Stratus FAQ

STRATUS is a long-term modernization effort to adopt cloud-based business application systems.

This project includes a redesign of the university's Chart of Accounts and the implementation of new financial and budget planning systems.

• real-time access to financial data
• faster approvals using automated workflows
• more informed decision-making
• modernized chart of accounts
• self-service for university leadership, employees, and vendors
• contemporary look and feel with improved digital accessibility

STRATUS went go live in June 2022.

STRATUS system navigation provides a modern, mobile-friendly look and feels using TU branded icons. Navigation can be used to search, mark favorites, recall recent sites/actions, and change your view based on role. Other contemporary items include notifications, alerts, and action buttons, all prompting a better user experience.

Users are encouraged to watch the brief STRATUS User Interface Navigation video for more details.

The Budget Planning application allows for the planning, budgeting, and forecasting of TU’s revenue and expenses. The application will provide key stakeholders with the ability to model various strategic scenarios, allowing for prompt responses to be taken in a rapidly changing environment. Launching in early April, the Budget Planning System is the first STRATUS component to go live.

The Budget Planning system went live for divisional budget officers and budget office staff in April 2021.

Budget Planning streamlines TU's internal budget process at a divisional level. Capturing our budget process in the cloud removes the need for many spreadsheets to be sent back and forth, eliminating errors where wrong files can be picked up or lines can be missed.

The Budget Planning system provides a forecast modeling tool. This tool will allow university leaders to see, at any given time, projected revenue and expenses, as well as debt, in the future. This provides the ability to strategically plan for expenses, as well as when new projects can be taken on.

Users are encouraged to watch the brief STRATUS Budget Planning video for more details.

The Chart of Accounts is a group of segment values that are used to track and record financial transactions in TU university's financial and budgetary control systems

The STRATUS Chart of Accounts (formerly known as the PeopleSoft Chart of Accounts) has been redesigned to provide a simpler user experience with more intuitive data reporting and analysis.

The Chart of Accounts is important to all users to ensure proper accounting and budgeting occurs across the university.

ProjectID is no longer a part of the Chart of Accounts in STRATUS and a new system is being implemented to track project data.

In most cases, the current 5-digit PS DeptID values will be used as new Cost Center segment values. The current 6-digit PS Account values are not changing. Employees will still have access to the same 5-digit Initiative values to further track and summarize activities.

A new Cost Center segment was created that will replace the PS DeptID which will allow for tracking expenses and revenues at the lowest level of a department. The STRATUS Chart of Accounts provides more flexibility through organizational roll-ups of the Cost Centers to Division, Sub-Division, Operating Unit and Department Group. Note, the Operating Unit and Department Group are new features for STRATUS.

Users are encouraged to watch the brief STRATUS Chart of Accounts video for more details.​​​​​​​