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 |