| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Account number | The six-digit number used by FAS to describe "where the money goes" in the old general ledger system. This will be replaced by a chart string in the new Oracle General Ledger system and by a PTAEO string in the Oracle Grants Accounting module. |
| Activity | (COA segment) Activity is the fourth segment of the new COA. This segment consists of six characters. Activity generally describes the function, program, or project for which funds are being used. |
| Award | (PTAEO segment) Award is the third segment of the PTAEO. It consists of six characters. Award represents a funding source. |
| CATE (Team) | Chart of Accounts Team Extraordinaire – Project team responsible for defining the chart of accounts structure and working with fiscal officers to map existing FAS accounts to new Oracle chart strings. |
| Chart string | The six-segment, 25-digit number that will be used to provide detailed information on each transaction in the General Ledger, specifying the "who, where, how, and what" of the transaction. The string is built by selecting a value for each of the six Chart of Accounts segments: Entity, Org, Funding, Activity, SubActivity, and Natural Class. |
| Child | The lowest (most detailed) level in a COA segment hierarchy. Child values consist of all-numeric characters. All transactions must be posted at the child level. Reports can be run at either a child or parent level. |
| CJX | Acronym used in FAS to denote a compound journal entry. |
| COA | Chart of Accounts – The Chart of Accounts is the set of values in the General Ledger that creates the framework for recording and reporting on all financial transactions. The new Chart of Accounts is made up of six segments: Entity, Organization, Funding, Activity, SubActivity, and Natural Class. |
| Cross Segment Validation Rules | A set of rules in the General Ledger which specify that certain combinations of segment values are not valid because they are not logical or are not allowed. |
| Crosswalk table | A reference table in which account numbers from the FAS general ledger system are cross-referenced with (or "mapped to") the valid chart strings that replace them in the new Chart of Accounts. |
| Data Mart | A subset of the organization's data, focused on a specific subject area or business area. At Dartmouth, the first data mart being developed is the financial data mart. Data marts are 'housed' inside the data warehouse. |
| Data Warehouse | A collection of data marts. |
| Entity | (COA segment) Entity is the first segment of the new COA. This segment consists of two characters. Entity represents the highest reporting level at the institution and specifies the highest level owner of a transaction. |
| Expenditure Type | (PTAEO segment) Expenditure Type is the fourth segment of the PTAEO. It consists of five characters (four digits plus an alpha code). Expenditure Type corresponds to Natural Class in the General Ledger COA. |
| eProcurement | The new business process that offers the Dartmouth community a simple and cost-effective way to procure materials and services online. |
| FAS | Financial Accounting System - FAS is Dartmouth's current general ledger (GL). Oracle GL will replace FAS on July 1, 2007. |
| FAS$input | The tool currently used to submit journal entries to FAS. This will be replaced by Web ADI for GL transactions and SPUD for sponsored project transactions. |
| FAS$reports | Tool used to create reports from FAS. |
| FASTLOOK | Tool used to view data in FAS. |
| Funding | (COA segment) Funding is the third segment of the new COA. This segment consists of six characters. The Funding segment specifies the source of the money being spent or received. |
| GL | General Ledger – FAS is our current GL. The OASIS project will implement Oracle's GL on July 1, 2007. |
| Hierarchy | The vertical dimension for each segment in the COA, similar in concept to the current "rollup" structure in FAS. A hierarchy consists of one or more "parents" within each segment that has specific "children" assigned to them. Hierarchies are used in creating reports. |
| HRMS | Human Resource Management System - an Oracle module implemented several years ago at Dartmouth. |
| Hyperion | Vendor of reporting tools being implemented at the same time as the Oracle General Ledger. |
| iProcurement | Oracle module which is the tool being used to implement the eProcurement business process. |
| JE | Journal Entry |
| JMX | Journal entry where debit and credit are on the same line. This format is supported by FAS$input, but it cannot be used with Web ADI. |
| Journaling | Informal term for moving transactions. |
| JTP® | Job Task Package - a proprietary documentation method used by Performance Change Initiatives (PCI), a company hired by Dartmouth to assist with development of learning materials. |
| LD | Labor Distribution - an Oracle module used to distribute personnel costs to the appropriate account / chart string. |
| Natural Class | (COA segment) Natural Class is the sixth and final segment of the new COA. This segment consists of four characters. Natural Class is an accounting term that refers to the type (or classification) of transaction. The types of transactions are broadly categorized as asset, liability, net asset, revenue, or expense. |
| OASIS | Optimum Accounting Strategy & Information System. The project that served to bring about the chart of accounts, Oracle General Ledger system, Oracle Grants accounting, eProcurement, Hyperion reporting, and Hyperion Planning systems in use today. |
| OGA | Oracle Grants Accounting is the Oracle application specifically designed to address the unique reporting and management needs of sponsored projects. OGA will be implemented at the same time as the GL, on July 1, 2007. |
| Oracle | Enterprise software company that delivers business solutions. Dartmouth currently utilizes the following Oracle applications: Accounts Payable, HRMS, LD, Payroll, Procurement, and Inventory. The OASIS project will implement Oracle's General Ledger, iProcurement, Grants Accounting, and Accounts Receivable applications. |
| Org (Organization) | (COA segment) Org is the second segment of the new COA. This segment consists of three characters. The Org segment represents units within an entity, typically departments or operating units. Together with the Entity segment, it specifies the owner of a transaction. The GL orgs correspond to HRMS Orgs to enable accurate labor distribution. (PTAEO segment) Org is the fifth segment of the PTAEO. It consists of three characters. Orgs in PTAEO are equivalent to Orgs in the GL. |
| OSP | Office of Sponsored Projects |
| Parent | Top or middle level in a COA segment hierarchy; the value to which a child (or another parent) belongs. Top-level parent values are all alphabetic and mid-level parent values are alpha-numeric combinations. |
| Project | (PTAEO segment) Project is the first segment of the PTAEO. It consists of six numbers. Project describes the work being done. |
| PTAEO | The five-segment, 24-character OGA string used for sponsored research transactions. The string is built by selecting a value for each of the five segments: Project, Task, Award, Expenditure Type, and Org. |
| Recharge Center | An operating unit or department that provides goods or services as a convenience to generally localized users. It charges users a retroactive monthly fee for the services it provides. |
| RFM | Restricted Funds Management - The procedures Dartmouth uses to budget and spend restricted funds (gifts and endowment income). Certain procedures are changing with the implementation of OASIS. These changes will improve the management of restricted funds across the institution and improve the documentation of compliance with the terms of the restrictions. |
| Service Center | An operating unit or department that has been established to provide goods or services to other College activities. |
| SME | Subject Matter Expert - a person attending a training class or meeting who has in-depth knowledge to share about the topic being presented or discussed. |
| SPUD | Sponsored Projects Upload Device. A spreadsheet template for submitting journal entries for sponsored research projects. |
| SubActivity | (COA segment) SubActivity is the fifth segment of the new COA. This segment consists of four characters. SubActivity can be used to track detailed information for a given Activity value. |
| Subcode | Value used in the FAS system to identify the type of transaction. Subcodes are not used in the new GL. They are generally equivalent to the use of Natural Class in the new GL, but their values will not be the same. |
| Subvention | College or professional school unrestricted dollars allocated to a division or department, sometimes referred to as "budget dollars." |
| Task | (PTAEO segment) Task is the second segment of the PTAEO. It consists of four characters. A project must have at least one task; those with cost shares must have a separate task to differentiate those charges. |
| Web ADI | A tool to enter and upload journal entries into the Oracle General Ledger. Web ADI replaces FAS$input. |
