University Budgets FAQs

Base Budget is the permanent ongoing budget that is recurring from year to year. 

Base budget may be adjusted due to:

  1. Specific budget addition or reduction through the annual budget process, approved by the Board of Trustees in July. 
    • These will include annual salary and fringe benefit adjustments related to the University’s salary program. These adjustments are built into the base budget at the beginning of the fiscal year.
  2. Approved mid-year salary adjustments funded by internal department funds.
  3. Transfers between divisions/units that are meant to be permanent ongoing budget adjustments.

Current Year Budget is the budget for the current year only.  There may be some current year amendments that are not intended to be permanent ongoing budget adjustments (such as for the purchase of equipment, temporary staffing, or a one-time event.  Cost center managers approve current year budget amendments.

  • Current year budget amendments are amendments that only impact the current year.
  • Base budget amendments are amendments that impact the base budget and the current year budget by the same amount.

For base budget amendments OR a base budget amendment with a partial impact to the current year, please refer to the Budget Office-Non-position Base Budget Changes contact on the Business & Finance Department Contact List - Business and Finance - Grand Valley State University website.

Budget amendments can only be made if shifting budgeted funds within or between General Fund Cost Centers or Designations.

If funding needs to be transferred to/from a non-general fund, please see instructions for How to Create a Department Journal Entry Request.

Please refer to Workday Accounting/Transfer Process Guidelines for additional information on this topic.

Position Management positions have Position Budgets: faculty, administrative professional staff, and hourly staff positions have position budgets. Initiating business processes for Create a Position and Edit Positions (JOB AID FORTHCOMING) will generally result in a change to a position budget.  In these processes, you will be asked to enter the source of funding for a new position or compensation change in a comment box. Please provide the worktags (fund/cost center/designation/budget pool) for the funding source for the total compensation for a new position or increased compensation for an existing position. If you are using the existing budget on an open position, please include that position number. 

For questions on position budgets, please reference the contacts listed on the Business & Finance Department Contact List - Business and Finance - Grand Valley State University website.

Managers can identify position numbers by reviewing their team’s organization chart.

Help Article - View Organizational Charts

Cost center managers can identify base funded positions by reviewing their GVSU Base Position List.

Help Article - GVSU Base Position List

In Workday, payroll costing allocations allow you to direct where payroll is charged (similar to labor distribution in Banner). Payroll costing allocations are required whenever payroll is charged to worktags other than an employee's Default Organization (cost center/fund/program). Examples include:

  • When payroll is to be split between multiple worktags

  • When a designation, gift, grant, or activity is required

  • For temporary allocations due to short-term arrangements (such as grants)

Payroll costing allocations apply to position management, job management and period activity pay.

Please see also:

Payroll Costing Allocations

Payroll Costing Allocation Articles in the Help Center

JOB AIDS FORTHCOMING ON REQUESTING PAYROLL ACCOUNTING ADJUSTMENTS.



Page last modified December 18, 2023