Take the Plastic-Free Pledge!

UVA Sustainability invites you to take the Plastic Free 2023 Pledge Today!

The University of Virginia’s 2030 Sustainability Plan includes a goal to reduce the total amount of waste to 30% of 2010 levels by 2030. To achieve this, the University must significantly reduce single-use plastics.

In 2021, UVA began prohibiting the purchase of plastic food service items, plastic water bottles, and plastic bags. In addition to ensuring UVA funds aren’t used to purchase these materials, this pledge seeks to encourage individuals to help further reduce single-use plastics. 

Everyone at UVA – students, staff, and faculty – is invited to take the #PlasticFree2023 pledge to reduce the use of single-use plastics.

View and sign the pledge here.

Reporting & Analytics Release Notes: February 9

 

Finance Reporting and Analytics Release Notes for February 9 have been posted to the UVAFinance website.  This update includes significant new reports and modifications that have been released since January 12^th as well as known issues that we are investigating or working on currently.

This update includes a new Expense Budget vs. Actual or Simple "BBA" report for Workday!

 Quick Tips of the Month:

·        When using the Prompt fields in Workday reports, you can quickly do a multi-select of your search results by using Crtl-A then Enter to select all available values.

·        To speed up the search when using the Worktags prompt field, type in the worktag prefix or Worktag field name along with the value you are looking for.  For example, if I know that I want to select the MBU level for Batten, I can search “CH4 Batten” or if I know my Grant name contains “Electron” but don’t know the ID, search “Grant Electron” instead of just “Electron”.

A friendly reminder that you always find this information and more reporting resources at: 

• Business Intelligence & Analytics | UVA Finance (virginia.edu)

 

UVAFinance Welcomes Sarah May

The May Family

The New Year brought a variety of different financial activities, less familiar worktags, and a lot more zeroes into Sarah May’s life, all via her new position in UVAFinance as a Senior Financial Analyst in Financial Reporting and Accounting.

May joined UVAFinance at the end of January, coming from UVA Athletics, where she served in various roles for nine years, most recently as Associate Athletics Director for Business Operations. May says that while she greatly enjoyed her work and her team, she found herself ready for a new focus.

“I’m an excel nerd at heart,” says May. “I love crunching numbers and creating reports. Where else could I do that but here in central finance?”

The transition from a major business unit to central finance has afforded May the opportunity to sharpen her focus on the investigative work she enjoys, and it’s also allowed her to shift her perspective.

“I’m relearning everything I learned during the FST implementation. It’s definitely a different lens here – what’s material in central is very different than it is in athletics,” she observes.

Even though she’s not as focused on the same details in central, her time in athletics helps her to see the bigger picture more clearly because she knows how things are connected at all levels, and how the work done in UVAFinance impacts schools and units.

“Central finance has done a good job of building relationships and putting themselves out there,” she says, “and I’m glad to be a part of growing that.”

When she’s not diving into funds, functions, and ledgers, May and her husband Cody enjoy taking on the outdoors with their two girls: Carson, six, and Taylor, five. When they’re not hiking, camping, fishing, and swimming, you can also find them enjoying Mario Kart and movie nights together.

AP Tips & Tricks

Director of Disbursements Amanda Lockhart Davis asked her team to share some of their top suggestions for smoother sailing when working with AP transactions.  

Here's their first crop of tips and tricks; we'll have more to share in coming blog digests.

Look out for more from Davis in a future digest and meetings in the next month as she shares the next steps for UVA's disbursement strategy.

And now, the tips!

• Invoice processing:
• Supplier invoices must include a uniquely assigned invoice number that cannot be a repeat of a previously used invoice number. This number must be displayed on the supplier invoice.
• Invoices must include a PO number in the correct format (PO-1234567 for Workday & 1234567 for Oracle) for the invoice to process correctly through the system.
• When departments submit their supplier invoice requests, they should not enter an invoice received date that is earlier than the invoice date.
• Invoice/Payment Research: In Workday, the “Activity” section on a supplier invoice will show payment information. If there is no “Activity” tab then the invoice is unpaid.
• Stop Payments/Voids/Re-issues: Please ensure that the supplier has updated their payment information in payment works before requesting a stop payment if there are changes required.
• Travel & Expense:
• You can book your airfare, car, and hotel all in one itinerary. This makes it easier to track/change your reservations and also saves you from having to pay a separate booking fee. Watch this Tutorial https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/resources/booking-airline-car-and-hotel-one-itinerary-training-video
• As a best practice, be sure to review the header in your expense report before submitting it to ensure the summary is correct.
• Company Paid= Total T&E card charges expensed
• Reimbursement= Total amount requested for reimbursement

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Related content:  Welcome New Director of Accounts Payable, Amanda Lockhart Davis

Nicole Ferretti Joins Collaborative Solutions

UVAFinance invites our partners across Grounds in wishing Nicole Ferretti well as she makes plans to join Collaborative Solutions, a Workday partner, later this month as Senior Principal Consultant.

Earlier this month, Ferretti reached her eight-year anniversary with UVA, having joined the University as Assistant Vice President for Financial Planning & Analysis.  Most recently, she served as the Financial Lead for the Finance Strategic Transformation Project, an experience which will serve her well as she transitions to a new role focusing on assisting other organizations to implement Workday.

We are grateful for all of her contributions to the University and UVAFinance in particular.  Thankfully, she and her family will remain in Charlottesville, so we don't have to lose touch!  

Take time with your Functions

Contributed by Danielle Hancock

The function worktag is easy to overlook. It often auto-populates, but you do still need to review it, because it describes the "why" of an expense. Function describes the mission or purpose of an expense, which is key for reporting for NACUBO, GASB, state reporting, and a host of other types of reporting. So that's pretty important!

Let's take a look at how you may encounter function and some resources that can help:

Function is required on all expenditure transactions. In most cases, it will auto-populate based on the driver worktag (Gift, Grant, Designated, or Project) you selected. In the case of a grant, you won't change the function. When using the project worktag, the multi-funding source will run and replace the auto-populated function, so you can leave it as is. If you're using a gift or designated worktag, you do need to do a quick double-check to make sure things look OK with your function.

You may not be very familiar with your functions, but you can check to see if it's correct by referring to the Function Worktag & Descriptions spreadsheet. It's easy to access this sheet right from Workday by clicking on the blue question mark next to the function box if you have Workday Digital Assist (WDA). If you don't have WDA, you can view the spreadsheet here: https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/resources/function-worktags-and-descriptionsFunction (This link is on the Workday Finance Training page under Workday General Training).

Another great resource about function is the Workday Function Overview, available in the Online Community. This gives great examples and practical scenarios of how the functions work in business situations.

Not only is it important that employees review and validate function prior to the completion of each business process, but also, preparers and approvers should review and validate (and fix, if necessary) function during the account certification process. And, of course, centrally, a review and validation cycle where transactions are reviewed at a high level for accuracy and consistency with NACUBO definitions is in process.

If you're not sure about which function to use, please always contact askfinance@virginia.edu.

More Request Based Access Tips

In the last blog digest and in our most recent Fiscal Administrators' meeting, we shared some updates and helpful tips on request-based access for our finance systems.  Based on the questions that popped up during Fiscal Admin (a great group to ask pertinent questions!), here are a few more helpful nuggets of info regarding security roles and system access: 

• If you're requesting multiple roles that require training, all training will need to be completed before the request is approved.  You may want to consider submitting separate requests for each role, especially if you are requesting a lof of roles and/or if you have an urgent need for a particular role.
• If you are requesting multiple roles, separate the ones that require training from the ones that don't so the ones that don't require training can go through more quickly. 
• What roles have required training? View here:  https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/finance-security-roles
• When an employee leaves who has created POs, how is the approval of a change order handled when they terminate employment with UVA?  If you have POs that are created by an employee who leaves the University, the owner of the PO will need to be changed.  Submit a request to AskFinance for the owner of the PO to be changed.
• When you terminate an employee in Workday, the employee is removed from their position, and the roles are still attached to the position number.  When the position is filled, they will be assigned those roles (they will need to complete training in order to receive access to the roles).  You can certainly request that the roles of a person leaving a position be assigned to another person until the position is filled.  This can be done via the request-based access process or via contacting Ask Finance.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, contact us at askfinance@virginia.edu 

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Related Content: Finance System Access Request Updates

New Senior Buyer brings Knowledge, Enthusiasm to the Team

Prior to joining the UVAFinance Procurement and Supplier Diversity team, Sara Johnson-Ward worked as the Senior Contracting Officer at the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (VIDC), also known as the State Public Defender.

For most of her career, she has worked for the State of Virginia, with her longest tenure serving at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She was a buyer for the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation and established a book distribution agreement with the University of Virginia Press.

"In 2004, I had my son and it became clear that I needed a position that did not require extensive travel – state procurement was the logical transition with my skill set," she shares. "I worked at the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation before working at VIDC."

As the new Senior Buyer for the Services and Athletics procurement team, Johnson-Ward will be procuring conference, lodging, and ground transportation services for UVA among other goods and services.

 "When I made the transition to state procurement, I set a goal to work for a university because I enjoyed working at VMFA," she says. "As an educational organization, VMFA was a wonderful collaborative work environment. I am happy to make my way back to serve the public in the education field, and the timing was perfect."

Johnson-Ward is pleased to be a part of a supportive team and is enthusiastic about new challenges, "So
far, my biggest challenge is learning the university’s 
systems, but I enjoy learning so I am up for it!"

Comprehensive training and exploring the systems are getting her up to speed and she credits her team with an invaluable depth of knowledge in helping her acclimate.

Outside of work, you can find her on the links with her family.

"As the mom of a high school senior who has played golf since he was four, I love watching my son’s golf matches," she says. "To be outside in the fresh air and enjoy the day, is a gift. I have one season left to do this and might have to take up golf again myself! I will have more time to spend in my art studio as well."

Melody Bianchetto Retirement Reception Photos

It's not even been a week and we miss her already!  

If you'd like to relive last week when we said our fond goodbyes to Melody Bianchetto as VP of Finance (with the understanding that they're just "see you soons" in terms of her being our fellow Wahoo and neighbor), check out these Flickr photostreams and prepare to get a little misty-eyed:

Melody's Carruthers Luncheon

Melody's JPJ Reception

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Related Content:  Melody Bianchetto's "Farewell Tour" podcasts on Finance Matters - Career Reflections, DEI Reflections , Melody's "Brown Bag Series" (under "Resource Library")

Time With A Trainer: February Time Slots Available

The Training Team has made their February calendars (and in some cases, beyond) available to the UVA community on the Workday Finance Training page. 

If you find yourself needing a boost on a finance task, facing a conundrum on a transaction, or needing confirmation that you've done something correctly, slide on into their schedule for a little one-on-one time!

Visit the Workday Finance Training Page and scroll down to Time with a Trainer to check trainer availability by subject area. 

This February, Catch up with The Sprint!

At least a couple of times per month, the UVAFinance Equity Action Team hosts "Sprint Discussions," informal Zoom discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion, with topics chosen by those attending. 

Sprints are a great way to catch up with colleagues and have open, interesting talks where we all learn from one another.  We've talked about podcasts and TV shows, historical figures and current events, and much more.  

We hope you'll join us for our February Sprint Discussions, as we tackle Allyship:

Thursdays, February 9 & 23, 4 pm

• In the two February sessions, we’ll discuss Allyship. What defines a real, effective ally, and how is that different from what we sometimes see in the world around us?
• Some helpful resources to check out: 
•  The Guide to Allyship
• The Keys to Allyship
• As always, we’ll also reserve time for current events discussion.

If the Sprint Discussions aren't already on your calendar, email us at the UVAFinance Equity Action Team and we'll fix that for you!  UVAFinance Sprints are optional and open to all. 

NEW:  Beginning January 2023, THE SPRINT PODCAST

If you miss a Sprint discussion, don't worry!  We've started a short-form podcast called The Sprint where we discreetly recap the content of discussions (no recordings, no revealing of the conversations) and the resources we used so that you can stay in the loop.  Check out the Sprint podcast online.

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Related resources:  Learn more about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in UVAFinance on the UVAFinance website. 

Improve your Well Being and Earn Rewards Through Hoos Well

Hoos Well is excited to kick off a new year offering UVA employees and team members access to evidenced-backed resources and programs that support healthy lifestyles and help meet personal physical, financial, emotional, and social well-being goals. 

Employees and spouses on the UVA or UPG Health Plan can earn up to $500 in rewards by engaging in reward-eligible activity. 

Get started with the Spark Appreciation Challenge, beginning February 2.

Related Content:  Wellness Offerings from HoosWell and FEAP

Wellness Resources: February 9, 2023

Spark Appreciation to Fire up your Well-Being
Feb 2, 12 PM
Presented by FEAP, (kick-off for Spark Appreciation Challenge)

• Did you know that practicing appreciation can help improve work relationships and general morale, and lead to a more positive work culture? Join the Spark Appreciation Challenge starting on Feb 2nd.
• Stephanie Wagner, Healthy Minds lead Trainer and board-certified health coach, will share her knowledge and kick off the challenge at the Feb 2 webinar.
• The challenge features:3 weeks of guided lessons and practices in the Healthy Minds Program app
• Assessments to track your progress
• Weekly encouragement emails with tips to bring appreciation alive at work

Enhance Inclusion & Compassion Skills

• Complete the Diversity & Inclusion on-demand program offered by eM Life which focuses on enhancing skills of inclusion and compassion by improving your ability to be self-aware, to listen and identify unconscious bias.
• You must have an EM Life account to participate in this program. eM Life is free to employees on a UVA Health Plan. Learn more about eM Life and set up an account HERE.

On-demand Financial Webinars Available  Access on-demand financial webinars on a variety of topics including: 

• Debt Management and Budgeting
• Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) – Setting Financial Goals
• Saving for Future Higher Education Expenses
• VRS Financial Literacy

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Related Content:  Earn Rewards through HoosWell

Break up with your Space Heater this February

Did you know that space heaters are not allowed at UVA? 

This February 14th - 28th, abide by UVA policy and break up with your space heater! 

Space heaters are energy-intensive and can be a serious safety hazard. If you are currently using a space heater on Grounds, sign up to turn it in -- no questions asked -- for a free safe and sustainable warming alternative. After signing up, bring your space heater to the UVA ReUse Store (580 McCormick Road) and receive an electric heating pad, which uses just one-tenth of the energy but still heats effectively.

Read more and sign up on UVASustainability's website.

Records & Info Management Invites You to Learn to Manage Email Efficiently

 

Register for these or any other sessions