One of a department head's primary duties is managing the unit's budget. We know this is a large responsibility and there are resources to assist you with managing the financial health of your unit.
A critical component of managing the budget is tracking deadlines and fiscal cycles.
- The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.
- Deadlines for end-of-year purchases and/or payments are made available starting in early March.
- Monthly reconciliation is recommended to track expenses, revenue, and identify any errors. Work with your department administrator to ensure that a consistent reconciliation process is in place.
Mason utilizes multiple purchasing and fiscal systems and it can be beneficial to have a basic familiarity with each.
Fiscal Services Office
Fiscal Services features information that department might find of particular help, including:
- Manuals and Training Manuals, which includes a quick access to useful training materials concerning Banner functionality and use, purchasing policies, travel, and equipment supervision and maintenance.
- Forms related to purchasing, acquiring and managing departmental purchase cards (commonly called P-cards), accounts payable, and equipment inventory.
- Payroll schedules.
- Travel, as all individual travel authorizations and reimbursements are processed through Mason’s expense management system, Mason Finance Gateway.
- eVA, which is Virginia’s e-procurement system for goods and services that state agencies and institutions need. Use the eVA e-Mall application for purchases under $2,000.
University Budget Office
The Office of Strategic Budget and Planning has numerous links and resources that provide information about the university’s budget and budget policies.
Human Resources and Office of the Provost Personnel Management
Human Resources (HR) can assist with personnel actions that may affect the unit's budget, and has additional resources that can support your unit and staff.
- Personnel Action covers information such as pay ranges, wage positions, and other salary or personnel changes.
- Reward and Recognition provides a variety of ways to acknowledge staff and faculty accomplishments.
- Your HR liaison can be a helpful resource to you in navigating HR resources and transactions within your unit.
- Employee Relations can support your unit and staff through a wide range of changes or issues, including department or office reorganizations.
- The Office of Provost Personnel Operations assists with hiring and promotion actions relevant to Instructional/Research (I/R) faculty. For information, please see Faculty Appointments on the Office of the Provost website.
Office of Sponsored Programs
The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) can provide resources for faculty members managing externally sponsored projects. OSP helps resolve problems related to institutional cost sharing, contractual terms, budget matters, and changes to the accounts.