General Ledger Account Structure: GL Accounting Key


General Ledger transactions are posted to an Accounting Key. This accounting key
consists of the Account String and the Object Code. Each of its six segments capture a
different element (who, what, where, when, and how) of the transaction.


General Ledger Accounting Key

In the General Ledger, transactions are posted to an “Accounting Key”, consisting of six
segments: Account (ACCT), Subaccount (SUB), Balancing (BAL), Organization (ORG),
Future (FUT), and Object Code (OBJ). The first five segments are known as the “Account
String”. Therefore, an Accounting Key is comprised of an Account String plus an Object
Code.

The first five segments of the accounting key are also referred to as the account string or the
ASBOF (Account, Subaccount, Balancing, Organization, and Future) – that is, the first five
segments without the object code. The remaining segment is the Object Code.
Note: When writing the accounting key, a decimal separates each segment of the
accounting key.


Below is an example of the new GL Accounting Key:



2100684.000.110100000.184200000.0000.8209040




ACCT
SUB
BAL
ORG
FUT
OBJ





Account String






Accounting Key

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General Ledger Account Structure: GL Accounting Key

To assist in entry of the accounting key in Oracle, you will frequently see a screen similar to
the one below. There are lists of values (LOVs) available for each field to aid in the search
process. As you select each segment from the LOV or type each segment directly into the
field, a description of that segment will appear to the right of the number selected. In this
format, the decimals between each segment are implied so that you do not have to type
them.



More specific information on the six Accounting Key segments is detailed below.

• Account (ACCT) Segment
• Subaccount (SUB) Segment
• Balancing (BAL) Segment
• Organization (ORG) Segment
• Future (FUT) Segment
• Object Code (OBJ) Segment




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Created on 10/5/2005 9:45:00 AM

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General Ledger Account Structure: GL Account (ACCT) Segment


The Account (ACCT) segment is the first segment of the GL accounting key. The Account
segment consists of seven numeric digits and identifies the primary activity for which money
is being spent.


The first digit of this seven-digit segment is earmarked to represent specific types of account
strings.

Important Note: Account segments starting with 6, 8, or 9 are GA/GL Recap accounts.

Account Segments
Identify a primary activity of…
Balance sheets
0xxxxxx
Balance sheets, University and Hospital


Account Segments
Identify a primary activity of…
Income statements
1xxxxxx University
revenue-only income statements
2xxxxxx University
expenses-only income statements
3xxxxxx
University mixed revenue/expenses income statements
4xxxxxx
University – reserved for future mixed revenue/expenses
income statements
5xxxxxx
University mixed revenue/expenses income statements
6xxxxxx
GA Plant project GA/GL Recap income statements
7xxxxxx Hospital
revenue/expenses income statements
8xxxxxx
GA Grant-Related Income, Mandatory Cost Sharing, and
Student Financial Aid GA/GL Recap income statements
9xxxxxx
GA sponsored grant projects GA/GL Recap income statements

There is no further blocking for University Account segment values. UAB Financial Affairs
utilizes the Oracle processes to assign all University Account values in sequential order
within each prefix (i.e., except for the first digit, there is no blocking for University Account
values).

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General Ledger Account Structure: GL Account (ACCT) Segment

Account Segment (Hospital)
In addition to the institution-wide standard one-digit prefix, the Hospital will also utilize the
second and third digits of the Account segment to further define the type of accounting
activity as follows:


Account
Hospital
Hospital
Segment
Blocking
Activity
Prefix
Code
Group


Hospital Blocking Code:



Hospital Activity Group:
1
Other
Unrestricted
1
Routine
2
Unrestricted
Self-Supporting
2
Ancillary
4
Restricted (including all Endowments)
3
Discounts/Capitation
5
Debt
4
Patient
Support
6
Plant
Project
Funding
5
Other
Operating
7
Assets
6
Administrative
8
Capital Equipment Purchase

7
Financial
9
Nonoperating

To ensure the integrity of their internal blocking, Hospital Finance assigns all Hospital
Account values. There is no range blocking in the remaining digits of the Account segment.

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Created on 10/5/2005 9:45:00 AM

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General Ledger Account Structure: GL Subaccount (SUB) Segment


The second segment of the new GL accounting key is the Subaccount (SUB) segment. The
Subaccount segment consists of three numeric digits and is used to further track activities,
tasks or time periods within its specified account.


Subaccount reflects a breakdown of the Account activity and is, therefore, dependent on the
Account segment. The Account segment of the GL accounting key, along with its
dependent Subaccount segment, uniquely identifies an active GL income statement account
string.

With the exception of some Subaccount segment values designated for institutional use by
UAB (see below), the Subaccount segment has meaning only within the context of each
Account segment. This means, for example, that a Subaccount segment value of 123 could
be designated to represent the first quarter of the fiscal year in one account string and could
be designated to represent a specific faculty member’s discretionary funds in another
account string. Initially, all Subaccount segment values will default to 000.

UAB has designated certain blocks of Subaccount segment values for institutional
purposes (specific values to be determined in the future).

000
Default value for all University Subaccount segments currently and will
always be the Subaccount segment value for balance sheets
001 – 099
Reserved for Hospital-wide or University-wide purposes (i.e. within the
Hospital, these Subaccount segment values have a consistent meaning
regardless of the Account segment value; and within the University,
these Subaccount segment values have a consistent meaning
regardless of the Account segment value).
100 – 899
In the future, will be for optional end user purposes within a given
Account segment value.
900 – 999
Reserved for institution-wide UAB purposes (i.e. these Subaccount
segment values have a consistent meaning across UAB regardless of
the Account segment value.

Remember, in the Administrative Systems, all Subaccount segment values will default to
000. Subaccount segment values for balance sheets will always be 0s and how they will be
used for income statements has not been fully explored.

Important Note: Balance sheets are never maintained at a level any lower than the
Account segment level. That is, although revenue and expense can be tracked at the
Subaccount level, balance sheets are never maintained at the Subaccount level.


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General Ledger Account Structure: GL Balancing (BAL) Segment


The third segment of the new GL accounting key is the Balancing (BAL) segment. The
Balancing Segment segment consists of nine numeric digits and will track activities for which
UAB may need a balance sheet, whether for internal or external purposes.


The Balancing segment is used to match revenues to expenses, track spending restrictions
and designations, categorize UAB’s net assets for external reporting, and to define the carry
forward of year-end balances. The balance sheet represents a report grouping, with assets,
liabilities, and net assets (also known as a fund balance, equity, retained earnings, etc.).
Separate balance sheets are maintained to satisfy the need for adequate stewardship in
accordance with the requirements of donors, trustees, granting agencies, or other internal
management purposes. The balance sheets are aggregated for audited financial statement
purposes. Listed below are examples of how the Balancing segment would be relevant:
•
To identify Hospital’s General Operating Funds vs. School of Medicine’s
General Operating Funds
•
To separately account for a restricted gift
•
To separately account for an endowment
•
To separately account for the receipt and use of a grant sponsor’s award

For accounting activity managed in the Oracle General Ledger, the Balancing segment of a
GL income statement account string indicates the balance sheet to which that account string
is related. For a GL balance sheet account string, the Balancing segment uniquely identifies
the specific balance sheet. For income statements, the Balancing segment value is always
identical to the Balancing segment value of the balance sheet account string to which it
relates. The first two digits of the Balancing segment indicate the internal functional
grouping.

BAL segment range
Name

General Operating 100000000 - 199999999
110000000 – 119999999
Central General Operating Accounts
120000000 – 129999999
Academic General Operating Accounts
130000000 – 139999999
Hospital General Operating Accounts
140000000 – 149999999
Auxiliaries General Operating Accounts


Other Unrestricted 200000000 - 299999999
210000000 – 219999999
Misc. Unrestricted Accounts
250000000 – 259999999
Unrestricted Endowment Earnings/Spending Accounts
290000000 – 299999999
Professional Service Funds


Student Loan 300000000 - 399999999
310000000 – 319999999
Federal Student Loan Funds
320000000 – 329999999
Nonfederal Student Loan Funds


Other Restricted 400000000 - 499999999
410000000 – 419999999
Restricted Gift Accounts
420000000 – 429999999
Misc. Restricted Accounts
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General Ledger Account Structure: GL Balancing (BAL) Segment

450000000 – 459999999
Restricted Endowment Earnings/Spending Accounts
480000000 – 489999999
Grant-Related Income GAGL Recap Accounts
490000000 – 499999999
Grant Mandatory Cost Sharing GAGL Recap Accounts


Endowment 500000000 - 599999999
510000000 – 519999999
Pure Endowments
520000000 – 529999999
Term Endowments
530000000 – 539999999
Independent Quasi-Endowments
540000000 – 549999999
Quasi-End Related To Pure
550000000 – 559999999
Quasi-End Related To Term
560000000 – 569999999
Quasi-End Related To Independent Quasi


Grant 600000000 - 699999999
600000000 – 609999999
Federal Student Financial Aid Grants GAGL Recap Accounts
610000000 – 619999999
Federal Gov’t Grants & Contracts GAGL Recap Accounts
620000000 – 629999999
State Gov’t Grants & Contracts GAGL Recap Accounts
630000000 – 639999999
Local Gov’t Grants & Contracts GAGL Recap Accounts
640000000 – 649999999
Private Grants & Contracts GAGL Recap Accounts


Annuity & Life Income 700000000 - 799999999
710000000 – 719999999
Annuity Funds
720000000 – 729999999
Life Income Funds


Plant 800000000 - 899999999
820000000 – 829999999
General B&E Reserves
830000000 – 839999999
Funded Depreciation Reserves
840000000 – 849999999
Trusteed Construction Funds
850000000 – 859999999
University Capital Plant Projects (Hospital 837001500)
880000000 – 889999999
Plant Asset Accounts
890000000 – 899999999
Plant Debt Accounts


Agency 900000000 - 999999999
900000000 – 909999999
Hospital Agency Funds
990000000 – 999999999
University Agency Funds

The remaining seven digits of the Balancing segment value must be the same as the
Account segment if a one-to-one relationship exists between the income statement and
balance sheet account strings. Also, both the Organization and Balancing segment values
must match between the two account strings.

Example of a one-to-one
3100022.000.213100022.446001234.0000 – Income Statement
relationship
0000000.000.213100022.446001234.0000 – Balance Sheet

A many-to-one relationship exists when several income statements roll up to one balance
sheet. If a many-to-one relationship exists between the income statements and balance
sheet (such as in the case of a Dean’s office balance sheet which includes several general
operating funds accounts), then the remaining seven digits of the Balancing segment will not
be the same as the Account segment.

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General Ledger Account Structure: GL Balancing (BAL) Segment

Example of a many -to-one
1012345.000.110100000.114102000.000 – Income Statement
relationship
1987654.000.110100000.114102000.000 – Income Statement
0000000.000.110100000.114102000.000 – Balance Sheet

In limited cases, a balance sheet account string will have no related income statement
account strings at all. This relationship is known as a “stand-alone balance sheet,” and is
not permitted except in the Central and Hospital general operating funds.


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General Ledger Account Structure: GL Organization (ORG) Segment

The fourth segment of the new GL accounting key is the Organization (ORG) segment. The
Administrative Systems defines an Organization as a unit in which people operate, i.e. a
department or division within the Hospital or University.


The ORG segment of the GL accounting key represents the organizational reporting
structure of the University and Hospital. An Organization is further defined as a unit with a
physical presence, an ongoing business objective, allocated funding, and fiscal oversight by
a responsible manager.

The ORG segment consists of nine digits, structured as follows:

ORG
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X






Bal Seg Prefix







Department









Division



Subdivision


The two-digit prefix of the ORG segment indicates the primary unit. Below are examples of
the two-digit prefixes:

Institutional 00 – 09:
01 General
Administration
09 Athletics
Central Administration 10 – 19:
10 President
11 VPFAA
18 VPDAER
19 VPIT
Provost 20 – 59:
20 – 27
Provost General
28 – 29
Libraries
31
School of Medicine
32
School of Dentistry
33
School of Optometry
34
School of Nursing
35
School of Health Related Professions
37
School of Public Health
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General Ledger Account Structure: GL Organization (ORG) Segment

39
Academic Joint Departments
41
School of Arts & Humanities
42
School of Business
43
School of Education
44
School of Engineering
45
School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
46
School of Social & Behavioral Sciences
51 Graduate
School
Health System Administration 60 – 69
Hospital 70 – 79
Agency Funds 90 – 99:
90
Hospital Agency Funds
99
University Agency Funds

The first two digits of the ORG segment value indicate the primary unit. The first five digits
indicate the Department. The first seven digits indicate the Division. All nine digits identify
the new Subdivision.

GL Organization Segment Example

3
1
1
4
0
2
4
1
0

School of Medicine

Department of Medicine


Division of Infectious Diseases

Vaccine Center


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