Resources Glossary of Terms

This glossary includes a list of academic terms, acronyms, abbreviations, initials and more that are used on campus and in higher education in general. If you have a suggestion of something that should be added to the list, email corporation MarCom.

Email CPC Media

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Term	Description
107C	CPSU HR form for faculty/staff release time. Shows amount and period of time released
1099	Form used to report income earned by non-employees for services rendered

A

Term	Description
ACCT Report	A report which shows account balances for any given ORG key and object code
ACTE Report	A report which shows account balances for any given org key and object code; this report also includes any encumbrances
Add Comp	Additional Compensation; Term used for CSU staff/faculty working up to 25% maximum additional time w/CPC on a contract/grant or through other external funding
AP	Accounts Payable
AR	Accounts Receivable
ASP	Authorization of signatures for purchasing
ASI	Associated Students, Inc. (Cal Poly student association)
Assigned Time	University-assigned release time for faculty. Pertains to “cost sharing”; University both releases and pays for faculty member to work on research
AY	Academic Year

B

Term	Description
BOE	Business Objects Enterprises

C

Term	Description
CAB	CPC Administration Building
Casual Employee	Also known as Intermittent Employee. Accounting office uses “casual;” HR uses “intermittent;” a part-time, non-benefited, non-student employee
CBO	CPC Business Office
Chartiable Trust	A trust having a charitable organization (such as Cal Poly) as a beneficiary
Check Request	A means for requesting a payment be made to a specified payee
COI	Conflict of Interest
COGNOS	Reporting tool for CPC financials
CPC	Cal Poly Corporation. Nonprofit established to support the university
CPC Pay	Web Timekeeping system available via the Cal Poly Portal
CPDT	Cal Poly Downtown
CPF	Cal Poly Foundation; Non-profit philanthropic foundation established March 2006 for the purpose of generating private support
CPPC	Cal Poly Print and Copy, printing operation in the library
CPSU	Cal Poly State University
CTO	Compensatory Time Off (hour for hour); used only for benefited employees required to work on a holiday; cannot be used in lieu of payment for overtime

D

Term	Description
DE 4	State Tax Withholding Certificate
Deposit	An addition of cash to an account
Deposit/Withdrawal Report	A monetary report that reflects all deposits and expenditures for a specific key; similar to a bank statement

E

Term	Description
Encumbrance	Funds restricted for anticipated expenditures, such as for outstanding purchase orders
Endowment	Permanent fund where gifts to the fund are held in perpetuity and where earnings are used in accordance with the donor’s specified wishes
EO	Executive Order (normally from the Chancellor’s office)

F

Term	Description
FASB	Financial Accounting Standards Board. Referred to as “Fasbee”
Fiduciary	A person or business that has the power and obligation to act for another under circumstances which require total trust, good faith, and honesty
FTE	Full-time equivalent

G

Term	Description
GASB	Government Accounting Standards Board. Referred to as “Gasbee”
GDO	Grants Development Office (Cal Poly)

H

Term	Description
HR	CPC Human Resources Department

I

Term	Description
I-9	Employment Eligibility Verification Form
ICSUAM	Integrated CSU Administrative Manual
ITRC	Irrigation Training and Research Center
ITS	University Information Technology Services

J

K

Term	Description
Kronos	CPC timekeeping system

L

M

Term	Description
Micros	Campus Dining point of sale (POS) system
MBS	Missouri Book Systems, the University Store’s primary systems provider
MOU	Memorandum of Understanding

N

Term	Description
NACC	National Association of Collegiate Concessionaires
NACS	National Association of Convenience Stores
NACUFS	National Association of College and University Food Services
NRA	Non-resident alien

O

Term	Description
Object Code	6-digit number which represents an account (i.e. 824000 represents supplies)
One Solution	CPC general ledger software
OH	Open hold (Accounts Payable)
Org Key	5-digit number which represents a department

P

Term	Description
Perpetuity	An indefinite period of time; forever
Petty Cash	A minimal amount of cash; Petty cash funds are used to reimburse approved expenditures less than $100.00
PI	Sponsored Research Principal Investigator, also known as “Project Director”
PIF	Personel Information Form; required for employment and status changes
POS	Point-of-Sale

Q

R

Term	Description
Release Time	Compensation to faculty (usually P.I.) funded from grant funds for time released from university appointment to pursue objectives of the project
Restricted Gift	Monies gifted for a specific use
RFI	Request for Information
RFP	Request for Proposal

S

Term	Description
Signature Authorization Form	A form used by CPC Business Office to verify authorized signatures on a given ORG key
SP	Sponsored Programs
State Charge Back	The state’s way of electronically invoicing charges other campus entities incur

T

Term	Description
TECF	Travel Expense Claim Form
TKC	TimeKeeper Central; time clock system used by payroll

U

Term	Description
UGS	University Graphic Systems
Unpaid AP (OH)	Transactions that have been charged to an account, however the check has not been physically cut (issued) yet; Open Hold

V

W

Term	Description
Withdrawal	A subtraction of cash from an account
Withholding @ Source	California required withholding of seven percent for out-of-state, unincorporated vendors performing a service
Workstation	Another term for Personal Computer. Typically used for PCs used at work
WRAP	Waste Reduction Awards Program
WTU	Weighted Teaching Units; measures faculty release time, one WTU = x amount of time released from teaching
W-2	IRS year-end earnings statement for employees
W-4	Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate
W-9	IRS required form for non-employees

X

Y

Z