Upcoming Deadlines at a Glance
- Friday, 9/22 - Submit completed and approved org tree change requests (Today)
- Friday, 9/29 - Submit journals for divisional sweeps of carry-forward balances
- Friday, 9/29 - Submit Part A of PDST proposals for 2024-25
- Friday, 9/29 - Validate your chartstring for FY2023-24 IT Assessments
Action Items
Submit completed and approved org tree change requests by Friday, September 22 (today)
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 journals for divisional clearing of carry-forward balances by Friday, September 29
If your division is planning to clear year-end balances to their divisional office at the beginning of this fiscal year, be sure to submit all journals to the Budget and Financial Operations team by Friday, September 29. Please ensure all journals comply with the process and requirements posted on the Divisional Sweeps of Carry-Over Balances webpage. To submit your prepared journals for approval, please send them to centralresourcemanagement@berkeley.edu.
Submit Part A of PDST proposals for 2024-25 by Friday, September 29
UCOP released the call for proposals from programs that charge Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition (PDST) with expiring multi-year plans, or from programs that wish to establish a PDST charge for a new or existing program effective beginning summer or fall 2024. The call for proposals, submission materials, instructions, and a list of programs with expiring multi-year plans are available on the Increase or maintain an existing Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition rate page. The following programs are required to submit Part A of their PDST proposal by Friday, September 29, unless they have requested a one-year extension:
- Educational Leadership (EdD)
- Law
- Public Policy
- Social Welfare
- Joint Medical Program
- Public Health
- Translational Medicine
Please make submissions to studentfees@berkeley.edu or reach out with any questions.
Validate your chartstring for FY2023-24 IT Assessments by Friday, September 29
Berkeley IT will be processing the FY2023-24 Productivity Suite and Campus Network assessments to post to the September ledger.
Important: Please take the following steps by Friday, September 29:
- Review the information in the FY2024 Berkeley IT Assessments spreadsheet
- Find your division’s chartstring used in the prior fiscal year to validate the chartstring to be debited for these two assessments for your division this year
- Whether you require an update or keep the same chartstring used last year, please email bit_assessments@berkeley.edu with your division name and the confirmed DeptID and Fund by Friday, September 29
- If we don’t hear back from you by the deadline, your division will see both assessments for this year charged on the same chartstring used last year for Productivity Suite
Please direct questions to bit_assessments@berkeley.edu and visit the Berkeley IT FY24 Assessments page for more information.
Informational Updates
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.
FY24 Operating Budget Final available for reporting
The FY24 Operating Budget has been finalized and is now available for reporting in CalPlanning. The CalPlanning reporting tools (CalRptg and HCPRptg) are available for use in CalPlanning and Smart View. CalPlanning planning tools (CalPlan and HCP) remain unavailable as we prepare to open FY24 Forecast and a preview of the FY25 Operating Budget for edits.
BEAR Grant report update
The Berkeley Excellence Accounts for Research Grants (or BEAR Grants) support Berkeley's ladder faculty as they advance their research, scholarship, and creative accomplishments. The Budget and Financial Operations team is in the process of gathering information for the list of faculty designated as eligible by the Academic Personnel Office (APO) for the FY23-24 BEAR Grant program. This is currently delayed due to the UAW implementation. We will let you know the new timeline when we begin the process.
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 upgrade
BearBUY will be unavailable from Friday, November 3, 2023, 5 pm to Monday, November 6, 2023, 6 am for upgrades 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.
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