UVAFinance

Monday, December 10, 2018

Travel & Expense Forum January 8

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Get ready for Workday with these handy checklists!

The Ufirst Team is doing their best to make sure we're all ready for Workday Go-live on January 7, 2019.

Don't wait -- review the handy checklists they've compiled here:

https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/30/workday-pre-go-live-checklists

Don't forget as Go-live nears, we'll be updating the UVAFinance Payroll website with helpful information about the payroll process:

payroll.vpfinance.virginia.edu

https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/19/spotlight-payslips

How will your payslip look different in Workday? All the details on the Ufirst blog: https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/19/spotlight-payslips

The Ufirst Team is doing their best to make sure we're all ready for Workday Go-live on January 7, 2019.

Don't wait -- review the handy checklists they've compiled here:

https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/30/workday-pre-go-live-checklists

Don't forget as Go-live nears, we'll be updating the UVAFinance Payroll website with helpful information about the payroll process:

payroll.vpfinance.virginia.edu

https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/19/spotlight-payslips

How will your payslip look different in Workday? All the details on the Ufirst blog: https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/19/spotlight-payslips

click on the image for a larger view

Thanks to everyone who continues to drop their used K-cups in the Grounds to Grow on bin!

The Carruthers Hall Green Team is proud to report that we have recycled/composted over 110 pounds of K-cups this past month.

You're helping to make Carruthers Hall a greener place!

Thanks to everyone who continues to drop their used K-cups in the Grounds to Grow on bin!

The Carruthers Hall Green Team is proud to report that we have recycled/composted over 110 pounds of K-cups this past month.

You're helping to make Carruthers Hall a greener place!

Check out the Hoo'sWell Corner at the front entrance in Carruthers (in the cafe area). The Wellness Team will keep it updated so you can consult it for the latest Hoo’sWell and general wellness info.

LISTEN HERE

Change is necessary if we want to grow and improve, but what do you do when those changes are coming too fast and too many at once? On this episode of Finance Matters, Patty and Brandi talk with Mary Brackett, Senior Associate with Organizational Excellence at the University of Virginia about the topic of change fatigue. Listen in for tips on how to deal with the burnout that can come from lots of change and some insight on how organizations can make change easier for everyone involved.

Resources Mentioned:

Prosci (lots of great change management content): https://www.prosci.com/

Organizational Excellence: https://organizationalexcellence.virginia.edu/

LISTEN HERE

Resources Mentioned:

Prosci (lots of great change management content): https://www.prosci.com/

Organizational Excellence: https://organizationalexcellence.virginia.edu/

Don't forget the Shout Out Board!

Take a break and show your coworkers some appreciation!

Thanks for your help: EAN drive benefits women and families in crisis

Carruthers Hall was one of the 15 collection sites spread out across UVA academic and health system locations for the Exceptional Assistants' Network (EAN) fall donation drive benefitting Shelter of Help in Emergency (SHE).

Thank you to everyone for your
generosity!

A high level of giving at all collection sites allowed EAN to fill an entire Facilities van and an additional car with donations of household items for SHE. Givers across UVA also contributed $1,500 in gift cards to grocery stores and pharmacies as a part of the drive.

UVAFinance's own Mara Hilliar and Stacey Rittenhouse led collection efforts here at Carruthers.

Thank you to all who gave, and thank you to EAN for kicking off the season of giving in such a wonderful way!

Thanks for your help: EAN drive benefits women and families in crisis

Thank you to everyone for your
generosity!

UVAFinance's own Mara Hilliar and Stacey Rittenhouse led collection efforts here at Carruthers.

Thank you to all who gave, and thank you to EAN for kicking off the season of giving in such a wonderful way!

From Melody's Desk

November 19, 2018

Dear team,

As we take a break to spend time with our friends and families for Thanksgiving, I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate all that you do. Every day your efforts are appreciated by your managers, your colleagues, faculty and staff in the schools and units, students and families, patients, donors, and visitors to the University. I have been struck this year by the notes of appreciation that have been shared with me from others outside UVAFinance, as well as the full board of “shout outs” that each of you share with your UVAFinance co-workers each month. I see statements like “I am extremely thankful”, “you are a life-saver”, “I will forever be in gratitude”, “I can’t imagine having to do my work without her”, “a most valuable member of the UVA team”, “your team has been beyond helpful”, and so on.

I know that there have been many challenges this year as you have worked long hours to meet deadlines and answer requests, learn and master new tasks and systems, adjust to unexpected complications, and spend much of your time problem-solving. It can be easy to get caught up in the day to day trials, but I encourage you to take a few minutes today to step back and look at the big picture to reflect on the positive impacts that you have had on UVA and our community. You have touched and improved the daily lives of so many and for that, I am most thankful.

Thanksgiving is also a great time for you to take an opportunity to pledge to the 2018 Combined Virginia Campaign (CVC)! In 2017 we had 34 UVAFinance team members contribute nearly $17,500. So far in 2018, we have had 10 team members contributing $3,400. I know that we can do better than this, so I encourage you all to take time to make your pledge to help the more than 1,000 charities that serve persons in need throughout Charlottesville, Virginia, the US, and the world. Remember, it is not how much you give but that you give that makes a difference! You can pick up a red envelope from Stacey or utilize the online form through the CVC website.

I hope you all have a restful and safe Thanksgiving!

PS – You can find great shopping sales and benefit the CVC at the annual Cavalier Computers and Bookstore holiday sale from November 26 through December 1. If you make a $10 CVC contribution at the register, you will get a $15 UVA Bookstore gift card!

From Melody's Desk

November 19, 2018

Dear team,

I hope you all have a restful and safe Thanksgiving!

UVA is making a promise that Virginia families who earn less than $80,000 a year and have typical assets will be able to send their child to UVA tuition-free. For Virginia families earning less than $30,000 a year with typical assets, we will cover their child's room and board in addition to their tuition.

This is the first step in a larger and longer project by President Ryan and the Board of Visitors to look at current financial aid packages for both Virginia and out-of-state students.

In his inauguration speech, President Ryan said, “I see a community that opens wide the door to opportunity for first-generation, low- and middle-income students."

“There is more work to be done in this space, there will be more work done in this space, but we might as well get started.”

Steve Kimata, Assistant Vice President for Student Financial Services, says that current UVA financial aid essentially meets the commitment laid out by Ryan, but that it's important to make an explicit promise to our low-and-middle-income families.

"Opening doors of opportunity is one of our highest callings as a public university," said Kimata.

Current programs will stay in place. The promise will be focused on members of the fall 2019 incoming class, but applies to all current undergraduate students as well for aid that will be awarded for the fall of 2019 going forward. Current undergraduate students will apply for financial aid as normal and be evaluated for eligibility for this promise even if the student has not received financial aid in the past.

The University currently meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need of all undergraduate students and offers admission to students with no consideration of their family financial situation.

Consistent with AccessUVA, the total grants awarded to students will be funded from a variety of sources: federal, state, endowment, and tuition. We will meet these new commitments with all grants. Loans (capped at $1,000 for low-income students and $4,500 for others with demonstrated need) and work-study will continue to be offered to meet other costs of attendance.

This is the first step in a larger and longer project by President Ryan and the Board of Visitors to look at current financial aid packages for both Virginia and out-of-state students.

In his inauguration speech, President Ryan said, “I see a community that opens wide the door to opportunity for first-generation, low- and middle-income students."

“There is more work to be done in this space, there will be more work done in this space, but we might as well get started.”

"Opening doors of opportunity is one of our highest callings as a public university," said Kimata.

The University currently meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need of all undergraduate students and offers admission to students with no consideration of their family financial situation.

$19 Million in Savings: The Power of Strategic Sourcing

Our colleague Ryan Balber, located in Procurement & Supplier Diversity Services, recently presented to the Leadership Advisory Council of the Virginia Higher Education Procurement Consortium (VHEPC) the results of the strategic sourcing efforts he has championed as Director of VHEPC for the past three fiscal years.

Ryan Balber

Balber is located here at UVA, and his position is funded by all VHEPC member entities. In his role, he has developed a strategic and cooperative procurement program leveraging the purchasing power of VHEPC's 15 member organizations. In the three years since VHEPC was formed and Balber took the lead, he has worked hard to negotiate better contracts for member entities with their suppliers.

The results of these efforts are impressive: $19 million in savings and incentives enjoyed by UVA, The College of William & Mary, James Madison University, and more. UVA's portion of the savings totaled over $6.5 million.

Sam Jones, Senior Vice President for Finance at the College of William and Mary, noted that the results of VHEPC's efforts speak for themselves, and UVA's John McHugh, Interim Director of PSDS, agrees.

"This is strategic sourcing in a nutshell," he said.

Well done, Ryan!

__________________________________________________________

$19 Million in Savings: The Power of Strategic Sourcing

Ryan Balber

"This is strategic sourcing in a nutshell," he said.

Well done, Ryan!

__________________________________________________________

Workday goes live January 7, 2019. Are you ready?

Go here for training: http://workday.hr.virginia.edu /
Go here for other workday information: https://ufirst.virginia.edu /

Be sure and check out the info below on how to get training, prepare for changes to current systems, learn about security and access in Workday and how leave balances will be displayed differently:

Message from the CHRO: Training and System Cutover: https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/07/chro-update-workday-training-and-system-cutover

Changes are coming, but when?: https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/08/changes-are-coming-both-and-after-go-live-%E2%80%93-when

Workday Security Roles – What you need to know: https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/02/workday-security-roles-%E2%80%93-what-you-need-know

Spotlight on Leave Balances: https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/05/spotlight-leave-balances

THE FOLLOWING IS INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW,
AND ACTIONS YOU NEED TO TAKE, NOW.

Workday Training – Take it now

Workday training is available at http://workday.hr.virginia.edu/. Please take the Workday Essentials eLearning course so you know how to use Workday. If you manage people, please also complete the Manager Essentials course. You may choose to take the eLearning module or register for an instructor-led session.

System Cutover

A critical step during the launch is to load data from our current systems into Workday. This is planned for November 30. Therefore, any transactions other than time and absence entry, between November 30, 2018 and January 7, 2019 should be kept to a minimum. Below is an overview of the cutover timeline. For detailed information, please visit:https://ufirst.virginia.edu/cutover-timeline.

Personal Information

Any changes you want or need to make to your HR record including, name, address, emergency contacts, tax forms or banking information should be completed by November 30. After November 30 we ask that you only make changes that are time sensitive and must be made to support a smooth transition before January 7.

Required benefits changes can be made during this time by contacting the HR Solution Center, askHR@virginia.edu or 434-243-3344.

Payroll

Pay calendars will not change as a result of Workday.
Payslips will be viewable in Workday for the first time on the following dates:
January 4, 2019 – Medical Center and UPG Bi-weekly Payday
January 11, 2019 – Academic Division Bi-weekly Payday
February 1, 2019 – Academic and UPG Monthly Payday
W2’s for 2018 will be accessed through your current HR system, not Workday

Performance Management

Performance evaluation activity in current systems completed by October 31, 2018 will migrate to Workday. View only access will be available after November 1.

Recruiting

Hiring managers should work directly with their Recruiter to determine the details of how existing open positions will be addressed.

Go here for training: http://workday.hr.virginia.edu /
Go here for other workday information: https://ufirst.virginia.edu /

Be sure and check out the info below on how to get training, prepare for changes to current systems, learn about security and access in Workday and how leave balances will be displayed differently:

Message from the CHRO: Training and System Cutover: https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/07/chro-update-workday-training-and-system-cutover

Changes are coming, but when?: https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/08/changes-are-coming-both-and-after-go-live-%E2%80%93-when

Workday Security Roles – What you need to know: https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/02/workday-security-roles-%E2%80%93-what-you-need-know

Spotlight on Leave Balances: https://ufirst.virginia.edu/blog/2018/11/05/spotlight-leave-balances

THE FOLLOWING IS INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW,
AND ACTIONS YOU NEED TO TAKE, NOW.

Workday Training – Take it now

System Cutover

Personal Information

Required benefits changes can be made during this time by contacting the HR Solution Center, askHR@virginia.edu or 434-243-3344.

Payroll

Performance Management

Performance evaluation activity in current systems completed by October 31, 2018 will migrate to Workday. View only access will be available after November 1.

Recruiting

Hiring managers should work directly with their Recruiter to determine the details of how existing open positions will be addressed.

Important cutover dates for transition from Oracle Learning Management to Workday

From December 15, 2018, through January 7, 2019, required online training for access to the Integrated System will not be available.

The following are important dates to note as we transition from Oracle Learning Management to Workday for access to online training and to enroll in instructor-led classes:

Oracle Learning Management (Employee Self-Service > Learning) will be unavailable beginning Saturday, December 15, 2018. This means you will not be able to complete or have access to online training, and you will not be able to enroll in courses.
The new learning management system in Workday will be available beginning Monday, January 7, 2019. All courses completed within the last 7 years will be listed in your Learning application; incomplete courses will not be listed.
If you have an open ESHARP request, or need to complete any other online training, please complete it by December 15, 2018.
If you need to enroll in Finance Fundamentals scheduled for January 8 or January 22, please do so by December 15, 2018. If you miss this date, please email FOC-training@virginia.edu with the name of the enrollee. No other instructor-led classes are open for enrollment at this time, but will be in Workday after January 7, 2019.

Please plan accordingly – training for access to the Integrated System will not be available.

Please contact FOC-training@virginia.edu if you have questions.

Important cutover dates for transition from Oracle Learning Management to Workday

From December 15, 2018, through January 7, 2019, required online training for access to the Integrated System will not be available.

The following are important dates to note as we transition from Oracle Learning Management to Workday for access to online training and to enroll in instructor-led classes:

Oracle Learning Management (Employee Self-Service > Learning) will be unavailable beginning Saturday, December 15, 2018. This means you will not be able to complete or have access to online training, and you will not be able to enroll in courses.
The new learning management system in Workday will be available beginning Monday, January 7, 2019. All courses completed within the last 7 years will be listed in your Learning application; incomplete courses will not be listed.
If you have an open ESHARP request, or need to complete any other online training, please complete it by December 15, 2018.
If you need to enroll in Finance Fundamentals scheduled for January 8 or January 22, please do so by December 15, 2018. If you miss this date, please email FOC-training@virginia.edu with the name of the enrollee. No other instructor-led classes are open for enrollment at this time, but will be in Workday after January 7, 2019.

Please plan accordingly – training for access to the Integrated System will not be available.

Please contact FOC-training@virginia.edu if you have questions.

Even if you're not a New Year's Resolution kind of person, the end of the year is a time that we often have a little more interest in tidying up and getting organized.

If you're thinking of how you can be more organized and productive going forward, check out the latest edition of Finance Matters! Patty and Brandi talk about some great ways to clear out the literal and metaphorical clutter in your life.

Listen to the episode by clicking here!

We want to hear from you

Got a tip on how to be more organized or make your workspace or processes leaner? Have you found the perfect method to keep yourself on track and on task? Please share and we'll include your suggestions into a "Part Two" episode!

You can email your suggestions to Patty or Brandi, or just comment below.

Even if you're not a New Year's Resolution kind of person, the end of the year is a time that we often have a little more interest in tidying up and getting organized.

Listen to the episode by clicking here!

We want to hear from you

You can email your suggestions to Patty or Brandi, or just comment below.

From L to R: Grace, Virginia, A.J., Kimberly,
Jackson, and Ella Smith

Financial Reporting & Operations is pleased to announce that Kimberly Smith has joined the Financial Reporting Team in the role of Senior Accountant.

Smith owned and operated her own accounting business, Smith & Smith LLC, for 16 years, and has accounting and tax experience across a variety of industries. She and her husband A.J. (a corporate accountant) decided to move their family of five back to Charlottesville a few years ago, where he took over the business and she pursued opportunities at her alma mater.

"It's really exciting to come back," Smith said, adding that it was evident from the get-go that UVAFinance seemed to have an appealing atmosphere.

"People are not only nice to one another; they genuinely seem to like their jobs. That speaks well to me enjoying my new role if everyone else enjoys theirs," she said.

The Smith family enjoys traveling together.
Kim's husband A.J. is also a Hoo (a double Hoo!)

In between the full circle of her getting her B.A. from UVA and her recent return are many years of travel and adventure with her family. The Smiths lived abroad for ten years in England, in the town of Guildford in Surrey.

Besides travel, Smith and her family keep busy hiking, camping, and dashing between the three younger Smiths' soccer, rowing, and swim meets.

From L to R: Grace, Virginia, A.J., Kimberly,
Jackson, and Ella Smith

Financial Reporting & Operations is pleased to announce that Kimberly Smith has joined the Financial Reporting Team in the role of Senior Accountant.

"It's really exciting to come back," Smith said, adding that it was evident from the get-go that UVAFinance seemed to have an appealing atmosphere.

"People are not only nice to one another; they genuinely seem to like their jobs. That speaks well to me enjoying my new role if everyone else enjoys theirs," she said.

The Smith family enjoys traveling together.
Kim's husband A.J. is also a Hoo (a double Hoo!)

Besides travel, Smith and her family keep busy hiking, camping, and dashing between the three younger Smiths' soccer, rowing, and swim meets.

Halloween Edition of Finance Matters!

We blame the sugar high for this one.

Listen in for a short and lighthearted episode focusing on the professional and life lessons we can learn from Halloween candy.

It's a little silly and a little serious.

Happy Halloween!

Listen at this link: Fun Size Professional Tips Inspired by Halloween Candy

We blame the sugar high for this one.

Listen in for a short and lighthearted episode focusing on the professional and life lessons we can learn from Halloween candy.

It's a little silly and a little serious.

Happy Halloween!

Listen at this link: Fun Size Professional Tips Inspired by Halloween Candy

UVAFinance Book Club

UVAFinance book club will discuss "The Power of Habit" on Tuesday,
January 8, from 12-1, in Carr 2. Everyone is welcome! Contact Patty
Marbury if you have questions or want to participate remotely.

NOTE: The January 8 Book Club Meeting will be rescheduled. Hold for more details!

UVAFinance book club will discuss "The Power of Habit" on Tuesday,
January 8, from 12-1, in Carr 2. Everyone is welcome! Contact Patty
Marbury if you have questions or want to participate remotely.

NOTE: The January 8 Book Club Meeting will be rescheduled. Hold for more details!

Thanksgiving baskets for needy families

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and UVAFinance will once again be collecting food donations for the Community Feast Project. The Community Feast Project is an annual effort run by various churches and organizations in and around the Charlottesville area. Thanksgiving baskets are then distributed to needy families right here in our community.

Collection boxes will be placed around Carruthers Hall with a checklist of items needed. Additionally, monetary donations can be made to either Nicole Ferretti or Stacey Rittenhouse.

All donations must be received no later than Wednesday, November 14th.
The following items are needed:

Can of Yams (17.5 oz.)
Can of Green Beans (14.5 oz.)
Bag of Potato (5 lb.)
Jar of Turkey Gravy (10.5 oz.)
Box of Macaroni (14.5 oz.)
Box of Stuffing (6 oz.)
Can of Evaporated Milk (12 oz.)
Can of Cranberry Sauce (14 oz.)
Cake Mix (15.25 oz.)
Can of Crushed Pineapple (16 oz.)
Box Granulated Sugar (2-4 lb.)
Box of Brown Sugar (1 lb.)
Monetary donations for the purchase of turkeys

Thank you!

Thanksgiving baskets for needy families

Collection boxes will be placed around Carruthers Hall with a checklist of items needed. Additionally, monetary donations can be made to either Nicole Ferretti or Stacey Rittenhouse.

All donations must be received no later than Wednesday, November 14th.
The following items are needed:

Can of Yams (17.5 oz.)
Can of Green Beans (14.5 oz.)
Bag of Potato (5 lb.)
Jar of Turkey Gravy (10.5 oz.)
Box of Macaroni (14.5 oz.)
Box of Stuffing (6 oz.)
Can of Evaporated Milk (12 oz.)
Can of Cranberry Sauce (14 oz.)
Cake Mix (15.25 oz.)
Can of Crushed Pineapple (16 oz.)
Box Granulated Sugar (2-4 lb.)
Box of Brown Sugar (1 lb.)
Monetary donations for the purchase of turkeys

Thank you!

4th Annual Corn Hole Tournament and Fall Festival

Join us on Friday, November 16th from 12:00pm – 2:00pm, for the 4th annual Corn Hole Tournament and Fall Festival to benefit Virginia non-profits! This event will be located in the north lower lot of Carruthers Hall in the back corner.

Food will be provided to you at no cost but we do ask you to make a donation to a Virginia Non-Profit. Please bring cash or check and an idea of what non-profit you would like to donate to.

Sign up for the annual Corn Hole Tournament! Click here to enter.

Who will reign supreme this year?

15 per person or $30 per team. If you are able to bring a set of boards and bean bags, you will pay only $10 per person or $20 per team.
Winning team will choose the non-profit to donate to from a list provided.
The Winning team will also get to sign and keep the Stanley Cup of Corn Hole trophy for 1 year.

Corn Hole Champions:

2017, Mike Beverage and Mike Hayton
2016, Logan Hobbs and Brandon Kenty
2015, Logan Hobbs and Brandon Kenty

Here are photos from 2017 and 2016. It's a fun time! Be sure to join us.

4th Annual Corn Hole Tournament and Fall Festival

Food will be provided to you at no cost but we do ask you to make a donation to a Virginia Non-Profit. Please bring cash or check and an idea of what non-profit you would like to donate to.

Sign up for the annual Corn Hole Tournament! Click here to enter.

Who will reign supreme this year?

15 per person or $30 per team. If you are able to bring a set of boards and bean bags, you will pay only $10 per person or $20 per team.
Winning team will choose the non-profit to donate to from a list provided.
The Winning team will also get to sign and keep the Stanley Cup of Corn Hole trophy for 1 year.

Corn Hole Champions:

2017, Mike Beverage and Mike Hayton
2016, Logan Hobbs and Brandon Kenty
2015, Logan Hobbs and Brandon Kenty

Here are photos from 2017 and 2016. It's a fun time! Be sure to join us.

October 24, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

The October 12 kick-off event for Finance Strategic Transformation (FST) left me feeling truly grateful for all the people who have agreed to be a part of our upcoming workshops or to serve a role on the FST Checkpoint Team, the Advisory Group, and the Steering Committee.

You can view a video of the kickoff as well as the
presentation slides on our online community:
ubicommunity.virginia.edu

We will not be able to make this a successful project without the thoughtful, collaborative, and active engagement of these team members. Now, as we embark on this journey together, is a good time to think about how we will interact with our stakeholders and how they will interact with us.

Our Pledge to the FST Stakeholders:

UVAFinance seeks to be the valued and trusted financial partner that the University community turns to first. FST is an important step in delivering this vision by working with you to develop critical skills, improve service, re-imagine business processes, and deploy technology.
We will communicate frequently, clearly, and directly through a variety of methods: FST meetings, Business Officer Council and Fiscal Administrator meetings, the online FST community, and the UVAFinance blog. Invite us to come into your team meeting and we will work out a time to join your team for a conversation about FST.
We will involve and support our stakeholders as we design for the future. We will seek your frequent engagement but will also be conscious of competing deadlines and major events in order to avoid direct conflicts. We will engage with the University Project Portfolio to determine where we can make schedule adjustments to ease demands on time and energy.
We will maintain strong governance and accountability to you and the senior leaders of the University.
We will challenge the status quo, seeking best practices from the UVA community, the Deloitte professionals, and through our professional associations and peer institutions.
We will assess the potential for consistent functionality and harmonized business practices.
We will apply enterprise thinking that assesses the needs of the University as a whole but will respect and recognize local requirements.
We will align with institutional data strategy standards and governance, to help ensure the data integrity, accessibility, and definition that are needed in a modern workplace.

Our Ask of FST Stakeholders:

We ask that committee members and workshop invitees commit to attending and actively engaging in order to make sure that we hear broadly from the UVA community. We ask that you be familiar with available resources in the FST online community and website so that you can re-direct your colleagues to resources. If you cannot answer a question asked locally in your school or unit, ask these questions on the community (someone else probably has the same question) or forward these questions to the FST team.
We ask that you help us know when we have asked too much, but balance this with the understanding that we are just as frequently asked why we can’t deliver new services and tools more quickly. There is a healthy tension between the desire to quickly improve service and technology and the concern that too much is happening.
We ask that you be vocal and frequent in expressing support and advocating for the project. If you feel you cannot support and advocate for the project, talk to us directly about this.
We ask that you have and that you encourage your colleagues to have patience in the process and to know that we are striving to support and enable the University to be the best it can be. We won’t have all the answers immediately, we may take detours, we may pause or reverse course. But we should keep you informed and you should hold us accountable for that.
We ask that you help us to eliminate rumors and squash back channel whispering. If there is an unanswered question or a concern, ask it directly. If we don’t have an answer, trust that we are working on a solution.
We ask for grace and understanding that we will not be perfect, we may forget a communication, we may not be consistent in an answer. Mistakes will be made, but they will not be intentional and we will learn from them.
We ask for compromise and collaboration. We will not be able to make everyone 100% happy, but we will listen… and if we make a decision that is completely counter to your request, there is a reason. Ask us what that reason is and understand that we have to meet the requirements of a diverse audience.

Again, I thank you for joining us on this journey! I look forward to working with each of you.

October 24, 2018

Dear Colleagues,

You can view a video of the kickoff as well as the
presentation slides on our online community:
ubicommunity.virginia.edu

Our Pledge to the FST Stakeholders:

UVAFinance seeks to be the valued and trusted financial partner that the University community turns to first. FST is an important step in delivering this vision by working with you to develop critical skills, improve service, re-imagine business processes, and deploy technology.
We will communicate frequently, clearly, and directly through a variety of methods: FST meetings, Business Officer Council and Fiscal Administrator meetings, the online FST community, and the UVAFinance blog. Invite us to come into your team meeting and we will work out a time to join your team for a conversation about FST.
We will involve and support our stakeholders as we design for the future. We will seek your frequent engagement but will also be conscious of competing deadlines and major events in order to avoid direct conflicts. We will engage with the University Project Portfolio to determine where we can make schedule adjustments to ease demands on time and energy.
We will maintain strong governance and accountability to you and the senior leaders of the University.
We will challenge the status quo, seeking best practices from the UVA community, the Deloitte professionals, and through our professional associations and peer institutions.
We will assess the potential for consistent functionality and harmonized business practices.
We will apply enterprise thinking that assesses the needs of the University as a whole but will respect and recognize local requirements.
We will align with institutional data strategy standards and governance, to help ensure the data integrity, accessibility, and definition that are needed in a modern workplace.

Our Ask of FST Stakeholders:

We ask that committee members and workshop invitees commit to attending and actively engaging in order to make sure that we hear broadly from the UVA community. We ask that you be familiar with available resources in the FST online community and website so that you can re-direct your colleagues to resources. If you cannot answer a question asked locally in your school or unit, ask these questions on the community (someone else probably has the same question) or forward these questions to the FST team.
We ask that you help us know when we have asked too much, but balance this with the understanding that we are just as frequently asked why we can’t deliver new services and tools more quickly. There is a healthy tension between the desire to quickly improve service and technology and the concern that too much is happening.
We ask that you be vocal and frequent in expressing support and advocating for the project. If you feel you cannot support and advocate for the project, talk to us directly about this.
We ask that you have and that you encourage your colleagues to have patience in the process and to know that we are striving to support and enable the University to be the best it can be. We won’t have all the answers immediately, we may take detours, we may pause or reverse course. But we should keep you informed and you should hold us accountable for that.
We ask that you help us to eliminate rumors and squash back channel whispering. If there is an unanswered question or a concern, ask it directly. If we don’t have an answer, trust that we are working on a solution.
We ask for grace and understanding that we will not be perfect, we may forget a communication, we may not be consistent in an answer. Mistakes will be made, but they will not be intentional and we will learn from them.
We ask for compromise and collaboration. We will not be able to make everyone 100% happy, but we will listen… and if we make a decision that is completely counter to your request, there is a reason. Ask us what that reason is and understand that we have to meet the requirements of a diverse audience.

Again, I thank you for joining us on this journey! I look forward to working with each of you.

Monday, December 10, 2018

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Monday, November 19, 2018

Thursday, November 15, 2018

We want to hear from you

We want to hear from you

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Wednesday, October 24, 2018