Journals Entries

Journals are created by various campus departments for reasons such as transferring expense and budget or to chargeback departments for services received.

Journal Transfers

There are four types of transfers which can be performed in FTS. Each type of transfer allows a department to move an expense or budget from one chartfield string to another or pay another campus department for services/products received. Transfers are reviewed and approved by an Approving Official in FTS.

When do I submit journal transfers in FTS?

Some reasons why a budget or expense transfer journal would be processed: 

  1. To correct an expense paid of out the wrong chartfield string.
  2. To move budget to cover a future or pending expense that will occur within the same fiscal year.
  3. To pay another department for services received.
  4. To obtain a reimbursement from an auxiliary for an expense paid out of university funds [see Cost Recovery Funds]

Submitting a Journal

Journals are entered, submitted, and approved in FTS.  You can request access to our Finance Systems after the required course[s] are completed. See Training and Tutorials for more information about access and training.

All journal entries must follow certain rules:

  • Transfers are created and approved by the department who is paying or being charged the expense.
  • Must have a debit side and a credit side.
  • Total debits must equal total credits.

Manual Journal Uploads

There may be instances when a journal transaction cannot be performed in FTS by the department [e.g. specific Account Codes are not available] or when there are many entries to be made. Accounting Services can assist in posting the transfers for you through a journal upload. For more information see Journal Entry Upload Requests.

Journal Prefixes

All journals have a numeric Journal ID preceded with a prefix. The table below provides information on journal prefixes commonly found in CFS Data Warehouse reports including description, source of data and contact information for any questions you may have.