FICM - Appendix B: Definitions of NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 Functional Categories

Appendix B: Definitions of NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 Functional Categories

This appendix provides a crosswalk between the functional categories identified by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21. These functional categories were developed for cost financial accounting purposes but are identified in the FICM as optional data elements that can be used to link space allocations to financial data or to institutional missions (e.g., the proportion of space used for public service) or to analyze and compare space allocations across institutions according to commonly used functional categories.

OMB Circular A-21 defines four primary functional categories: instruction, research, other sponsored activities, and other institutional activities. However, if the OMB Circular A-21 functional categories are to be meaningful and useful to an institution for space reporting, the “other institutional activities” (general, everything else) needs to be expanded. Section F of the OMB Circular identifies additional cost categories that can be used to expand the “other institutional activities” function. For some functional categories, NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 include the same activities (i.e., instruction, organized/sponsored research, student services, and operations and maintenance of plant). For other functional categories, there is some overlap of activities between NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21, but there are differences as well (i.e., NACUBO’s academic service and OMB’s academic support and NACUBO’s institutional support and OMB’s institution support). For other NACUBO functional categories, there are no similar, separate OMB categories (i.e., public service, auxiliary enterprises, independent operations, and hospitals) and the activities these categories encompass are accounted for in the “other sponsored activities” or “other institutional activities” of OMB Circular A-21. In particular, for NACUBO functional categories 9.0 – auxiliary enterprises, 10.0 – independent operations, and 11.0 – hospitals, Circular A-21 combines these activities under the functional category of Other Institutional Activity (OIA). However, for identification of all institutional functional activities for space, it is important that these three activities be separately identified. As indicated in chapter 5, it is recommended that functional categories be used to link space allocations to financial data or to institutional mission. For this general purpose, the NACUBO functions may provide the best link since they are somewhat more detailed than the OMB Circular A-21 categories. If, on the other hand, institutions are seeking a Facilities and Administration (F and A) Rate for recovery of indirect costs associated with sponsored grants and contracts, it is highly recommended that the A-21 functional categories be adopted.

The following list of functional categories and table B-1 illustrate the similarities and differences between the NACUBO functional categories and OMB Circular A-21 functional categories.

1.0	Instruction. (NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21) This category includes all activities that are part of an institution’s instructional program. Included are credit and noncredit courses for academic, vocational, and technical instruction; remedial and tutorial instruction; regular, special, and extension sessions; and community education. Includes departmental research and sponsored instruction.
2.0	Organized/Sponsored Research. (NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21) This category should include all activities specifically organized and separately budgeted to produce research outcomes, whether commissioned by an agency external to the institution or separately by an organizational unit within the institution.
3.0	Public Service. (NACUBO) (For OMB Circular A-21, these activities would be identified as Other Institutional Activity (OIA) and Other Sponsored Activity (OSA) as identified in an institution’s financial accounting system.) This category includes identified activities that are established primarily to provide noninstructional services beneficial to individuals and groups external to the institution. Examples:
	Community Services Cooperative Extension Services Public Broadcasting Services
4.0	Academic Support. (NACUBO) This category includes support services for the institution’s primary missions: instruction, research, and public service. Examples:
	Libraries Museums and Galleries Educational Media Services Academic Computing Services Ancillary Support Academic Administration Academic Personnel Development Course and Curriculum Development
4.0	Academic Service. (Circular A-21)
	4.1 Libraries—Official and organized central and branch libraries. 4.2 Departmental Administration—Includes all activities directly supporting Deans and Department Chairs. 4.3 Museums and Galleries—Usually included in a functional category of Other Institutional Activity (OIA). Check institution’s financial accounting system for correct function identification.
5.0	Student Services. (NACUBO and Circular A-21) This category should include admissions and registrar offices and those activities whose primary purpose is to contribute to the student’s emotional and physical well-being and to his or her intellectual, cultural, and social development outside the context of the formal instructional program. Examples:
	Student Services Administration Social and Cultural Development Counseling and Career Guidance Financial Aid Administration Student Admissions Student Records Student Health Services
6.0	Institutional Support. (NACUBO) This category includes 1) central executive-level activities concerned with management and long-range planning of the entire institution, such as the governing board, planning and programming, and legal services; 2) fiscal operations, including the investment office; 3) administrative data processing; 4) employee personnel and records; 5) logistical activities that provide procurement, storerooms, printing, and transportation services to the institution; 6) support services to faculty and staff that are not operated as auxiliary enterprises; and 7) activities concerned with community and alumni relations, including development and fundraising. Examples:
	Executive Management Fiscal Operations General Administration and Logistical Services Administrative Computing Services Public Relations/Development
6.0	Institution Support. (Circular A-21)
	6.1 General Administration Executive Management Fiscal Operations General Administration and Logistical Services Administrative Computing Services 6.2 Public Relations/Development/Alumni Affairs (Usually included in Other Institutional Activity (OIA)) 6.3 Sponsored Projects Administration Grants and Contracts Administration Grants and Contracts Accounting Research Compliance Office Check institution’s financial accounting system for other units identified as sponsored projects administration
7.0	Operation and Maintenance of Plant. (NACUBO and Circular A-21) This category should include the operation and maintenance of physical plants for all institutional activities, including auxiliary enterprises and independent operations. Examples:
	Physical Plant Administration Building Maintenance Custodial Services Safety Security Space Management Occupational Health Utilities Landscape and Grounds Major Repairs and Renovation
8.0	This category includes Scholarships and Fellowships but is not used in facilities. (NACUBO)
9.0	Auxiliary Enterprises. (NACUBO) An auxiliary enterprise is an entity that exists to furnish goods or services to students, faculty, or staff, and that charges a fee directly related to, although not necessarily equal to, the cost of the goods or services. This also includes Division I Intercollegiate Athletics.
10.0	Independent Operations. (NACUBO) This category includes those operations that are independent of, or unrelated to, the primary missions of the institution but that may enhance these activities. This category is generally limited to major federally funded research and development centers such as the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
11.0	Hospitals. (NACUBO) This category includes patient care operations of the separately organized and budgeted hospital, including nursing and other professional services, general services, administrative services, fiscal services, etc., that are included within the organized hospital.
12.0	Service Center. (Circular A-21) An operation that provides a service or product or a group of services or products for a fee to users principally within the institutional community. The services may range from highly specialized to typical or necessary functions. Often they could not be provided as effectively or efficiently if provided by external sources. A service center develops a rate for the service activity based on actual incurred costs and charges users based on actual usage.
13.0	Unoccupied Space. (Supplemental Category) Space that at the time of the inventory is either vacant (not assigned to any faculty or staff members) or under renovation.
NOTE:	OMB Circular A-21 requires the long form (detailed information) to be completed for institutions receiving over $10 million from the federal government for grants and contracts and requires such institutions to apply for a Facilities and Administration Rate.

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Table B-1 compares the NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 functional categories codes.

Table B-1. Comparison between NACUBO and OMB Circular A-21 functional categories

	NACUBO	A-21
Major function	Subcategory	Subcategory
♣ Instruction	General academic instruction Vocational/technical instruction Special session instruction Community education Preparatory/remedial instruction	All teaching and training (except research training) Vocational teaching Technical teaching Departmental research Sponsored instruction and training
♣ Research	Institutes and research centers Individual and project research	Sponsored research Research training University research
♣ Public service	Community services Cooperative extension Public broadcasting
♣ Academic service/ support	Libraries Museums and galleries Educational media services Academic computing services Ancillary support Academic administration Academic personnel development Course and curriculum development	Libraries Departmental administration
♣ Student services	Student services administration Social and cultural development Counseling and career guidance Financial aid administration Student admissions Student records Student health services	Student services administration Social and cultural development Counseling and career guidance Financial aid administration Student admissions Student records Student health services
♣ Institutional support	Executive management Fiscal operations General administrative and logistical services Administrative computing services Public relations/development	Executive management Fiscal operations General administrative and logistical services Administrative computing services Sponsored projects administration
♣ Operation and maintenance of plant	Physical plant administration Building maintenance Custodial services Utilities Landscaper and grounds Major repairs and renovations	Physical plant administration Building maintenance Custodial services Utilities Landscaper and grounds Major repairs and renovations
♣ Other sponsored activities		Sponsored health service Sponsored community service programs
♣ Other institutional activities		All activities except: Instruction, departmental research, organized research, other sponsored activities F&A cost activities Specialized service facilities Residence halls Dining halls Hospitals and clinics Student union Intercollegiate athletics Bookstores Faculty housing, student apartments, guest houses Chapels Theaters Public museums Other similar auxiliary enterprises
♣ Scholarships and Fellowships (not used in facilities inventory)
♣ Auxiliary enterprises	Provides goods and services for a fee to students, faculty, and staff Intercollegiate athletics
♣ Hospitals	Patient care operations of a separately organized and budgeted hospital
♣ Service Centers		An operation that provides services or products for a fee to users principally within the institutional community