DFL weekly update - March 3, 2023

Upcoming Deadlines at a Glance

  • Friday, 3/17 - Submit completed and approved org tree change requests
  • Friday, 3/17 - Complete External Audit Certification for Q3

UAW Agreement Financial Impacts and Budget

UAW financial model and the budget process

Now that the financial model is complete, the FP&A team is working with the Finance Committee to define budget assumptions and begin the budget process. We will meet with the Divisional Finance Leaders and Chief Administrative Officers on Tuesday, March 7 at 3:15 pm to provide a budget update.

Action Items

Submit completed and approved org tree change requests by Friday, March 17

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, March 17. 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. This is for all org changes with the exception of Org Node and DeptID moves.

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. 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 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 External Audit Certification for Q3 by Friday, March 17

To ensure the completeness and accuracy of the quarterly Controller's report on the campus' external audit activities, please help us identify the campus' external audit activities. The Controller's Office is sending a separate email with additional information to DFLs with known external audit activity. By Friday, March 17, 2023, please submit the materials below to gao@berkeley.edu:

  • All DFLs: External Audit Confirmation Form (You must return the completed External Audit Confirmation Form even if you do not have any external audit activities so we can certify campus responses.)
  • DFLs with external audit activities: External Audit Confirmation Template (Include any related documentation with the template, i.e. notification of the commencement of the audit, audit report, etc.)

If you have questions, please contact gao@berkeley.edu.

Informational Updates

TSA PreCheck event in March

From March 6 -10, 2023 the Travel Team is offering a week of interview appointments to complete the TSA PreCheck enrollment process on campus. This is an opportunity for UC Berkeley faculty, staff, students, and their families who are eligible to schedule an interview with TSA on campus. Visit the TSA PreCheck event page on the travel website to read detailed instructions on how to apply. If you are interested please do not delay, as we expect the appointments to fill up fast. The TSA PreCheck event webpage is the best source for event news. Please contact the Accounts Payable and Travel office at travel@berkeley.edu with questions.

Student access to campus reimbursement system available in March

We are happy to announce that students who are not employees will soon be able to access the campus reimbursement system. The Controller’s Office will finish implementing the updates to the reimbursement system in early March. Students will be able to use the reimbursement system for travel, business meetings or entertainment, or other types of expenses that they need to submit for reimbursement by going to reimburse.berkeley.edu and using their CalNet ID to log in. Non-employee students will still be required to have their reimbursement request reviewed and submitted by a member of the Regional Services Purchasing and Reimbursements team that supports their program or research group, instead of sending the report directly to an approver, using the reimbursement system. Contact travel@berkeley.edu with any questions.

CalPlanning January Actuals available

The CalPlanning tools (CalPlan, HCP, CalRptg, HCPRptg, SmartView) are available with 2023 January Actuals. The FY2022-23 Forecast Working version has been updated with January Actuals.

CalPlanning training

The next series of CalPlanning and Smart View training classes begin Thursday, September 8. 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.

Office Hours for CalPlanning and Smart View

Office hours are available so that you can ask specific questions about CalPlanning and Smart View. Request office hours and indicate the topic for which you are requesting support. Office hours are an opportunity to get individual support for a specific challenge your unit is facing; they are not a replacement for training.

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.

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