stratus assistance and training
Need Assistance with Stratus?
Need help getting started? Unsure who to contact for help? General questions that
need answering? Please contact the Stratus Financials Team at stratusfinancialsteam AT_TOWSON or 410-704-2188
Stratus training & resources
Access Stratus Training Resources
Month-End Close Projected Submission Dates
This chart shows the projected date that the Stratus Financials team will require
all submissions from the campus be received in order for entries to post to Stratus
in the current month. Projected dates for each month are added to this site as they
become available and may be subject to change based on system processes and technical
issues. Please use these dates to assist with your budget planning.
- Tuesday, 02/07/2023 - January
- Tuesday, 03/07/2023 - February
- Wednesday, 04/05/2023 - March
- Friday, 05/05/2023 - April
- Tuesday, 06/06/2023 - May
Fiscal Year 2023 Close-Out
For information on the Fiscal Year close-out, see our Fiscal Year Close-Out Overview of Deadlines (PDF).
Deadlines Specific to FY2023 Year End
June
06/03/2023 - deadline for Business Travel/event return dates ending May 31, 2023.
06/09/2023 - deadline for May Procurement Card expense reports.
06/16/2023 - deadline for submission of Payroll Student Hire forms for Federal Work
Study.
06/16/2023 - last day to purchase with the Diners card for FY23.
06/16/2023 - last day to purchase with Procurement Card for FY23.
06/23/2023 - deadline for Budget Office transfers.
06/23/2023 - first closing for Procurement Card expense reports.
06/26/2023 - all final invoices due to Accounts Payable.
06/26/2023 - deadline for interagency transfers.
06/26/2023 - deadline for receiving.
06/26/2023 - second travel closing.
06/28/2023 - second and final closing for Procurement Card expense reports.
July
07/03/2023 - deposits to bank.
07/03/2023 - DMS entry of cash/credit.
07/06/2023 - deadline for Diners Card reallocations.
07/06/2023 - deadline for interdepartmental invoice journals.
07/06/2023 - deadline for FY23 Stratus spreadsheet uploads.
07/07/2023 - DMS entry of revenue distribution.
07/10/2023 - deadline for inventory & prepaid supplies.
07/13/2023 - Preliminary Reports Announcement
07/18/2023 - June final corrections deadline
Stratus Financials Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to fill out an Authorized Signature Form for my department or grant?
No - we no longer require signature forms for departments and grants. Signature forms
have been replaced in Stratus by assigned Financial Stewards and Cost Center Managers
alongside Stratus workflows.
If a change needs to be made to the person designated the Financial Steward and/or
Cost Center Manager for a department or grant, please send the request to the Stratus
Financials Team at stratusfiancialsteam AT_TOWSON.
How do I get a new department number set up?
The first step is to go to our Chart of Accounts information page and scroll down to the criteria for a new department to determine if
your need qualifies.
Secondly, go to our Forms Directory and locate the appropriate form under the Stratus Financials section. The form you
select will depend on the type of department you are requesting (state-funded, self-funded,
or agency-funded). Fill out the form, obtain all appropriate signatures and forward
the completed form to Brian Bunker in Financial Systems & Technology.
Interdepartmental Invoice Requests
An interdepartmental request is used to move an expense or revenue between account
codes within a cost center or between different cost centers. The interdepartmental
invoice is also used to bill other campus departments for goods and/or services.
How to Submit an Interdepartmental Request?
These requests are submitted as a journal entry in Stratus by using spreadsheet journal
entry. For more information about this process, see our create a spreadsheet journal entry (PDF) document and review our training materials on our Training & Resources page. Before submitting a journal, documentation should be obtained to show permission
by the Financial Steward or Cost Center manager for both sides of the transaction
(the cost center where the expense currently resides and the cost center covering
the expense). The department originating the request will need to obtain the proper
cost center number and account number from the recipient before submitting the journal.
After submitting the journal through Stratus, the Stratus Financials Team will receive
notification through Stratus workflow and will review for any necessary backup. If
backup is needed the Stratus Financials Team will contact the journal submitter.
Credit Requests
If you need to credit a department, you will submit a journal through Stratus as well.
If you are correcting a previous journal you should reference that previous journal
number in the detailed description.
Using the Correct Account Number
There are 14 different major groups of expenditure accounts that can be used to break
down each type of expenditure into the appropriate category within your department's
budget. When entering in your journal in the Stratus spreadsheet journal, you can
search for the appropriate expense code by looking at the account descriptions.
When NOT to use an Interdepartmental Request/Spreadsheet Journal
A journal through the spreadsheet upload process (interdepartmental request) is NOT
to be used for budget/appropriation transfers. The spreadsheet journal is for transferring
expenses that have already occurred. If you need to move money to another department
for a FUTURE expense, that would be a budget transfer. Information on Budget Transfers
can be found on the Budget Office Stratus page.
Journal records retainment
It is Crucial to Retain Records
Both the charged and the credited cost centers need to retain records/copies of the
transaction for two reasons. First, the auditors may ask you to verify by producing
your records. Second, compare your records/copies against the monthly budget report
to verify any items posted to your cost center.
For any other questions relating to interdepartmental requests, please contact the
Stratus Financials Team at stratusfinancialsteam AT_TOWSON.
Interdepartmental Requests Frequently Asked Questions
What journal category should I use when entering an interdepartmental request journal?
For the vast majority of cases, the journal category INT (interdepartmental request)
should be used. For any transfer of expenses between different departments or different
account codes, INT must be used for the journal source.
For a listing of other journal categories (if needed), see our journal category listing (PDF)?
What is an initiative?
An initiative is a five-digit Stratus number that allows you to do additional tracking
of your expenses by categorizing them. The initiative value will show on your reports
and allows you to sort/group transactions.
If you would like an initiative set up, please contact the Stratus Financials Team
team at stratusfinancialsteam AT_TOWSON.
Is there a resource for questions regarding editing, correcting, and saving journals
in Stratus?
Yes, refer to the Stratus - Journals section on our Resources & Training page.
