The Budget Office assists business officers and administrative heads of campuses and other university units to develop and execute the Board-approved budget. Prepares and submits the university’s state budget to appropriate agencies. Monitors the budget, comparing actual to budget including tuition reconciliations and mid-year reviews. Reports quarterly on E, L and Z funds. Provides budget updates and estimates for the upcoming fiscal year including the impact of any state pay plan and changes in employee benefits. Coordinates the fiscal impact response to the state legislature. Prepares the budget and actual schedules for the annual Accountability Report. Responds to statutory and proviso report requirements for Deficit Monitoring, Fees and Fines, Debt Collection and Travel. Coordinates the Tuition and Fee solicitation. Uploads the detail budget, primarily A funds, into the finance system.

The Bursar’s office is the official depository of all university funds and is responsible for receipting and disbursing all funds, which includes the assessment and collection of tuition and fees. Develops and tests all tuition and fee Banner charges, manages the student refund system, manages the drop for non-payment and reconciles student tuition and fee accounts. Responsible for student accounting and reporting. Develops, deploys and improves Banner Data Warehouse reports, assists with Banner questions and issues and processes all manual Banner entries to Account Detail form. Also maintains the University of South Carolina MarketPlace, which allows departments to create online storefronts to sell products or accept online payments from the University of South Carolina eCommerce website.

Manages the bond indebtedness program of the University of South Carolina System including State Institution Bonds, Revenue Bonds, Athletic Revenue Bonds and installment notes. Acquires capital funding necessary to complete capital projects approved by the Board of Trustees. Prepares and submits the university’s annual Capital Budget Document and annual Bond Indebtedness Report, along with providing periodic information to rating agencies and other interested parties. Assists in obtaining approval of capital projects and related funding to include approvals of the Board of Trustees, the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, Joint Bond Review Committee and the South Carolina Department of Administration.

Responsible for the management of all restricted contracts, grants and cooperative agreements in accordance with all state and federal standards and regulations. Prepares and submits invoices, electronic letter of credit transactions and financial reports to external sponsors. Approves payroll documents, travel authorizations, journal entries and other documentation in conjunction with grant terms and conditions and with generally accepted accounting principals. Records third-party cost share, and all time and effort reporting. Responsible for developing and negotiating the indirect cost rate for Columbia and the regional campuses. Manages desk audits and reviews upon request from federal agencies, directs the A-133 Audit and compiles the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards. Provides training for business managers and grant coordinators on University policies and procedures through the GRANT program. Also manages financial aid loans and Pell grants.

Departments under the Controller are financial reporting, accounting services, payroll and contract and grant accounting. The purpose of these departments is to provide accurate and readily available accounting information to all users through centralized accounting services while maintaining generally accepted accounting principles and compliance with regulations. Also, to provide accurate and timely vendor payments and payrolls to the University community, and to provide fiscal administration of contracts and grants.

Provides technical support for financial infrastructure, including PeopleSoft. Adds and deletes users from financial systems, and establishes user roles and preferences. Maintains chartfield structure in both PeopleSoft and legacy systems. Develops queries in PeopleSoft and provides support and training in PeopleSoft use and reporting. Provides expertise for operational support, incident management, change management and training. Supports financial system upgrades and patching. Reviews and posts all system journals.

Responsible for the development of annual financial reports for the university and each of its campuses. Serves as liaison for all external audits, including the negotiation and approval of audits fees, legal approval of engagement letters, set up of purchase requisitions and purchase orders, and monitoring of audit expenses. Prepares financial reports for IPEDS, SACSCOC, SACUBO Benchmarking Survey, Moodys, Thomas Reuters and the State Comptroller General’s Office for the state’s CAFR.

Responsible for all general accounting functions and services including cash management, accounts payable, travel, plant funds, endowments, journal entries, team travel, international suppliers and sales, and use tax returns. Manages all banking functions, such as reconciliation and customer relations with Wells Fargo. Prepares journal entries, journal vouchers and corrections to the general ledger. Reviews and approves all requisitions. Manages the monthly and year end closing processes. Prepares all year end accruals. Manages all reconciliations and transfers of all funds at the state level. Reviews, analyzes and requests all state scholarship funds. Reviews, analyzes and requests all funds for projects supported by state lottery funds and state capital reserve funds. Manages all capital assets and manages the budget, costs, balancing and reporting for all capital and maintenance projects for the system. Prepares all wire transfers. Manages team travel cards for all athletic programs. Assists with preparation of NCAA and other reports as needed. Reviews all payments for use tax and withholding. Prepares all tax related 1099s, 1042s, 990Ts, and UBIT. Prepares all associated returns to include TIN matching with the IRS. Prepares the annual State Travel Report. Provides research and training for PeopleSoft.

Handles the processing and payment of all payroll for the university. Manages direct deposit of payroll, all tax and retirement coding, all payroll deductions and all W2 reporting. Prepares year-end summary for financial statement schedules. Manages time and attendance records for all employees, including leave balances for eligible employees. Responsible for account reconciliation for all payroll related general ledger accounts. Responsible for employment verification and other individual wage or income reporting.

Ensures procurement transactions are conducted in a legal, ethical and professional manner. Abides by the procurement laws and regulations set forth by the State of South Carolina and USC Policies and procedures, which result in the most efficient, economical and responsible purchases. The procurement process is designed to offer all businesses an opportunity to compete on an equal basis for university business.