Upcoming Deadlines at a Glance
- Friday, 10/20 - Submit completed and approved org tree change requests
- Friday, 10/27 - Submit a list of DeptIDs for inactivation in BFS
- Monday, 10/30 - Complete Q1 Key Controls
Action Items
Submit completed and approved org tree change requests by Friday, October 20
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, September 22. 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 November 30 include New DeptIDs, New Org Nodes, Description Changes, and moves of DeptIDs and Org Nodes.
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 a list of DeptIDs for inactivation in BFS by Friday, October 27
We are rolling out the process to begin clearing the backlog of DeptIDs which are currently on planned inactivation but have not been cleared in BFS. These are the DeptIDs that are currently restricted for planning in CalPlanning. While we have been able to inactivate DeptIDs in CalPlanning, we have not been able to do so in BFS until now. There are instructions on how to complete the BFS inactivation process on the Planning DeptID Inactivation webpage. Please plan to follow the BFS DeptID inactivation process and submit the list of inactive DeptIDs by Friday, October 27.
We will announce the process for ongoing or new requests for DeptID inactivation at a later date, so for the time being please continue to submit new requests via the inactivation form or with your Entity Hierarchy Redesign request. This new process does not apply to all divisions; therefore, if you do not have a DeptID inactivation spreadsheet in your shared Divisional Folder, you don’t need to submit the DeptID list. Please feel free to reach out to Latina Kamau-Kirika at dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu with any questions.
Complete Q1 Key Controls by Monday, October 30
Please complete and submit the Financial Reporting Review and System Access Review by Monday, October 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 System Access team at secbfs@berkeley.edu.
Review STAR Award funding allocation
The FY24 Staff Appreciation and Recognition program (STAR) has been allocated. Review the linked STAR Allocation FY2024 spreadsheet to view the funding for your unit. The amount available to spend is in the last column called “2024 Beg. Bal + Distribution”. Please share this information with the person responsible for allocating funds for STAR awards within your unit. We recommend VCs and Deans consider funding awards from a centralized pool to maximize flexibility in managing these resources. It is important to use the proper chartstring when submitting an award. More information is available on the STAR Award Program Allocation webpage. If you have questions about the allocation, please contact the Budget and Financial Operations team at centralresourcemanagement@berkeley.edu.
Training Required for Direct Retro Initiators and Approvers
UCPath’s new Salary Cost Transfer pages will be available in UCPath starting Monday, November 13. All UCPath Direct Retro initiators and approvers are required to register for and attend one of ten training sessions offered between October 31 and November 15, covering new Salary Cost Transfer functionality. Because of the extensive differences between the Direct Retro and Salary Cost Transfers tools and other critical information that will be presented, failure to attend this delta training will result in the suspension of any Direct Retro Initiator and Approver roles until the required training has been taken. The training is also strongly recommended for Direct Retro inquiry users to better understand how to read the new pages.
Salary Cost Transfer Release Date and UCPath Planned Outage for General Ledger Pages
If you have any unsubmitted or unapproved Funding Entry or Direct Retro transactions, please cancel, approve, or deny those transactions by 5 p.m., Friday, November 3. Any Funding Entry or Direct Retro transactions that have not been approved by this time will be canceled by the UCPath Center. Starting Monday, November 6, through Sunday, November 12, all general ledger pages in UCPath including Funding Entry, Funding Upload, Direct Retro, Benefits Cost Transfers, and Budget Entry, will be disabled. Please note, other UCPath functionality is unaffected and will remain available throughout this time.
Informational Updates
FY24 Forecast and FY25 preliminary Operating Budget available Tuesday, October 17
The CalPlan and HCP planning applications will be available Tuesday, October 17, with the FY24 beginning balance and July through September Actuals (this data is already available in CalRptg). The FY2024-25 Operating Budget has been 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 FY24 Forecast, and FY25 through FY26 Operating Budget data.
Updated CalTime Delegation Request Review and Control Procedures
Timekeeping is a critical component of the payroll process and because payroll expenses are the single largest financial expenditure incurred by campus, timekeeping is a significant control to ensure payroll expenses are recorded completely and accurately in the general ledger. There is frequently a delay in submitting timesheets by the deadline, which can cause reporting errors and compromise the ability to accurately report payroll expenses. To help ensure a timely process, the CalTime team is updating the delegation request process and the monitoring controls. It is critical that supervisors and their delegates review the time recorded for accuracy and approve the time before it is sent to UCPath. The CalTime team will review the delegated authority rights and evaluate if delegates comply with our policies and procedures. Delegates that are not performing the required responsibilities will have their delegated authority removed. If you have any questions, please contact caltime@berkeley.edu.
State-funded travel ban lifted by SB 447
Governor Newsom signed SB 447 which ends the ban on state-funded travel to any of the 24 states that were listed on the California Attorney General's website. The bill was signed on September 13 and takes effect immediately, which means that all travel restrictions to those 24 states on the banned list have now been completely lifted. Business and Finance Bulletin G-28, Travel Regulations, will be revised to remove the AB 1887 language
that had previously prohibited travel to the states listed on the California Attorney General’s website when using state fund sources. If you have any questions, contact the Travel Team at travel@berkeley.edu.
Save the date for the Sustainable Travel Event on 11/7 and TSA PreCheck 11/6-9
Save the date to attend a Sustainable Travel Event on Tuesday, November 7 from 11 am to 3 pm at the Recreational Sports Facility. This event is in coordination with a TSA PreCheck event, which will be held from Monday, November 6 through Thursday, November 9. The UC Berkeley Travel Team is partnering with the Campus Sustainability Office to offer a sustainable travel event. This event will focus on sustainable options for business travel, including how to reduce our travel-related carbon footprint. At the event, there will be raffle prizes, food, drinks, and vendors focused on sustainability and travel. We will post updates to the Sustainable Travel Guide page. The TSA PreCheck event from November 6 to November 9, 2023, is also at the Recreational Sports Facility (2301 Bancroft Way), in room 42. At this event, there will be interview appointments to complete the TSA PreCheck enrollment process on campus. Visit the TSA PreCheck event page 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. Please reach out to the Travel Team with any questions at travel@berkeley.edu.
Berkeley Financial System (BFS) scheduled maintenance and update
There will be scheduled system maintenance taking place on Friday, October 27, 2023.
The BFS November update is scheduled to take place Saturday, November 4, 2023 to Sunday, November 5, 2023. The update will make the software current, improve security, and ensure that Oracle supports the BFS. It will also include some changes to the BFS system user interface.
BearBUY (BB) scheduled maintenance and update
BearBUY will be unavailable from Friday, November 3, 2023, 5 pm to Monday, November 6, 2023, 6 am for updates and maintenance and will include changes to the default landing pages. Detailed release notes will be available in October.
In November, the default Landing Page will be the new Guided Dashboard Landing Page which is live in pilot mode on BearBUY today. The current landing page will remain available as an optional page. Users will be able to save any dashboard as their own personal landing page. For in-person demonstrations, please attend 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.
Payroll adjustments transaction backlog
UCPath has informed several UC campuses including UC Berkeley that certain payroll adjustment transactions are backlogged due to unanticipated vacancies and volume. UCPath is in the process of filling vacancies and reassigning resources to address the backlog and expects to reduce the backlog by 50% within 90 days. The affected system-wide transactions and count include:
- FICA/retirement adjustments: 180
- Out-of-state adjustments: 272
- Overpayments: 1,037
- Earn code reclassifications: 306
- Check reissues: 60
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