What are the basics I should know about university finances and funding?

After your appointment to a junior professorship or a full university professorship at our university, you will receive a welcome letter from the  Accounting and Finance Division (HF) that will contain details of the financial package that was agreed with you during your appointment negotiations. The letter will include information on your staff expenditure budget, your materials and equipment budget and your initial funding package.

The rules governing how budgets are used and administered are set out in the university’s budgetary principles (Budgetierungsgrundsätze) as well as in your faculty’s own budgetary principles and financial management rules (Bewirtschaftungsregeln). The university’s budgetary principles are revised every year and provide the basis for those aspects of university finances that are of relevance to you and your work. For more information on managing your finances and to access the relevant forms, please go to the Accounting and Finance Division’s dedicated web page.

Saarland University enables you to access  online account statements that provide information on the your financial budgets, income and expenditure relating to university funds and external funds, a staffing list with details of the type of employment (full-time/part-time), period of employment, expected employment end date, staff category, as well as information on purchase orders, phone and postal charges, a list of rooms used and the associated room inventories and an annual leave summary.

If university funds or external funds are used to cover entertainment and hospitality/catering expenses, this must be done in accordance with Saarland University’s  Bewirtungsregeln (entertainment and hospitality guidelines), which you can access on the Accounting and Finance Division website. The website also has  forms and templates from the accounting department (e.g. for invited lectures, asset depreciation, excursions, requests for reimbursement) and includes links to application forms for health insurance subsidies for civil servants (Beihilfe).

There is also a  glossary that explains the most important financial and accounting terms (currently available in German only). If you have questions regarding your initial funding package (Berufungsbudget), you may find answers in the memorandum on professorial initial funding packages. To resolve any remaining questions and any queries regarding online account statements, you are welcome to arrange a meeting with a member of staff from the relevant service point (please send you request by email to budgetierung(at)uni-saarland.de).

If you have any questions, please contact the staff at the Accounting and Finance Division (HF) for assistance.

Should you wish to view your personal salary statement, this is possible with the electronic personnel management (ePM). Log in there with your ID code and password and conveniently retrieve all your previous salary statements or view additional personal data. The salary statements are not sent by post!