The following finance classes are available from September 2023 through December 2023 and are open to any person interested in learning more about Cornell accounting/finance policies. Please register via CULearn (select the registration link in the description below to view open class dates, times, and locations).
All classes are either pre-recorded tutorials or live virtual sessions held by Zoom. Please do not go to the DFS Training Room for any of these classes.
Questions? Contact Steve Jackson.
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Anyone in a service center role is required to complete the Accounting Certification Program within 18 months of employment and re-certify every 3 years.
The Accounting Certification Program (ACP) helps employees develop and enhance accounting skills and knowledge by providing an overview of the accounting function, as well as detailed training on the use of specific accounting tools and their associated policies and procedures. The ACP is constantly growing/changing. As core courses become available, you can take them individually and apply them to the certification.
To obtain credit for the course and eventual certification, you must attend every core course and one elective, take all tutorials, and pass an open-book exam for each class.
The following courses are part of the redesigned program (you must take one elective). These classes may also be listed in this email.
Register for the DFS Accounting Certification Program (All classes are listed in one place for easy registration. See the individual course pages for course descriptions.)
This course is for employees who work with accounting information or are new to Cornell accounting methods.
To successfully complete this course, participants must attend every session and pass three open-book exams, one for each session. Exams do not need to be completed before attending the next session.
Session I: A prerequisite for sessions II and III, this pre-recorded video session introduces accounting topics and policies such as the accounting equation; assets, liabilities, and fund balance accounting; debits and credits; ethics; compliance and methods, the Cornell accounting structure; and commonly used accounting terms. Approximate completion time is 20-30 minutes (not including the exam).
Session II: This live virtual session will cover topics such as debits and credits; organizations (orgs) and the org structure; account types; the Cornell accounting string (account, sub-account, object codes, sub-object codes, project codes, org ref ID); restriction classifications (unrestricted, temporarily, permanently); account attributes (fund, sub-fund, sub-fund program); and higher education function codes.
Session III: This live virtual session will tie together the topics covered in Session II by reviewing KFS, including creating/updating an account; creating a sub-account; creating a sub-object code; closing accounts; viewing account balances; understanding general ledger (GL) pending entries and self-balancing accounts; measuring accounting information; accounting fiscal periods; reporting accounting information (dashboards and WebFin2).
Instructors
Accounting staff members and Steve Jackson, ODE
This course comes back to life from the pre-KFS days in this new, self-paced video course that covers several university policies, including 3.14, Business Expenses; 4.2, Transaction Authority and Payment Approval; and 4.6, Standards of Ethical Conduct; and many citizenship and tax topics.
Prerequisite: To register for this class you must have completed SUPERHR7002 Financial Stewardship and Ethical Conduct.
For all employees who work with accounting information and who are new to Cornell accounting methods, this live virtual class will cover topics including responsibilities for stewardship and fiduciary responsibility at the university, types of accountabilities, policy resources, standards of ethical conduct, transaction authority reviews and payment approvals, conflicts, financial irregularities, internal controls, risk assessment and monitoring controls. We will also review several case studies based on the material presented. Before the class, you will take a 30-minute tutorial. In class, we will cover case studies and scenarios based on the above topics.
Instructors
Cornell University Audit Office staff members
Suggested Prerequisite: Accounting 101 (see above) or a minimum of 3-6 months experience working with Cornell accounts.
This live virtual course defines allowable and unallowable costs from the university’s and the federal government’s viewpoint. Excerpts from the new Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) will be discussed in detail. Other topics include how to code federal unallowable transactions, how federal unallowable costs affect the facilities and administrative rate calculation, and how to review for federal unallowable costs.
Instructors
Cost and Capital Assets staff members and Steve Jackson, ODE
This course replaces KFSCAM-600.
This live virtual class provides an overview of the capital assets policy and thresholds. Topics covered include Cornell’s definition of a capital asset; the importance of keeping capital asset records current; handling sponsor-owned equipment; tagging assets; and working with the surplus and disposal processes. KFS topics include pre-asset tagging, editing assets, transferring assets, loaning, or returning equipment, fabrication of assets, retiring assets, and conducting the barcode inventory process.
Instructors
Capital Assets staff members and Steve Jackson, ODE
This pre-recorded tutorial covers a variety of Cornell policies and procedures for managing and accounting for leases including the process for identifying leases versus non-leases.
This is a two-part program, with classes held on separate days.
This course is the foundation for Financial Management of Sponsored Activity and a prerequisite for these courses in this suite:
This two-part course will provide a foundation for managing sponsored projects.
If you have completed the Research Administration Certification Program (RACP), Part I is not required but you must still register for the entire course, attend Part 2, and pass the exam.
Part 1: Sponsored Financial-Managing Sponsored Projects is an overview of sponsored projects, including the life cycle, research administration at Cornell, and general principles surrounding oversight of a project. (1.5 hours)
Part 2: Sponsored Financial-Managing Sponsored Accounts is an overview of project accounts associated with a sponsored activity. Includes time for testing and reviewing accounts in the Kuali Financial System. (1.5 hours)
Instructors
Sponsored Financial Services staff members.
We strongly encourage you to complete (or be currently taking) FIN 114: Financial Management of Sponsored Projects and KFSIDR-1050: Using KFS Dashboards to Manage Accounts and Transactions before taking this course.
This course is an overview of the Sponsored Financial Activity dashboard, which presents financial activity associated with sponsored projects. You will learn how to analyze your project by reviewing the current financial status and monitoring activity on a regular basis.
Attendees should have general dashboard knowledge (completed KFSIDR-1050) and an interest (current or future) in managing sponsored activity. Access to this dashboard follows the general accounting role and may be restricted by local college access.
Instructors
Sponsored Financial Services staff members
We strongly encourage you to complete (or be currently taking) FIN 114: Financial Management of Sponsored Projects before taking this course.
This course comprises thirteen distinct pre-recorded modules and provides an overview of Uniform Guidance Post-Award Federal Requirements. You will learn how to manage and navigate post-award financial administration of a sponsored project.
Topics include administrative rules, budget analysis, cost principles, salary certification, participant costs, equipment, cost share, indirect costs, subawards, program income, and financial monitoring.
This program provides greater understanding of how the Facilities and Administrative (F&A) cost rate is developed and will be valuable for those working with sponsored grants and contracts or managing F&A recoveries at a college or university level. The session provides an overview of the processes involved in developing the F&A cost rate, including the impact of coding of accounts, the treatment of unallowable expenses and activities, the impact of cost sharing, the importance of properly coding space usage, and a case study of how the numbers are all put together.
The three tutorials in this course cover the procedures for moving funds at Cornell (including the Weill Cornell Medical College).
This workshop gives recharge operation and service facility managers the understanding necessary to develop accurate, equitable, and compliant user fees. Topics covered include key definitions, relevant regulations and policies, the key requirements of University Policy 3.10, Recharge Entities, the differences between recharge operations and service facilities, which costs can and cannot be recovered through user fees, calculating user fees, handling subsidies (user fee and user subsidies), applicable accounting procedures, the review and approval process, and common problems/deficiencies.
Instructors
Cost and Capital Asset Staff
Prerequisites: Accounting 101 and KFSIDR-1050.
This class is for employees responsible for monitoring revenue and expenses for Cornell, state, federal, or contract and grants accounts, as well as performing account reconciliations.
This three-hour virtual class provides guidelines for reconciling asset and liability object codes and monitoring revenue and expense activity. It will describe the differences between a reconciliation and activity monitoring, as well as cover risk assessment, properly recording sales tax, correcting unknown variances, and writing off uncollectible receivables. During the class, we will be using the KFS Dashboards and hands-on exercises to reinforce reconciliation techniques and strategies.
Instructors
DFS Accounting staff members
All Cornell University employees play a role within the university’s internal control framework. This introductory live virtual course explains internal controls in general along with the employee’s responsibilities for internal controls within Cornell’s framework.
Topics include the definition of internal controls and why are they important, an overview of Cornell’s internal control framework, challenges that may exist and how to manage them, and key controls.
Instructors
DFS Accounting staff member
Cornell University is required by law to pay tax on net taxable income generated from business operations that, under the Internal Revenue Code, are considered unrelated to the university mission. This live virtual course will cover University Policy 3.15, Unrelated Business Income Taxes and the information/process that supports this effort.
Prerequisite: You must have KFS Accounting Dashboards access when registering for this class. If you do not, request access for the KFS Staff Accounting role in Cynergy from your business service center.
Learn how to use the full power of the WebFin2 dashboard to meet your reporting needs. This hands-on live virtual class is designed for employees with accounting responsibilities who need to review and monitor transactional- and summary-level data at the individual account level. Topics discussed include viewing account balances, year-to-date and inception-to-date summary reports, reviewing transactions, drilling from summary reports to transaction details, understanding encumbrances, and using the WebFin2 Account Notes feature.
Users with KFS Labor access will learn how to interpret the summary/name detail views provided in many reports. Many custom navigation features of this dashboard will be explained.
Users will learn how to answer common questions such as: Do I have enough money in my account to make this purchase? How can I find if any of my accounts are in overdraft status? Where can I find information on remaining PO and labor encumbrance balances? How does my account compare to budget? What salaries have been charged to my account? What was purchased at the campus store? We will also cover the extensive OBIEE dashboard tools available, such as changing the sort order and column order in reports, moving report columns to create custom filters and report breaks, adding sub-totals to existing reports, hiding columns to redesign dashboard report format; and saving customized reports for future use.
Instructors
Tim Pollard (CIT) and DFS staff members
Prerequisite: Using KFS Dashboards Overview Tutorial (KFSIDR-1000DASH-Tutorial)
This class combines the former KFSIDR-1000 and KFSIDR-1100 classes.
This hands-on live virtual class is designed for transaction specialists who need to review, monitor, and report on transactional activity in their accounts. Learn how to use the financials dashboards to find transactions posted to your accounts, including using page selectors to request data specific to your needs; changing column and sort order; sub-totaling; hiding columns to redesign dashboard report format; and saving customized reports for future use. It is also designed for account representatives and finance specialists who need to manage budget and financial activity in their accounts. Learn how to use the financials dashboards to find funds available, balances for accounts in your organization, and compare financial activity against budgeted allocations. Answer questions such as, Do I have enough money in my account to make this purchase? How can I find if any of my accounts are in overdraft status? How can I monitor asset and liability balances? Where can I find information on remaining PO encumbrance balances? We will also cover changing the sort order in reports, moving report columns to change the display, and adding subtotals to existing reports.
Instructors
Steve Jackson, ODE and Financial Systems and Information Delivery (FSAID) staff members
This class includes pre-class tutorials required to attend the classroom activities, which will consist of scenarios and case studies.
Risk Management is everyone's responsibility. In this class, you will learn how the risk management process can help you become a more effective steward and protect the human, physical, and financial assets of the university. You will gain an understanding of the university's insurance programs, the claim process, and the university policies that are impacted by risk management.
Other topics covered include risk identification, risk rates and exclusions, the cost of allocation, emergency planning and business continuity, insurance claims and incident reporting, deductibles, contractors (paying for services), architects and engineers, certificates of insurance and risk, foreign travel and travel risks, sexual harassment, rental cars, contract risks, use of university property, and use of alcohol.
Instructors
Risk Management and Insurance staff members
For this semester, this program will consist of self-paced tutorials, and it will be available in CULearn on 11/1/23.
This five-course, six-session program will give you the skills you need to administer payroll and payroll functions effectively and efficiently. PAY 101 is two sessions with a pre-session tutorial.
To become certified, you must take all required courses and pass an exam.
Topics:
Instructors
Cornell University Payroll staff members
Register for PAY 1000 (All classes are listed in one place for easy registration. See the individual course pages for course descriptions.)
This class is for staff members responsible for working with foreign nationals, dealing with visas, and making payments to foreign nationals.
This is a two-part workshop.
Part I is a pre-recorded tutorial covering common definitions, visa types, tax treaties, and documentation pertaining to processing payments to foreign nationals.
Part II is an instructor-led, live virtual class covering examples and case studies on topics such as determining if an individual is a foreign national; the types of payments made to foreign nationals (honoraria, fee for services, stipends, and wages); and the types of documentation needed to receive treaty benefits and potential exemption from taxes. Participants will also review the Foreign National Questionnaire form and other required documents and backup material.
Instructor
Lori Kanellis, Tax Office
This program covers various aspects of the procurement process at Cornell. Participants will be guided through the purchasing decision process, including identifying the appropriate payment method for purchases, selecting a vendor, processing a purchase order, identifying independent contractors, paying for services, and more.
To become certified, you must take eleven required classes and complete all tutorials and exams. There is one elective specifically for Procurement Card Coordinators and Shared Service Center staff member only.
Topics include a procurement overview (tutorial), the basics of Cornell procurement, identifying independent contractors and paying for services, processing purchase orders, contracts and negotiations, bid solicitations, and using procurement cards, Spend Viz, and e-SHOP. Additionally, RMI 100 (and the prerequisite RMI 99 tutorial) has been added as a required course for this program.
Instructors
Cornell University staff members
This tutorial introduces employees to Payment Works, a secure system used to register disbursement voucher and purchase order vendors and payees. Also covered are the benefits of using Payment Works, verifying taxpayer information, direct deposit registration and validating banking information, validating mailing addresses, and monitoring government sanction lists.
This pre-recorded tutorial and exam is for Cornell employees who are eligible (who travel more than twice per year) for a Travel & Meal (T&M) Card. The tutorial teaches the basics of using your new T&M card, including details such as card limits, the activation process, prohibited activity, when to contact the issuing bank, and much more! Potential cardholders must pass the exam with a score of 75% or better to receive a T&M card. The tutorial takes approximately 20 minutes, the exam approximately 15 minutes.
This pre-recorded tutorial covers the use of e-SHOP (Cornell's branded e-procurement system), which allows employees to purchase goods and services from a wide variety of selected suppliers through KFS. Topics covered include starting a requisition in e-SHOP, managing your e-SHOP shopping cart , and completing the line-item detail in the KFS Requisition (REQS).
This live virtual course will walk you through setting-up your traveler profile in Concur, cover using Concur’s mobile apps, and provide high-level travel policy information that pertains to the subject area.
Instructors
Cornell University staff members
We strongly encourage you to complete the TRAVEL 100 course before coming to this class.
This live virtual course covers how to use Concur to book travel reservations and how enter into the Concur travel system travel reservations you booked outside of Concur. Some high-level travel policy information will also be presented.
Instructors
Cornell University staff members
We strongly encourage you to complete the TRAVEL 100 course before coming to this class.
This course will teach you how to create and submit an expense report from beginning to end using the Concur travel system.
Instructors
Cornell University staff members
This training includes a pre-recorded tutorial (approximately 45 minutes) and an exam. To pass this course, you must receive a passing score of at least 80%.
This course will help employees who work with payments:
Instructors
Treasurer staff members
The threat of counterfeit U.S. currency to the financial system of the United States continues to evolve. Advances in technology, the availability of scanning and printing devices and the adoption of the U.S. dollar by nations as their legal tender have exacerbated the global threat. This live virtual course will show you what counterfeit money looks like, and what you should do if you encounter someone passing you a counterfeit note to you or a colleague.
Instructors
Treasurer staff members and CU Police
PCI DSS training is an annual awareness training for employees involved in credit card processing on Cornell’s behalf. This live virtual course helps units fulfill the annual compliance requirements and helps employees ensure that sensitive data is properly handled to protect the university and its customers.
To successfully complete this course, you must complete three online activities and pass an exam.
Instructors
Treasurer staff members
