The following DFA classes have open seats and are open to any person interested in learning more about Cornell accounting/finance policies. Please register via CULearn. All classes are in the DFA Training Room, 341 Pine Tree Road, unless otherwise noted.
For a complete listing of courses and registration instructions, visit the Finance Training Library at training.finance.cornell.edu.
For staff members responsible for working with sponsored funds, grants and contracts, this course is a comprehensive overview of the post-award financial management of sponsored awards, and contains critical information for staff responsible for the fiscal processing or management of sponsored funds (grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, etc.). This training, particularly important for newer employees who work in this area, will provide a detailed view of the various activities associated with the fiscal management of awards, including those performed by Sponsored Financial Services and elsewhere at the university. Topics covered include the new Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), F&A costs, unallowable costs, budgets and financial planning, program income, cost sharing, property (equipment), financial reporting, pre-award accounts, sub-awards, personnel costs, employee benefits, fellowships, stipends, expenditure of funds, travel and the "Fly America Act," financial monitoring, cost transfers, project billing, project closeouts, account closeouts, and audits. Training will also include using KFS and OBIEE Dashboards to manage awards. Staff members who work with sponsored funds are strongly encouraged to take this class.
Sponsored Financial Services staff members
This two-session program will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on the following dates:
For all staff members who work with accounting information and who are new to Cornell accounting methods, this class will cover topics including responsibilities for stewardship and fiduciary responsibility at the university, types of accountability, 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.
Cornell University Audit staff members
This class will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on the following date:
Suggested Prerequisite: Accounting 101 or a minimum of 3-6 months experience working with Cornell accounts.
This course defines allowable and unallowable costs, from the vantage point of the university and the federal government. 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 the review process for federal unallowable costs.
Deb Littlejohn, financial specialist for Cost and Capital Assets; and Steve Jackson, Organizational Workforce Development
This class will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on the following date:
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, 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.
Risk Management and Insurance staff members
This class will take place on the following date:
This course is for staff members who work with accounting information or who are new to Cornell accounting methods. The three-session program uses a mixture of online and traditional classroom learning. There is an online, open-book exam after each session (a total of 3 exams) that must be completed along with all three sessions to receive credit. Exams do not need to be completed before attending the next session.
Session I: A prerequisite for sessions II and III, this session provides an online introduction to 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 classroom 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 classroom 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 Web Financials II).
Accounting staff members and Steve Jackson, Organizational Development for Faculty and Staff (ODFS)
This is a three-session program. Session 1 is an online prerequisite.
Sessions II and III will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on the following dates:
Pre-requisite: Cornell Accounting 101 and KFSIDR-1050
For staff responsible for monitoring revenue and expenses for Cornell, State, Federal or C&G accounts as well as performing account reconciliations.
This three-hour class is designed to provide guidelines for reconciling asset and liability object codes and monitoring revenue and expense activity. It will define the difference between a reconciliation and monitoring activity, as well as cover risk assessment, properly recording sales tax, correcting unknown variances, and writing-off uncollectible receivables. We will be using the KFS Dashboards and hands-on exercises to reinforce reconciliation techniques and strategies in class.
DFA Accounting staff members
This class will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on the following date:
For staff responsible for working with Foreign Nationals, dealing with Visas and making payments to Foreign Nationals.
This is a two-part workshop.
Part I is an online tutorial that covers common definitions, visa types, tax treaties and documentation pertaining to payment processing for foreign nationals.
Part II is an instructor-led class where we will cover examples and case studies on topics such as determining if an individual is a foreign national; payment types 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.
Lori Kanellis, Tax Office
This class will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on the following date:
For staff members responsible for working with sponsored funds, grants and contracts, this course is a comprehensive overview of the post-award financial management of sponsored awards, and contains critical information for staff responsible for the fiscal processing or management of sponsored funds (grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, etc.). This training, particularly important for newer employees who work in this area, will provide a detailed view of the various activities associated with the fiscal management of awards, including those performed by Sponsored Financial Services and elsewhere at the university. Topics covered include the new Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), F&A costs, unallowable costs, budgets and financial planning, program income, cost sharing, property (equipment), financial reporting, pre-award accounts, sub-awards, personnel costs, employee benefits, fellowships, stipends, expenditure of funds, travel and the "Fly America Act," financial monitoring, cost transfers, project billing, project closeouts, account closeouts, and audits. Training will also include using KFS and OBIEE Dashboards to manage awards. Staff members who work with sponsored funds are strongly encouraged to take this class.
Sponsored Financial Services staff members
This two-session program will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on the following dates:
