DFL weekly update - July 21, 2023

Upcoming Deadlines at a Glance

  • Friday, 8/11 - Submit final corrections to class schedule and instructional record data for summer sessions
  • Friday, 8/18 - Submit completed and approved org tree change requests
  • Tuesday, 8/22 - Complete Q4 Key Controls
  • Thursday, 8/31 - Return signed fiscal close certification letters

Budget process

Budget process update

We have finalized the budget decisions and are working on the budget allocation letters, which we expect to distribute in the next two to three weeks. The CalPlanning planning tools (CalPlan, HCP) are closed so the Financial Planning & Analysis team can review the budget submissions. CalPlan and HCP will remain unavailable while the FY24 Operating Budget is finalized.

Action Items

Final corrections to class schedule and instructional record data for summer sessions are due Friday, August 11

The Office of Planning and Analysis (OPA) will be reaching out to your department schedulers and managers and asking them to review their class schedule and instructional record data entry for summer sessions. This information must be finalized in Student Information Systems (SIS) by Friday, August 11. Please contact OPA Research Analyst Kira Blaisdell-Sloan or Beatriz Brando with questions at opa-csir@berkeley.edu.

Submit completed and approved org tree change requests by Friday, August 18

If you would like to submit changes to the Org Tree, please submit your completed, Budget and Financial Operations (BFO) Committee approved request by August 18. 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. As a reminder, the May 16 submission date was the last day that approved change requests could be submitted for entry to the May Master Org Tree. Allowable changes through May 31 included New DeptIDs, New Org Nodes, and Description Changes. Important: The Org Tree is now closed to all changes through 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.

Complete Q4 Key Controls by Tuesday, August 22

Please complete and submit the financial reporting and system access reviews by Tuesday, August 22. You may have noticed some employees incorrectly showing up or missing on your System Access Review report. This is caused by a systems bug in determining ‘home departments’, stemming from updates to address performance issues. New reports will be issued at the beginning of next week with users appearing in the appropriate reports. If you have not done so already, please hold off on approving any reports until the new ones have been sent. Please visit the Controller's website 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 System Access team at secbfs@berkeley.edu.

Return signed fiscal close certification letters by Thursday, August 31

The annual fiscal close certification letters will be sent to you and your respective Deans for signatures. Please upload the signed letters into your DFL - division’s box file folder by Thursday, August 31. Information about the fiscal close certification letter is available on the Controller's Office website. Contact the Financial Accounting & Controls team with questions at gao@berkeley.edu.

Informational Updates

UCRP Supplemental Interest Assessment Rate

UCOP has notified us that the UCRP supplemental interest assessment rate for FY24 will be 0.68% not 0.62% as originally planned in the FY24 Operating Budget.  Since the FY24 budget process is closed, this rate will be updated in CalPlan when we open the FY24 Forecast.

BearBUY Office Hours scheduled for July 25

SCM has rescheduled its open office hours in July to July 25, 2 - 2:50 pm to ensure that campus financial staff can attend the Quarterly Accounts Payable Training. In August, BearBUY office hours will resume its regular schedule of every third Tuesday of the month from 10 - 10:50 am. Representatives from Supply Chain Management will be on hand to listen to your questions and provide information about purchasing at Berkeley. We encourage you to submit questions in advance using this Google form. Sign in using this Zoom link. You’ll need to sign in through your UC Berkeley Zoom account.

Systems reminders

  • BFS, BLU, and BearBuy will not be available on Saturday, July 29, 2023, from 6 am to 6 pm due to regularly scheduled system maintenance.

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.

Fall tuition and fee assessments

The fall 2023 tuition and fee assessment (tuition calc) is planned for Tuesday, July 18, 2023. Students, delegates, and staff will be able to access student tuition and fees information on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. As a reminder, tuition and fees are due the Friday prior to the first day of instruction. For the fall 2023 term the fee due date will be Friday, August 18, 2023.

Potential UPS strike effective August 1

There is a potential Supply Chain disruption to inbound and outbound shipping via UPS, effective August 1, 2023, if an agreement is not reached before the current contract expires on July 31. If the strike occurs, it will affect all service lines of UPS, including package delivery of inbound orders and pick-ups of outbound shipments. Until the issue is resolved, consider your delivery timelines carefully and evaluate alternative delivery for critical supplies – especially for those orders that you expect to be delivered in early August. We will continue to update the campus on the status of UPS’ operations as new information becomes available. Consider using these alternate UC-contracted shipping services if a strike occurs:

  • FedEx – If you haven’t set up a FedEx sub-account before, please visit the Accounts Payable webpage for the campus FedEx Process. You can also contact our sales representative, Elaine.Heath@fedex.com for more help if needed.
  • GLS (formerly Golden State Overnight) - complete an interest form (reference UC contract #2020002351).

Financial Analyst 5, Job Posting # 56253

The VC Administration's Immediate Office (VCAIO) is recruiting a Financial Analyst 5. The job posting number is 56253. Please help spread the word and encourage qualified candidates to apply.

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