Mark Your Calendar: Research Administrators Forum & CRA Study Sessions

Research Administrators Forum
Tuesday, August 11, 2015 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM 
 Newcomb Hall Kaleidoscope Room on the 2nd floor
Come meet Elizabeth Adams, our new AVP for Research Administration. Also, Patty Marbury will also be conducting a focus group session discussing finance training needs.


Fall 2015 Certified Research Administrator (CRA) Study Sessions
On behalf of the new Finance Outreach and Compliance team and in conjunction with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), we are pleased to announce the University of Virginia’s fall 2015 Certified Research Administrator (CRA) study session schedule.  This is the tenth year that we’ve partnered with subject matter experts from across grounds to offer these study sessions to provide help to those attempting to master the body of knowledge specified by the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC).  Although UVa subject matter experts will be leading these sessions, they are NOT targeted to address practices specific to UVa, rather the experts will speak about the requirements for obtaining and managing sponsored awards from a global perspective.  However, participants will be provided links, work aids, and course recommendations for learning more about how UVa implements these requirements through policy, procedures, and guidance.

For those interested in pursuing the CRA certification please review the specific educational and experience requirements available on the RACC website.  The exam to be administered this fall will not include questions drawn from the Uniform Guidance as the RACC has decided to phase those in gradually over the next three years.  Here is the proposed phase in schedule:

• May and November 2015 – former regulations (Circular based and using agency specific regulations predating the December 26, 2014 implementation date)
• May and November 2016 – approximately 1/3 of the relevant questions will be based on the new regulations
• May and November 2017 – approximately 2/3 of the relevant questions will be based on the new regulations
• May 2018 examination – All relevant questions will be based on the new regulations

Fall testing dates are early this year, so our kick off session is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26 with weekly sessions to follow through Wednesday, November 4.

These sessions:
• include a minimum of 11 meetings focused on specific examination topics
• will be no longer than two hours (mostly scheduled from noon – 2pm)
• are limited to the participation of 12 individuals; priority will be given on a first come first served basis
• will be provided at no cost to you or your department
• will require a time commitment from you outside of the formal study sessions, particularly if you plan to take the CRA exam
• will require the support of your supervisor

Most sessions will be held in FinAdmin Conference Room E, located in Carruthers Hall.

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

APA Audit
The audit is progressing as usual, and the APA will be on-site full time in early to mid-August. A new GASB Pronouncement (GASB 68) effective for FY15 will have a significant impact on the University’s financial statements, thus requiring additional time and effort.  Our goal this year is to have the completed financial statements by the November BOV meeting.

Cardinal 
The Commonwealth’s transition to Cardinal is still going on with the February 1, 2016 “go live” date rapidly approaching. The Comptroller’s staff will begin going to individual training workshops that address specific users and modules of the new Cardinal System over the next few months. IS-EA has been busy “stamping” the new Cardinal accounts in Oracle and Accounting Services has also been involved in numerous tasks related to this project.

Updates from Outreach & Compliance: Listserv & Staff Changes

Our team has a newly created list serve which can be used to communicate information to our group, and for training &/or outreach requests: finance-outreach@virginia.edu.

There have also been a few recent changes to our group:


Patty Marbury joined the Finance Outreach & Compliance team as the Finance Training Lead. Patty has been with UVa for 15 years, first as an instructional designer with the Integrated System Project and then as the Learning and Development Manager for Systems and Technical Training with University Human Resources, in the Center for Leadership Excellence. Her background includes over 20 years of employee development experience with the federal government and at UVa. Her expertise and interests include instructional design, curriculum development, technical writing, facilitation, coaching, and leadership development. Patty has a Bachelor’s degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore.

In Finance Outreach and Compliance, our charge is to create a comprehensive training program for finance professionals at UVa, and Patty will be leading this effort. We are excited about creating a program that is engaging and provides training in the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively do the job at all levels, from entry-level to advanced. We also want the program to provide a structure that encourages career development and advancement among finance professionals. We look forward to working with you all to make this happen!


Brandon Barnhill, our Export Control analyst, left UVa July 31st to accept a position at Portland State. Although we are disappointed to lose Brandon, we wish him well in his new role, knowing this is a wonderful opportunity for him.

Updates from MRP: More New Team Members, Agile Training, & Data Governance

More New Managerial Reporting Project Team Members
Ashley Bagby is the newest Managerial Reporting Project Data Analyst. She brings 16 years of experience in finance and operations at GE, and is excited to work with a new group of sharp, dedicated people across Grounds. She was a Classics major at UVA, and is thrilled to be back!

In her spare time, Ashley enjoys knitting cool socks and cheering for UVA sports—admittedly at the same time. She once completed a pair of socks in 26 hours, which we assume is fast. Her husband, kids and cat Richard hope she can break the 24-hour mark. Welcome, Ashley!




Agile Training
Tom Kim from the Managerial Reporting Project is starting monthly Agile information sessions. The sessions will give University employees insight into the MRP methodology, and general information about the project. The first class is Wednesday August 19th at 10am—learn more and RSVP online.


Data Governance Explained
Do you know what data governance means? Do you know why the Managerial Reporting Project is working on it? Would you like a quick video explanation? Join Forrest and Tom from the MRP team as they discuss data governance within the context of a couple easy-to-understand scenarios at the University.

Eight Email Mistakes That Could Hurt Your Career

"Email mistakes can derail your career or harm your reputation, says career consultant Marcelle Yeager, writing for U.S. News & World Report, so keep emails professional by avoiding these eight common errors.

Although emails have become less formal, a seemingly innocent typo or a flippant remark can have severe consequences. Yeager cautions that people should take email within the office more seriously than email among friends and family."

To see Yeager's eight tips to avoid email taboos, check the EAB Daily Briefing.

Two New Team Members Join the Managerial Reporting Project

Johann Reinicke has been a UVA employee for more than 12 years. His career spans various IT support roles in the Health System, SCPS, Student System Project and SFS. He joins the project as the Scrum Master for the Architecture team.

Johann is passionate about improving people’s lives through technology and process improvement. He is excited to join the MRP team because, as he says “the MRP Team is extremely talented, motivated and an experienced group—doing exactly what I’m passionate about.”

Johann is a Batesville native, and is related to all three of the other Reinickes employed at UVA—his wife, mother and brother. He and his wife Carey have three young children.

Laura Nucci is the newest Data Analyst on the Managerial Reporting Project team. She is excited to learn the variety of new applications being utilized by the team.

Laura has been a consultant for nearly 20 years, and has implemented large computer software packages (Baan, SAP & Siebel) and reporting systems, and has worked on continuous process improvement initiatives. In 2008, Laura co-founded a local consulting firm that helps small to medium-size businesses manage their operational and growth challenges by implementing Lean/Agile techniques across their software and business operations departments.  She has worked for a number of start-ups in the Charlottesville area, implementing financial systems, data warehouse reporting systems and business analytics processes.

Laura lives in Earlysville with her husband, three children, three dogs and a cat.  When not at work, Laura is either shuttling kids in the family taxi, exercising at ACAC or reading a book.

Finance Forward 2015

Nearly 150 UVA finance professionals met in June for the annual Finance Forward conference. The event is sponsored by Melody Bianchetto, the Associate Vice President for Finance, and was hosted at the McIntire School of Commerce.

Attendees collaborated, learned and networked with each other at the day-long event—which addressed a full range of professional development topics. Because fiscal administrators and other data management staff play a critical role at the University, the program addressed current and future financial analyst skills, and pathways to develop new skillsets.

Carolyn Saint, the University’s new Internal Audit leader gave the first presentation, followed by Nicole Ferretti from the Budget Office, and Judy DiVita from the Managerial Reporting Project. The conference also offered morning and afternoon breakout sessions, including a full menu of topics led by attendees and area experts. The day concluded with a panel discussion on finance careers at the University. All available presentation materials are online.

The UVA Board of Visitors met the same week, so Finance Forward participants were treated the following day to a discussion with UVA Board Member Victoria Harker. Ms. Harker spoke candidly about the University’s strategic goals and mission of excellence, as well as her experience working with the BOV.

Finance Forward 2015 was a success, and many thanks go out to the entire planning committee. The McIntire School of Commerce was a wonderful host, and special thanks go out to Rob Tharpe for his ongoing support and partnership with McIntire. The conference has evolved to include staff from all schools and major offices of the University, reflecting the mission of collaboration across Grounds. Finance Forward aims to build a more collaborative team of professionals that pursue excellence and continuous professional development.

Finance Forward Quotes and Feedback:

“The conference sessions were rich in valuable information and the networking opportunities throughout the day were plentiful. Time well spent.”

“The variety, and range of topics discussed and experienced were great.”

“I enjoyed the Finance Forward conference. It provides an important opportunity to see colleagues, and make new connections. The topics were very timely and pertinent.”

Excel Help: In-Person and Online

Thank you to the more-than 100 attendees one of the “Advancing your Excel Skills” class this spring. The AVP-Finance area had 65 attendees, 14 from various schools, and the remainder from different Auxiliary and Central Offices. Classes are on hold for the time-being as we regroup and refine the offering. Special thanks to Malika Ouenza, Disha Venkatesan, Greg Ball, Lisa Shuler, Andrew Yeung, and Tom Kim for help with the classes.

Meanwhile, Peggy Reitz from the Center for Leadership Excellence has put together some great resources for us regardless of current skill level. For help with basic Excel skills we have access to Skillsoft Training.  Additionally, the University has access to the http://www.Lynda.com training website which has approximately 100 in-depth Excel videos for review.

Finally, we launched an Excel_help@virginia.edu list, which the Excel training team is monitoring. We happily offer our many years of Excel knowledge as a resource if you need just a quick question answered, or want to schedule some time for more in-depth help with an Excel challenge.

Facilities & Administrative Rate Submission

The University periodically renegotiates the Facilities and Administrative (F&A) rate with the federal government, through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). This rate is applied to federal grants to offset the ‘overhead’ costs associated with research. Our rate is currently 58%. The rate calculation submitted June 30, 2015 demonstrates that our costs associated with research grants are 67.34%.

Creating the rate proposal requires effort across many parts of the University, coordinated by the Cost Analysis unit in the Comptroller’s Office. Detailed information must be gathered on buildings, personnel, utilities, equipment inventory, and other costs. Dozens of people are either directly or indirectly involved in the data collection before Cost Analysis uses the proprietary software CRIS to calculate the rate and create the hundreds of pages of unique reports required for the submission.

Although it is unlikely we will receive 67%, for every percentage point of change it will be worth approximately $1 million to the University in the first year of implementation (most likely fiscal year 2016). Under UFM, those funds will go directly to the schools doing the associated research. A negotiated rate is agreed to for a term of three to four years when implemented, so that new rate will most likely be in place until 2019.

The Cost Analysis team is Sara Tarkington, Yvonne Metheny, and John Wallace-Smith. For more information on F&A check out their FAQ page: http://www.virginia.edu/finance/finanalysis/FA_FAQ.html.

Fiscal Administrators Meeting and the MRP Team

Members of the Managerial Reporting Project team attended the June Fiscal Administrators meeting, with Mark Anderson leading an hour-long pre-session about reporting requirements. More than 50 Fiscal Administrators attended the engagingsession, which provided a platform for all to discuss broad reporting needs. The project team is thankful for the big turnout of this important constituency, and the team looks forward to future opportunities to work together.

Educational Opportunity for Research Administrators: NCURA

National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) Annual Meeting
August 2-5, Washington DC

The conference, usually attended by over 2,000 people each year, begins with a full day of pre-conference workshops and senior level forums which are a supplemental training program open to all registrants of the annual meeting. This in-depth, targeted training and professional development includes offerings for those new to the profession to our most senior level members.

Then there are two and a half days of presentations, discussions, open forums and networking opportunities spanning all areas of research administration including, but not limited to, Pre-Award, Post-Award, Compliance, Departmental, International, Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions, Clinical Trials/Research, and Career-Skills

Bookmark This: AVPF Blog Resources

If you read the email digest version of the AVP for Finance Blog, you're missing a few great resources! Click here to see the full blog, which includes not only the posts you enjoy in the digest, but also job openings, professional development resources, and searchable content categories.

From Melody's Desk: 2015 Goals Update

Long days, colorful flowers, fresh produce, empty stores on the Corner, kids on bikes and in pools, sweltering humidity… yep, summer is here!  I hope that you all have time planned away from the office to rest, relax, explore, be with family, and catch your breath.

Jumping ahead to September, please mark your calendar for the United Way Laurence E. Richardson Day of Caring on Wednesday, September 16.  For the first time, we will look to have a division-wide Day of Caring project. Last year we had two groups volunteering at the SPCA and Scottsville Elementary School. Stacey Rittenhouse and Kobby Hoffman have agreed to be project leads for our group.  Please email Stacey and Kobby to let them know that you will participate.  We will need to have a headcount in order to make sure we select the right size project.  As you may know, participants tackle diverse projects including office work, painting, landscaping, construction, arts and crafts, tutoring and more! Last year, more than 1,000 UVa employees volunteered and completed over 100 projects.

We are midway through the year and we have accomplished so much!  Now is a great time to take a look at our goals for the year.  See below for how much you have accomplished!

AVP Finance Team

2015 Goals, June Update

1.      Support University priorities, including:

a.      participate in the implementation of a tuition pricing and financial aid model that provides a sustainable multi-year financial model for academic excellence and preserves affordable access. Affordable Excellence approved by the Board of Visitors in April 2015, including Guaranteed Tuition Program, reduction in loan debt and two step tuition increases.

b.      continue process of selecting, configuring, and deploying robust and usable decision support tools and modules, including but not limited to Research UVa, a data repository, a reporting tool (Discoverer replacement+), financial planning/modeling, SIS Collections.  ResearchUVa, phase 1, was deployed May 4 with high satisfaction being reported. As of 6/15 there are 337 users, 208 of them are faculty.  Vendor Demos for Business Intelligence tool procurement were held May 19-21. 

c.      participate in the organizational excellence initiatives, including implementation of recommendations related to research processes, intercompany transactions, and the role of the manager. We have held research forums with faculty groups; participated in the Bacharach Leadership Group’s Leading a Legacy program and in the Jennifer Garvey Berger workshops on Simple Habits for Complex Times and Supporting, Motivating, & Managing Others; and initiated discussions with George Mason University and federal reps about replacing Effort@UVa with a much simpler approach.

d.      submit an updated Federal Disclosure Statement (DS-2) and a Facilities & Administrative Cost Recovery rate proposal and prepare to negotiate this rate with our cognizant agency.  Will submit June 26, 2015.

2.      Upgrade business processes to improve service, reduce inefficiency, and provide the high quality work product, including:

a.      establish a process that rewards and recognizes finance team members who identify ineffective practices, propose solutions, and help implement new approaches that will eliminate re-work, clarify reporting, and minimize time on follow-up.  Project Collaboration Tool in discussion; Coffee with a Colleague initiative implemented; Plan to implement new rewards and recognition program geared toward this idea.

b.      continue phase two of Orange Team work to develop and implement solutions to identified issues. Continue to identify improvements with cost transfers; develop proposal to create a GA transfers expenditure type.

c.      collaborate with key stakeholders to develop a robust data governance approach.  Data governance framework developed and initiated a pilot test of the approach related to expenditure type. Data Strategy Committee formed.

d.      evaluate cost transfer and LD review processes in Accounting Services and OSP to determine effective way to streamline work and appropriately manage risk. Beginning July 1, OSP/FOC will begin to limit reviews to costs moving on to a G/Z award or between G/Z awards.  We will no longer review transfers between projects on the same G/Z award or charges that are moving off G/Z awards to non-G/Z awards.

e.      evaluate financial statements, including a consideration of how to develop individual school financial statements and including all foundations as component units.  Working with SOM as a pilot; added College Foundation as a component unit. Exploring the development of online Financial Report and a plain language guide to the financial statements

f.       develop a streamlined tuition process from proposal stage through approval to applying to student bills. Project in process, led by AVPF office and including SFS, ITS, Budget, Provost, and school reps

g.      Other:  The Student Aid Funding Model’s (SAFM) integration phase was implemented in May.  Peer Transfer implementation started in April for incoming foreign payments. Comptroller’s Office to review Equipment Trust Fund process as well as Recon@ potential enhancements.

3.      Improve communication and transparency with internal and external stakeholders, including:

a.      increase internal office communications and division-wide events.  Formalized blog process. Incorporated Staff Senate updates for entire division. Created an events committee to plan a summer division-wide event and a division-wide effort for Day of Caring.  Formalized the Managerial Reporting Project communication plan and have deployed a periodic e-newsletter, presented to 2+ constituent groups each month, and held a Town Hall meeting that reached over ~125 people.

b.      create a finance, research, and student dashboard displaying key performance metrics;

c.      consider communications with students and parents on student financial matters, especially incorporating recommendations from Strategic Communications; SFS partnered with Admission and Curry faculty on a texting pilot for low income students. Continued involvement with University Communications on their branding results, enhancements related to Blue Ridge Scholar materials and detailed creation of micro-sites for targeted customer information.

d.      deepen collaborations and partnerships with:

                         i.     central service units such as Procurement, UHR, ITS, Budget, Treasury and others. Collaborating with UHR and Center for Leadership Excellence on employee development/training. Collaborating with Procurement and OE to improve insight into and compliance associated with international travel.  Collaborating with ITS on IT Security Initiative. Sponsored Finance Forward – attended by 175 professionals across the Academic Division. Collaborated with Audit on employee development. Initiated Coffee with a Colleague. Continued to sponsor Business Officers Council.

                        ii.     schools and academic units Worked with Curry to address challenges with on-/off-grounds rates and payment of rent on sponsored programs. Began implementation of the Scholarship Management System, which includes participation from other central offices such as University Advancement and all of the schools. Sponsored Finance Forward – attended by 175 professionals across the Academic Division. Initiated Coffee with a Colleague. Continued to sponsor Business Officers Council.

                      iii.     related organizations such as Medical Center, UVIMCO, and others.  Met with Medical Center and UPG to discuss connections with the Managerial Reporting Project.  Invited Rick Skinner and Sean Jackson to join the Managerial Reporting Executive Committee.

                      iv.     state agencies such as SCHEV, DOA, DPB, and others.  Participated in FOCUS Conference. Co-sponsored the 2015 Impact of Export Controls on Higher Education & Scientific Institutions with VT and GMU.  Assumed leadership role in VASFAA (Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators).

e.      develop a comprehensive finance training and outreach plan.  Hired Patty Marbury as Training Manager.  Deployed first Advancing with Excel class, initiated needs assessment process, and began conversations with other training providers, such as CLE and SCPS.

4.      Maximize organizational effectiveness of the overall finance team, including:

a.      evaluate impact of planned retirement (including succession) of AVP Research Administration, Associate Comptroller, and other key positions.  Transition for AVP Research Admin and Associate Controller retirements in place.  Working to consider the impact of ERIP retirements.

b.      participate in the development of service level agreements to articulate what we do for units and how well we will do it.  SLA drafts are in process.

c.      consider finance team organization and ways to break down silos, share services internally, and appropriately address the role of managers (with Center for Leadership Excellence); Consolidated training and compliance efforts into the Finance Outreach and Compliance Office.

d.      create a development plan for each employee including internal and external training offerings, the role of the manager (with Center for Leadership Excellence), and appropriate compensation.  Goals/development plans are in progress.  Upcoming salary process to address market ranges and compensation needs.

e.      document finance team-specific HR practices and guidelines. SFS updating its rewards and recognition process through a manager-level team.

Congratulations!!  And have a great summer.

Bookmark This: Expenditure Type Definitions in iProcurement

The Managerial Reporting Project team recently helped simplify expenditure type selection in iProcurement. New descriptions provide easy keyword search functionality in expenditure type definitions.

Tuition Benefits Program

Most of us are well-acquainted with University benefits for health and retirement, but did you know that employees can also spend up to $2000 per calendar year for eligible and approved educational studies? Check out the overview below and additional information on the UHR website.

Overview
The University offers $2000 per employee per calendar year in tuition benefits for academic and related coursework, including vocational and professional development opportunities. Education Benefits may be used for academic degrees or courses at UVa and other accredited institutions, and non-credit courses, certificates and licenses at UVa and other education providers. Enrollment in the program is through Benefits@UVa. 

If you enjoyed the Mindful Moment presented at Finance Forward, check out the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program offered by the UVa Mindfulness Center.