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Cornell University
Cornell University
Division of Financial Services
Accounting
  • About
    • Contact
    • News
  • Chart of Accounts
    • Transaction String
    • Accounts
      • Sub-Accounts
    • Object Codes
      • Sub-Object Codes
      • Revenue Object Codes
    • Function Codes
    • Fund Groups
    • Charts
    • Organizations
    • Using Sub-Accounts and Sub-Object Codes for Activity Tracking
    • Managing Accounts
  • Topics
    • Abandoned Property
    • Accounts Payable
      • AP Payment Schedule
      • Direct Deposit for Reimbursements
      • Check and Electronic Payments
      • Foreign Currency Payments
      • Help for Payees
      • Help for BSCs
    • Accounts Receivable
      • Interdepartmental Billings
        • Authorized Direct Charge Processors
      • Registering Cornell in an External Entity’s Payment System
      • Writing Off Uncollectable Receivables
    • Deposits
    • External Organizations
    • Gift Funds
      • Indirect Cost on Gifts
      • Receiving Gifts
      • Gift Restrictions
      • Managing Restricted Gift Accounts
    • Interdepartmental Activity
    • Inventory Accounting Guidelines
    • Lease Classification
    • Petty Cash and Cash Drawers
    • Plant Construction Funds
    • Reconciliation Guidelines
      • Reconciling Asset and Liability Object Codes
      • Monitoring Operating Activity
      • Object Code Reviews
      • Correcting Unknown Variances
    • Reserve Accounts
    • Revenue Classification
      • Tuition and Student Fees
      • Government Appropriations
      • Grant and Contract
      • Gifts and Contributions
      • Medical Services
      • Investment Earnings
      • Auxiliary Enterprises
      • Educational Activities
      • Other Sales and Services
      • Interdepartmental Revenues
      • External Organization Income
      • Accounts Receivable
      • Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Bad Debt Expenses
      • Accruals/Deferred Revenue
      • Revenue vs. Expense Reimbursement
      • Revenue Matrix
    • Transferring Funds
    • Travel Advances and Prepaid Expenses
    • WCM Accounts
      • Processing Entries to WCM
  • Invested Funds
    • Current-Year Long-Term Investment Pool Rates
    • Prior-Year Long-Term Investment Pool Rates
    • Investing in the Long-Term Investment Pool
    • Investment Glossary
  • Year-End
    • Account Reversion
    • KFS Payment Processing E-docs (DV, PREQ, PCDO)
    • Cash Deposits at Year-End
    • Revenue and Expense Year-End Accruals
    • Deadlines
  • forms
  • CU policies
  • training
  • KFS Support
  • e-SHOP

In this section

  • Abandoned Property
  • Accounts Payable
    • AP Payment Schedule
    • Direct Deposit for Reimbursements
    • Check and Electronic Payments
    • Foreign Currency Payments
    • Help for Payees
    • Help for BSCs
  • Accounts Receivable
    • Interdepartmental Billings
      • Authorized Direct Charge Processors
    • Registering Cornell in an External Entity’s Payment System
    • Writing Off Uncollectable Receivables
  • Deposits
  • External Organizations
  • Gift Funds
    • Indirect Cost on Gifts
    • Receiving Gifts
    • Gift Restrictions
    • Managing Restricted Gift Accounts
  • Interdepartmental Activity
  • Inventory Accounting Guidelines
  • Lease Classification
  • Petty Cash and Cash Drawers
  • Plant Construction Funds
  • Reconciliation Guidelines
    • Reconciling Asset and Liability Object Codes
    • Monitoring Operating Activity
    • Object Code Reviews
    • Correcting Unknown Variances
  • Reserve Accounts
  • Revenue Classification
    • Tuition and Student Fees
    • Government Appropriations
    • Grant and Contract
    • Gifts and Contributions
    • Medical Services
    • Investment Earnings
    • Auxiliary Enterprises
    • Educational Activities
    • Other Sales and Services
    • Interdepartmental Revenues
    • External Organization Income
    • Accounts Receivable
    • Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Bad Debt Expenses
    • Accruals/Deferred Revenue
    • Revenue vs. Expense Reimbursement
    • Revenue Matrix
  • Transferring Funds
  • Travel Advances and Prepaid Expenses
  • WCM Accounts
    • Processing Entries to WCM

See also

  • Sponsored Financial Services
  • Capital Assets
  • Cost Analysis

Object Codes Reviews

Wrong Natural Balance

Annually, Accounting will distribute a list of accounts for asset and liability object codes for balance that does not have the natural classification. The natural classification for assets is a debit balance, for liabilities it is a credit balance, therefore, the wrong natural balance for assets (with the exception of a contra asset) is a credit balance and for liabilities it is a debit balance.

  • The expectation is that the account is reviewed and corrected by the responsible party within 30 business days.
  • If an object code has been reviewed and all transactions and object codes used appear to be appropriate, please contact Accounting for assistance. A process review of how the activity is recorded may need to be undertaken.

Unchanged Balance

Annually, Accounting will distribute a list of accounts for which asset or liability balances have not changed since the previous year.

  • Generally, accounts receivable and accounts payable/deferred revenue balances clear within 30-60 days.
  • Balances at the end of the first, second, and third quarters that have not changed since the beginning of the fiscal year may indicate a potential problem.
  • The expectation is that the account is reviewed and corrected by the responsible party within 30 business days.

Institutional Orgs

  • Institutional Orgs are central administrative functions of the university where the underlying accounts are held in an institutional org, (orgs beginning with 90xx and 91xx).  Examples include Financial Aid, Bursar, Benefits, Budget Office, Human Resources, Investments, and AA&D.
  • Accounting will maintain and annually update a list of institutional org accounts, the person responsible for the reconciliation (role = account manager), frequency of reconciliation and type of reconciliation. 

Audit Review

  • Periodically, Accounting may randomly select reconciliations across campus for review.
  • The expectation when the external auditors (PricewaterhouseCoopers), the University Audit Office, or the Office of the University Controller/Accounting requests a copy of the reconciliation, that it will be available within two business days.

 

Division of Financial Services

377 Pine Tree Road, East Hill Plaza
Ithaca, NY 14850

Hours:  8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday

 

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