TravelUVA Benefits

Click the image to book now!

UVA's Travel Program, TravelUVA, offers a variety of benefits, including 50+ Travel Contracts, a Travel Agency and online booking tool, and attentive customer service and communications. 

Booking through TravelUVA saves you time and money as opposed to direct bookings--one unit saved more than $12,000 in just one year just by utilizing TravelUVA!

How to Book

TravelUVA's bookings operate through Christopherson Business Travel and have two options for booking travel. 

Concur Self-Service Online Booking Tool

• No Fee (New Bookings)  
• Real-Time Availability
• Lowest Fare Guaranteed

Designated University Advisors (phone/email)

• Advisor Fees
• $26 Domestic
• $35 International 

Benefits

Christopherson Business Travel

• Customized for UVA employees and policy 
• Discounted rates pre-loaded
• Duty of Care - Travel Alerts 
• 24/7 Urgent Assistance 
• Customized Travel Profile 

Airlines

• Contracts with American, Delta, Southwest, and United 
• 2-10% discount 
• Flight Protection 
• Flexibility on name changes 
• Priority Boarding & Seating 
• Frequent Flyer Miles 
• Unused tickets:
• Tracking, flexibility in name changes, refund opportunities and/or extended expiration dates

Hotel

Contracts with 21 local hotels in addition to Hilton Global, IHG Worldwide, Sonesta U.S. and Canada. 

• Discounts 
• Flexible cancellation 
• Availability close to Grounds
• No individual contracts for events/groups

Rental Cars

Contracts with Enterprise, Hertz, and National.

• Discounts
• Upgrades
• Insurance included
• Status matching
• Waived second driver fees
• Direct bill accounts

Make sure to encourage your unit to book university travel through TravelUVA! 

Schedule a training presentation with the TravelUVA team (in person or on Zoom). For more information and questions, email Travel@virginia.edu.

UVAFinance Welcomes Matt Phillippi as Senior Compliance Analyst

Matt Phillippi

This January, UVAFinance welcomed Matt Phillippi as Senior Compliance Analyst. With a diverse background in higher education finance at James Madison University and administrative positions within the Scouting movement, Phillippi's widespread accounting and leadership experience will translate perfectly to his role at the University. 

Phillippi received his Bachelor's in Accounting from National College, and after graduating, worked as a Tax Accountant with Rosetta Stone, doing indirect taxes. He eventually made the shift to JMU, where he started off in the University Business Office (think UVA's SFS!), where he helped oversee accounting for financial aid items and student loan transactions. During this time, Phillippi also worked to receive his second Bachelor's in Public Policy and Administration through James Madison.

Phillippi at Villa Philmonte on the Philmont Scout 
Ranch in Cimarron, NM

About six years ago, Phillippi transitioned from his work in the University Business Office to the role of Internal Control Coordinator. In this position, he coordinated JMU's ARMICS implementation (Agency Risk Management and Internal Control Standards), operating in Compliance, analyzing internal controls, and performing risk assessments. 

Phillippi says his new position at UVA will be a great opportunity for growth and learning, and convenient because of its proximity to his home in Harrisonburg. His versatility in ARMICS and previous collaboration with UVA departments through JMU will transfer well to his new role as Senior Compliance Analyst.  

As Senior Compliance Analyst, Phillippi will be utilizing his expertise in ARMICS, working on GL Integrity projects, helping document procedures, and overall making sure UVAFinance stays in compliance. He'll be working with many different departments that use ARMICS, working to fix any issues in compliance before they get to the auditors.

Phillippi at the Fenneman Great Hall at the Summit
Bechtel Reserve during the 2023 National Scout
Jamboree, where he served on the Jamboree Service
Team!

In his free time, Phillippi is heavily involved in Scouting America- he's an Eagle Scout himself! You can be sure to find him spending time outdoors, whittling both for fun and artistically, fishing, and tying flies. Phillippi is also working towards his Master's in Public Administration and Non-Profit Management at JMU, which he's set to receive this May!

UVAFinance in Action: January 30, 2025

Ben Tolson & Meredith Dixon

Salesforce Certified Administrators: Meredith Dixon & Ben Tolson

Recently, Meredith Dixon, Senior Business Analyst, and Ben Tolson, Business Systems Analyst, both earned their Salesforce Certified Administrator (SCA) certifications. Becoming certified involves passing an exam that demonstrates an administrator's knowledge of customizing Salesforce, configuring the platform, managing users, and knowing how to get the most out of its features and capabilities. Congrats to Meredith and Ben on earning their certifications and showing a commitment to Service Excellence and Continuous Improvement! 

Song Song

Song Song Graduates from the UVA Leadership Essentials Program

This month, Song Song, Senior Sourcing Specialist, graduated from the UVA Leadership Essentials Program. This rigorous program spans twelve courses and four 90-day sessions, focusing on essential leadership foundations and HR policies and practices for effective management. Song's dedication to professional growth and leadership excellence is truly inspiring, congrats Song!

Heather Hite & Amanda Williamson

PSDS Visits Facilities Management 

This January, Heather Hite, Senior Buyer, took the PSDS show on the road to provide needed insight to Facilities Management leadership as a part of the FM Supervisor Journey Program. Thank you Heather for all the work that you do for both PSDS and FM!

PaymentWorks Lunch and Learn 

This month, Jack Jensen, Senior Training & Development Specialist, along with Andrew Clark, Supplier Management Specialist, presented a PaymentWorks Lunch and Learn for the Pediatrics Clinical Research Coordinator Cohort. Thank you Jack and Andrew for your dedication to the team!

Pictured: Syd Dorsey, Mark Cartwright,
Shannon Wampler

PSDS Visit to New UVA Campus in Northern Virginia

This January, the PSDS team visited the University's new campus in Northern Virginia, opening February 28. Here, they held a Data Analytics session with Dean Fairchild and his Executive Director, Julie Sara Boyd regarding SWaM data, and how to work together moving forward. The renovation project for the building spent a total of $3.19M in SWaM contracting! Thank you to the PSDS team for all of your hard work in facilitating connections and advocating for SWaM contracting!

Stephanie McAteer

Stephanie McAteer moves into Senior Financial Analyst Position

On January 27, Stephanie McAteer will be moving into a Senior Financial Analyst position with the General Accounting team, with a focus on Intercompany Activity. While she was on the team a little over two years ago working on Quarterly Reports, the audit, and IPEDs, in her new role, McAteer will focus on working with the Medical Center and UPG on intercompany transactions. She is looking forward to this new role, and bringing her reporting background to the General Accounting team. Congratulations Stephanie on your new role with UVAFinance!

Exciting Updates to the Fiscal Administrators (FA) Group

For over 37 years*, the Fiscal Administrators (FA) Group has been a cornerstone of UVA’s financial community, providing important updates, learning opportunities, and a space for collaboration. Starting in 2025, we’re introducing some changes to the FA Group’s meeting schedule and format to make it even more valuable for members.

What’s Changing? 

• New Meeting Cadence: FA meetings will now take place every other month on the third Thursday afternoon.  See the 2025 meeting dates on the website (click "Fiscal Administrators"). 
• First Meeting in the New Format: Mark your calendar for February 20, 2025, from 3:00 - 4:30 pm (this replaces the February 5 meeting).
• Focused Content: Meetings will include learning sessions on key topics, opportunities for Q&A, and updates shaped by input from the Finance Advisory Network (FAN).

What Is the FAN? 

More bang for your meeting buck!

The Finance Advisory Network (FAN) is a newly re-energized group of financial leaders from UVA’s schools and units. FAN members meet with UVAFinance on alternating months to discuss challenges and opportunities and to ensure clear, two-way communication between UVAFinance and fiscal administrators.

If you have questions or feedback, we encourage you to connect with your area’s FAN representative! View area FAN members on the website (click "Finance Advisory Network").

Staying in the Loop 

Even on months without a meeting, FA members will still receive the monthly FA "Top of Mind" newsletter, which provides timely updates and answers to frequently asked questions. Be sure to check the UVAFinance blog digest for additional information as well.

If you’re not currently on the FA invite list and would like to be added, email askfinance@virginia.edu.

We’re excited to bring this refreshed approach to the FA Group and to strengthen the connection between fiscal administrators, FAN representatives, and UVAFinance. Thank you for being a part of this incredible network—we look forward to seeing you in February!

 

______________________________________________________________________

*Can you believe we've held Fiscal Admin meetings for 37 years?  Stacey Rittenhouse assures us it's true. :) 

VHEPC and Card Integrity Announce New Cooperative Contract

The Virginia Higher Education Procurement
Consortium provides new benefit to member schools

The Virginia Higher Education Procurement Consortium (VHEPC) has announced a new cooperative contract with Card Integrity, giving member institutions access to data-driven expense monitoring and analytics services. This partnership reflects VHEPC’s focus on providing cost-effective and innovative solutions for its members.

Card Integrity offers customized expense monitoring services designed to identify waste, ensure compliance, and detect fraud. These services are tailored to the needs of organizations in higher education, government, healthcare, and other sectors.

“Providing quality services to our member institutions through cooperative contracts is our top priority,” said Ryan Balber, Director of VHEPC. “We’re pleased to expand our partnership with Card Integrity and support their work with the Consortium.”

Through this partnership, VHEPC members can utilize detailed spending data to enhance program management. Card Integrity’s services allow for analysis of procurement card activity by category, supplier, cardholder, and more, offering greater visibility into institutional spending.

__________________________________________________________________

For more information, visit VHEPC or Card Integrity, or contact Ryan Balber.

Ensuring Financial Excellence for UVA: Highlights of Our 2025 Priorities

We're excited to work with the UVA Community!

UVAFinance recently shared our 2025 priorities with the Finance Advisory Network (FAN)* and we are excited to share highlights with the entire finance community. The priorities focus on three key areas designed to enhance financial accuracy, operational ease, and engagement with the UVA finance community.

These areas—Operational Priorities, Workday Optimization, and Engagement—reflect our commitment to continuous improvement and collaboration.

• Procure-to-Pay Transformation: We’ll continue optimizing UVA’s procurement processes to streamline operations and improve vendor experiences.
• Account Certifications: A long-term reconciliation process is on the horizon, designed to add value for both central finance and individual units. (We’ve already made an improvement to the process: removing investment income at the unit level!)
• Internal Service Delivery Enhancements: Development of resources to support both internal service providers and the units they serve more effectively throughout the entire internal billing process.
• Streamlined FDM Request Process: A more efficient and functional Workday FDM request process will include expanded features, such as the ability to deactivate specific worktags.
• Expanded Training with Context: Training offerings will be enhanced to provide greater clarity about why processes exist and how they impact UVA’s overall financial operations.
• Fiscal Resources Hub: We’re creating a centralized, user-friendly hub where the UVA finance community can easily find training and resources.

What's Next?

UVAFinance is committed to engaging stakeholders throughout these initiatives with a focus on transparency and collaboration. Expect regular updates as we make progress toward these goals.

Thank you for being a vital part of our journey toward financial excellence!

_________________________________________________________

*Want to know more about FAN?  Visit the UVAFinance website and click on "Finance Advisory Network.")

 

UVAFinance Welcomes Christa Albanez as Senior Workday Functional Analyst

The Albanez Family

This January, Christa Albanez joined UVAFinance as Senior Workday Functional Analyst, bringing with her a surfeit of valuable accounting and research administration experience from her time working at California Institute of Technology and City of Hope. As Senior Workday Functional Analyst, Albanez will help support Grants Management and troubleshoot issues surrounding them. 

Albanez was born and raised in California, and received her Bachelor's in Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. After graduating, she started as an entry level administrative assistant at Caltech, which she says quickly spiraled into a greater passion for development within Research Administration and Grants Management, one of the biggest financial components of universities. Albanez worked at Caltech in the Post Award office as well as a Grant Manager in the department of Biology and Biological Engineering, managing the pre- and post-award side of things while also working directly with the faculty. Her interest in Psychology translated perfectly with her attentiveness to understanding how people work collaboratively together.

After having her two boys, Albanez says she was ready for a bit of a slower-paced lifestyle (and the opportunity to experience all four seasons!). With family on the East Coast, her and her family decided to move to Charlottesville. 

Albanez started in the Office of Sponsored Programs at UVA in 2021 with the opportunity to get back to a position focused on post award grants management and participate in the Grants Conversion to Workday. With her passion for systems support, and the ability to work closely with the Workday team as they were transitioning, she discovered how much she loved the work culture and environment. She enjoyed working closely alongside the team. 

With experience working with end users of Workday and leveraging her accounting knowledge, Albanez has a strong grasp of what users will be looking for out of Workday. In her new role as Functional Analyst, she'll receive tickets and issues from end users (supporting Grants Management), and help troubleshoot and triage those issues. Albanez is also excited to explore other aspects of how research is supported outside of Grants Management. 

In her free time, Albanez can be found outdoors with her family. The Albanez family enjoys hiking, summers at the pool, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and currently, her two boys have found a resurgent interest in Pokémon. While a California girl at heart, Albanez says she's been enjoying the closeness of everything in Charlottesville and the beautiful atmosphere the city has to offer.

Before PSDS: The Early Days of Accounts Payable & Purchasing

Collaboration, problem-solving, and a lot of folding!

Contributed by Lisa Atkins & Shelly Winston Bowers

Before there was PSDS at UVAFinance, there was the merging of Accounts Payable with Purchasing. 

Under this conjoined department, buyers were also merged, and staff worked very closely with them to remedy invoices and purchase orders. For example, if they received an invoice that didn't match the purchase order, they would confer directly with a buyer at a nearby desk.

There were reports run for things like receiving holds, which detailed all the reasons for something to be held, and each staff member was responsible for looking at what they keyed into the system to see if it appeared on the hold report so they could reach out to the departments and request that they get the next actions moving forward. Sometimes, to get things off hold, receiving was done solely by the AP and Purchasing staff themselves.

The merged AP and Purchasing department also worked closely with the Bursar's office related to hold-for-pickup checks. Check processing took place a teeny tiny locked room with an automatic folding machine, that would fold the checks daily. The checks were then stored after being wrapped up with rubber bands and stuffed into huge plastic bins. Some days, thousands of these checks would be processed!

The joint department staff worked together in one big room where they were able to support one another and stay up to date on everything going on in AP and Purchasing. 

_______________________________________________________________

Thanks to Shelly Winston-Bowers and Lisa Atkins for sharing these memories.  If you have some historical moments from UVAFinance/Carruthers history, feel free to share them with the Coms Team. 

Check out more Carruthers Hall history on the blog:  History of the Portrait/Chair, Mountains of Paper, Changes to Carruthers Hall Over the Years, Invoices, Phone Calls, and Filing, oh my!

Account Certification Improvement – Investment Income

First impact comes in February

We are excited to announce an important update to the monthly account certification process developed based on valuable feedback from our Account Certifications Listening Tour and aims to simplify and streamline the certification process for all stakeholder units. 

Beginning with the January account certifications generated on February 1, UVAFinance is removing investment income from the account certifications completed by units across grounds and moving the reconciliation process for this activity to UVAFinance.

Specifically, we will no longer include three ledger accounts that make up investment income: 4400: Investment Income, 4401: Investment Income - Debt Proceeds, and 4402: Investment Income - OSP. 

 

As we continue developing a long-term solution for a more value-added reconciliation process, we hope this update reduces complexity for everyone involved. 

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What to Expect

• January Account Certifications: The changes will take effect starting with the January certifications generated on February 1. 
• Prior Account Certifications: 
  • No retroactive changes will be made to prior period account certifications. 
  • Certifications for any period before January 2025 will still include the investment income ledger accounts.  You will still be required to review and submit any account certifications that were created.
• Details for Account Certification Report: The Details for Account Certification report will be updated to reflect this change. However, note that since investment income will no longer appear in the report, you may see a mismatch in values between the report and prior certifications. Please continue to certify investment income for earlier periods, even though the activity is no longer displayed in the updated report.

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How Monthly Account Certifications Are Impacted

• Scenario #1: Investment Income Activity Only: No account certification will be generated. 
• Scenario #2: Revenue, Expense, and Transfer Activity (Including Investment Income): An account certification will be generated, but investment income ledgers and associated balances will be excluded. 
• Scenario #3: Revenue, Expense, and Transfer Activity (No Investment Income): Account certifications will be generated as usual, with no changes to the total ledger balance. 

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Looking Ahead

We appreciate your ongoing feedback and support as we enhance the account certification process. These updates are a step toward unveiling a significantly improved reconciliation process in the coming months.

If you have questions or need further clarification, please reach out to us at AskFinance@virginia.edu.

UVAFinance Welcomes Vicki Malamphy as Senior Financial Analyst

The Malamphys

This January, UVAFinance welcomed Vicki Malamphy as Senior Financial Analyst. Malamphy brings a wealth of expertise in accounting, local government finance, and revenue reporting to the team. Through her work with Albemarle County, she gained experience managing grant funding and navigating complex financial processes, including overseeing COVID-19 relief funds.

Malamphy grew up in Fauquier County, in the small community of Goldvein. She attended Mary Baldwin University, where she received her Bachelor's degree in Marketing Communications. Her professional journey began in Accounts Payable at Faulconer Construction in Charlottesville, where she first established her connection to the local community.

Eventually, she moved to work for the County of Albemarle as an Accountant. Her transition to Albemarle County as an Accountant deepened her expertise in core financial functions, including grant accounting, bank reconciliations, purchasing cards, accounts receivable, revenue, and financial analysis. Malamphy says, "Variety is my middle name!"

After working for Albemarle County, she transferred to the University, serving as a Finance Data and Tech Analyst for Business Services. Malamphy says she always knew she wanted to be involved in something bigger, and the opportunities UVA provided drew her in. After living in Charlottesville for some time, working for the University was almost an inevitable shift. 

In her free time, Malamphy enjoys spending time with her two girls, going back and forth between the younger one's soccer games and the older one's horse shows. The Malamphy family also has a couple of unique furry friends--two Jumbo Pekin ducks, aptly named "Cheese" and "Quackers", a bunny, and they are in the process of getting a horse to add to their brood.

OE's Upcoming February Events

Sign up to learn!

This February, UVA's Organizational Excellence is offering two unique learning opportunities to broaden your understanding of organizational improvement.

________________________________________

OE Learning Program: Short Session

5 Steps to Power Sustainable Organizational Improvement

In our fast-paced world where time is a limited resource, learn how to approach improvement efforts with purpose and intention for meaningful change that sticks. Turn opportunities into actions through a 5-step process. Discover how to identify high-potential improvement opportunities, set up an improvement project for success, and engage in a process of discovery, possibility, and action planning. 

Presenter: Stacey Bradley, University Organizational Excellence Officer, University of South Carolina

When: February 20, 2024, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

Where: Online - Link provided upon registration

To register, click the link here.

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Free Online Webinar

Change Management v. Project Management Triangles

Change Management v. Project Management Triangles: Is it a Fight or Dance? Change managers concentrate on the human aspects of change associated with a project while project managers prioritize the technical aspects, however, both roles share a common objective: ensuring project success. This presentation will explore both the Change Management Triangle and the Project Management Triangle and illustrate how they can work together to yield the most successful projects. 

Presenters: Donna Thompson, Change Management Professional; Miranda VanNevel, Project Manager Office of Information Technologies, University of Notre Dame

When: Thursday, February 20, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Questions about UVA's institutional membership or webinar registration? Contact Tim at orgex@virginia.edu.

To learn more about this event and register, click the link here. 

New on January 20: An Enhanced FDM Validator

New and enhanced!

On January 20, 2025, a new version of the FDM Validator will be available for use both within the Workday user interface and as an API for units utilizing integration capabilities. The current FDM Validator will still be available through the end of February.

What’s new with the FDM Validator?

The new FDM Validator features many enhancements:

• Integration into the Workday system with real-time information from Workday to validate worktag strings more effectively.
• Information available for grant worktags has also been increased within the validator to provide the individual grant’s period of performance and allowed spend categories.
• The FDM Validator submitter name and contact information, as well as the date validated, are now included in the output to help provide clarity for users.

NOTE: Starting February 1st, enhanced validations, including grant validations (lifecycle status/period of performance/allowed spend category), may not be available on Saturdays between 6:00 AM and 12:00 PM. However, the FDM Validator API and the Validator tool with current validations will continue to be accessible during this window.

Important to know about the new FDM Validator:

Changes in how you print: The new FDM Validator does not have a print button, unlike the current validator. Instead, the browser print process must be used to print FDM Validator pages. When browser print is used, the website URL is provided on the printed page. This URL is key!

FDM Validator printouts are used by many units that rely on QR and barcode scanners, and improperly printed documents could negatively impact operations of these units. Please be sure to use the instructions we’ve provided below to print the document correctly!

Mail Services must have the URL on the bottom of the printout!

Mail Services needs a correctly formatted FDM Validator printout in order to process mail. Mail Services representatives will quickly review mail at pick-up locations to review the provided FDM Validator pages. If the provided FDM printouts do not have the URL at the bottom of the page, a red flyer will be left explaining that the mail cannot be picked up due to improper validator formatting. Once the FDM Validator printout has been provided again in the correct format, the mail will be collected and processed.

Information & resources for your use

Please review the information on the FDM Validator website and within the FDM Validator Quick Reference Guide to begin using the new FDM Validator. FDM Validator enhancements will also be discussed at the February Fiscal Administrators Meeting.

Visit the FDM Validator page to access the new link plus the quick reference guide, FAQs, and more. 

Professional Development Corner January 16, 2025

New Year, New Priorities!

Happy New Year! We can say that through the end of the month, right? Now is a great time to resolve to engage in professional development and look into opportunities for the year. 

Plenty of online, self-paced, and instructor-led courses and programs are available to you. As you plan for 2025, Remember to discuss all professional development opportunities with your manager before applying for any funds. (See below for more information on the Education Benefit.)

Why is professional development important?  Check out this article from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, How Professional Development Can Boost Employee Engagement on the benefits of participating in learning activities for all.

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Coursera

Did you know that UVA has a University-wide subscription for Coursera? Check it out and start learning!

Upcoming Offerings

Listed below are links to offerings that may be of interest. (Remember, if you are requesting departmental funds, make sure it is approved before you make any arrangements.)

NACUBO*

• 2025 Annual Meeting – July 26-29 in Washington, DC (National Harbor, MD) – Save the date; registration not yet open
• Washington Update: 2024 Post-Election Analysis - Recording from webinar on 11/19/24 is available. You must log in to listen.

·        Other Live Online Events – unless indicated the session is free to NACUBO members (which we are, although you need an individual account)

• 2025 Talk About Data and Analytics Series – January 24-November 7, 2025
• Supporting Your Data and Analytics Journey with NACUBO Resources (this is part of the Talk about Data and Analytics Series) – January 24, 2025, 1-2 pm
• 2025 Intermediate Accounting and Reporting – Jan 29-31, 2025 ($300)
• Demystifying AI: Opportunities for Using AI in Higher Ed Business and Operations – Feb 6, 2025, 2-3 pm ($89)
• Washington Update: What’s Next for Higher Education Policy: Navigating a New Congress and Administration – Feb 11, 2025, 2:30-3:30 pm
• The Change Leadership Toolkit: Resources for Leading Systemic Change on Campus – Feb 13, 2025, 4:00 pm
• 2025 Endowment Leadership Series – Seven webinars Feb 18 – Mar 6, 2025 ($325)
• Self-Paced Courses and Microlearning
• Strategic Higher Education Finance and Planning ($595)
• F&A Short Form ($150)
• New to Higher Education ($49)
• Essentials of College and University Accounting ($125)

•  2025-2026 Emerging Leaders Program (Applications open on April 1 and must be submitted by May 15, 2025)

*Individual NACUBO membership is free through UVA’s institutional membership. To join go to nacubo.org and click on “Login or Join”. From the Login box, click on “Don’t have an account” and fill out the form. In the “Primary Affiliate” field enter “University of Virginia” and select the appropriate affiliate.

 

EACUBO

• 2025 Annual Workshop – March 9-11, 2025 in Boston, MA (Save the date; registration not yet open)
• 2025 Annual Meeting – October 19-22, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA (Save the date; registration not yet open)
• Higher Education Leadership Program (with Cornell University) – August-4-7, 2025 in Ithaca, NY

SACUBO

• 2025 Women’s Leadership Forum - February 26-28, 2025 in Virginia Beach, VA (UVAFinance attendees have been selected)
• 2025 Annual Meeting: Adapting to New Realities in Higher Education – April 13-15, 2025 in Miami, FL (Registration is open)
• 2025 College Business Management Institute – July 27-August 1, 2025 at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY (Save the date; registration not yet open)
• 2025 Fall Workshop – October 29-31, 2025 in New Orleans, LA (Save the date; registration not yet open.)

 

The Chronicle of Higher Education

·        Professional Development Programs

·        Virtual Events

 

The Chronicle also has many interesting articles.

 

Association for Financial Professionals (AFP):

·        Upcoming Webinars

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Also, consider the following as you plan your professional development for the year:

• UVA Human Resources offers many free programs and courses.
• Self-Paced Learning - Human Resources also has links to microlearning courses and to LinkedIn Learning. (Participating in these courses does not require submitting a Professional Development Request Form.)
• UVA’s Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion current offerings.
• UVA’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) offers many Certificate programs.
• University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business online programs; many are $1,000 or less.
• Stanford University Executive Education – the self-paced programs are $1,500.
• UVA Darden Executive Education - There are two programs less than $2,000, using the discount. (Leading Mindfully and Collaboration and Influence.)
• Use the discount code UVA50, which provides a 50% discount for the cost of the program. (The prices listed are for the full cost.)
• See the Darden Executive Education program schedule for upcoming dates.
• VCU’s Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute – offers several leadership programs for under $2000 (not including travel costs)

Education Benefit

Each year you have $2,000 of centrally-funded education benefit for professional development or $5,250 to use for tuition toward a degree-seeking program. See https://hr.virginia.edu/career-development/education-benefits-1 for more information. (To be eligible for this benefit, you must have had six months of service in a benefits-eligible position at UVA by the start date of the class, with the intent to remain on the active payroll during the entire term of the class.)

Professional Development Request Form

UVAFinance team members – Since we have submitted initial FY 2025 professional development requests already, please discuss with your manager and use the Professional Development Request Form before you register for any program. Remember, not all professional development opportunities require submission of the form. If an opportunity is less than ½ day AND there is no cost associated with it, then do not submit a form. Many LinkedIn Learning courses and some courses offered by UVA Human Resources or other UVA departments meet these criteria. Otherwise, the form must be submitted. If unsure, feel free to ask!

For LEADERS

Here’s an article from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): The Top 20 Leadership Challenges – this informative article provides many links to other articles and resources.

 

 

Please feel free to share other opportunities you come across and I’ll include them in future communications!

 

 

W-2s are Ready!

Just in time for tax time!

UVA Payroll is pleased to announce that 2024 W-2s are available now!

If you opted out of a paper version, you can access your W-2 in Workday. Just log in, click the "Benefits & Pay Hub" App, then choose "My Tax Documents."

Paper copies will be mailed before January 31 (electronic copies of these are available February 12). 

And a BIG thank you to our awesome Payroll team for all of the hard work you do!

When Systems Go Down: What to Do First

Is it just you or is it down for everyone?

We rely on our systems to work seamlessly as we go about our daily tasks — so much so that we often take their reliability for granted. However, with the number of complex, interconnected systems we use at UVA, occasional outages or technical issues can happen (and it always feels like the worst timing!).

Knowing the right steps to take when a system issue arises can save time and reduce frustration.  When you find that a system is unavailable, take the following steps to see if the issue has already been reported, and if so, its status.

Step 1: Check the ITS Service Status Page

When you encounter a system outage, the first step is to check the ITS Service Status page. This resource provides up-to-date information on system outages, planned downtimes, and other service alerts for all UVA systems. It’s your first line of defense for confirming whether an issue is already being addressed (thanks, ITS!).

Step 2: Check the UVAFinance Website

If the affected system is a finance-related platform (like Workday Finance, Adaptive, or Jaggaer), the ITS page is still a great place to start. However, UVAFinance also posts updates about our major system outages on a banner at the top of every page on the UVAFinance website.

Updates are also posted on the UVAFinance Systems Status page (this feed also includes less impactful issues with our systems). This page is linked at the top of the UVAFinance homepage for easy reference.

Step 3: Contact the AskFinance Team

If you’ve checked both the ITS and UVAFinance sites and don’t see any information about the issue you’re experiencing, please reach out to the UVAFinance team at mailto:askfinance@virginia.edu. We’ll ensure the right functional team is alerted and work with our vendors to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

By following these steps, you can help UVA keep operations running smoothly and ensure system issues are addressed promptly.

Carruthers Hall History: Invoices, Phone Calls, and Filing, Oh My!

How we did business not so long ago

Not so long ago, the filing system for Accounts Payable looked a lot different and was a bit more hands-on than now. 

Everything was filed on paper rather than computers--the filing system in AP took up an entire room! The team filed travel vouchers and combos, which were created by each department and had to be audited individually and manually with receipts. Then, all of these vouchers had to be stamped.

The process of actually filing those papers, in the huge, dusty filing room, went by voucher number. If a document happened to get misfiled, it could be very difficult to relocate it.  Often, departments across Grounds would call with questions about their documents, and AP staff members would have to locate the vouchers and address in detail the questions department callers had.

These phone calls flooded Accounts Payable all day, every day. The team talked to people from all different departments and formed connections with them as they communicated regularly.  

In terms of invoicing, all invoices that came through AP were keyed into CAPS. Every week, tubs of mail and invoices came through, and Mondays were the busiest day for collection and filing. AP staff opened all the envelopes, made sure the invoice had a PO, stamped them in a machine to ensure they were dated correctly, and keyed them into the system. The invoices would be sorted into batches of 25, and these would be divvied up amongst staff members to be keyed in. Once the invoices were in the system and ready for payment, they would be hand-filed by voucher number. 

After all this meticulous work, the payment run would be processed and workers would receive a list of what payments were going out--and there was a person who sat at the cabinet, pulling each corresponding invoice manually.

Thankfully, the convenience of computers has lessened the workload of paper filing and manual invoice recalling for Accounts Payable, who sure are glad the filing system has progressed significantly!

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Thanks to Shelly Winston-Bowers and Lisa Atkins for sharing these memories.  If you have some historical moments from UVAFinance/Carruthers history, feel free to share them with the Coms Team. 

Check out more Carruthers Hall history on the blog:  History of the Portrait/Chair, Mountains of Paper, Changes to Carruthers Hall Over the Years

Airline Refunds Update

As of October 28, 2024, new automatic airline refund rules went into effect, per the U.S. Department of Transportation's rule and amendment to the rule. 

This rule states:

"For passengers that hold a nonrefundable ticket on a scheduled flight to, from, or within the United States, an air carrier or foreign air carrier will provide a full refund of the fare (including any taxes and ancillary fees) the carrier collected for any cancelled or significantly delayed or changed flight if the passenger chooses not to fly on the significantly delayed or changed flight or accept rebooking on an alternative flight or accept any voucher, credit, or other form of compensation offered by the air carrier or foreign air carrier."

Airlines are required to refund passengers within 7 business days for credit card purchases and within 20 days for cash, check, debit card, or other forms of purchase. 

Delays

Passengers are entitled to a refund if their flight is significantly delayed or changed and they choose not to fly or accept another form of compensation, such as a voucher or credit. Examples of significant delays/changes include delays of 3 hours or more on domestic flights, 6 hours or more on international flights, departures from different origin airports, arrivals at different destination airports, and more.

 Click here for a full list of what is classified as a significantly delayed/changed flight.

Cancellations

Passengers are entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled and they choose not to accept rebooking on an alternative flight or accept another form of compensation. 

Baggage

Passengers are entitled to a refund if their checked bags are lost or significantly delayed. A refund of the baggage fee is due if the passenger has filed a Mishandled Baggage Report and the airline fails to deliver the checked baggage within these time frames.

Expensing Refunds

The expense process will differ depending on whether the ticket was purchased on a University T&E card or with personal funds.

T&E Card

• If you receive a refund on the T&E card, create an expense report to expense the refund using the same expense item and worktags from the original purchase.

Personal Funds

• If you receive a refund on a personal card, you cannot request this amount for reimbursement. 
•  If you receive a refund and already received reimbursement for the expense, follow these steps to remedy the repayment to the University for the additional reimbursement.

If you have any difficulty completing this process, please reach out to your Expense Ambassador.

Wellness Resources: January 2025

Virgin Pulse is now Personify Health

The Hoos Well Portal is now Personify Health!

• The app has been automatically updated.
• Your username and password are the same.
• All programs, account history, and features continue to be available.
• Your rewards will refresh on February 3, 2025.

New web address: app.personifyhealth.com

Don't have a Hoos Well Portal account? To find more information and how to join, click here.

Hoos Well can help with your New Year's Resolutions

It's the new year when we make resolutions. Things like improving our diet, exercising more, or quitting smoking may be on your list. All of these are great goals and highly encouraged. 

Hoos Well has resources to support you in achieving these goals:

• Create a Hoos Well Portal account
• Find physical well-being opportunities
• Find tobacco cessation resources
• Find virtual nutritional offerings and/or schedule a 1:1 Nutrition Counseling consultation
• Find resources to practice Mindfulness

If not now, when? Review the many resources Hoos Well has to offer.

Take a Micro Health Break

Take a 10-minute break to refresh your mind and body with a new 8-week series of Micro Health Breaks. Boost your focus with chair yoga, ease stress with meditation, strengthen your body through low-intensity cardio, or explore the transformative power of mindset shifts and self-care. 

• The series started January 7th. You can download the entire series to your Outlook account. 
• Click here for more information, break dates/times, and steps to download the series. 

UVA National Diabetes Prevention Lifestyle Change Program 

Join the UVA National Diabetes Prevention Lifestyle Change Program to learn strategies for lasting lifestyle changes, to lose weight, and reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

• This 12-month program begins January 2025.
• Click here for more information

More Hoos Well Opportunities

• Create a Hoos Well Portal Account and earn up to $500 in awards while enhancing your well-being. Thousands of your colleagues are already reaping the benefits of the Portal and its offerings. Watch this recorded demo to learn how to get the most from the Portal.
• Join WW (WeightWatchers) through UVA at a discounted rate.
• Get one complimentary nutrition counseling session for those covered by a UVA health plan through the UVA Nutrition Counseling Center. 
• Meet with a Live Health Coach to achieve your personalized health goals. Your Health Coach will work with you to formulate a strategy to achieve improved well-being. 
• Join a free Hoos Well drop-in exercise class such as Yoga, Cycling, or Body Pump.
• Get free access to Healthy Minds@Work, a personal guided journey to a healthier mind.

What are You Grateful For?

One of the most powerful ways to usher in more joy and peace into our lives is to regularly practice gratitude. Why not start a gratitude journal or other practice to acknowledge what you're grateful for on a regular basis and see how it impacts your attitude and overall life. While you may not notice the affects immediately, they'll start to show over time. 

UVAFinance in Action: January 16, 2025

Johns Hopkins Sightline Project

The UVAFinance and JHU teams
 collaborating together!

Recently, UVAFinance had the pleasure of hosting a site visit from the Johns Hopkins University team as they prepare for their exciting journey to implement Workday in 2027 through their "Sightline" project. The JHU team connected with UVAFinance and our partners to learn about our transformative Workday experience during the Finance Strategic Transformation project. It was a fantastic opportunity to exchange insights, share best practices, and explore opportunities for collaboration. Both teams walked away with valuable takeaways, and we look forward to continued engagement with JHU as they embark on this journey. Wishing them every success with Sightline!

Congrats Christine!

Christine Kennedy-Tyburski re-certified as CRA

Christine Kennedy-Tyburski's recertification application was approved for the Certified Research Administrator (CRA) credential, which she has held since December 2009. This is the third (!) recertification Kennedy-Tyburski has done, and the term for this certification will be active through December 2027. The CRA Body of Knowledge includes Financial Management, Audit & Compliance, Award Administration and Monitoring, Ethics, Conflict of Interest, and more.

Congrats Julie!

Julie Richardson to Join the Treasury Institute for Higher Education Board

On January 1, Julie Richardson will be joining the board for the Treasury Institute for Higher Education. This institute works to promote excellence in treasury and financial management by developing educational programs and sharing best practices. The board governs the Treasury Institute through representatives from different schools, each representing a target constituency of higher education. 

Congrats Gretchen!

Gretchen Kriebel Celebrates Three Years with the Radiation Safety Committee

Gretchen Kriebel has been a member of the Radiation Safety Committee for the past three years, where she ensures that a quality radiation safety program is developed, implemented, and maintained effectively. Kriebel's work plays a crucial role in supporting the University of Virginia's research and academic programs by upholding professional and ethical standards, ensuring compliance with regulatory and sponsor requirements, and safeguarding the community's well-being.

Payroll Team Appreciation

Throughout the busy holiday season, while many of us are enjoying time with family and friends, the dedicated Payroll team is hard at work behind the scenes, making sure everyone gets paid on time. Their commitment to accuracy and efficiency, and the effort they put in to support the University community does not go unnoticed. Thank you for keeping things running smoothly, even during the holidays!

Congrats JJ!

JJ Sullivan Completes His MBA

Recently, JJ Sullivan, Director of Financial Compliance, completed his Master of Business Administration at James Madison University. Congratulations on this amazing achievement JJ!

Congrats Carlos!

Carlos Rodriguez Completes his Master's in Global Management

A little while back, Carlos Rodriguez, Payroll Cost Allocation Analyst, completed his Master's degree in Global Management from Arizona State. Congratulations on all your hard work Carlos!

Congrats Linda!

Linda Estepp Completes KACE SMA Appliance Fundamentals Certification

This January, Linda Estepp completed the KACE SMA Course 3 Appliance Fundamentals course. KACE is used in Local Supply Support for hardware and software inventory, deploying software packages to devices and the Help Desk. Estepp's work towards this achievement is a wonderful example of Continuous Improvement and Innovation. 

Congrats Micah!

Micah Boothe Completes Jamf Pro Certification & LSP Pro Badge Certification

Recently, Micah Boothe earned both a Jamf Pro Certification, as well an a LSP Pro Badge Certification, another amazing example of Continuous Improvement and Innovation. These two certifications are used in Local Supply Support, with the Jamf Pro Certification providing a deeper understanding of the macOS and iOS management capabilities within the Jamf Pro tool used in Supply Support.