UVAFinance

Thursday, January 25, 2018

SFS and Admissions: partnering to help early action applicants

Students and families need clarity when making decisions regarding college, and it’s not just academic programs and location that make a difference: it’s the availability of financial aid.

“Families are sitting down and crunching the numbers,” said Kelsey Bowles, Assistant Dean of Admissions at UVA.

“For many, especially in first generation college families and low-income families, the most important factor they consider is whether or not they can afford it,” she said.

Mary Fields of Student Financial Services

Scott Miller, Director of Financial Aid in Student Financial Services, says this is why it is critical for UVA to get financial aid packages to students as soon as possible, and why the financial aid staff in SFS has been hard at work since December review financial aid applications in anticipation of awarding the financial aid packages for thousands of early action students.

The early action process allows students to apply and hear back on an accelerated schedule. UVA’s early action application deadline is November 1, and those applicants receive decisions at the end of January instead of the end of March, when regular admission decisions are made.

“Even though UVA meets 100% of demonstrated need, if students don’t have a clear understanding of their financial aid package, they will choose the school who gave that understanding to them sooner,” Bowles said.

For each of the early action applicants who also sent in financial aid applications, SFS returned a financial aid award package by January 1. With this complete information on both their admission status and the financial package they will receive, students and families can make the best decisions. The insight into the affordability of UVA is a tremendous help to students and families, said Bowles.

“Our fear is that students might self-select out, because they don’t have the information they need,” said Miller.

“We don’t want them to assume they can’t afford it,” he said.

This is just one example of SFS partnering with Admissions to help students understand how to afford UVA. SFS participates in Admissions’ Days on the Lawn program, providing financial aid sessions and individual counseling to students and families, and travels to the students who aren’t able to make it to that event. Additionally, SFS representatives regularly visit area high schools in the fall, and host FAFSA filing nights to help families fill out financial aid forms.

“We’re always trying to look for the ways that we can catch the students who could potentially fall through the cracks because the financial aid process is new to them,” said Miller.

Read more about this year’s early action applications

SFS and Admissions: partnering to help early action applicants

Mary Fields of Student Financial Services

Software partnership will reduce administrative burden, improve efficiency in UVAFinance

A partnership with the School of Medicine (SOM) and School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) will soon make it easier for UVAFinance LSPs to address the technological needs of their clients.

Click to view larger

KACE software has components that were of great interest to UVAFinance ASG-LSP team member Mike Hayton. The software’s ability to automate by reducing data entry, the way it allows users to download approved software on their own time, and its ability to remotely solve user issues were all attractive and made problem-solving easier and more efficient. But for a small department, the cost was prohibitive.

Those costs had put the software out of reach for use in Finance until, at a meeting on Grounds, Hayton discovered through routine networking that SOM had been using KACE for nearly a year and a half and it was working as promised in the sales pitch.

Ultimately, UVAFinance, SCPS, and SOM were able to enter into an arrangement through which UVAFinance shares the cost of the software and is able to use it, while SOM gets trained professionals that they can lean for expertise – a win/win for all involved.

Not only is the arrangement mutually beneficial, and a great example of creative problem solving, but also, the partnership with SOM means that UVAFinance can more quickly implement the system because SOM has had some time to figure out the University-related nuances and infrastructure of the system.

UVAFinance team members are already deploying the “KACE agent” onto employee devices, and Hayton and fellow LSP Linda Estepp are busy learning the tool. Estepp will attend a KACE conference this May. They hope to have KACE fully functional and UVAFinance team members realizing the benefits by this summer.

Software partnership will reduce administrative burden, improve efficiency in UVAFinance

Click to view larger

Join the UVAFinance Book Club!

Our first book is Wait, What?: And Life's Other Essential Questions, by UVA's incoming President, James Ryan. The book is a fun, inspiring read, and only 127 pages long. It's also available via audiobook.

We'll have sessions on February 12 and March 15, from 12pm - 1pm in Carruthers -2. All are welcome!

More about the book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV5u17mP4aM

More about James Ryan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae8BadYTQU8

Our first book is Wait, What?: And Life's Other Essential Questions, by UVA's incoming President, James Ryan. The book is a fun, inspiring read, and only 127 pages long. It's also available via audiobook.

We'll have sessions on February 12 and March 15, from 12pm - 1pm in Carruthers -2. All are welcome!

More about the book:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV5u17mP4aM

More about James Ryan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae8BadYTQU8

Upcoming Finance Training

Following are the upcoming courses, workshops, labs, and
Brown Bag Sessions for February-March, 2018.

We hope you will take advantage of these professional
development opportunities for finance professionals. Links to enroll via
Employee Self-Service are available from the Events section on
the Finance Outreach and Compliance website at http://foc.virginia.edu/.

Finance Fundamentals

What is UVA’s mission? What is the
Code of Ethics and why is it important? What is the organizational structure of
UVA and where do you fit in? What is a PTAEO? What are the sources of revenue
at UVA and how are funds processed? What do you need to know about internal
controls, and what are some best practices to follow? In this class you will
get answers to these questions and more, as well as have an opportunity to
interact and network with other administrative professionals. This class is a
required course for access to the finance applications in the Integrated
System, but is also open to anyone who wants to learn about UVA’s financial
operations.

February 13, 1:30-4:30

February 27, 1:30-4:30

March 13, 1:30-4:30

o March
29, 1:30-4:30

All sessions are held in Carruthers Hall, Conference
room 2

Reconciling Expenditures in Recon@UVA (formerly
Mastering Account Reconciliations)

All departments spend money,
whether it is for office supplies, equipment, or personnel. It is important to
reconcile these purchases each month to maintain strong internal control
standards. This course is designed to help UVA staff and faculty who prepare,
review and approve expenditure reconciliations navigate these processes in the
Recon@UVA system. We will discuss how to accurately complete monthly
expenditure reconciliations for transactions that occur in the Integrated
System’s Grants Management (GM) module in compliance with UVA policy and
procedures.

March 8, 1:30-4:00

Carruthers Hall, Carr-2

**Mark your calendars! The UVAForward 2018 conference
will be held on Thursday, May 24. More details will be coming
soon!**

As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, or need
to discuss training needs, please contact us at foc-training@virginia.edu.

Feel free to share this information to other colleagues, and
managers, please forward to your staff. Looking forward to seeing you
soon!

Upcoming Finance Training

Following are the upcoming courses, workshops, labs, and Brown Bag Sessions for February-March, 2018.

We hope you will take advantage of these professional development opportunities for finance professionals. Links to enroll via Employee Self-Service are available from the Events section on the Finance Outreach and Compliance website at http://foc.virginia.edu/.

Finance Fundamentals

What is UVA’s mission? What is the Code of Ethics and why is it important? What is the organizational structure of UVA and where do you fit in? What is a PTAEO? What are the sources of revenue at UVA and how are funds processed? What do you need to know about internal controls, and what are some best practices to follow? In this class you will get answers to these questions and more, as well as have an opportunity to interact and network with other administrative professionals. This class is a required course for access to the finance applications in the Integrated System, but is also open to anyone who wants to learn about UVA’s financial operations.

February 13, 1:30-4:30
February 27, 1:30-4:30
March 13, 1:30-4:30

o March 29, 1:30-4:30

All sessions are held in Carruthers Hall, Conference room 2

Reconciling Expenditures in Recon@UVA (formerly Mastering Account Reconciliations)

All departments spend money, whether it is for office supplies, equipment, or personnel. It is important to reconcile these purchases each month to maintain strong internal control standards. This course is designed to help UVA staff and faculty who prepare, review and approve expenditure reconciliations navigate these processes in the Recon@UVA system. We will discuss how to accurately complete monthly expenditure reconciliations for transactions that occur in the Integrated System’s Grants Management (GM) module in compliance with UVA policy and procedures.

March 8, 1:30-4:00
Carruthers Hall, Carr-2

**Mark your calendars! The UVAForward 2018 conference will be held on Thursday, May 24. More details will be coming soon!**

As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, or need to discuss training needs, please contact us at foc-training@virginia.edu.

Feel free to share this information to other colleagues, and managers, please forward to your staff. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Grants.gov Workspace: An Overview

Tuesday, February 6th in Newcomb Hall South Meeting Room from 12:00-1:00.

Lunch will be provided, and space is limited to 30 attendees.

Presenters:
Josh Richards, Senior Grant and Contract Administrator, Office of Sponsored Programs
Tonia Cable, Senior Grant and Contract Administrator, Office of Sponsored Programs

Workspace is the standard way for organizations to now apply for federal grants in Grants.gov, replacing Adobe packages and allowing a grant team to develop, complete, and submit proposal packages. This session is designed to go over the process of developing and submitting a proposal through Workspace. Topics covered will include data elements, guidelines, and the proposal submission process, as well as the connections to internal processes at UVA. Best practices will also be discussed.

Register here.

Registration will close at the end of the day on Thursday February 1st

Grants.gov Workspace: An Overview

Tuesday, February 6th in Newcomb Hall South Meeting Room from 12:00-1:00.

Donate blood. Support life.

Carruthers Hall

Valentine's Day Blood Drive

Wednesday, February 14

10 am - 2:30 pm

On the Bloodmobile

To sign up, contact Stacey Rittenhouse at 924-4294, or visit https://donateblood.vablood.org

Appointments are preferred; walk-ins are welcome.

Donate blood. Support life.

Carruthers Hall

Valentine's Day Blood Drive

Wednesday, February 14

10 am - 2:30 pm

On the Bloodmobile

To sign up, contact Stacey Rittenhouse at 924-4294, or visit https://donateblood.vablood.org

Appointments are preferred; walk-ins are welcome.

Be one of the first to see Workday!

The second Workday prototype is done, and Ufirst is ready to show you what they’ve been working on! Make plans to come to one of the preview and feedback sessions being held to ensure the system and processes meet your needs and expectations.

Two sessions are available:

Academic Division Session – Register
Thursday, February 22
1:00p.m. – 5:00 p.m. │ Newcomb Hall

UVA Health System Session – Register
Tuesday, February 27
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. │ Pinn Hall Conference Center

In addition to the exclusive preview of the technology and HR processes, you’ll be able to check out sessions, interact with the software, ask questions of the HR team, and enter to win prizes.

Be one of the first to see Workday!

As UVA researchers pursue more applied and translational research projects in partnership with federal, industry, and foundation collaborators, it is important for all of us involved in the research enterprise to understand the definition of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and the issues surrounding it.

CUI covers a broad variety of information that may be used in University research and administrative activities; for example, patient medical records, student records, data provided in student financial aid applications, and research results subject to publication restrictions.

Check out the University's CUI webpage for a general overview of what you need to know about CUI and how it is safeguarded and managed at UVA (includes guidance documents and training materials!).

It's going to be a beautiful sunset! ubi.virginia.edu

Carruthers Hall Improvements: Many partners help produce great results

Carruthers Hall has not necessarily been known for its beauty.

Traditionally, it looks its best in early spring, when a flood of daffodils bloom near the main entrance. At most other times of the year, the grounds around it are leafy or muddy or otherwise fairly bare, and sprinkled with worn-down spots where people have beaten their own paths to cross Emmet Street.

Carruthers Hall before exterior renovations.

We can't wait to post an "after" picture

this spring!

Yet Carruthers serves many visitors from across Grounds including students and parents. For some time, some improvements have been needed.

Besides ongoing renovation work within the building, a steady stream of activity has been taking place with the aim of improving both the appearance and safety of Carruthers’ exterior spaces. Those projects have been the result of much-appreciated collaboration with many departments and funding from diverse sources.

Over the course of three years, parking and walkways have been improved, and outdoor seating and spaces have been added. And, says Disha Venkatesan of UVAFinance, there is still more to come.

“Landscaping will be done this spring, when it is time to plant,” she said, adding that a study is currently underway to improve the crosswalk used by so many in Carruthers and the Michie buildings to access the Barracks Road Shopping Center.

Those two projects trail a number of developments from the recent past, and represent a mountain of fact-finding, studies, and cooperation between many different departments.

The landscaping Venkatesan mentioned will be a finishing touch to the other functional and visually pleasing upgrades Carruthers has already received: in addition to a new terrace/ picnic area, additional seating has also been added just outside the building’s entrance.

Melody Bianchetto, VP of Finance, cuts the ribbon on the

new terrace area outside of Carruthers Hall.

There are many other improvements to notice. Aging trees have been removed and others have been trimmed and maintained, the retaining wall in front of the building has been repaired, and the front stairs leading down to the sidewalk (and often leading Carruthers denizens to engage in ill-advised games of Frogger across Emmet Street) have been removed. Parking spaces around Carruthers have been reconfigured to be ADA compliant and to make traffic move in a safe, appropriate way,

Venkatesan said the project has been approached in chunks: getting studies funded by various groups, performing the surveys, and taking the resulting data to make the case for funding the projects.

Listening to the over 450 people who work in Carruthers and the Michie buildings was also key.

Piece by piece, concerns and problems are being addressed, not only with the cooperation of many different departments, but also through funding from various areas including Arboretum and Landscaping, the Grounds Improvement Fund, the Office of Accessibility, and UVAFinance itself.

Mark Stanis, Director of Project Services in Facilities Management, worked with all the different UVA entities to help get the project moving and keep it moving.

“First we worked on the studies, and then we partnered with Accessibility, Grounds Improvement, and Arboretum and Landscape to do the implementation,” he said.

“In all of this,” he added, “the VP of Finance was the champion driving all of it.”

Although more improvements are still to come, both Stanis and Venkatesan agree that the project has been worthwhile.

“These additions make the building more pleasing and usable for staff, students, and visitors,” said Venkatesan.

“All of this takes time, but with the help of others here at UVA, we’re moving forward and making things better and more enjoyable for everyone.”

Student Financial Services and the Office of Financial Planning and Analysis Offer Assistance During Tuition & Fee Setting

This past fall, Student Financial Services teamed up with the Office of Financial Planning and Analysis (the “budget office”) to trek across Grounds to visit with multiple UVA schools and units during a very special time of the academic year: tuition and fee increase request time.

Every year, schools and units establish their budgets for all programs. Part of the process is deciding what tuition and fees rates to charge. It’s a complex process that the Office of Financial Planning and Analysis (OFP&A) had already helped to streamline last year by putting together a centralized tool for submitting the requests.

The brainchild of Disha Venkatesan and Jennifer Hale, the “Tuition and Fee Tool,” was built by CACS in partnership with representatives from OFP&A SFS, and EA-ITS SIS Finance. It has made the process easier and more visible for all the UVA entities with a stake in the tuition & fee setting process, but this year, Sarah Doran of Student Financial Services realized there was still an opportunity for UVAFinance to collaborate with its stakeholders: proactive, face to face conversations.

“We realized that when units submit their requests, they don’t always realize the implications in the same way we do in SFS, so we asked them if they’d like us to come talk through what it is they’re proposing, so they can better understand how their proposals may affect students,” said Doran.

In her role as Director of School and Departmental Relations, Doran’s priority is communicating and building relationships, so the idea of reaching out to offer assistance made complete sense. So did partnering with OFP&A, as budget analysts on that team also do in-depth work with schools and units.

Jen Hale, Director of Budget and Special Projects in OFP&A, saw the outreach Doran proposed as a good opportunity for the analysts on her team to get more context about this part of the process.

By the time the team set off to visit with eight very receptive schools and departments, it was composed of Doran, James Cathro from OFP&A, who worked directly with the CACS team to build the tool and currently maintains it, Cheyrl Elzey from Student Finance Applications, and the budget analyst for each area. They were fully equipped to answer questions, update the Tuition and Fee tool, and share and receive knowledge.

Once in the meetings, the group explored the ramifications of new programs, financial aid offered, and the potential impact of tuition increases on students. There was sharing of information on both sides, and an opportunity for administrators, both in the units and in the central offices to learn more about student fees and financial aid.

In the end, Doran says, the visits resulted in answered questions on both sides – questions that would not then need be asked much later in the process.

For John Teahan, Associate Dean for Administration at the School of Nursing, the timing of the meetings was impeccable.

“Talking to the group was extremely helpful in terms of understanding impact on the students; financial aid is a very critical piece and we want to make sure we have the aid to cover increases,” he said.

Michael Todd, Associate Dean for Finance and Operations in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, agreed.

“The outreach meetings were crucial in terms of providing context and background – our time together was a scene-setter for the entire issue of tuition and fees,” he said.

OFP&A’s budget analysts found the meetings to be not only a good opportunity to get insight into the schools’ future plans, but also, it gave them a greater understanding about a piece of the puzzle with which they don’t normally interact.

“It’s nice to be able to speak the same language, and better understand the unit with which I work,” said Keith Carter, Senior Budget Analyst.

All parties involved were very pleased at the clarity the outreach sessions provided on all fronts.

“The aim of this effort was to work with our partners and see how we could better support what they want to do, going forward,” said Doran.

“We’re definitely planning on doing this again next year!”

Carruthers Hall Improvements: Many partners help produce great results

Carruthers Hall before exterior renovations.
We can't wait to post an "after" picture
this spring!

Yet Carruthers serves many visitors from across Grounds including students and parents. For some time, some improvements have been needed.

Melody Bianchetto, VP of Finance, cuts the ribbon on the
new terrace area outside of Carruthers Hall.

Temporary relocation of Finance Outreach & Compliance

Ongoing renovation and office space reconfiguration in Carruthers Hall has required Finance Outreach and Compliance staff to vacate their office suite until March 2018, when they will relocate to a new office space within Carruthers. Most FOC staff will work remotely during the transition time, while others will remain in temporary office spaces on Grounds.

FOC staff members are available as normal via their direct dial telephone numbers, email addresses, and on Skype. They will also frequently be on Grounds and in Carruthers for meetings, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have needs.

CONTACT THE FOC TEAM: http://foc.virginia.edu/contacts

Temporary relocation of Finance Outreach & Compliance

We couldn't resist the "New Adventures"joke.

This December, Christine E. Kennedy joined Finance Outreach and Compliance (FOC) as a Compliance Analyst. Kennedy is no stranger to compliance: she was on the compliance team when it was part of Sponsored Programs for nearly four years before moving to the University Audit Department three years ago.

In her new role, Kennedy will review, revise, and write policy and procedure, and make certain UVA well-positioned within the changing regulatory landscape. She describes her position as “her old job on steroids,” and as a role of service to the University community.

During her time in Audit and in her previous incarnation within compliance, Kennedy developed relationships with others in schools and units, and she looks forward to putting her experience to work in her new, expanded role.

Beyond her work in compliance and Audit, Kennedy has a diverse background at UVA. Nearly 13 years ago, she took her first UVA position in the Office of Development, and from there, she moved on to the Department of Chemistry, where she did fiscal work.

Her past experiences have sharpened her fondness for problem solving and finding solutions, especially because she can recall the struggle to correctly implement policies at a departmental level.

“I vividly remember sitting in Chemistry and trying to figure out what a policy or procedure meant to us and what we were supposed to do,” she said.

As a result, Kennedy says, she focuses on making connections with others, gathering information, and having helpful conversations in order to help everyone stay within the guardrails.

“My work in compliance is to help people understand what they need to do, and helping them sort through it to get to a better way of doing things. Compliance isn’t punitive – it’s all a learning experience!”

We couldn't resist the "New Adventures"joke.

Mark your calendar!

You won't want to miss the 2nd Annual Travel and Expense Expo! Watch for more details soon . . .

See pictures from last year!

Mark your calendar!

You won't want to miss the 2nd Annual Travel and Expense Expo! Watch for more details soon . . .

See pictures from last year!

Student Financial Services welcomes Kris Hopkins

As Associate Director for Undergraduate Financial Aid, Kris Hopkins manages the undergraduate need-based aid team in Student Financial Services. New to this role and to UVA as of December 4, Hopkins has a wealth of experience in financial aid, most recently at Colgate University, as well as experience in career services, alumni affairs, and even government relations.

The thread that ties her background together is a love of facilitating: helping others to clear obstacles so they can do what they feel they’re meant to do.

In her new role at UVA, Hopkins looks forward to working with the undergraduate aid team to help students and families understand the sometimes complex world of financial aid.

Hopkins says helping students access the tools they need to succeed is a fulfilling part of her job, but she also relishes the opportunity to do the same thing for those on her team.

“I see part of my role here as helping people have conversations about what it is they want and/or need to do, and then helping them to navigate the speed bumps and potholes that may get in their way as they work to achieve their goals,” she said.

In addition to finding the culture in Student Financial Services to be a good fit for her, Hopkins has also acclimated well to Virginia.

“It feels like coming home on some level,” she said, noting that she has about a dozen relatives living within a few hours.

The natural beauty and points of interest in Virginia have also helped: “We didn’t have too many friends asking to visit us in the frozen tundra of Upstate New York, but I’m finding that a lot of people want to visit us in Charlottesville!”

Student Financial Services welcomes Kris Hopkins

As of January 7, 2018, the small dollar purchase limit has changed from $5,000 to $10,000. Procurement & Supplier Diversity Services and the Office of Sponsored Programs partnered to implement this change, which puts the University in line with new federal grant small dollar purchase limits, and also reduces the administrative burden of purchasing, invoicing, and receiving processes for University departments.

View more details here.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Grants.gov Workspace: An Overview

Grants.gov Workspace: An Overview

Donate blood. Support life.

Donate blood. Support life.

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Wednesday, January 10, 2018