Updates from MRP: On-Grounds Technology Vendor Demos

More than 75 cross-functional representatives across the University met for three days in May to assess potential technology vendors for the new University internal reporting toolset. Next steps likely include further review of one or more of the initial three vendors, and discussion among the MRP Executive Committee and Associate Deans. The team hopes to make a recommendation by mid-to-late July.

Updates from OSP: Coffee with Colleagues & New Faces

Coffee with a Colleague

A couple members of OSP have taken advantage of the “Coffee with a Colleague” program.  Tammy Sutton, a new accountant in post-award, met at Greenberry’s recently to discuss different perspectives on grants with Whitney Richardson, Laboratory and Research Specialist who runs the Fan Mountain Telescope in Nelson County under Rick Patterson in Arts & Sciences’ Astronomy Department.  The two shared “how grants effect each one of us in our positions here at the University.  Her [Whitney’s] job is dependent on grant money; no funding, no job.”  Tammy helped Whitney understand that OSP’s job of preparing financial reports is required by the sponsor for oversight so the sponsor will continue to send payments for reimbursement. While visiting the Astronomy Department, Tammy also met Rick Patterson, Senior Scientist, and Barbara Johnson who is General Administrative Supervisor and who for more than a decade has handled grants administration for Astronomy. Tammy noted “…. we talked about her position versus mine.  It was an interesting view of grants management from a different position.”

Kobby Hoffman, Assistant Director for Accounting in post-award, met with Charles Kidd, Transactions Manager in Procurement and Supplier Diversity Services regarding open commitments on purchase orders in relation to grants. Purchase orders which are open cannot be closed by OSP, and when the PO is open, the vendor can still invoice and be paid. Therefore, it is important that open commitments be “finally closed” or moved off by departments. If the amount is larger than $5,000 or split between multiple accounts, OSP often needs the Procurement Office’s assistance.  Kobby was impressed by the situations in which Procurement (and Charles, in particular) has unraveled and straightened out accounts so OSP could produce accurate financial reports.

New Faces 

Welcome to Elizabeth Jackson, Administrative Assistant at OSP’s front desk, who hails from Virginia Beach but moved here when she started going to Mary Baldwin College.  A Library Assistant while in college, she spent time as a ski-lift attendant after graduation.  She joined OSP after a temp assignment at UVA for the School of Medicine’s Summer Medical and Dental Education program—essentially a “boot-camp” for prospective medical students. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the gym (she lost 60 pounds over the course of a year!), reading, playing mystery computer games and playing with her dog Katie.

Updates from the Comptroller's Office: Cardinal & APA Audit

Cardinal 
We are now eight months away from going live with the new State Accounting System, Cardinal. The behind the scenes work is being done not only by the Comptroller’s Office but also Procurement and ITS/Enterprise Applications. We have mapped our existing chart of accounts into the new Cardinal chart of accounts and ITS/EA will begin doing some “sample” state stamping in the next several weeks. The Cardinal team went to Richmond this week to see our first “live” demo of the Cardinal system and were quite impressed. The PeopleSoft-based program appears to be very user friendly and we were most impressed by the reporting module. Rather than rely on the State to produce reports, we will be able to create and run our own reports and queries directly from the Cardinal system daily/weekly/monthly.

Even though there is much more work to do, we are slowly beginning to see what our processes will be with the new system. A very big thank you should go out to Imelda Carter, Sue Clements, Richard Parkins and Terry Butler for all the work they have been putting in these past several months.


APA Audit
The Comptroller’s office held the annual Entrance Conference with the APA for this year’s financial statement audit. Although it will be an entirely new team from the APA, we are looking forward to working with them. They are set to begin preliminary fieldwork on June 8th, with the majority of the audit fieldwork to start in early August. Our time frame is to have the audit completed by mid-October with the University’s financial statements being released around the week of Thanksgiving.

Excel Tips & Tricks: New Help Inbox

Thank you to all who attended the Advancing Your Excel Skills class. For those who attended, we hope you are putting some of your new found skills to use. For those who have not attended the class, you can sign up in the Learning Management System (search for “Advancing Your Excel Skills”).

Do you have a quick Excel question, or need help on a specific project? Email Excel_Help@virginia.edu—a new inbox managed by a team of eager Excel volunteers. Malika Ouenza, Greg Ball, Lisa Shuler, Tom Kim, Disha Venkatesan or Mark Anderson will respond with suggestions, or arrange a follow-up for inquiries that might take more time. The team is here to help you learn and operate more efficiently and effectively. They recommend Microsoft Lync instant messaging to facilitate discussion and screen sharing.

Interview with Chief Audit Executive Carolyn Devine Saint

Carolyn Devine Saint recently joined the University as Chief Audit Executive. She is a past chair of the North American Board of The Institute of Internal Auditors and has extensive experience in internal audit. She previously served as Vice President of Internal Audit at 7-Eleven, Lowes, and Sears.  We recently asked her a few questions about her vision for her new role at the University. Here's what she had to say:

What attracted you to move from the private sector to higher education? 

I wanted to dedicate my energy to an organization with a sense of mission and purpose that aligns with my values. You could say I want to do more than help sell more Slurpees or hammers. While higher education has many business-like functions, it seems to place more emphasis on the humanity within its system than private sector companies do. That feels right.

 

What specifically about U.Va. compelled you to make the change?

Pat Hogan and his Executive Search Group. Their recruiting process made me feel as special as if they were recruiting the football coach! I admired the rigor of the search committee’s process and felt they understood the value of internal auditing by the way they went about finding a new Chief Audit Executive. It was tough! I met so many great people in the recruiting process and thought I could help materialize the vision they had for the department. In the end this was an offer I couldn’t refuse!

What are your early impressions of Charlottesville and the University?

Charlottesville is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been. The mountains…the wineries…the artisinal restaurants…it’s easy to see why people never want to leave. The University itself is a marvel: brilliant people working in a lovely place with a keen sense of the past but with eyes clearly set on the future via the Cornerstone Plan. It’s a daunting and exciting place to work! I look forward to being a part of it.

What are the challenges facing Audit today?

Audit’s challenges at U.Va. are the same as those for auditors everywhere: how to add value to the companies they work in while struggling, like all departments, with limited resources—human and dollars—to do the work needed to be credible and trusted advisors on risk to the Board and executive management.

 

What are your priorities as you begin your role?

My priorities are to gain an understanding of the department’s charter and responsibilities in the context of the University’s strategy and culture; to align our work with the Cornerstone plan and strategic risks; and to enhance the department’s credibility with stakeholders through delivery of timely, valued insights on risks and controls. 

What are the most significant opportunities you see right now? 

I’d say the most significant opportunity is to question the status quo and make sure we really understand why we do things the way we do. The opportunity is to reinvent internal auditing at UVa!

What do you most look forward to?

Helping my team reinvent itself, redefine our internal culture, and build the kind of esprit de corps that makes the valuable work we do a joy. If we build this kind of team, we can help drive the culture of innovation and positive change that Pat Hogan and other leaders envision for U.Va.

LWS Outstanding Contribution Award

Sarah Doran of Student Financial Services has been selected as a recipient of the University’s 2015 Leonard W. Sandridge Outstanding Contribution Award!

This program gives members of the University community the opportunity to honor employees who have shown exemplary service and commitment to the University. Sarah's nomination received support from SFS, the Provost's Office, Organizational Excellence, and others. As the highest honor for staff at the University, it is a significant (and well-deserved) recognition.

Congratulations, Sarah!

Spotlight on Excellence

Has someone you work with demonstrated a high level of quality, or implemented an improvement or innovation? Have you observed someone deliver excellent service to faculty, staff and/or students?

The Office of Organizational Excellence (OE) wants you to recognize individuals who contribute to an overall culture of quality at U.Va. This is a peer-recognition program for those exhibiting the principles of OE in their work, because everyone has an opportunity to advance excellence!

Criteria: (one or more)

• Leads Improvement
• Delivers High-Quality Customer Service
• Establishes Productive Partnerships

Nominate a person of excellence! Individuals selected will receive a token of appreciation from University leadership. Plus, each quarter, one lucky winner (and their original nominator) will be randomly selected for a gift certificate.

Educational Resources in OSP

For those interested in learning more about what Sponsored Programs and Research Administration are all about, OSP has a webpage that lists classes it has offered in the past with a plethora of references related to each class.

To get a “40,000-foot” view of research administration click here for an online video module offered through the integrated system. (Keep in mind that the organizational structure has changed a little since the video was made.)

Finally, all the information related to OSP’s classes to prepare staff for the Certified Research Administrator (CRA) exam can be found here. Even if you don’t plan to take the exam, this information can be extremely helpful.

If you are ever stumped and need help from OSP, feel free to email osp-help@virginia.edu and they will be glad to assist you.

2015 Service Award Honorees

Congratulations (and thank you!) to the following employees for their years of service with the University:

25 Years and More
Judy McDaniel (40)
June Seay (40)
Lucy Wrenn (40)
Dave Boling (35)
Sarah Jones (35)
Stephanie Schwar (35)
Vonda Durrer (25)
Laura Lingo (25)
Stephanie Poindexter (25)
Trudy Taylor (25)

20 Years
Katherine Hoffman

15 Years
James Bowen
Peggy Candler
Mike Galvez
Devon Herod
Lisa Layne
Trudy Robinson
Sarah Tarkington

10 Years
Andrew Bedotto
Darlene Booker
Laura Bowness
Randall Ellis
Heather Eppard
Lynn Galasso
Shenika Knox
Del Kolberg
Jeanie Sampson-Giles

Michael Williams

This year's recipients will be honored as follows:

Monday, May 18: Informal breakfast celebration for the Finance Division honorees and their managers in Carruthers Hall Conference Room E (8:30am-9:30am).

Tuesday, May 19: University Service Award Ceremony and Reception at John Paul Jones Arena celebrating 10, 15, and 20 years of service.

Monday, June 8: University Service Award Dinner at John Paul Jones Arena for 25 and more years of service.

Excel Tips & Tricks: Print Preview

If you send or receive Excel files by email, you’ll love this tip!

Have you ever received an Excel file by email, opened it up and sent it to the printer—only to hear the printer take off and start running off a ream of paper? The creator of the worksheet probably neglected to check the Print Preview to see how the worksheet would look when printed, and didn’t set any Print Formats.

Whenever you email a worksheet, consider that it might get printed, and set the Print Format to print properly on paper (maybe add some headers or footers to provide context when it is printed). Basic settings like Portrait vs Landscape orientation, margin size, sheet size and scaling can be found using the Print Preview function (Ctrl-P). Click on the page setup link for more options.

Changes in OSP

The phrase “The only constant is change,” is one that particularly rings true in the Office of Sponsored Programs these days.

Aaron Flynn, who has been working in OSP as a Grants Administrator, has been hired as a Contract Negotiator to fill the position previously held by Victoria Poindexter. Kathryn Kim, an OSP Contract Negotiator who had been serving the School of Engineering, has moved into a new role outside of OSP (but within Finance) as an Export Control Compliance Officer. To take over Kathryn’s duties, Laura Bowness Taylor has shifted back over to SEAS where she worked previously, after having served the School of Medicine faculty for the past few years. And Joanne Reid, a valued member of our Account Create Team who came to us from industry two years ago, has moved over to support the Post Award Team.

While there has been some movement within OSP, we are pleased to welcome several new employees as well. Willow Nash recently joined our Account Create Team.  She has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Business Management from Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts, and worked as a Medical Assistant before moving to Charlottesville from New Hampshire two years ago. She enjoys motorcycles, classic cars and trucks, reading, singing, cooking, and educating people about skin care.
Tesha Westbrook, new to the Post Award Team, has served UVA for 14 years before joining OSP. She started in the Office of the VP for Research for the Animal Care & Use Committee as an Office/Compliance Manager, Fiscal Technician and office LSA (Local Support Associate). Tesha enjoys reading, singing, and planning weddings and other events.

Tammy Sutton recently joined the Post Award team after having devoted 13 years of service to the City of Charlottesville in their Parks and Recreation Department as a Recreation Specialist.  She received her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from American InterContinental University. In her free time, Tammy enjoys spending time with her family, knitting, walking on the Downtown Mall, and enjoying the numerous parks available.  She also is a member of the local roller derby team, the Charlottesville Derby Dames.

In addition to bringing on new folks, OSP staff members are furiously scanning documents as we roll out the new ResearchUVA system. And while all this change is good, it can be challenging, so kudos to everyone in OSP who keep everything running smoothly so our faculty can keep doing their research!

Updates from the Comptroller's Office

Endowment spending rate for fiscal year 2015-2016
At the most recent Board of Visitors meeting held on March 24th 2015, the Board approved increasing the endowment spending rate for fiscal year 2015-2016 by 40 basis points to 4.62% of the market value of the UVIMCO Pooled Endowment Fund at June 30, 2014.

Had the spending policy been calculated using the usual annual inflator, the spending rate for fiscal year 2015-2016 would have resulted in an annual payout of 4.22% of the market value of the UVIMCO Pooled Endowment Fund at June 30, 2014. The additional 40 basis points will result in a .40% increase in the rate to 4.62%, with an estimated total distribution in FY16 of $188 million.

Departments can generate the LTP Market Value report in Fundriver to see updated fiscal year 2015-2016 spending distribution estimates.


Interim financials 
March interim financials have been completed and will be presented to the Board of Visitors in June


Annual Meeting of ACC Fiscal Officers
The annual meeting is an opportunity for sharing of ideas and best practices among the ACC schools. With the fairly recent additions of Notre Dame, Syracuse, Pitt, and Louisville, the meeting has grown larger. This year’s meeting was hosted in late April by the University of Louisville.  Among all of the schools, there is great interest in exploring different funding models.  UVA is further along than most, and so for the last two years, Dave Boling has given a presentation on UVA’s experience with developing and implementing the University Financial Model.  This will probably be a recurring update, as all of the schools are under pressure to move to financial models that incentivize cost awareness and operational efficiency, in both academic and administrative areas.

UVa will be hosting the 2016 ACC conference.  Timeframe, location, and other details to be worked out, as we begin reviewing available options.

Orange Teams Pivot to Data Governance Focus

The Managerial Reporting Project recently shifted the focus of the Orange Teams to address broader data governance work. Thanks to valuable cross-Grounds partnerships, the Orange Teams previously focused on a prioritized list of process and improvement initiatives, and addressed many financial information and managerial reporting needs. The new framework will pivot to address specific Data Stewardship subject areas in collaboration with the Decision Support Team.  Defining critical University business terms will be an important data governance task.

From Melody's Desk

Spring has finally arrived!  A quick note of thanks to all of you for your hard work… I sit back occasionally and consider all the balls that we have up in the air.  It is only because of the efforts and the commitment from each team member that we keep the juggling going strong.

I also want to remind each of you about Coffee with a Colleague. This is a great way to step away from email for a moment to connect in a one-on-one conversation with a colleague about a shared issue or interest. It is a simple initiative:  grab coffee with a colleague from outside your office and talk about that retro adjustment or cost transfer expenditure type, learn about how to better use MS Lync, or get an update on the new procurement travel system. We have a pilot program with 100 Free Coffee Cards already purchased – I really hope that you take advantage of this opportunity so that we can continue to offer it.

If you haven’t heard yet, there is a great new Advancing Your Excel Skills class, developed and taught by our team in collaboration with the Center for Leadership Excellence. The class is getting rave reviews and each offering has sold out.  Classes are added regularly and are now open enrollment. To enroll in a class, go to the Integrated System’s Learning Management module. And keep an eye out for the follow-up class which will focus on using Excel for data analysis.

We have wrapped up the evaluation cycle for the long 18 month performance period through December 31st.  This also means that we are nearly 4 months into the 2015 evaluation cycle.  Please make sure that you have worked with your manager to develop your plan for 2015 – what do you want to accomplish this year? I suggest that you try to include one goal about improving a process or daily task; one goal that improves communication with someone from outside Finance (Coffee with a Colleague anyone?); and one specific development goal (Advancing Your Excel Skills or another class offering from the Center for Leadership Excellence).

I want to close by thanking Gerry Kane for his 28 years of service to the University.  He has set a standard for collaboration and working to support the research mission of the University; he has established a solid framework for continuing OSP’s work to streamline and facilitate research administration; he has been a wise and trusted advisor to me; and he has done this all with a great sense of humor.  Best of luck to Gerry and Susan as he begins this new phase of his life!

Bookmark This: Year-End Dates for Fiscal 2015

Year end is approaching and the closing schedules have been posted. The complete list can be found on the Office of the University Comptroller's webpage: http://www.virginia.edu/finance/genacct/key_dates.html.