Finance management/Financial accounting, University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow

Finance management

Financial accounting

Bursar

Oeconomus

Quaestor

Factor

Registry

Finance Office

In the University's first century, various officers were responsible for handling money and keeping accounts. A Bursar or Treasurer was responsible for collecting money due to the University, including fees from students proceeding to graduation. He was also responsible for presenting detailed annual accounts. The Bursar was usually someone in clerical orders and sometimes a master. He acted under the supervision of the Rector and his deputies and could not dispose of University property except by their order. Other bursars also existed. The Faculty of Arts, for example, had its own Bursar to collect fees from its students. Other University officers, for example the Rector, regents, examiners, Beadle and Scribe were also responsible for receiving various fees.

The nova erectio of 1577, which prescribed the constitution of the college, specified an Oeconomus or Steward to be responsible for the collection and disbursement of College revenues and the provision of victuals for the common table. He had to give the Principal and regents a daily account of all goods bought and brought in, and to render an account of his administration four times a year to the visitors.

The University statutes from the period 1577 to 1582 established the post of Quaestor to take the place of the Bursar. The Quaestor was in charge of the Treasury and the Library but could not spend anything except at the order of the masters. Fees for matriculation, examination and for obtaining degrees were all paid to the Quaestor. On demitting office, he had to render an account of his activities. The Quaestor was still in existence in 1863 when his responsibility was to receive all sums due to the Senate. From 1911, students' fees were collected by the newly created Registry.

From at least the early seventeenth century, a number of Factors were responsible for collecting all rents and revenues belonging to the University. The Commission of Visitation of 1726 ruled in 1727 that henceforth there was to be only one Factor to deal with all University revenue. He was to keep an exact cash book, journal and ledger that were to be open at all times for the inspection of the masters. He had to present his accounts each year for approval by the Faculty, sending in his books three weeks before the designated meeting of the Faculty. All vouchers were to be kept with the Faculty papers. The Factor kept, under separate accounts, the revenues derived from the ordinary income from the old foundation, the yield of the tack of the archbishopric, and the profits of the subdeanery. In 1775, the University visitors laid down rules regarding the manner in which the Factor should keep his accounts and perform his duties. These were, however, ignored for several years.

Following the Universities (Scotland) Act, 1858 which abolished the Faculty and transferred responsibility for administering the University's property and revenue to the Senate, the Factor acted under the supervision of the Senate. All payments other than annual payments had to be authorised first by the Senate. From 1889, when this responsibility was transferred to the University Court, the Factor reported to the Court.

From 1785, when James Hill, writer in Glasgow, was appointed Factor, Hill and Hoggan, the legal firm, held the appointment of Factor to the University. By 1920, the senior partner of the firm, James A McCallum, was giving the University financial advice and at times of class and examination enrolments a clerk from the firm attended the University to collect the cash. By 1945, it was recognised that the financial system of the University was out of date but there was to be no change during the active life of Dr McCallum. The University Court decided that the factorship should be terminated at the end of his association with Hill and Hoggan. A Finance Officer was appointed in 1947 to ensure a smooth transfer of the work. After the death of Dr McCallum, the University Court agreed on 13 May 1948 that the finance work should be transferred to the University as far as possible with effect from 1 August 1948. Thereafter many of the responsibilities previously belonging to the Factor came under the remit of the new Finance Office. From 1953, the whole of the University's financial work had been transferred to the Finance Office.

The Finance Office, which acted under the direction of the University Court through its Finance Committee, was responsible for keeping accounts of the entire income and expenditure of the University. It was divided into sections, two of which, the General Ledger Section and the Treasury Section, were concerned with financial accounting. The General Ledger Section was responsible for processing purchase invoices and accounting for general, discretionary and equipment funds. The Treasury Section was subdivided into a Cash Section, which was responsible for the recording of all income received by the University as well as handling payments to suppliers and petty cash disbursements and a Sales Ledger Section, which maintained the record of income due to the University with regard to invoices raised through the central sales ledger of the University. In 1986, the University adopted a computerised finance system. This was replaced in 1991 by a system called Prophecy Classic, which, in turn, in 2001, was replaced by a system called Agresso. Agresso comprised a number of modules including general ledger, accounts receivable, purchasing, accounts payable and bank reconciliation. Many University departments entered data directly into Agresso. Others sent data to the Finance Office, which entered it on their behalf.

Charge and discharge accounts 1601-1644 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26620
 

College accounts including charge and discharge accounts 1625-1630, 1651-1652 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26742
 

Oeconomus' accounts 1626-1633 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26730
 

Oeconomus' accounts 1630-1640 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26731
 

Building accounts 1631-1640 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26748
 

Oeconomus' accounts 1639-1646 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26733
 

Oeconomus' accounts 1640-1649 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26732
 

Charge and discharge accounts 1643-1659 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26734
 

Accounts for building new college 1655-1658 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26627
 

Accounts for building new college 1659-1662 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26625
 

Collector's charge and discharge accounts for crops 1664-1749 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26652
 

Factor's accounts for the revenue of the Subdeanery 1683-1749 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26653
 

Accounts for the Archbishopric of Glasgow 1698-1718 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26623
 

Factors' vouchers and accounts of the Archbishopric of Glasgow 1699-1743 ref: GB 0248 GUA 45400-46463
 

Factor's accounts for the revenue of the Archbishopric of Glasgow 1717-1745 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26743
 

Factor's accounts 1730-1740 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26735
 

Factor's accounts 1740-1745 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26736
 

Factor's accounts (East Kilbride parish only) 1743-1746 and undated Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26737
 

Factor's charge and discharge accounts (ordinary revenue) 1745-1776 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26670
 

Factor's accounts for the revenue of the Subdeanery 1745-1776 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26671
 

Factor's charge and discharge accounts of the revenue of the Archbishopric of Glasgow 1745-1776 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26672
 

Account book, College revenue, Subdeanery (no 3) 1777-1811 ref: GB 0248 GUA 2222
 

Factor's accounts for the revenue of the Archbishopric of Glasgow 1777-1812 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26744
 

Account books, College revenue, supplementary 1784-1846 ref: GB 0248 GUA 2223, 2227-2228
 

Abstracts of accounts of income and expenditure 1784-1982 Ref: GB 0248 GUA F6
 

Accounts of ordinary revenue 1786-1793 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26685
 

Factor's accounts for the revenue of the Archbishopric of Glasgow 1812-1825 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 26745
 

Account book, College Revenue, Subdeanery (no 7) 1812-1840 ref: GB 0248 GUA 2221
 

Receipts for sums paid by Factors 1826-1927 ref: GB 0248 GUA 57487-57572, 57579-57584, 57587-57588, 57607-57616
 

Account book, College revenue, Subdeanery 1841-1846 ref: GB 0248 GUA 2226
 

Account books, college accounts 1842-1845 ref: GB 0248 GUA 2216-2220
 

Ledgers 1846-1953 Ref: GB 0248 GUA F 2
 

Journals 1846-1953 Ref: GB 0248 GUA F 3
 

Cash books 1846-1953 Ref: GB 0248 GUA F 4
 

Records of academic departments c 19th century to date Ref: GB 0248 GUA academic departments
The records of some departments include financial records.

Foundation account 1908-1930 ref: GB 0248 GUA 16947-16959
 

Title of function/activity taken from Elizabeth Parker's Function Activity Model (report compiled for JISC). Function and activity description compiled according to GASHE's Standard for Creating Function and Activity Descriptions.