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.

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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