Upcoming Deadlines
- Friday, 11/15 - Submit DeptIDs for Planned inactivation and CF1 changes
- Friday, 11/15 - Submit a list of DeptIDs for inactivation in BFS
- Tuesday, 11/19 - Submit completed and approved Org Tree change requests
- Friday, 12/13 - Submit SSGPDP fee proposals for 2025-26
Action Items
Submit DeptIDs for Planned inactivation and CF1 changes by Friday, November 15
If you have DeptIDs that you would like inactivated in CalPlan or Chartfield 1 members you would like removed from or added to CalPlan and HCP, please submit requests by the end of the day on Friday, November 15. For DeptIDs, please complete the DeptID Planned Inactivation Form. For Chartfield 1 members, please submit a simple list in Excel in the format “C1_xxxxxx” and indicate if you want to Add or Remove the CF1. The changes will be implemented in CalPlan and HCP by mid-December with a November 1 effective date. Please email completed forms to dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu and include “DeptID/Chart1 Inactivation” as the subject line.
Submit a list of DeptIDs for inactivation in BFS by Friday, November 15
DeptID inactivation in the Berkeley Financial System is an annual process for DeptIDs planned for inactivation and restricted for planning in CalPlanning, but have not cleared in BFS. Follow the instructions on completing the BFS DeptID inactivation process on the Planning DeptID Inactivation webpage and submit the list of DeptIDs to be inactivated in BFS to dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu with “DeptID Inactivation in BFS” as the subject line. Requests can be submitted via the Entity Hierarchy Redesign request form - Inactivated DeptIDs section (Page #2), or a simple Excel file can be created to include columns for DeptID, DeptID Description, L6 Unit Code, L6 Description, and Alternate DeptID.
To view a list of DeptIDs in your division currently on planned inactivation, a refreshed DeptID inactivation spreadsheet has been uploaded to your shared Divisional Folder on October 17. Note that not all divisions have DeptIDs Planned for inactivation; therefore, this process does not apply to all divisions. Please reach out to Latina Kamau-Kirika at dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu for questions.
Submit completed and approved org tree change requests by Tuesday, November 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 Tuesday, November 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.
Important: Please note that November 19, 2024, will be the last opportunity to submit completed and approved DeptID and Org Node moves this fiscal year.
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.
Submit SSGPDP fee proposals for 2025-26 by Friday, December 13
UCOP has released the call for SSGPDP fee proposals for the 2025-26 academic year. All new and existing approved SSGPDPs are required to submit an annual fee proposal for review and approval by the UC President. Note that UCOP has requested some campus submissions a month earlier than in prior years, so proposals are due to Financial Planning & Analysis by Friday, December 13. The call for proposals, submission documents, and instructions are available on the Make Annual Fee Submission for Existing SSGPDP web page. Beginning this year, programs are required to complete Tables 4A_2025-26_Program Description and Summary and 4B_2025-26_Current and Proposed Student Charges directly. Please email questions to studentfees@berkeley.edu as early as possible prior to the submission deadline.
Informational Updates
BearBUY Scheduled Update on Friday, November 1
BearBUY will be down on Friday, November 1, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. PST to Sunday, November 3, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. PST for scheduled maintenance and updates. The system will be open for use on Monday, November 4, 2024, at 7 a.m. Feature release information will be available on November 1st and can be found on the BearBUY landing page's organizational message. You can find this and previous feature release notes on the BearBUY Feature release webpage.
November FIS Fall Release upgrade
The Berkeley Financial System (BFS) team is updating the BFS system in order to stay up-to-date with security recommendations and best practices. The upgrade will take place from Saturday, November 2, 2024, 6 a.m. to Sunday, November 3, 2024, 9 p.m. The update will align our software with Oracle PeopleSoft releases, enhance security, and maintain Oracle's support for BFS. It will also modify the chartfield display order and show live names in all BFS systems. For more details on the Fall Upgrade changes, please visit the BFS Update - November 2024 page.
Increased travel daily meal limit
UCOP has announced an increase in the daily Meals & Incidental Expenses (M&IE) limit for travel within the continental US, raising it from $79 to $92, to be consistent with the U.S. General Services Administration for FY 2025. This change is part of the updated UC Presidential Policy, G28: Travel Regulations, and is effective for travel on October 1, 2024 going forward. Please note that this adjustment is not retroactive. Therefore, individuals who have already submitted reimbursement requests for travel in October of this year will not be able to request additional funds if their expenses exceed the previous limit of $79.
Sign up for Recharge Training on Friday, December 6 and Friday, December 13
Self-certification recharge forms will be due on Friday, January 17. Divisions will need to submit a recharge self-certification form if they support a recharge unit and the unit charges Contracts and Grants or if the unit plans for a recharge income greater than $500,000 a year. The self-certification form is posted on the Recharge section of the CFO website. In preparation for the upcoming deadline, we are offering two recharge workshops. Please follow the links below to register for a session. If you have any questions, please contact the Budget and Financial Operations team at recharge_certification@berkeley.edu.
FY25 Forecast and FY26 preliminary Operating Budget available Wednesday, October 23
The CalPlan and HCP planning applications will be available later this month, with the FY25 beginning balance and July through September Actuals. The FY2025-26 Operating Budget will be seeded with preliminary numbers to assist planning activities, but remember that these are subject to change. Please review the October release notes for details about this update. New Intersection Detail Reports (IDRs) will be uploaded to the divisional folders to include the FY25 Forecast.
UPDATE - DFL Divisional Folders
As previously shared, we migrated the DFL Division Folders from Google Drive to an FP&A shared drive. Please use this document to locate and access your division folder. You will find links to each division’s folder, which you may then bookmark. Each folder is now restricted to the division’s finance leader and individuals previously approved to have access by the units’ DFL. If you have any questions or need individuals added or removed from your division's folder, please email us at fpa@berkeley.edu.
Cal Answers training
The Cal Answers website hosts self-service learning resources including a complete course in basic navigation as well as short videos, job aids, wiki documentation, and a list of Frequently Asked Questions. We also offer a two-hour instructor-led class that builds 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 guides a deep dive into the reports and data available in the dashboards and answers specific questions.
CalPlanning training
Enrollment is now open for Smart View Ad Hoc training, which has two class meetings on October 23 and November 1.
The CalPlanning and Smart View training 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 who 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