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Office of the Comptroller Processes Guide
Account Authorization
PURPOSE:
To add, remove, or change names of people authorized to sign for accounts.

OVERVIEW:
Not everyone within a department is allowed to spend money from that department's account.

Overseeing the money spent and approving those expenditures is the job of the Account Manager.  The Account Manager is the person who must sign off on expenditures made from an account.

Analysis & Information keeps a record of all the individuals who are officially able to sign for expenditures.

However, that list needs to be kept up-to-date.  There are four main reasons for filing an Account Authorization Form:

  1. Account Manager has changed
  2. A new account has been created
  3. The new fiscal year is about to start
  4. An account has become inactive.

The following Account Authorization Process will show you how to make sure the people authorized to sign for expenditures is kept current.

NOTE:
Failure to keep Account Authorizations current could mean delays in processing requisitions, IDTs, Memorandums of Employment, work orders and budget changes!
Procedure 1:
Approve Account Authorization

Procedure 2:
Freeze Account Authorization

Flowchart

  PROCEDURE 1:  Approve Account Authorization ^ Top ^
Purpose To provide updated account authorization information.
Before You Start Prepare your own backup list of authorized signatories.
When to Start At the start of a new fiscal year, when opening a new account, when changing account managers, or when an account has become inactive.
Step Action
IF THEN
Account is being frozen Go to Procedure 2: Freeze Account Authorization.
Account authorization is being changed or added Complete Account Authorization form and submit to Department Head for approval.
IF THEN
Authorization approved Go to Step 1.
Authorization not approved Authorization cannot be processed.
Go to END.
Step 1 Send to Dean for approval.
IF THEN
Authorization approved Go to Step 2.
Authorization not approved Authorization cannot be processed.
Go to END.
STEP 2 Send to appropriate Vice President for approval.
IF THEN
Authorization approved Go to Step 3.
Authorization not approved Authorization cannot be processed.
Go to END.
STEP 3 Send form to Analysis & Information.
STEP 4 Analysis & Information verifies authorities on form and audits for correctness/completeness.
STEP 5 Copies are made and distributed to:
- service departments on campus
- Director of Accounting
- file copy.
End

  PROCEDURE 2:  Freeze Account Authorization ^ Top ^
Purpose To freeze access to an inactive account.
Before You Start Complete:
Procedure 1: Approve Account Authorization
When to Start When an account has become inactive.
Step Action
Step 1 Account Manager or Department Head sends memo to Analysis & Information that account has become inactive.
Step 2 Analysis & Information copies this memo to:
- service departments on campus
- Director of Accounting
- file copy.
Step 3 Director of Accounting will restrict account access on FRS system, freezing further authorizations from that account.
End

 


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