What are you waiting for? Visit the Community!

Have you visited the online Finance Community yet?  

Here's what you may have missed: 

• Our inaugural "Ask Me Anything" event:  Visit the Questions tab to see what community members asked, as well as the answers given by the Finance Strategic Transformation leadership team.
• Professional Development content about Crucial Conversations and Getting the Most out of Training.
• An introduction to Continuous Improvement 
• And much more!

Here's what you HAVEN'T missed:

Your opportunity to ask questions: Sure, we started off with an "Ask Me Anything" event, but you can and should ask questions about FST any time!  You can even post things you've heard others ask.  Visit the Questions section and ask away -- we're standing by to answer.

Your chance to submit ideas:  Our Ideas section is waiting for your thoughts on what processes might be candidates for improvement, whether it's in the eventual scope of FST or just a good continuous improvement project.  

The Community isn't the same without you . . . log on today!  

Please Stand By: The Beauty of a Standup Meeting

Shorter meetings.
Easier coordination of efforts.
Understanding of shared goals.
Stronger team bonds.
Quicker fixes to problems and roadblocks.
Sharing of ideas.
Keeping everyone in the loop.
Fewer emails.

Don't all those things sound great, like things we definitely would want? (Especially that email one!?) What if I told you that in many cases, these things are achievable through the removal of chairs?

Okay, it may be a bit of an overstatement to say that just getting chairs out of your meetings will be the answer to all your woes, but Standup Meetings deployed correctly, can be a very effective way of making the most of your team's time, reducing confusion, and getting things done.

Standup Meetings reduce the lethargy that can come with having a comfy seat under you. The mood of a standup meeting is energetic, fast-thinking, and often fun. It's easier to connect with colleagues, and definitely easier to identify problems and make decisions. 

Read more after the jump!

FOC Welcomes Nasima Andesha

Finance Outreach and Compliance is pleased to announce that Nasima Andesha has joined their team. Many people will know Andesha from her time in Human Resources, where she worked for 16 years. Her background has encompassed a little bit of everything, from keying tax and direct deposit forms and approving UVA staff, faculty, and student salaries, to working with Discoverer for audit purposes.

In her new role as an Administrative Technician, she will primarily handle requests for responsibilities in eSharp so that requests move smoothly to the training team and supporting procurement by working with purchasing hierarchies. Andesha says she looks forward to learning more about eSharp in this new capacity.

When not at work, Andesha enjoys reading, gardening, movies, and spending time with her husband and their five-year-old twin girls.

From President James Ryan

Sharing your stories, getting your steps in. 

Did you miss these two announcements from President Jim Ryan? 


Check them out after the jump!

Fall Blood Drive at Carruthers Hall

Click image for larger view.

New in November from OE: Moving Agendas in the Clunky University

Who they calling clunky? :)  Click image for larger view.

• Topic: Moving Agendas in the Clunky University
• Presenter: Samuel Bacharach, McKelvey-Grant Professor at Cornell University
• Date: Nov. 8, 2018
• Time: 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
• Location: Holloway Hall in Bavaro Hall
• Info/Registration: For more info and to register, go to https://at.virginia.edu/move_agendas.
• Why Attend: Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about a template that leaders at all levels can use to create agility and synergy for the continuous organized flow of information and the movement of new ideas.

We hope that you’ll join us for these or future monthly Quality CORE Network events. To see additional upcoming events as they are added, visit the Quality CORE Network page.

Financial Planning & Analysis welcomes Andrew McGehee

Andrew McGehee

Andrew McGehee has joined FP&A in the role of Senior Financial Analyst. McGehee comes to FP&A from the Office of Sponsored Programs, where he served as a Post Award Accountant for over two years.

In his new role, he will work with our stakeholders in schools and units to perform cost analysis for the facilities and administrative rate (better known as the "F&A rate").

McGehee earned his BS in Business, Accounting and Information Systems from Virginia Tech in 2011, and is currently pursuing an MBA in Business Administration from James Madison University. He was spurred to pursue a spot on the FP&A team in order to use his financial background in public accounting a little more fully.

"Public accounting gave me a great base for understanding what goes into an organization's finances, and I'm glad I can use those skills in this role to help UVA Finance," he said.

McGehee had some exposure to the F&A process in OSP; in FP&A, he will help prepare the F&A rate proposal for the federal government, a task he looks forward to.

"I am excited to analyze the financial data and work on such a big project," he said.

"The work we do has a tremendous impact on the research community and the University as a whole."

When he's not focused on work or school, McGehee enjoys spending time with his wife and their 11-month-old, as well as fishing, hiking, and kayaking.

Looking for something?

For those of you who still haven't found what you're looking for.

Have you lost something recently or within the last year, hoping it has been found?

Well, look no further!

The front desk ‘Lost then Found’ box has everything from shoes, umbrellas, jewelry, notebooks, and more.

Stop by the front desk in Carruthers Hall to see if what you have lost has been found!

UVAFinance is looking for your suggestions: What's on your reading list?

Please share your book/website/blog/podcast suggestions to finance_engagement@virginia.edu 

There's always room to improve: Continuous Improvement in UVAFinance

Probably nobody would argue with the idea that we can always strive to become better, and that focusing on improvement is a positive thing to do. What we don't always think about is how, if we really want to see tangible improvement results, we have to have a strategy.

That's where a culture of Continuous Improvement comes in.

Read more after the jump!

UVAFinance, meet your Wellness Champions!

UVAFinance is pleased to introduce your Wellness Champions!

Wellness Champions serve as a point of contact and liaison for UVA's Hoo's Well program and lead a healthy lifestyle by example.  Our new Wellness Champs will be involved with supporting and promoting Hoo's Well programming and will help keep us informed about events, offerings, and other announcements. 

Get to know your UVAFinance Wellness Champions after the jump!

The Latest on BudgetUVA

The FP&A team recently led the Phase One launch of a new web form called BudgetUVA, designed to allow users to manage their operating budgets more easily and effectively. A cross-functional team with members from IT Enterprise Applications and CACS has been working together with FP&A for several months on this project, with many positive outcomes.

The project has also proven to be more complex than originally planned. BudgetUVA has interacted with both UBI and Recon@ in unexpected ways, as many of you may have encountered.

We realize that many of you rely on these tools daily to manage your fiscal activities, and are working quickly to resolve the issues you may have experienced. 

This is an opportunity for us to improve the way we coordinate and manage projects, especially as we approach Finance Strategic Transformation. We are planning a formal "lessons learned"/retrospective within the next few weeks. These meetings will include representation from UBI, Recon@, ITS EA/CACS teams, as well as functional leaders for Recon@ and school/unit representatives. We will share with you what we learn as a result of this process.

_______________________________________________________________

Updates, Info, and Questions: 

For the latest on  Recon@ impacts, please visit the ReconUVA website.

The UBI Community will post updates on budget reporting impacts.

For questions/concerns on BudgetUVA, please email budget@virginia.edu 

New Online Course Available!

Introducing PO Shopper’s Guide to Finance Fundamentals, an online version of the instructor-led Finance Fundamentals at UVA course.

With the addition of this new course, if you only need access to a PO Shopper responsibility, you will be able get this access faster without having to wait for the instructor-led class by completing PO Shopper’s Guide to Finance Fundamentals.

Finance Fundamentals at UVA is an important introductory course that helps finance and business professionals better understand UVA’s financial systems, accounting structures, and internal controls. 

PO Shopper’s Guide to Finance Fundamentals covers the same material, including information on procurement systems and policies, but in a condensed, online format. Anyone is welcome to take this online class, but it is specifically targeted to employees seeking PO Shopper responsibilities (UVA PO Shopper-$1 and UVA PO Shopper>$1). Individuals requesting Viewer responsibilities may also find this content helpful.

This course is required for UVA PO Shopper>$1, and recommended for UVA PO Shopper-$1, and has been included as part of the Learning Path for both responsibilities. The instructor-led Finance Fundamentals at UVA is still a required course for access to the Integrated System for those requesting other Finance responsibilities, including PO Requester and PO Purchaser.

For more information on this class and other Finance training, visit http://foc.virginia.edu/finance-training 

If you have questions about either of these classes, email foc-training@virginia.edu.

Fresh new websites!

The Units formerly known as the Controller's Office and the Budget Office are pleased to announce their new sites.

We're happy to bring these updated sites to you, but it's about more than a fresh new look.

If you have suggestions on how our sites can be more useful and informative to you, please let us know!

Read on for a few highlighted features of each new site. 


More after the jump!

Lots of upcoming dates for UVAFinance

Read on for a quick recap of what's coming up (better get your calendar handy!).

all the details after the jump!

Want to learn more about the new Online Finance Community?

It's even more awesome in person.  :)
Log on here and see for yourself:  https://ubicommunity.virginia.edu/community/uva-finance-transformation/pages/home

The online Finance Community, your home for all things Finance Strategic Transformation, is now live and ready for you to visit!

Hosted on the Jive platform and adjacent to the UBI Community, our new online space is teeming with project info, upcoming events, and so much more.

• Have questions about Finance Strategic Transformation?  Post them as a part of our Ask Me Anything event!  Finance leadership will answer all questions between now and the end of September. 
• Want more info about the Community?  Come to the Lunch and Learn on September 19.  
• Just have a quick question?  Visit Office Hours!

See these and all other events here.  

Questions?  Concerns?  Trouble logging in?  Please contact financetransformation@virginia.edu -- we'll be happy to help!

UVA Faculty/Staff Discounts Available!

http://www.uvauteam.com/uteam-discount-program.php

Have you checked out the benefits and discounts that UVA faculty and staff members receive? 

Visit http://www.uvauteam.com/uteam-discount-program.php  to see a full list of the offerings.  

Here are just a few: 

 

• 20% football season tickets
• UVA women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, baseball, and men's and women's lacrosse season tickets
• DIM Rec Gym Memberships
• JPJ Arena Tickets
• UVA Drama
• Weight Watchers
• CAVPool Carpool

Be sure and scroll all the way down, so you don't miss any of the great offers!

UVAFinance: Need a lanyard for your badge?

A big THANK YOU to everyone who has already started wearing your ID!

Transforming our approach to learning

With the establishment of our vision, mission, and values, and the beginning of the Finance Strategic Transformation, comes an increased need to be able to connect our learning and development efforts directly to business outcomes.

In Finance Outreach and Compliance, we’ve been changing the way we design, deliver, and target training to:

• Identify specific business needs and ensure training provides the solution
• Include multi-phase learning to improve the learning experience
• Ensure that learners are able to use and apply the skills and knowledge on the job
• Establish a culture that supports and encourages the learning process

Read more after the jump!

OE Quality Core Event: Register now

https://organizationalexcellence.virginia.edu/event/2146

You've got questions, they've got answers!

Ask Them Anything in the online Finance Community

It's a great time to get your questions about Finance Strategic Transformation answered!

Between how and September 21 (DEADLINE EXTENDED!), everyone is invited to log into the online Finance Community for our "Ask Me Anything" event!

All you have to do is: 
1.  Log in:  https://ubicommunity.virginia.edu/community/uva-finance-transformation
2.  Visit the "Questions" tab and post your question(s) before September 21
3.  Keep your eyes peeled for one or more of our Finance Strategic Transformation leadership team (Melody Bianchetto, Jerry Burke, Nicole Ferretti, and James Gorman) to answer your question.

All questions will be answered by September 30.  

We'll also post and answer any anonymous questions submitted in the online suggestion box and the physical suggestion box from the Carruthers Hall cafe area.  

The Finance Community is live!

Log in and check it out: https://ubicommunity.virginia.edu/community/uva-finance-transformation