The Taming of the Queue

When members of the UVA research community submit sponsored program proposals, those proposals, and the resulting awards, as well as various post award requests go into a pipeline for processing by the pre award team. This pipeline, often referred to as the queue, has long been stuffed with up to several hundred transactions at a time. In an attempt to work through the backlog, pre award team members have sometimes been able to make admirable headway, but the actions have always piled up once more, seemingly insurmountable.



Until now.



In the last four months, the pre award team has not only focused diligently on the speedy processing of the queue

but also, they’ve tackled the underlying processes that cause the delays and backlogs.



The team has implemented process improvements for certain types of transactions, like the implementation of the ePRF, and then began to work on different types of transactions, making big process changes even while they “kept the trains moving” in the queue.



Kelly Morrison, Director of Pre Award, said the team’s focus was shoring up basic business processes, adding checklists and appropriate levels of review, and removing bottlenecks in the workflow. Morrison also re-evaluated staff roles during this process, making sure that not only did they have enough staff, but also, that the right people were doing the right jobs for their skill sets.



“The focus in the past had been just pushing through transactions,” Morrison said, explaining further that the problem with that approach was that haste made for errors that had to be corrected later on, slowing the process.



Morrison said that even though additional review and checklists might sound counterintuitive when the aim is to speed up a process, taking the time to make sure things are done correctly the first time has produced big, sustainable results for the team: they’ve seen a 70% drop in the number of actions in the queue.







That’s good news on its own, but the best part is, they’ve been able to hold that number at its new, lower level. The decline has been slow and steady instead of fluctuating up and down.



This consistency is a result of the team’s improved processes, and Morrison says the team isn’t content with the progress they’ve made.



“We need to continue to work on the queue to get us to an optimal level,” she said, adding that the team is focusing on not the number of transactions, but instead the time it should take to process certain transactions.



In the New Year, Morrison expects to develop service-level agreements for proposal turnaround times and award setups, with a goal of, at a minimum, hitting those goals 80% of the time.



Other improvements in the works include reconfiguring the setup for awards in ResearchUVA so that the entire award can be appropriately tracked, and also rolling out notifications and approvals associated with the ePRF and routing all post award transactions, for example, no-cost extension requests, electronically.





Questions? Comment below or contact Kelly Morrison.

The Taming of the Queue

When members of the UVA research community submit sponsored program proposals, those proposals, and the resulting awards, as well as various post award requests go into a pipeline for processing by the pre award team. This pipeline, often referred to as the queue, has long been stuffed with up to several hundred transactions at a time. In an attempt to work through the backlog, pre award team members have sometimes been able to make admirable headway, but the actions have always piled up once more, seemingly insurmountable.

Until now.

In the last four months, the pre award team has not only focused diligently on the speedy processing of the queue

but also, they’ve tackled the underlying processes that cause the delays and backlogs.

The team has implemented process improvements for certain types of transactions, like the implementation of the ePRF, and then began to work on different types of transactions, making big process changes even while they “kept the trains moving” in the queue.

Kelly Morrison, Director of Pre Award, said the team’s focus was shoring up basic business processes, adding checklists and appropriate levels of review, and removing bottlenecks in the workflow. Morrison also re-evaluated staff roles during this process, making sure that not only did they have enough staff, but also, that the right people were doing the right jobs for their skill sets.

“The focus in the past had been just pushing through transactions,” Morrison said, explaining further that the problem with that approach was that haste made for errors that had to be corrected later on, slowing the process.

Morrison said that even though additional review and checklists might sound counterintuitive when the aim is to speed up a process, taking the time to make sure things are done correctly the first time has produced big, sustainable results for the team: they’ve seen a 70% drop in the number of actions in the queue.



That’s good news on its own, but the best part is, they’ve been able to hold that number at its new, lower level. The decline has been slow and steady instead of fluctuating up and down.

This consistency is a result of the team’s improved processes, and Morrison says the team isn’t content with the progress they’ve made.

“We need to continue to work on the queue to get us to an optimal level,” she said, adding that the team is focusing on not the number of transactions, but instead the time it should take to process certain transactions.

In the New Year, Morrison expects to develop service-level agreements for proposal turnaround times and award setups, with a goal of, at a minimum, hitting those goals 80% of the time.

Other improvements in the works include reconfiguring the setup for awards in ResearchUVA so that the entire award can be appropriately tracked, and also rolling out notifications and approvals associated with the ePRF and routing all post award transactions, for example, no-cost extension requests, electronically.


Questions? Comment below or contact Kelly Morrison.

Investing in Managers: UVAFinance Management Development Program begins second cohort

A Gallup poll of over 1 million employed US workers concluded that the number one people quit their jobs is because of issues with their immediate supervisor. Gallup also determined that poor management results in work groups that are on average 50 percent less productive and 44 percent less profitable than well-managed groups.

The recognition of how much is at stake when it comes to properly training managers to manage was the inspiration behind UVAFinance’s partnership with the Center for Leadership Excellence to launch the Management Development Program (MDP), a year-long course for UVAFinance managers.



The course curriculum includes three components: 360 feedback, four skills development sessions, and individualized leadership coaching. This January, the first cohort of 18 managers will graduate. The second cohort of 13 managers has already begun the program.

The second MDP cohort will benefit from the themes revealed in the 360 feedback of the first group. Their sessions will be tailored to include those themes: building relationships with managers, delegation, reward and recognition, and dealing with difficult employees, as well as their own 360 feedback results.



Participant satisfaction with the course has been high, and those facilitating it have seen positive results.



Patty Marbury of Finance Outreach and Compliance leads the individualized coaching sessions with participants. From the first cohort, she noticed several common concerns and challenges. She observed participants becoming more aware of how they interact with employees, and become more confident in their leadership skills. They have made changes based on what they’ve learned and seen how it’s impacted their employees.



In coaching sessions, Marbury reports managers have shown great interest in understanding employee behavior and working with their employees, with the focus placed on the employees’ experience. 

“The coaching sessions haven’t been about me just giving advice,” she said. “Managers have brought up actual issues they’re dealing with and we’ve been able to work out practical solutions.”



For members of the first cohort, the experience was well worth it.



“It’s valuable for all managers but also valuable to most employees whether they supervise or not,” said Imelda Carter, Manager in Accounting Services.



“We all have to set goals, face change and challenges, work with various personalities, work in teams and alone, develop our skills, and give and receive feedback,” she noted.



Sarah Doran, Assistant Director in Student Financial Services, was pleased with the depth of knowledge the MDP trainers had on how to think differently when encountering issues or changes that need to be addressed.



“It also really helps to hear from other colleagues about their own management preferences. We got to learn about new topics among a group of people that we don’t work with on a regular basis, and new now have a connection and a context for future communications and potential collaboration with one another,” she added.



For Forrest Swope, Data Stewardship Leader in Managerial Reporting, the value was in both the 360 feedback and in sharing experiences with fellow managers. “It is nice to know that I’m not the only one facing certain challenges and that there are other folks in the organization I can reach out to for support.”

For more information about the Management Development Program, contact Patty Marbury.

Investing in Managers: UVAFinance Management Development Program begins second cohort

A Gallup poll of over 1 million employed US workers concluded that the number one people quit their jobs is because of issues with their immediate supervisor. Gallup also determined that poor management results in work groups that are on average 50 percent less productive and 44 percent less profitable than well-managed groups.

The recognition of how much is at stake when it comes to properly training managers to manage was the inspiration behind UVAFinance’s partnership with the Center for Leadership Excellence to launch the Management Development Program (MDP), a year-long course for UVAFinance managers.

The course curriculum includes three components: 360 feedback, four skills development sessions, and individualized leadership coaching. This January, the first cohort of 18 managers will graduate. The second cohort of 13 managers has already begun the program.

The second MDP cohort will benefit from the themes revealed in the 360 feedback of the first group. Their sessions will be tailored to include those themes: building relationships with managers, delegation, reward and recognition, and dealing with difficult employees, as well as their own 360 feedback results.

Participant satisfaction with the course has been high, and those facilitating it have seen positive results.

Patty Marbury of Finance Outreach and Compliance leads the individualized coaching sessions with participants. From the first cohort, she noticed several common concerns and challenges. She observed participants becoming more aware of how they interact with employees, and become more confident in their leadership skills. They have made changes based on what they’ve learned and seen how it’s impacted their employees.

In coaching sessions, Marbury reports managers have shown great interest in understanding employee behavior and working with their employees, with the focus placed on the employees’ experience. 

“The coaching sessions haven’t been about me just giving advice,” she said. “Managers have brought up actual issues they’re dealing with and we’ve been able to work out practical solutions.”

For members of the first cohort, the experience was well worth it.

“It’s valuable for all managers but also valuable to most employees whether they supervise or not,” said Imelda Carter, Manager in Accounting Services.

“We all have to set goals, face change and challenges, work with various personalities, work in teams and alone, develop our skills, and give and receive feedback,” she noted.

Sarah Doran, Assistant Director in Student Financial Services, was pleased with the depth of knowledge the MDP trainers had on how to think differently when encountering issues or changes that need to be addressed.

“It also really helps to hear from other colleagues about their own management preferences. We got to learn about new topics among a group of people that we don’t work with on a regular basis, and new now have a connection and a context for future communications and potential collaboration with one another,” she added.

For Forrest Swope, Data Stewardship Leader in Managerial Reporting, the value was in both the 360 feedback and in sharing experiences with fellow managers. “It is nice to know that I’m not the only one facing certain challenges and that there are other folks in the organization I can reach out to for support.”

For more information about the Management Development Program, contact Patty Marbury.

Calling all UVAFinance artists: Help make our office space beautiful!

You may have noticed that there are lots of blank walls around Carruthers Hall. To help make our environment more pleasing, we’re calling on UVAFinance team members to consider submitting original artwork or photography for display, so we can showcase their talents and brighten up our space!



The UVAFinance Employee Engagement Committee is seeking images that capture UVA, Charlottesville, and/or the surrounding area (Grounds, nature, sights, etc.).

All artwork chosen will be displayed with a museum-quality tag bearing the title and artist name. The committee prefers a commitment of at least two years for display of any artwork chosen. At the end of the two-year timeframe, artworks may be re-upped for longer display, or the artist may choose to donate them for a silent auction to benefit a charity of your choice from the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign.



To submit your work for consideration, please send a clear digital image to Finance Engagement. Work submitted will be evaluated by the Employee Engagement Committee for potential fit within Carruthers Hall.



For the first round of consideration, please submit images by March 2, 2018.



As the renovation of UVAFinance space continues, we anticipate making additional calls for submissions throughout 2018.

Calling all UVAFinance artists: Help make our office space beautiful!

You may have noticed that there are lots of blank walls around Carruthers Hall. To help make our environment more pleasing, we’re calling on UVAFinance team members to consider submitting original artwork or photography for display, so we can showcase their talents and brighten up our space!

The UVAFinance Employee Engagement Committee is seeking images that capture UVA, Charlottesville, and/or the surrounding area (Grounds, nature, sights, etc.).

All artwork chosen will be displayed with a museum-quality tag bearing the title and artist name. The committee prefers a commitment of at least two years for display of any artwork chosen. At the end of the two-year timeframe, artworks may be re-upped for longer display, or the artist may choose to donate them for a silent auction to benefit a charity of your choice from the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign.

To submit your work for consideration, please send a clear digital image to Finance Engagement. Work submitted will be evaluated by the Employee Engagement Committee for potential fit within Carruthers Hall.

For the first round of consideration, please submit images by March 2, 2018.

As the renovation of UVAFinance space continues, we anticipate making additional calls for submissions throughout 2018.

Total Supplier Management: Automation, Integration, and Improved Experience for Procurement Customers and Vendors

Procurement and Supplier Diversity Services has been working to implement a new portal invoicing system to replace Transcepta. The portal represents one step toward in an ongoing initiative to streamline the procure-to-pay process, called Total Supplier Management (TSM), a tool that will streamline and automate vendor registration and payment. TSM will provide benefits to both vendors and UVA customers.

The invoice portal provides automation to our vendors. Electronic invoices mean increased payment discounts and increased accuracy. Schools and units will also benefit from the clear PO and invoice visibility they have within the portal. Because of error reduction and being able to track their documents, vendors won’t have to contact departments with payment questions.

As PSDS continues TSM adoption, UVA customers will notice additional benefits in the first quarter of 2018, as we invite vendors to register within the system. Vendors will self-register, reducing your administrative tasks, and because the process will be by invitation only, you’ll see much less clutter when you’re shopping (only vendors we actually use will appear!). You’ll also be able to search by commodity, making it easier to find what you’re looking for.



Questions or concerns? Let us know; we’re happy to help! Give us a call at 434-924-4212.



Read more:



Cleanup of inactive purchase orders as part of TSM transition

Total Supplier Management: Automation, Integration, and Improved Experience for Procurement Customers and Vendors

Procurement and Supplier Diversity Services has been working to implement a new portal invoicing system to replace Transcepta. The portal represents one step toward in an ongoing initiative to streamline the procure-to-pay process, called Total Supplier Management (TSM), a tool that will streamline and automate vendor registration and payment. TSM will provide benefits to both vendors and UVA customers.

The invoice portal provides automation to our vendors. Electronic invoices mean increased payment discounts and increased accuracy. Schools and units will also benefit from the clear PO and invoice visibility they have within the portal. Because of error reduction and being able to track their documents, vendors won’t have to contact departments with payment questions.

As PSDS continues TSM adoption, UVA customers will notice additional benefits in the first quarter of 2018, as we invite vendors to register within the system. Vendors will self-register, reducing your administrative tasks, and because the process will be by invitation only, you’ll see much less clutter when you’re shopping (only vendors we actually use will appear!). You’ll also be able to search by commodity, making it easier to find what you’re looking for.

Questions or concerns? Let us know; we’re happy to help! Give us a call at 434-924-4212.

Read more:

Cleanup of inactive purchase orders as part of TSM transition

ResearchUVA is changing the way we pursue, manage and think about sponsored programs, and we’re seeing the results!

The business of research at UVA includes more than $1B in proposal activity and $370M in awards annually, and the latest results from the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research & Development (HERD) Survey results show strategic investment in research infrastructure, including ResearchUVA, is paying off as UVA moves up the rankings. Read more about the HERD results here.

Changes to food purchase categories in ExpenseUVA

“Catering” is a frequently-chosen category within ExpenseUVA for food purchases, but most UVA food purchases are actually within the category of “business meals.” The distinction is even more important now, as “catering” will no longer be a reimbursable category after January 1, 2018. The Travel & Expense team encourages ExpenseUVA users to review the food purchase categories available within the system.

 Please see http://www.procurement.virginia.edu/pagetravelbusinessmeals for a breakdown of the categories, including examples.

Changes to food purchase categories in ExpenseUVA

“Catering” is a frequently-chosen category within ExpenseUVA for food purchases, but most UVA food purchases are actually within the category of “business meals.” The distinction is even more important now, as “catering” will no longer be a reimbursable category after January 1, 2018. The Travel & Expense team encourages ExpenseUVA users to review the food purchase categories available within the system.

 Please see http://www.procurement.virginia.edu/pagetravelbusinessmeals for a breakdown of the categories, including examples.

From "a mess" to managed: ASG Team wins award for Carruthers cleanup

Connie Alexander, Stacey Rittenhouse,

and Patrick Wood of ASG, receive

recognition from Caroline Walters

 of Records Management.

This summer, the Administrative Services Group within UVAFinance partnered with UVA Records Management to address the Carruthers Hall basement storage area. Long-neglected, the area was a mess of boxed records, old filing cabinets, and a hodge-podge of junk. All in all, the cleanup effort saw 931.25 cubic feet of material  destroyed and 1309 cubic feet sent to storage.



This fall, the seven weeks of hard work the team put in was recognized at the 2017 ISPRO Conference whey they were awarded the Records Management Award. Records Management staff lauded the team for having a strong “plan of attack” for the project, having high-level support and communication, and great attitudes and cooperation during the massive effort.



Read more about the cleanup effort here.





Congratulations, ASG!

From "a mess" to managed: ASG Team wins award for Carruthers cleanup

Connie Alexander, Stacey Rittenhouse,
and Patrick Wood of ASG, receive
recognition from Caroline Walters
 of Records Management.

This summer, the Administrative Services Group within UVAFinance partnered with UVA Records Management to address the Carruthers Hall basement storage area. Long-neglected, the area was a mess of boxed records, old filing cabinets, and a hodge-podge of junk. All in all, the cleanup effort saw 931.25 cubic feet of material  destroyed and 1309 cubic feet sent to storage.

This fall, the seven weeks of hard work the team put in was recognized at the 2017 ISPRO Conference whey they were awarded the Records Management Award. Records Management staff lauded the team for having a strong “plan of attack” for the project, having high-level support and communication, and great attitudes and cooperation during the massive effort.

Read more about the cleanup effort here.


Congratulations, ASG!

Holiday Staffing in UVAFinance

This year's holiday break at UVA runs from 12/25/2017 - 1/1/2017.  During that time, Carruthers Hall will be closed.



See below for UVAFinance staffing during break:

Student Financial Services:  A greeting on the main phone line will direct callers to leave a message if their need is urgent.  The mailbox will be monitored periodically during break and staff will respond accordingly.  Emails received will be sent an auto-reply directing the sender to call the main phone line for information on how to leave a message for a faster response. 

Finance Outreach and Compliance: Listserv will be monitored for emergency issues.



Office of Export Controls:  Listserv will be monitored for emergency issues.









This post will be updated as further departmental details become available. 

Holiday Staffing in UVAFinance

This year's holiday break at UVA runs from 12/25/2017 - 1/1/2017.  During that time, Carruthers Hall will be closed.

See below for UVAFinance staffing during break:

Student Financial Services:  A greeting on the main phone line will direct callers to leave a message if their need is urgent.  The mailbox will be monitored periodically during break and staff will respond accordingly.  Emails received will be sent an auto-reply directing the sender to call the main phone line for information on how to leave a message for a faster response. 

Finance Outreach and Compliance: Listserv will be monitored for emergency issues.

Office of Export Controls:  Listserv will be monitored for emergency issues.




This post will be updated as further departmental details become available. 

UVAFinance welcomes James Gorman to leadership team

James Gorman is no stranger to managing large-scale change. He has been involved in major change initiatives, project and portfolio management, and strategic planning at the University of Chicago and the University of Michigan, and has served as a business analyst at Ford Motor Company. A Six Sigma Green Belt, Gorman also has a Project Management Professional certification and an MBA from the University Of Michigan Ross School Of Business.

His background will serve him well now that he has joined UVAFinance as Senior Director for Finance Strategic Projects. In this role, Gorman will manage and coordinate UVAFinance project management processes and functions and lead process improvement teams, and will take a leadership role as the organization looks toward Finance Strategic Transformation.



Gorman says he was attracted to the role because it spoke to his passion: working with people and helping them solve problems. 

“The best thing about my career has been that I get to interact with people of diverse mindsets and backgrounds, all of whom have different ways of approaching problems,” he says.



“I learn from almost every interaction I have with someone, and it’s that continued personal and professional development that drives me.”



Besides the good fit he saw in the job description, Gorman was also excited at the opportunity to work at UVA.



“It’s a highly ranked institution and frankly, a phenomenal place,” he says, adding that as he met people from UVA during the interview process, he became more engaged and attached to the idea of coming to work here.



At the time of this article, Gorman has been on the job nearly a week, and he already likes what he sees. “There are great leaders within the finance organization,” he observes.

“They’re passionate about what they do, they care, and they’re putting thought, effort and resources into finding the root causes of the challenges they’re facing.”



In addition to getting to know his colleagues in UVAFinance, Gorman has been venturing out across Grounds to meet finance stakeholders in an effort to better understand the initiatives already underway and ones set to begin, as well as what’s working well and where the challenges are.



The key thing to any successful change, he says, is getting people involved from every aspect of the process. “We want a future state that works better for everybody,” he says.



“Helping the people in organizations come together to solve problems and make things work better is what I enjoy doing,” he says.







“I look forward to being a part of that here at UVA.”

UVAFinance welcomes James Gorman to leadership team

James Gorman is no stranger to managing large-scale change. He has been involved in major change initiatives, project and portfolio management, and strategic planning at the University of Chicago and the University of Michigan, and has served as a business analyst at Ford Motor Company. A Six Sigma Green Belt, Gorman also has a Project Management Professional certification and an MBA from the University Of Michigan Ross School Of Business.

His background will serve him well now that he has joined UVAFinance as Senior Director for Finance Strategic Projects. In this role, Gorman will manage and coordinate UVAFinance project management processes and functions and lead process improvement teams, and will take a leadership role as the organization looks toward Finance Strategic Transformation.

Gorman says he was attracted to the role because it spoke to his passion: working with people and helping them solve problems. 

“The best thing about my career has been that I get to interact with people of diverse mindsets and backgrounds, all of whom have different ways of approaching problems,” he says.

“I learn from almost every interaction I have with someone, and it’s that continued personal and professional development that drives me.”

Besides the good fit he saw in the job description, Gorman was also excited at the opportunity to work at UVA.

“It’s a highly ranked institution and frankly, a phenomenal place,” he says, adding that as he met people from UVA during the interview process, he became more engaged and attached to the idea of coming to work here.

At the time of this article, Gorman has been on the job nearly a week, and he already likes what he sees. “There are great leaders within the finance organization,” he observes.

“They’re passionate about what they do, they care, and they’re putting thought, effort and resources into finding the root causes of the challenges they’re facing.”

In addition to getting to know his colleagues in UVAFinance, Gorman has been venturing out across Grounds to meet finance stakeholders in an effort to better understand the initiatives already underway and ones set to begin, as well as what’s working well and where the challenges are.

The key thing to any successful change, he says, is getting people involved from every aspect of the process. “We want a future state that works better for everybody,” he says.

“Helping the people in organizations come together to solve problems and make things work better is what I enjoy doing,” he says.



“I look forward to being a part of that here at UVA.”

A Team Effort: Student Financial Services supports UVA's student-athletes

797 student-athletes,

70 student scouts and managers,

23 sports,

566 contacts in 2016,

629 contacts to date this year . . . 

. . . and 3 very flexible Athletic Financial Aid professionals in Student Financial Services.

Valerie Clem, Almanita Graves, and Sharlene Sajonas work in Student Financial Aid, focusing on Athletic Aid, and they love what they do. Balancing two office locations, two teams of colleagues, and understanding the ins and outs of 23 different sports, working nights, weekends, and odd hours, the three agree that all of the craziness is worth it when they see a student-athlete they’ve worked with excel at their sport or in the classroom.

Just as student-athletes must work hard to strike a balance between their studies and the sport they play, Clem, Graves, and Sajonas have to exert a lot of effort to make sure those students have what they need to be successful at UVA . . . and they have to do it quickly, and sometimes at a moment’s notice.

Almanita Graves and Valerie Clem of Student Financial 
Services work with student-athlete Juwan Moye.

“There is a huge compliance piece and sometimes incredible urgency when you need to certify a student-athlete's eligibility to compete” Sajonas comments. She says with all student-athletes have to worry about: academic and athletic demands, and sometimes personal situations, financial aid shouldn’t be in the forefront.

To make the financial aid process less worrisome to students, Sajonas, Clem, and Graves split their time between the Student Financial Aid offices in Carruthers Hall and the Athletics Compliance offices in McCue Hall.

The team’s presence in McCue mean that student-athletes don’t have to come to Carruthers to do paperwork and get their questions answered, and it also allows the team to work closely with coaches, grad assistant coaches, and colleagues in the athletics department (especially, says Sajonas, Eric Baumgartner and Rob Slavis in Athletics Compliance).

Clem says that no matter where she is for the day, she keeps a copy of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) manual on her desk for reference at all times.

“You have to explain all the NCAA bylaws on financial aid to student-athletes, and financial aid is such a weird language in itself,” she says.

Whether it’s financial aid or outside scholarships, everything must meet NCAA guidelines.

“It’s a constant challenge because you have to combine federal regulations, institutional policies, and the NCAA/ACC bylaws,” says Sajonas.


And when those complex requirements are blended with the time crunch that comes with being student-athletes, the team often finds itself quite literally running from point A to point B.

“Student-athletes have all the same anxieties as other students, but they also have intense time demands placed on them,” says Graves, who recalls catching up with one student-athlete near the Barracks’s Road Shopping Center.

“It was the only time he could meet me to get a signature,” she says.

“I started out walking from Carruthers, and he started heading my way from McCue, and we met in the middle. They have very little ‘free time’, so we make an effort to be flexible and work with them. This ensures we are able to assist them with what they need.”

Once upon a time, Sajonas was the lone Athletic Aid team member. Two years ago, Graves was hired, and Clem came on board in April 2017.

All three agree: the job can be stressful and tiring, but they really love what they do.

That enthusiasm is not lost on the coaches at UVA.

“It’s not just me and my assistant coaches who put in the work,” says Steve Garland, Head Wrestling Coach.

“Financial aid helps us turn over every stone in hopes we can find every last cent for these families. It is a total team effort.”

When coaches call, says Sajonas, the Athletic Aid team is at the ready, as their needs are nearly always time-sensitive.

“You never quite know when you’ll be asked to meet with a recruit or their parents,” she explains. “The coaches call and say, ‘hey, we have some recruits coming in tomorrow, and they have questions. I’ve met many recruits and their parents Saturday mornings last fall, and it’s really gratifying to see most of them here today.”

Although Clem, Graves and Sajonas work with all 23 sports at UVA, they don’t specialize. It’s important that every team member be able to handle every part of the job for every sport. Although different sports have different equivalencies for NCAA (full scholarships, partial scholarships, or no scholarships), Clem, Graves, and Sajonas are prepared to handle all of the details, as well as questions from coaches, students, and parents.

“We have to know about various graduate and undergraduate financial aid and what’s countable and what’s not countable aid against the individual and team limits,” says Sajonas.

“We’re always learning, too – but always, our aim is to get the financial piece cleared up so the students can focus on academics and competing. They shouldn’t have to worry about how they’re going to pay their bill,” says Clem.

A Team Effort: Student Financial Services supports UVA's student-athletes

797 student-athletes,

70 student scouts and managers,

23 sports,

566 contacts in 2016,

629 contacts to date this year . . . 

. . . and 3 very flexible Athletic Financial Aid professionals in Student Financial Services.

Valerie Clem, Almanita Graves, and Sharlene Sajonas work in Student Financial Aid, focusing on Athletic Aid, and they love what they do. Balancing two office locations, two teams of colleagues, and understanding the ins and outs of 23 different sports, working nights, weekends, and odd hours, the three agree that all of the craziness is worth it when they see a student-athlete they’ve worked with excel at their sport or in the classroom.

Just as student-athletes must work hard to strike a balance between their studies and the sport they play, Clem, Graves, and Sajonas have to exert a lot of effort to make sure those students have what they need to be successful at UVA . . . and they have to do it quickly, and sometimes at a moment’s notice.

Almanita Graves and Valerie Clem of Student Financial 
Services work with student-athlete Juwan Moye.

“There is a huge compliance piece and sometimes incredible urgency when you need to certify a student-athlete's eligibility to compete” Sajonas comments. She says with all student-athletes have to worry about: academic and athletic demands, and sometimes personal situations, financial aid shouldn’t be in the forefront.

To make the financial aid process less worrisome to students, Sajonas, Clem, and Graves split their time between the Student Financial Aid offices in Carruthers Hall and the Athletics Compliance offices in McCue Hall.

The team’s presence in McCue mean that student-athletes don’t have to come to Carruthers to do paperwork and get their questions answered, and it also allows the team to work closely with coaches, grad assistant coaches, and colleagues in the athletics department (especially, says Sajonas, Eric Baumgartner and Rob Slavis in Athletics Compliance).

Clem says that no matter where she is for the day, she keeps a copy of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) manual on her desk for reference at all times.

“You have to explain all the NCAA bylaws on financial aid to student-athletes, and financial aid is such a weird language in itself,” she says.

Whether it’s financial aid or outside scholarships, everything must meet NCAA guidelines.

“It’s a constant challenge because you have to combine federal regulations, institutional policies, and the NCAA/ACC bylaws,” says Sajonas.


And when those complex requirements are blended with the time crunch that comes with being student-athletes, the team often finds itself quite literally running from point A to point B.

“Student-athletes have all the same anxieties as other students, but they also have intense time demands placed on them,” says Graves, who recalls catching up with one student-athlete near the Barracks’s Road Shopping Center.

“It was the only time he could meet me to get a signature,” she says.

“I started out walking from Carruthers, and he started heading my way from McCue, and we met in the middle. They have very little ‘free time’, so we make an effort to be flexible and work with them. This ensures we are able to assist them with what they need.”

Once upon a time, Sajonas was the lone Athletic Aid team member. Two years ago, Graves was hired, and Clem came on board in April 2017.

All three agree: the job can be stressful and tiring, but they really love what they do.

That enthusiasm is not lost on the coaches at UVA.

“It’s not just me and my assistant coaches who put in the work,” says Steve Garland, Head Wrestling Coach.

“Financial aid helps us turn over every stone in hopes we can find every last cent for these families. It is a total team effort.”

When coaches call, says Sajonas, the Athletic Aid team is at the ready, as their needs are nearly always time-sensitive.

“You never quite know when you’ll be asked to meet with a recruit or their parents,” she explains. “The coaches call and say, ‘hey, we have some recruits coming in tomorrow, and they have questions. I’ve met many recruits and their parents Saturday mornings last fall, and it’s really gratifying to see most of them here today.”

Although Clem, Graves and Sajonas work with all 23 sports at UVA, they don’t specialize. It’s important that every team member be able to handle every part of the job for every sport. Although different sports have different equivalencies for NCAA (full scholarships, partial scholarships, or no scholarships), Clem, Graves, and Sajonas are prepared to handle all of the details, as well as questions from coaches, students, and parents.

“We have to know about various graduate and undergraduate financial aid and what’s countable and what’s not countable aid against the individual and team limits,” says Sajonas.

“We’re always learning, too – but always, our aim is to get the financial piece cleared up so the students can focus on academics and competing. They shouldn’t have to worry about how they’re going to pay their bill,” says Clem.

Reconciliation Schedule Change: All schools and units now have 30 days to reconcile projects

Starting with November’s reconciliations, all schools and units will have 30 days to reconcile their projects (expenditure and revenue).



You’ve been asking for a different timeframe, and we listened! Already, about 65% of the active projects in Recon@ have an approved alternate reconciliation schedule (due 30 days after month-end close). Changing the deadline for everyone will eliminate the need for such special requests. It will also reduce administrative burden, allowing more time to complete reconciliations and eliminating the need to submit official paperwork to have their deadlines changed.



For a bit of background, the current deadline of the 15th calendar day was chosen when reconciliations were done on paper and a tighter deadline helped prevent fraud. Now that we have systems such as Recon@ and ExpenseUVA, the quick turnaround time is not as crucial.



This policy update means that monthly reconciliations will be due 30 days after month-end close for the previous month’s activity (i.e. November reconciliations will be due December 30th). If your unit prefers to reconcile within 15 days because you have a process in place, that is fine.



View the new policy here. (Note: Procedures linked within the policy have not yet been updated to reflect the change.)



Click here for more information on Recon@ system generated emails.



Questions? Concerns? Please let us know; we’re happy to help. Email recon@virginia.edu.

Reconciliation Schedule Change: All schools and units now have 30 days to reconcile projects

Starting with November’s reconciliations, all schools and units will have 30 days to reconcile their projects (expenditure and revenue).

You’ve been asking for a different timeframe, and we listened! Already, about 65% of the active projects in Recon@ have an approved alternate reconciliation schedule (due 30 days after month-end close). Changing the deadline for everyone will eliminate the need for such special requests. It will also reduce administrative burden, allowing more time to complete reconciliations and eliminating the need to submit official paperwork to have their deadlines changed.

For a bit of background, the current deadline of the 15th calendar day was chosen when reconciliations were done on paper and a tighter deadline helped prevent fraud. Now that we have systems such as Recon@ and ExpenseUVA, the quick turnaround time is not as crucial.

This policy update means that monthly reconciliations will be due 30 days after month-end close for the previous month’s activity (i.e. November reconciliations will be due December 30th). If your unit prefers to reconcile within 15 days because you have a process in place, that is fine.

View the new policy here. (Note: Procedures linked within the policy have not yet been updated to reflect the change.)

Click here for more information on Recon@ system generated emails.

Questions? Concerns? Please let us know; we’re happy to help. Email recon@virginia.edu.

Procurement & Supplier Diversity Services: Office space renovation ahead

New ductwork and office space reconfiguration will require staff in Procurement and Supplier Diversity Services to temporarily relocate mid-December through mid-February. Most PSDS staff will be working from locations off Grounds, while some staff will remain in Carruthers Hall in temporary spaces.

Day to day interactions with PSDS will remain largely unaffected; even though staff will physically be relocated, current email and phone numbers will stay the same. Staff working off-site will have regularly scheduled on-Grounds days, but in person meeting opportunities may be fewer. This is a good opportunity to take advantage of Skype for Business if you haven’t already!



If you have specific questions about how this process may impact your interactions with PSDS, please contact Lori Ponton.

Procurement & Supplier Diversity Services: Office space renovation ahead

New ductwork and office space reconfiguration will require staff in Procurement and Supplier Diversity Services to temporarily relocate mid-December through mid-February. Most PSDS staff will be working from locations off Grounds, while some staff will remain in Carruthers Hall in temporary spaces.

Day to day interactions with PSDS will remain largely unaffected; even though staff will physically be relocated, current email and phone numbers will stay the same. Staff working off-site will have regularly scheduled on-Grounds days, but in person meeting opportunities may be fewer. This is a good opportunity to take advantage of Skype for Business if you haven’t already!

If you have specific questions about how this process may impact your interactions with PSDS, please contact Lori Ponton.

New from ResearchUVA

ResearchUVA Interest at State Higher Ed Conference

ResearchUVA's senior leads, Chris DiVita and Vonda Durrer, were in Richmond on October 19 to showcase the system at a statewide conference on Innovation in Higher Education. ResearchUVA sparked a lot of interest from event attendees on a variety of topics, including why UVA decided to build a system in-house rather than purchase an out-of-the-box solution.  

Learn more about what people were interested in hearing about ResearchUVA here.  

Click the image to view the ResearchUVA team's poster

from Richmond.

ResearchUVA: Extract Intelligence from ResearchUVA using Juice

On October 30, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) launched Juice, ResearchUVA's data analytics and visualization platform, developed to give the UVA community up-to-date insight and facilitate data-driven decision-making in UVA’s research enterprise. Data is indispensable when it comes to developing research strategy and making investments, at the same time as being critical to achieving research compliance and mitigating risk. Training sessions are scheduled for November, and OSP recommends spending time reviewing the Using Juice information as well as the FAQs so users are able to extract accurate information from the app.

Learn more here

New from ResearchUVA

ResearchUVA Interest at State Higher Ed Conference

ResearchUVA's senior leads, Chris DiVita and Vonda Durrer, were in Richmond on October 19 to showcase the system at a statewide conference on Innovation in Higher Education. ResearchUVA sparked a lot of interest from event attendees on a variety of topics, including why UVA decided to build a system in-house rather than purchase an out-of-the-box solution.  

Learn more about what people were interested in hearing about ResearchUVA here.  

Click the image to view the ResearchUVA team's poster
from Richmond.

ResearchUVA: Extract Intelligence from ResearchUVA using Juice

On October 30, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) launched Juice, ResearchUVA's data analytics and visualization platform, developed to give the UVA community up-to-date insight and facilitate data-driven decision-making in UVA’s research enterprise. Data is indispensable when it comes to developing research strategy and making investments, at the same time as being critical to achieving research compliance and mitigating risk. Training sessions are scheduled for November, and OSP recommends spending time reviewing the Using Juice information as well as the FAQs so users are able to extract accurate information from the app.

Learn more here

Annual UVAFinance Food Drive: Making Thanksgiving brighter for Charlottesville-Albemarle area

Thanks to the generosity of the teams in Carruthers Hall, Fontaine, and O’Neil Hall, 27 bags of groceries and $520 will be contributed to the Community Feast Project. These donations will be delivered to needy families in our area this weekend.





Thank you to everyone who donated, and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Annual UVAFinance Food Drive: Making Thanksgiving brighter for Charlottesville-Albemarle area

Thanks to the generosity of the teams in Carruthers Hall, Fontaine, and O’Neil Hall, 27 bags of groceries and $520 will be contributed to the Community Feast Project. These donations will be delivered to needy families in our area this weekend.


Thank you to everyone who donated, and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

UVAFinance Salutes our Veterans

In honor of Veteran’s Day, UVAFinance recognizes our teammates who have served our country. We are proud to call you our colleague.

Click
here to view.

UVAFinance Salutes our Veterans

In honor of Veteran’s Day, UVAFinance recognizes our teammates who have served our country. We are proud to call you our colleague.

Click here to view.

Attention UVAFinance: It’s time to mingle and jingle!

It's that time again:  Mark your calendar!

Please make plans to join your colleagues at the annual UVAFinance Holiday Party! Held this year on December 20, from 2-4:30 pm at Alumni Hall, the gathering will feature great food, fun activities, and lots of prizes (just like last year, only even better and more fun!). 

We will also hold the Gingerbread Contest again this year – watch for more information on that a couple of weeks before the event.



Questions? Contact the Employee Engagement Committee at finance_engagement@virginia.edu





See pictures from last year’s event. Doesn’t this look like fun? Don’t miss it!

Attention UVAFinance: It’s time to mingle and jingle!

It's that time again:  Mark your calendar!

Please make plans to join your colleagues at the annual UVAFinance Holiday Party! Held this year on December 20, from 2-4:30 pm at Alumni Hall, the gathering will feature great food, fun activities, and lots of prizes (just like last year, only even better and more fun!). 

We will also hold the Gingerbread Contest again this year – watch for more information on that a couple of weeks before the event.

Questions? Contact the Employee Engagement Committee at finance_engagement@virginia.edu


See pictures from last year’s event. Doesn’t this look like fun? Don’t miss it!

Procurement: Behind the Scenes of the October 6 Bicentennial Celebration

On October 6, 1817, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and James Madison attended the ceremonial placing of UVA’s first cornerstone. On October 6, 2017, a date chosen to commemorate the placing of the cornerstone, 20,000 students and alumni attended the launch celebration of UVA’s Bicentennial.



The crowd enjoyed performances by Leslie Odom Jr., Andra Day, and the Goo Goo Dolls, were wowed by a re-enactment of the Rotunda fire of 1895 (achieved via digital mapping technology) and listened to words from Katie Couric, Rita Dove, and Ralph Sampson. A partnership with University Arts, the event featured over 800 student and faculty performers. From start to finish, the kickoff celebration was packed with talent and amazing acts.

Don't worry, this time it's a virtual fire.

It was a monumental event celebrating an incredible 200-year history. What does it take to pull together a sweeping event like this, to bring in big-names and dazzling effects, to arrange for staging and sound and lighting and seating and all of the other myriad details?



First of all, says Jody Kielbasa, UVA’s Vice Provost for the Arts and “Producing Director” of the evening’s events, it takes a massive team pulling together: the Bicentennial Staff, Facilities, Safety & Emergency Preparedness, University Police, the Office of Special Events, just to name a few.



Also working behind the scenes to orchestrate a great event? Procurement & Supplier Diversity Services, namely in the form of the dedicated service of Kevin Crabtree, Senior Buyer.



“Kevin has countless hours invested in this event,” said Kielbasa.



“Many times, I’d call him on my way in to work, clarifying details, seeking his advice, adjusting plans. He was involved with the celebration every inch of the way.”



Crabtree’s responsibility was to negotiate and purchase everything from effects such as the Rotunda “fire” to video screens and staging, to the entire slate of over 800 performers (this includes managing all of their particular needs, including maintaining the correct temperature for the dancers to perform and handling all the rider requirements for the big-name talent).

The Martha Graham Dance Company was just one of the many

performances brought in for the kickoff event.

“Supporting the purchasing needs for this event for the past year has been one of the most challenging projects that I have been involved in,” said Crabtree.



“For the year leading up to the celebration, we were continually negotiating contracts and resolving contractual issues. There were so many moving parts and everything changed as we progressed. With every tweak we made, there was a waterfall effect,” he said.



An example of that waterfall effect is the addition of extra screens on stage. It seems simple, but that addition changed the allotted setup/breakdown time on the Lawn, and impacted the budgeted technician hours, the rehearsal time, and even meals to be provided to the technicians.



“It was a continual cascading of negotiations on every decision we modified,” said Crabtree.



And those modifications were frequent, said Kielbasa, due to the size and scope of the project.



“There were so many unknowns,” he said.



“A year out, we had to develop a budget and look down the road and try to anticipate all the challenges that might arise. We were working with two sound stages, hundreds and hundreds of performers, and two site locations, the Lawn and the John Paul Jones Arena as a rain site,” he added.



With all of the incredible complexity of the event, Kielbasa says Procurement’s help was invaluable.



“There is no way we could’ve done this without them. Their work was absolutely necessary. They helped us with challenging negotiations with our vendors and made sure we stayed reasonably in budget. They were with us the entire way.”



For Crabtree’s part, he was happy to be a part of the process, but also relieved that the initial event has come and gone with success. He offered this advice to anyone else on Grounds planning purchases:



“Get Procurement involved early in the process. We can provide easier paths to solutions that we might not have if we’re pulled in later in the process.”





See photos of the Bicentennial Launch Celebration



Read more about the Bicentennial Launch Celebration

UVA’s Bicentennial Website

UVA's Bicentennial Story Page

From Melody's Desk: What's Next for UVAFinance?

Dear Colleagues,



You may have heard that finance will be one of the next areas of emphasis as UVA continues its goal towards organizational excellence. Just as UVA is committed to innovation in the classroom and lab, this fall, we will begin a multi-year effort to transform to the workplace of the future. This project will include modernizing our job skills and daily tasks, enhancing the great service we provide to our stakeholders and implementing state-of-the-art technology to provide excellent financial support, solve problems and build stronger connections.



The purpose of my message today is to share with you what we know about the upcoming journey as we move forward together into UVA’s third century.



The Finance Strategic Transformation



We describe the upcoming work in this way because it most accurately reflects what we want this process to be: “strategic” because we will identify the best and most impactful ways to improve how we support education, research, and patient care in a modern-day, streamlined, and dynamic workplace, and “transformation” because it’s a re-imagination of where and how we deliver services, what technology we utilize, how we are connected across the entire University and how we think of our roles on teams.



The journey we’re undertaking will be adapted to finance and to UVA; it is not modeled after any existing transformation. We are just beginning to plan and develop how future service will be delivered, what a future financial organization will look like, and how we will invest in your professional development. We haven’t defined the entire process now from start to finish but will communicate with you and all of our stakeholders frequently.


Here’s a quick rundown of what we know now about the Strategic Transformation:

• We will develop and manage the skilled and professional financial workforce needed for the future, enabling our finance teams to grow professionally. This is not a force reduction.


• We will optimize service delivery and strengthen relationships within the finance community across Grounds while identifying the best place for financial work to take place, wherever that may be located. 


• We will streamline business processes to improve outcomes and eliminate steps that do not add value. It’s about saving time and effort, enabling us to focus on mission-critical activities. 


• We will implement and support technology that will better enable us to do our jobs and allow us to deliver excellent service, to grow strategically, and to responsibly steward UVA’s resources.

I know you probably have questions, some that will not have answers yet. We will learn a lot more as we begin to plan this work. And I promise we will keep you up to date both in the UVAFinance blog and on the newly refreshed VP Finance website when it goes live later this year. You can email me and we will look to address those in future communications.



UVA has experienced a lot of transition lately and although the result is desirable and best for the University, it can still be challenging to get there. I’m glad we have an extended team of finance professionals across Grounds that I can count on to share input and ideas as things take shape. In fact, we can’t do it without you – we’ll need your participation and innovation to make this process successful and your patience and collaboration as we determine the best path forward.



So, as we embark on this journey, please join me on the ride. It may be bumpy and the path may not be clear from time to time, but I am confident that together, we will become our best.





Thanks for all you do!

Procurement: Behind the Scenes of the October 6 Bicentennial Celebration

On October 6, 1817, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and James Madison attended the ceremonial placing of UVA’s first cornerstone. On October 6, 2017, a date chosen to commemorate the placing of the cornerstone, 20,000 students and alumni attended the launch celebration of UVA’s Bicentennial.

The crowd enjoyed performances by Leslie Odom Jr., Andra Day, and the Goo Goo Dolls, were wowed by a re-enactment of the Rotunda fire of 1895 (achieved via digital mapping technology) and listened to words from Katie Couric, Rita Dove, and Ralph Sampson. A partnership with University Arts, the event featured over 800 student and faculty performers. From start to finish, the kickoff celebration was packed with talent and amazing acts.

Don't worry, this time it's a virtual fire.

It was a monumental event celebrating an incredible 200-year history. What does it take to pull together a sweeping event like this, to bring in big-names and dazzling effects, to arrange for staging and sound and lighting and seating and all of the other myriad details?

First of all, says Jody Kielbasa, UVA’s Vice Provost for the Arts and “Producing Director” of the evening’s events, it takes a massive team pulling together: the Bicentennial Staff, Facilities, Safety & Emergency Preparedness, University Police, the Office of Special Events, just to name a few.

Also working behind the scenes to orchestrate a great event? Procurement & Supplier Diversity Services, namely in the form of the dedicated service of Kevin Crabtree, Senior Buyer.

“Kevin has countless hours invested in this event,” said Kielbasa.

“Many times, I’d call him on my way in to work, clarifying details, seeking his advice, adjusting plans. He was involved with the celebration every inch of the way.”

Crabtree’s responsibility was to negotiate and purchase everything from effects such as the Rotunda “fire” to video screens and staging, to the entire slate of over 800 performers (this includes managing all of their particular needs, including maintaining the correct temperature for the dancers to perform and handling all the rider requirements for the big-name talent).

The Martha Graham Dance Company was just one of the many
performances brought in for the kickoff event.

“Supporting the purchasing needs for this event for the past year has been one of the most challenging projects that I have been involved in,” said Crabtree.

“For the year leading up to the celebration, we were continually negotiating contracts and resolving contractual issues. There were so many moving parts and everything changed as we progressed. With every tweak we made, there was a waterfall effect,” he said.

An example of that waterfall effect is the addition of extra screens on stage. It seems simple, but that addition changed the allotted setup/breakdown time on the Lawn, and impacted the budgeted technician hours, the rehearsal time, and even meals to be provided to the technicians.

“It was a continual cascading of negotiations on every decision we modified,” said Crabtree.

And those modifications were frequent, said Kielbasa, due to the size and scope of the project.

“There were so many unknowns,” he said.

“A year out, we had to develop a budget and look down the road and try to anticipate all the challenges that might arise. We were working with two sound stages, hundreds and hundreds of performers, and two site locations, the Lawn and the John Paul Jones Arena as a rain site,” he added.

With all of the incredible complexity of the event, Kielbasa says Procurement’s help was invaluable.

“There is no way we could’ve done this without them. Their work was absolutely necessary. They helped us with challenging negotiations with our vendors and made sure we stayed reasonably in budget. They were with us the entire way.”

For Crabtree’s part, he was happy to be a part of the process, but also relieved that the initial event has come and gone with success. He offered this advice to anyone else on Grounds planning purchases:

“Get Procurement involved early in the process. We can provide easier paths to solutions that we might not have if we’re pulled in later in the process.”


See photos of the Bicentennial Launch Celebration

Read more about the Bicentennial Launch Celebration

UVA’s Bicentennial Website

UVA's Bicentennial Story Page