university).  However, note that the policies & procedures manuals for Grant, Contract & Gift Accounting (GCG) and Procurement and Contract Services (PaCS) may specify additional or different provisions if required by a grant or contract.

Overview

The university operates under a broad spectrum of policies, regulations, laws, and other local, state and federal government requirements.  The Controller’s Office is the central coordinating unit for university financial transactions and compliance.  The Fiscal Policy Manual is the official university record for these rules as they apply to operating units.  The length and breadth of this manual is a testimony to the volume and complexity of the financial transactions conducted on a daily basis at the university, and is an effort to codify, in one location, policies and process guidelines for implementing these policies for the vast majority of financial transactions.

In the event of an inconsistency or conflict, applicable law and Board of Trustees Policies supersede University Policies and Standards, which supersede unit-level policy, rules, procedures, guidelines or bylaws (including those in this manual).  The Fiscal Policy Manual supersedes all other unit-level policy, rules, procedures, guidelines or bylaws related to fiscal activities.  For more information, please refer to University Policy: 03-100 Fiscal Policy Program Authority and Types of Policies as defined by the University Policy and Standards Program.

The university reserves the right to add, amend or revoke any of the contained rules, policies, regulations and instructions or incorporate additional ones, as circumstances or the good of the university community may require.  This may occur with or without notice, as a result of a regulatory requirement or other mandate.  Additional service information and departmental procedures may also be found on the Business Affairs web site.  Please contact the appropriate Policy Steward or Policy Coordinator to submit corrections, changes or suggestions for this manual.

Structure

Please review the Table of Contents.  The numbering convention used in the Fiscal Policy Manual aligns with University Policy: 03-100 Fiscal Policy Program Authority, which outlines authority over the FPP and this manual.

  • The first 2-digit segment of the number represents the Business and Finance category of the University Policy and Standards Manual.
  • The next 3-digit segment represents the major administrative or funcional fiscal activity, defined as follows:
    • The first section (100) includes general information such as authority, procedures, guidelines and other resources related to the FPP;
    • The other sections are organized by function, such as Revenue & Receivables (110), Payroll (120), Procurement & Contracting (130), Vendor & Employee Payments (140), Financial Accounting (150), Asset Accounting (160) and Investment Accounting (170).
  • The last 3-digit segment of the number represents the specific fiscal rule for each sub-function within a given major category.

Navigating Through Online Manual

There are a variety of ways to locate a FISCAL POLICY on the Fiscal Policy Program website:

  • Select a topic under the section "Looking for a fiscal policy" (at left on main page)
  • Browse by category in the Fiscal Policy Manual (click link at top of main page -or- click "KNOW THE RULES!")
  • Select Index (drop-down under Fiscal Policy Manual) to search by title
  • Select List (drop-down under Fiscal Policy Manual) to search by number
  • Select FIS (drop-down under Fiscal Policy Manual) to search by old FIS number

Various GUIDELINES are available (click link at top of main page, or hover to select from drop-down):

Various resources are available through QUICK LINKS (center of main page - or- click link at top of main page):

Follow these steps if you "Need a new or revised fiscal policy" (at right on main page):

  • Contact the Fiscal Policy COORDINATOR for your Business Center or Unit
  • Work with your Coordinator to complete & submit the Fiscal Policy Request Form
  • Monitor the STATUS of your request or any activity of a fiscal policy or rule

Our Current Effort

The Fiscal Policy Program (FPP) is in the process of converting the Fiscal Operations (FIS) Manual to this new Fiscal Policy Manual.  This will include a thorough review of each policy to ensure the following:

  • The purpose (fiscal principles) and intent (rationale) are clear and reasonable;
  • The content is consistent with university policies and standards, as well as the strategic plan of the Division of Finance and Administration;
  • The content is relevant, aligned with the current governance structure and any reference to OUS has been removed; and
  • The standardized format, numbering convention and new status fields are updated.

This is a significant undertaking that will take time.  At this point, all FIS policies have been transferred to the new manual, but you may notice some significant differences from what you have been accustomed to seeing, such as:

  • Policies that overlap or work together have been identified and are now organized together under one fiscal rule.  As policies are reviewed and updated the content will be merged together as a single fiscal rule.
  • The numbering convention has changed as described above in the Structure section.
  • The header of each fiscal rule includes a reference to the FIS policy number(s) being replaced, as well as new status fields used to track and summarize useful information used for the Status Report, which allows you to monitor information and activity related to fiscal policy.