Upcoming Deadlines at a Glance
- Friday, 4/19 - Submit completed and approved org tree change requests
- Monday, 4/26 - Queue commitments for Q4 requests
- Tuesday, 4/30 - Complete Q3 Key Controls
Budget Process
Budget process update
The FY2024-25 budget call letter has been sent to the Deans, Vice Chancellors, and Divisional Finance Leaders. The budget process templates, including the strategic priorities template, and the central resource request form, are available on the budget process website, in addition to the timeline. The budget process guidelines and assumptions have been posted. Throughout the budget process, the FY2024-25 budget process page is the hub where we will post budget process materials and updates.
CalPlanning availability
The Planning tools CalPlan and HCP are available for planning so you can update open months in your FY24 Forecast and create your FY25 Operating Budget. Please review the March release notes for details. The FY24 Forecast currently includes February Actuals.
Budget process training
The Financial Planning and Analysis team offers training in using the planning and reporting tools in CalPlanning for new and experienced users who would like to review and extend their capabilities during the budget process. Visit the CalPlanning Training page for course descriptions, schedules, and links to enroll.
We are offering office hours to support the use of the Multi-year Budget Template and they will be held on Zoom. Sign up for the office hours by completing this linked form. Office hour dates include:
- Wednesday, April 3, from 2-3 pm
- Friday, April 12, from 1-2 pm
- Tuesday, April 16, from 10-11 am
- Thursday, April 18, from 11 am-12 pm
Review CalPlanning access
Please review CalPlanning security to ensure that your planners have the access that they need. To review those with access in your division, review the CalPlan_HCPRptg_security worksheet. The DFL or CalPlanning access provider can request access removal in the worksheet. Please use the CalPlanning User Access Request Form to request to add new users or to increase access (more entities) to existing users. CalPlanning access requests will be processed within five business days. Reach out to the CalPlanning Team with any questions at calplanhelp@berkeley.edu.
Action Items
Queue commitments for Q4 requests by Friday, April 26
Please complete the commitment queue form by Friday, April 26, for commitments to be funded in May of FY2023-24. Please note that the following commitments do not need to be queued: Budget Decisions; EVCP TAS; Star Awards; Bear Grants; both Productivity Suite and Campus Data Network assessments and endowment payouts for rotating chairs. Commitments are processed on a quarterly basis. You only need to use one commitment queue Google form to submit your commitment requests for both faculty and non-faculty funding commitments. Faculty commitments are defined for this purpose as Start-up; Retention; ASMD; and Chancellor's Professorships. Chancellor’s Professorships are those that are offered via start-up or retention in lieu of an actual chair - until one can be found, and are funded by central resources. For more information about queueing commitments and documentation required, please visit the Commitments page. Please note that if you are working remotely, you must log in through VPN for these forms to work. Please email dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu with questions.
Complete Q3 Key Controls by Tuesday, April 30
Please complete and submit both the Financial Reporting Review and System Access Review by the end of the day on Tuesday, April 30. Please visit the Division Key Controls page for instructions and more information. Email questions about the financial reporting review controls to the Financial Accounting & Controls team at gao@berkeley.edu and questions about the system access review controls to the BFS Security team at secbfs@berkeley.edu.
Submit completed and approved org tree change requests by Friday, April 19
If you would like to submit changes to the Org Tree, please submit your completed, Budget and Financial Operations (BFO) Committee approved request by Friday, April 19. We recommend that you submit your change request form for review as soon as possible to allow time for the BFO team to review your request, follow up with you for any necessary clarification, approve your request, and allow you time to obtain all required signatures before the submission deadline. Allowable Org Changes through May 31, 2024, include New DeptIDs, New Org Nodes, and Description Changes. Approved DeptID and Org Node moves will resume after fiscal close.
The time needed to review change requests will vary, depending on the complexity of the request. For more information:
- A high-level summary of the process to approve org tree changes is available on the DFL concierge webpage.
- An overview of the org tree change submission deadlines is available in the Org Tree Submission and Processing Timeline. Important: Please review the update on the estimated processing time for journal source configuration of new L4 org node codes. As a reminder, journal source configuration for new L4’s is required if there is a need to prepare and approve journals.
- Please review the Org Tree Calendar for the timeline of allowable org tree changes throughout the year.
- Please review the new Org Tree Lookup Tool This new tool replaces the monthly manually produced Master Org Tree and will provide the most current org tree data as of one business day before. Training materials and Job Aids are located on the CFO website.
- There are updates coming soon to the Department Prefixes, and How to Create Visio files job aids located in the Tools and job aids section of the Organizational Tree web page.
- Please submit questions and requests for changes to the Org Tree to dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu. Note: If you plan to request an Org Node change or Entity Hierarchy redesign, please contact dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu and explain what you would like to change before completing the request form because these changes are typically more complex and involve longer consultations.
Informational Updates
Transition of Membership Contract Invoice Handling
As we announced in November last year, the CGA team is transitioning membership invoice handling from Contracts and Grants Accounting (CGA) to the Accounts Receivable and Banking Services department (AR) in the Controller’s Office. This transition ensures that accounting for this activity complies with university policy and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The Controller’s Office transitioned invoicing work from Contracts and Grants Accounting to the Accounts Receivable department and successfully migrated future billing events to the non-CGA business units in the Berkeley Financial System (BFS) AR module. To date, all current membership sponsor information, product codes for billing, and accounting chartstrings have also been appropriately transitioned to enable a streamlined process for invoicing. In this new arrangement, the Accounts Receivable department is responsible for billing setup in BFS, as well as tracking, invoicing, and collections as needed. Industry Affiliate Programs have the option to assume the invoicing function in the future, where resources are available. They will need to coordinate with the Accounts Receivable department to ensure a smooth transfer of responsibilities. Contact AR Manager Nicole Delhomme at ndelhomme@berkeley.edu with questions.
BearBUY Supplier Expo 2024 and Office hours
Supply Chain Management is hosting a Supplier Expo on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, from 10 am. - 2 p.m., at Pauley Ballroom in the MLK Student Union. Details about registration, schedules of events, and the participating suppliers and campus departments will be available beginning in late January 2024. More details about the event and registration information will be published on the BearBUY system and through associated campus newsletters. The first 300 registered attendees will receive welcome packages at the event. For more information about this event or other questions about BearBUY, please visit the Supply Chain website or the BearBUY Open Office Hours.
Cal Answers Training
Please review the self-service learning resources on the Cal Answers website, where Cal Answers users will find a complete course in basic navigation as well as short videos, job aids, wiki documentation, and a list of Frequently Asked Questions. Additionally, the two-hour instructor-led classes build on the basic navigation skills covered in the self-study. There are separate courses focusing on financial dashboards and student data dashboards. In the class, a subject matter expert will guide a deep dive into the reports and data available in the dashboards and answer specific questions.
CalPlanning Training
The next series of CalPlanning and Smart View training classes begin Thursday, September 14. The curriculum uses a blended learning model. Courses begin with self-study using online “books” divided into chapters supplemented with practice exercises and short videos. Courses culminate with a group session using Zoom in which participants work on case studies in small teams to apply the material covered in the self-study. The self-study materials are available on the website for everyone to use; they can be a helpful resource for those that have already completed the training and are looking for a refresher. Review the CalPlanning Training page for schedules, links to enroll, and to access the self-study materials.
Changes to the DFL in your division?
If the DFL role in your division is changing, email fpa@berkeley.edu to ensure our website, communications, and training plans are updated.
DFL Weekly Updates Page
As a reminder, these updates are regularly posted to the DFL Weekly Updates page so you can reference past updates at any time. Additionally, the Operational Deadlines page provides an overview of deliverables by quarter.
Thank you,
Office of the Vice Chancellor of Finance