Financial Management

Roles and Responsibilites

Department Heads/Administrative Unit Directors

Department heads, administrative and research unit directors are responsible for all the financial activity occurring within their units; including research activity.  By virtue of the position they are also responsible for ensuring that appropriate systems of internal control exist in order to fulfill their stewardship role.  This includes ensuring that administrative/financial officers within their units are fulfilling their roles with respect to financial management. Specific financial management responsibilities include the following:

• Ensure that the resources entrusted to the unit are used to their best advantage, for the purposes for which they were intended
• Provide oversight to all projects/initiatives associated with their department and its faculty/staff
• Review summary financial reports for the department on a monthly basis
• Identify financial issues of concern to the dean/director
• Ensure that all administrative/financial officer roles and responsibilities have been assigned to particular individuals within the department/unit
• Ensure that unit staff responsible for financial management activities are appropriately trained for their role
• Communicate key university and unit financial policies to faculty and staff
• Provide documented evidence of financial stewardship activities by signing the annual "Statement of Financial Accountability" as requested by Financial Services Division
• Approve requests to establish funds in the university finance system (UniFi) submitted by faculty/staff of the department
• Approve claims for reimbursement to financial managers of funds within the department and individuals who report directly to the department head