Submit a Nomination for Sustainability Leadership Award

The UVA Office of Sustainability is excited to share that the 2022 Sustainability Leadership Award is now taking nominations! An initiative of UVA’s Committee on Sustainability, the award will honor those who exhibit a strong commitment to advancing sustainability practices and solutions at UVA and in our community.

Nominations are accepted in each of four categories: UVA students/groups; UVA staff/departments; UVA faculty/departments; and community members or groups. You may nominate yourself or your group, department, or organization, or you may nominate others.

The deadline is Nov. 27.  Please consider submitting a nomination and/or helping spread the word!

• Award webpage
• Nomination form
• Webinar Registration

Legislative Forum November 29

Please join the Office of State Government Relations for our annual Legislative Forum on Tuesday, November 29 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in the Alumni Hall Ballroom. The Legislative Forum is open to members of the University and local communities.

The Forum will feature delegates and senators from central Virginia who will share their perspectives about the 2023 General Assembly Session, including issues affecting higher education, healthcare, and the local community. Time will be reserved for questions.

CVC Update November 2022

Here's where UVA's Commonwealth of Virginia (CVC) 2022 giving stands as of November 9. 

To participate in this year’s CVC, use the pledge form at cvc.virginia.edu. If you have questions about the CVC, email uvacvc@virginia.edu.

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Total Amount Raised by UVA: $418,660 (52.33% of the $800,000 goal)

Top 15 UVA Areas by % of Employees Participating in CVC Giving

1.  Communications - 34.9%
2. Audit & Compliance - 29.6%
3. Miller Center - 22.2%
4. Operations 21.2%
5. Advancement 20.8%
6. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships - 20.6%
7. EVP/COO Office - 16.7%
8. EVP/Provost Office - 9.6 %
9. President's Office - 9.6%
10. University Counsel - 6.7%
11. UVAFinance - 5.9%
12. School of Data Science - 5.3%
13. Information Technology Services -4.7%
14. Human Resources - 4.6%
15. School of Continuing and Professional Development - 3.7%

Top 15 UVA Areas by $ Amount Raised

1.  School of Medicine - $167,694
2. UVA Medical Center - $45,636
3. College of Arts & Sciences - $24,280
4. Information Technology Services - $21,496
5. Advancement - $16,031
6.  School of Engineering - $14,170
7. Batten School - $11,500
8. EVP/COO Office - $10,525
9. Operations - $9,885
10. Darden - $7,650
11. Communications - $7,250
12. UVAFinance - $7,029
13. Human Resources - $6,835
14. McIntire - $6,260

15. Law - $6,020

Vice President for Finance Melody Bianchetto Announces Retirement

Vice President for Finance Melody Bianchetto recently announced her intention to retire from University Service effective February 3, 2023.

Bianchetto is a dedicated alumna, a UVA parent, and a longtime University employee.  After graduating from the University with a B.S. in Commerce in 1988, she worked for Ernst & Young and two other firms before returning to UVA in 1996. She has brought technical expertise, institutional knowledge, and passion to her work for 26 years, and has risen through the ranks here at UVA. 

Bianchetto began as a senior budget analyst in 1996, was promoted to budget manager in 1997, and then to director of budget in 1998. She earned an MBA from JMU while working full-time. In 2006, she was named assistant vice president for budget and financial planning; in 2013, she was promoted to associate vice president for finance. Finally, in 2015, she was named vice president for finance.

 
Bianchetto's legacy at the University is both broad and deep. She will be remembered for her  collaboration on initiatives that include:

• sponsoring technology solutions, including Finance Strategic Transformation, Adaptive Planning, University Business Intelligence, TravelUVA, and others
• serving on the team that achieved three record-breaking bond issuances and overseeing the University’s $3.2 billion AAA-rated debt portfolio 
• establishing the financial model for and stewarding the financial management of the strategic investment fund 
• creating the financial plans to enable the stability of AccessUVA, the creation of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the School of Data Science, the construction of capital projects across Grounds from the John Paul Jones Arena to the South Lawn, the reduction the University’s deferred maintenance backlog, and financial self-sufficiency for the Law and Darden Schools 
• leading the annual budget process that established balanced budgets through significant state budget reductions, periods of strategic investments, and the COVID-19 pandemic
• constructing the University’s management agreement with the Commonwealth that provides extensive decentralized authority in finance, procurement, human resources, information technology, and capital.

Bianchetto has partnered with colleagues across Grounds to support their strategic initiatives and set an example for others in her intentional work to develop her team. In addition, she has carefully led diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within UVAFinance and expanded the supplier diversity program for the entire University.

EVP COO J.J. Davis will convene a search committee in the coming weeks for Bianchetto's successor.  In the meantime, please join UVAFinance in congratulating Melody and thanking her for her excellent work and her lasting influence on the University!

W-4 Form Update Reminder

As the new year approaches, the Payroll Department reminds you to review your Federal tax withholding. You may need to submit a new W-4 form if you have experienced any changes in your filing situation this year (e.g., got married, have a secondary source of income, have new dependents, etc.).

You can update your W-4 Form any time in Workday by typing ‘Withholding Elections’ in the search bar at the top of your Workday home screen.

Please be aware that Payroll is not authorized to provide tax advice. For specific questions, you should contact your tax advisor.

FST Updates: November 3, 2022

 

Office Hours Wrap Up, Segue into Time with a Trainer

Since July 11^th, after the go-live of Workday Financials, around 3,000 people have participated in open office hours, but as people are getting more confident in many areas of the system, attendance is significantly tapering off, so we’re discontinuing office hours for November.  But we know people still need support, so we’re pleased to announce Time with a Trainer. This is more of a one-on-one learning time, where people can book a time with a finance trainer to ask their questions and get help.  Visit the Workday Finance Training page to schedule Time with a Trainer.

Tracking Issues During Stabilization

As we move through the stabilization period of the FST project, the team’s primary area of focus shifts to conducting knowledge transfer, making sure that we are ready to provide the best ongoing end-user support, that we’re ironing out known issues, and that the support team is prepared for the future state.   To that end, we keep tracking and reporting on those areas that are on our colleagues’ minds – areas like account certification, reporting, and of course, procurement.  

You can follow along with these areas (and get resources and guidance) and all other deferred items on the UVAFinance website (click on "Items in Progress").  

Reporting & Analytics Release (& RAD 2.0)

The Reporting and Analytics team has again provided us with a nice big update as of October 28 that includes, among other things, some great news about the release of RAD 2.0, which will provide a one-stop shop for all your grant and post-award financial needs.  Don’t forget that the team also has a new resource called “Day in the Life of a Fiscal Administrator,” which recommends reports for common tasks and data needs.  Find the updates and resources on the UVAFinance website.

Five Things to Know about Finance: November 3, 2022

 

1.  Instead of holding Office Hours, UVAFinance trainers are offering one-on-one time you can that can be scheduled individually.  Visit the Workday Finance Training page if you'd like to schedule some Time with a Trainer; just look for the area you need help with!

2. UVAFinance is tracking deferred items and areas experiencing challenges post-go-live of Workday Financials (spend, account certification, fund balances, etc.) on the UVAFinance website.  Get resources and guidance, plus see the status of all deferred items on this page. 

3.  Reporting & Analytics has a new release, which includes RAD 2.0 and Fiscal Administrator Spotlight reports (all you have to do is search "Spotlight" in the Workday search bar).  View the full release notes.

4.  Budgeting Season has kicked off as of November 2!  From here schools and units will work on tuition/fee proposals before the BOV meeting on December 8/9.

5. FST is in the Stabilization Phase and set to close in 2022.  While the project officially ends in 2022, the continuous improvement focus will be ongoing.

Help with Account Certification

Since the transition to Workday Financials, a few processes have been rockier than others, and one of the more difficult ones has been Account Certification. 

We will continue to track issues with Account certification on the UVAFinance website. 

When we talk with affected colleagues about Account Certification, here are the top pain points folks mention:

1. Omission of payroll, SIS details, and fund balance/budget vs. actuals in the Account Certification view.
2. Numerous manual processes, such as filtering to eliminate 0 ledger accounts and drilling into each line
3. Confusion around marking variances and filtering out 0 ledger account lines

With those pain points in mind, we're exploring a few key enhancements:

1. Hiding $0 balances
2. Pre-populating certain ledger accounts
3. Memos on journals
4. SIS detail, which would ideally be integrated via reporting

To help our colleagues with Account Certification while we work on those enhancements, here are some resources and guidance: 

Account Certification View

• Export the report to Excel but still keep the report up on Workday; this will help you drill into transactions you need more information on. The downloaded excel sheet can also help to “track” what lines you reviewed; for more details refer to this page

Dashboard Time Limit

• To avoid losing your changes when reviewing Account Certification, click the “Save for Later” button

Account Certification Best Practices

• Account Certification FAQ provides common questions related to Account Certification along with answers provided by subject matter experts.
• You do not need to verify every line if it was approved beforehand. If you see revenue ledger accounts for Grants, you can ignore these
• You will need to reconcile Projects and other worktags with funding source reclassification transactions; for guidance and details refer to this page
• Review the Account Certification FAQ, Workday Corrections Decision Tree, and other Account Certification resources

Haunted by PG00847 DO NOT MAP?

Don't worry; it's a valid code!  

Back when we were going through the FDM mapping exercise, the PG00847 DO NOT MAP code was created to tag PTAOs we thought were no longer in use.  

These aren't unallowed codes; instead, they are meant as a "red flag" to signal that the transaction needs to be checked.  These often result from PTAOs we thought weren't in use anymore but were somewhere in a database to be used for a recurring charge.  If you need to change for ISD billing, just contact the ISP.

Addressing Spend Issues

We continue to track and report on Spend issues caused by the conversion from Oracle to Workday Financials on the UVAFinance website (match exceptions, old purchase orders, etc.).  

See all the latest here, including resources to help, as reported in the November 2 Fiscal Administrator's meeting (aren't you going to the Fiscal Administrator's meeting?  You should!  You can see the slides here, (just click on "For Fiscal Administrators," but you can attend via Zoom and get your questions answered live!)

CVC Update October 2022

Here's the first Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC) Update for 2022.  All figures are as of October 26.  Watch for more updates as the campaign progresses. 

To participate in this year’s CVC, use the pledge form at cvc.virginia.edu. If you have questions about the CVC, email uvacvc@virginia.edu.

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Total Amount Raised by UVA: $245,571 (30% of $800,000 goal)

Top 15 UVA Areas by % of Employees Participating in CVC Giving

1.  Communications - 27.9%

2. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Community Partnerships - 17.6%

3. Miller Center - 16.7%

4. Advancement - 15.8%

5. Audit & Compliance - 14. 8%

6. EVP/COO Office - 12.5%

7. EVP/Provost Office - 7.7%

8. University Counsel - 6.7%

9. President's Office - 6.1%

10. Operations - 5.3%

11. UVAFinance - 4.2%

12. Human Resources - 4%

13. Information Technology Services - 3.8%

14. School of Continuing & Professional Development - 3.2%

15. Enrollment - 2.7%

Top 15 UVA Areas by $ Amount Raised

1.  School of Medicine - $60,784

2. UVA Medical Center - $37,116

3. College of Arts & Sciences - $22, 375

4. Information Technology Services - $19,316

5. School of Engineering - $11,145

6. EVP/COO Office - $10,375

7. Advancement- $9,521

8. Darden - $6,650

9. Communications - $6,600

10. McIntire - $6,620

11. Human Resources - $6,240

12. School of Law - $5,720

13. Athletics - $4,385

14. UVAFinance - $3,559

15. School of Education & Human Development - $3,515

UVA Staff Senate Issues Final Flex Work Report

This past June 2022, Staff Senate sent out two surveys to all University staff regarding flex/remote work, one for all staff, and one for managers. Excluding Classified staff, who are subject to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Telework policy, the survey was sent to over 6,235 employees.  1,540 employees completed the staff survey, and 355 managers completed the manager’s survey (resulting in a 30% response rate). 

The Staff Senate Flex Work working group reviewed the results and compiled a final report and recommendations. This report has been sent to UVA leadership, and our Staff Senate Co-Chairs are now meeting with leadership to discuss the report and recommendations.

  The report has been posted to the Staff Senate website.

Thanks to Myron Ballard, Co-Lead of the Flex Work Working Group, and Logan Hobbs & Patrick Wood, Finance Staff Senators.

Budget Season has Kicked Off: What's Next?

November 2 was UVA's official Budget Kickoff session.  What's up next in tuition, fee, and budget key activities? 

• November 11: Student tuition and fee committee meeting
• 10 days public notice: public comment session on proposed increase range for undergraduate tuition and fees
• Late November / Early December: Finalize tuition and fee proposal
• December 8-9: Board of Visitors considers tuition and fee proposal
• March 3: Budget and Multi-Year Financial Plans (MYFPs) due
• June 1-2: Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) budget approval by the Board of Visitors
• July 1: FY24 begins

As we move through the rest of 2022, remember that the Budget Team is ready to assist via askfinance@virginia.edu, and they will also continue to hold office hours weekly through December.

Wellness Resources

UVA Vaccination Clinics for Flu and COVID-19

CVS Health will provide flu vaccinations and COVID-19 boosters at Newcomb Hall on November 15, 16, and 17, 2022. All faculty, staff, and students are welcome to pre-register for a vaccination clinic and participate.

Please note:

• The clinics are by appointment only so please pre-register
• The cost is $0 with most insurance providers, please bring your insurance card to the clinic
• There is no cash option for this clinic
• For questions regarding your appointment, please contact VaccineClinics@CVSHealth.com

Vaccination Clinic Options – please choose one and register:

Tuesday, November 15, 2022
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Newcomb Hall Commonwealth Room
Click here to register

Wednesday, November 16, 2022
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Newcomb Hall South Meeting Room
Click here to register

Thursday, November 17, 2022
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Newcomb Hall Commonwealth Room
Click here to register

From HOOS WELL

Learn Simple Ways to Feel Better & Be More Productive- Did you know that simple ergonomic adjustments can increase your productivity and reduce physical pain? Join Hoos Well to learn how to incorporate simple solutions within your workday to perform and feel better.
Date: November 15, 2022, 12 noon
Find more info and register HERE.

From FEAP

Cultivate Focus - FEAP’s offering Tune as You Go to Flourish, within FEAP for You, now offers brief practices that help you reclaim and strengthen your focus.
Explore Focus-Building Exercises

UVA Compliance Helpline

UVA is committed to complying with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies. The UVA Compliance Helpline is a confidential channel for employees to report unethical, illegal, or suspicious behavior.

Visit report.virginia.edu or call (800) 235-8700 to submit a concern. Both allow for anonymity (if desired) and are available 24/7.

The University’s integrity relies on you. If you see something, say something.