Happy New Year everyone!
I hope the winter break afforded you some time to relax and rejuvenate.
I spent some time reflecting on the challenges and opportunities the year presented us with; notably the need to adapt our processes and workflow to fit the realities of remote work. Through it all, I have been and remain impressed by the continued coordination and teamwork between our staff at the Campus Controller’s Office and all of you, our campus partners. For example, following the shift to remote work, our office developed a virtual process for conducting cash audits and equipment inventories at different colleges, schools, and units across campus.
I would like to thank our campus partners for your assistance as we navigated these new circumstances.
F&A Base Year
One of the biggest items on our radar at the moment is our facilities and administrative (F&A) base year. This year, we will collect data to facilitate our submission to the federal government in order to negotiate our next F&A rate. F&A is sometimes referred to as indirect costs. These are costs that are essential to research but are not directly allocated to individual research projects. If you would like to learn more about F&A, please watch this video.
Space Survey
Collecting and submitting data about the university’s space is a major part of the F&A negotiation process. As we mentioned in a previous article, the Campus Controller’s Office will begin this process soon. Keep an eye out for a training session where we will review the process and explain how campus departments are involved.
I look forward to connecting with our campus partners in the upcoming months, whether in relation to our F&A base year, fiscal year-end or a variety of other exciting projects on our horizon.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at elizabeth.a.spencer@colorado.edu, Teams or Zoom.
Liz Spencer, Associate Director, Accounting, Campus Controller's Office