Mission Statement

The mission of the Business Office is to provide services that:  enable faculty and staff to manage resources effectively; facilitate the process by which students achieve their educational goals; and ensure financial stability for the District through sound fiscal operations.  The Business Office is committed to supporting the campus with:  ongoing communication and training; effective and efficient systems and procedures; and strategies for generating revenue and saving costs.  The Business Office strives to achieve high standards of service and to meet the needs of the District and community.

Program Description

The Business Office is located on the third floor of the Student and Administrative Services building on the main campus.  The department consists of fourteen individuals representing 14.0 full-time equivalent employees.  Student employees are also employed by the department.  The department consists of the following positions:
•	Director of Business Services 1.0 FTE
•	Payroll Supervisor 1.0 FTE
•	Payroll Technician 2.0 FTE
•	Account Clerk Senior 8.0 FTE
•	Accountant 2.0 FTE

The Business Office is responsible for administrative and business operations such as accounting (including auxiliary and foundation), budget development, planning and monitoring, cashiering, accounts receivable, grant reporting/monitoring, purchasing and accounts payable, financial aid disbursements, and payroll.  The goal of the department is to provide a firm foundation of administrative excellence to the college faculty, staff, and students.

The Business Office ensures that the student-learning mission of the District is achieved by providing services that support effective and efficient implementation of the institution’s core foundational processes.

Accountability for Previously Funded Items

Student Learning/Administrative Unit Outcomes

Employees will report that budget transfers, requisitions, purchase orders, and encumbrance adjustments are processed timely and accurately by Business Services.


Employees will report that online access has made it easier to view payroll information including W-2s, pay advices, and leave balance summaries.


Students will report that they are satisifed with the level of service they receive from Business Services.

Each of the above outcomes will be analyzed in the next year after the issuance of a new employee and student survey that will be conducted in late Fall 2015 or Spring 2016.

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (OSLED Departments)

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (All Other Departments)

The Business Office has many strengths that benefit the District.  These strengths include:
• A highly motivated and caring staff.
• Knowledgeable and experienced staff who are accessible to students and staff and willing to assist and train others.
• Accommodating hours for students, staff, faculty, and the community.

These strengths support the administrative functions of the college.  Processing financial aid for students and payroll for staff enables these groups to focus on activities in the classroom.

Strategic Direction

The Business Services Department supports the college in meeting its Strategic Direction and Priorities by providing assistance to the campus community with their business and financial needs. We do this by enabling faculty and staff to manage resources effectively, facilitating the process by which students achieve their educational goals, and ensuring financial stability for the District through sound fiscal operations. (Strategic Initiatives 2a.1; 2b.2; 2.d1, 2.d.2.)

Program Review

A survey was deployed through the VP for Administration in 2012 and 2013.  The survey relating to the Business Office included questions for both staff and students.  The survey included questions on the current processes that we perform and the satisfaction of the customer with this survey.  The results of the evaluation indicated two primary objectives for follow up:

For students - Additional resources are needed for the appropriate use of Higher One.  Student complaints about ATMs out of cash or being non-operational were reviewed after the first survey was completed.  An additional ATM was installed on the Main Campus to meet the needs of students.  Improvements have been achieved in this area since the first survey results were recieved.
For staff - Concerns have been raised about various Business Office practices/procedures as it relates to the purchasing process.  Many individuals are involved in the purchasing process as it includes requisitions, purchase orders, encumbrance adjustments, budget transfers, expenditure transfers, vendor set ups, invoice receipting, payment of invoices, and mailing of checks.  There were inefficiencies in the process that delay departments the ability to move quickly through this process.  Improvements have been made as it relates to speeding up the A/P process.  POs are printed several times per week and budget/expenditure transfers are posted as frequently as possible.  A new 1.0 A/P clerk was hired to assist with all of the new grants (specifically technology and other CCCCO grants).

Department Goals

The Business Office will help the institution achieve its strategic initiatives by being responsive to unit-level financial research needs and provide fiscal leadership that reflects and supports the District’s strategic initiatives.  The Business Office will work toward implementing/achieving the following goals:
The goal of the Business Office is to provide a firm foundation of administrative excellence to the college faculty, staff, and students.
Provide staff development and training to continually improve the performance of the high-quality, diverse staff dedicated to the provision of business operation support to the mission of the college.  Promote a spirit of teamwork, unity, pride, and professionalism in the work place.
Identify and meet internal and external standards of fiscal accountability, working to ensure that campus business operations meet the requirements of regulatory and authoritative agencies.
Utilize technology to become more efficient including the streamlining of processes that are currently performed.
Enhance staff understanding of and involvement in all budgeting processes and business procedures.
Develop additional and more effective methods of communicating and educating the campus on various budget issues, such as restricted grant processes, purchasing issues, and payroll items.  Hold various workshops and communicate issues through existing planning committees.
Continue to cross-train Business Services staff, where appropriate, on business and financial operations.  Improve separation of duties to ensure internal controls are as effective as possible.
Identify and implement methods to continually improve customer service to faculty, staff, and students.

Future Development Strategies

Requested Non-Financial Resources

Current Financial Resources

Augmentation Requests

Original Priority	Program, Unit, Area	Resource Type	Account Number	Object Code	One Time Augment	Ongoing Augment
Description	Supporting Rationale		Potential Alternative Funding Sources		Prioritization Criteria
1	Business Services	Equipment	11.099.280.1.672000	56411	$4,000.00	$0.00
Desktop computers	Purchase of office computers to avoid outdated equipment. These computers may be funded in 15/16 with the district wide computer refresh. It is not known if we will qualify for these funds yet.				Maintaining core programs and services Directly supporting meeting department standards/goals for student achievement and/or supporting the college in meeting its student achievement standards and/or goals Improving access, success, and completion of targeted student populations through the implementation of the Student Equity Plan