St. Cloud Technical & Community College receives funds from a number of sources to carry out contracts of various types and to conduct grant projects. A key component to effective management of grants and contracts is the quick and accurate establishment of a budget. It is the intent of St. Cloud Technical & Community College that grants and contract budgets be established promptly, that personnel and non-personnel costs be attributed accurately, and that this information be forwarded to the appropriate offices so that accounts may be set up in the MnSCU database.
Faculty and staff members who are responsible for writing and/or receiving grants are responsible for setting up a budget for that fund in collaboration with the Business Office and the Human Resources (HR) Office. This budget will be developed so that it may be established in a clear manner in the MnSCU accounting system. It will be the policy of SCTCC that the account manager or project director do this as soon as a notice of award is released to the College and provide the appropriate information to the affected offices.
S7.5.1 Grants Budget Establishment Procedures
- In developing the budget for a contract or a grant, the faculty or staff member responsible will coordinate with the Business Office and the HR Office in order to assure that the grant budget is appropriately prepared and that expense estimates are accurate per the terms of the grant.
- On receipt of the notice of award from the granting agency or upon signing of the contract, the faculty/staff member responsible will submit the approved grant/contract budget and work in collaboration with the Business and HR Office.
- This approved budget will be forwarded to the Business Office, so that a budget may be established in the MnSCU accounting system.
- Appropriate Employment Action Forms will be completed by the individual assigned as project director for the grant and forwarded to the HR Office so that the appropriate personnel costs may be established. HR and the Business Office will reconcile the salary and benefit costs to ensure budget accuracy. Grant personnel funded in more than one cost center will have their assignments delineated on the payroll distribution form. These personnel will keep time and effort logs to document their work on grant activities. At a minimum of biannually, the supervisor will be responsible for reviewing and analyzing salary/payroll distributions as compared to actual time worked and making adjustments to the grant personnel payroll distribution or assignment as appropriate.
- In forwarding this budget, the faculty/staff member will receive signatures from his/her supervisor and the Business Office in addition to signing the form himself/herself.
- The Business Office will establish the account assigned at the appropriate number under the MnSCU system.
- HR will set up the payroll distribution according to the information included in the Employee Action form.
- The project director will develop, with assistance from the Business Office, a schedule and procedure for invoicing and billing for the contract or grant.
- No funds will be expended or payroll checks issued until this process is completed.
- No contracts for services or personnel will be issued until this budget process has been completed for the new account/cost center.