Month: January 2020

PageUp: Extending a Job Offer (From HR – 1/24/20)

From: Special Payroll Information <SPECIAL_PAYROLL-L@LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU> On Behalf Of HR – Communications
Sent: Friday, January 24, 2020 8:34 AM
To: SPECIAL_PAYROLL-L@LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU
Subject: PageUp: Extending a Job Offer

In response to departments unintentionally extending job offers without approval in PageUp, HR has implemented a step between “Create Hire Request” and “Make Online Offer.”

This applies to unclassified searches and Special Payroll appointments:

  1. As usual, Hiring Departments will update their top candidate’s status to “Preliminary Offer Decided” and enter all post-interview evaluations.
  2. Hiring Departments will complete a “Create Hire Request,” entering the appropriate Approval Process.
  3. The Hire Request goes through the usual chain of approvals, with a final approval in HR.
  4. HR approves the hire and changes the candidate’s status to “Ready for Dept. to Make Offer.”
  5. The Department will now have the option to “Make Online Offer” to the candidate.

While this is an extra step for HR, this will prevent departments from unintentionally extending offers to candidates without the necessary approvals. Please remember to review all offer letter and hiring request terms and conditions (e.g., start date, salary) prior to moving a candidate to “Make Online Offer.”

This does not impact the ability of departments to conduct verbal negotiations with faculty. As usual, the department needs all approvals before extending a formal offer.

To sign up for PageUp training in February or March, please visit Learning@Work:

Human Resources will hold Open Lab sessions on the following dates and times in Training Room A, Wilbur Cross:

  • 2/12/2020 8:30am-11am
  • 2/18/2020 8:30am-11am
  • 3/4/2020 8:30am-11am
  • 3/17/2020 8:30am-11am

Please check the PageUp website periodically for updates to help documents, and please contact Workforce Solutions via workforce@uconn.edu with questions.

Criminal Background Check and Special Payroll Updates (From HR)

From: Special Payroll Information <SPECIAL_PAYROLL-L@LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU> On Behalf Of HR – Communications
Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2020 11:18 AM
To: SPECIAL_PAYROLL-L@LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU
Subject: Criminal Background Check and Special Payroll Updates

Dear Colleagues,

We write to share updates on the criminal background check process and PageUp Special Payroll submissions.

Criminal Background Checks

With the implementation of PageUp, Human Resources has moved to an online background check process. Upon the acceptance of a Regular or Special Payroll job offer through PageUp, the Criminal Background Check (CBC) Team will determine the necessity of a background check. If needed, new hires will receive an automated e-mail from Swift Hire via UConnStorrs@screening.services. This e-mail will provide new hires with instructions to start the online background check process. All hires through PageUp will use Swift Hire, and Human Resources will not accept paper forms for these hires.

Human Resources will continue to use paper forms for gratis/volunteer appointments, Minor Protection Programs, and 4H/NRCA Programs. Human Resources will communicate further if these programs move to Swift Hire.

Please contact the CBC Team via HR-CBC@UConn.edu or 860-486-3034 with questions.

Special Payroll

There are several updates and recommendations about the Special Payroll process in PageUp:

  • HR has updated adjunct offer letter templates to include course information (Course Name & Number); please enter this information in appropriate offer letters.
  • PageUp now includes two new fields: (1) a KFS dropdown for criminal background checks and (2) a yes or no question about whether a retiree’s compensation is grant funded.
  • Before saving a request, remember to complete all system required fields to ensure that the document saves properly. Saved requests missing system required fields will not save properly.
  • Always include weekly hours in the “Compensation and Anticipated Hours” section to ensure compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
  • For data changes, ensure that “yes” is selected for “Is this request a data change where the appointment already exists in Core-CT?” and select the Special Payroll Data Change Only onboarding form.
  • Please use the appropriate template (if the appropriate template is not available, please contact Payroll):
    • UC_PG_SPNT (Special Payroll Time Reporter Hire PageUp);
    • UC_PG_SPNTS (Special Payroll Non-Teaching Stipend Hire PageUp);
    • UC_PG_SPT (Special Payroll Teaching Hire PageUp).
  • To help identify which special payroll search to use:
    • First, identify the special payroll title for the appointment.
    • If it’s teaching (Adjunct Faculty or Special Payroll Lecturer), use your special payroll search called “DEPARTMENT Special Payroll Teaching Position”
    • If it’s instructional support (Instructional Specialist, Academic Technician, Academic Specialist, etc.), use the special payroll search called “DEPARTMENT Special Payroll Instructional Support position”
    • If you are hiring a graduate assistant in one of the graduate special payroll titles (Graduate Instructional Specialist, Graduate Overload, Graduate Student Technician, Graduate Special Payroll Lecturer, etc.), use the special payroll search titled “DEPARTMENT Special Payroll Graduate Position”
    • For all other titles, such as Temporary University Specialist, Project/Program Specialist, Public Service Technician, Research Specialist, Research Technician, etc. use “DEPARTMENT Special Payroll Position”

To ensure that hiring departments issue the most up-to-date offer letters to new hires, please merge offer letters within PageUp. HR encourages hiring departments to closely review merged documents for completeness and accuracy. HR reviews all offer letters and out-of-date, incomplete, or incorrect offer letters require significant time to revise causing processing delays.

As a reminder HR will hold an open lab session on Wednesday, January 15th, from 1:30 – 3:30 in Chaplin Training Room on the Depot Campus. No sign up is required.

To sign up for PageUp training, please visit Learning@Work:

Please contact Workforce Solutions via workforce@uconn.edu with questions.

F&A Rate Process Change (From University Research Administrators Forum)

Please see the announcement below that was distributed to Faculty.  This topic will be discussed at the SPA meeting on January 15th.

From: UConn – Office of the Vice President for Research <ovpr@uconn.edu>
Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2020 9:47 AM
Subject: F&A Rate Process Change

Dear Principal Investigator and Grants Administrator,

UConn must change its practice of grandfathering the F&A rate originally proposed to applying the F&A rate in effect at time of award (in some cases the effective rate will have increased due to a delay in the award start date).  Even when this practice results in less F&A being charged to the grant, there have been repeated NSF audits requiring institutions to charge the negotiated rate in effect at the time the transaction posts. The same is true for UConn in the current NSF audit.

To meet this requirement, this year all sponsored projects are being transitioned so that expenditures that post to a sponsored project on July 1 or thereafter are charged in accordance with the current F&A rate agreement and not in accordance with the proposal budget:

  • This applies to all projects that had a proposed F&A rate of 59.5%
  • This does not apply to projects that have a mandatory F&A cap or a set or reduced F&A rate (such as training grants, many foundation sponsors, etc.)
  • New awards will be set up at the F&A rate that is in effect when the notice of award is received. (In cases where the rate varies from what was submitted in the proposal, SPS will contact PIs and request that they submit a revised budget as a part of the award setup process.)
  • SPS will contact you when a rebudget is needed; however, you may also submit a rebudget in advance of SPS contacting you

If you have an award that is ending this year, SPS will take the necessary steps as part of the close out of your award. You do not need to do anything.

During the transition period, the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) will calculate the amount of additional F&A that will be charged to the award as compared to the proposal (awarded) budget and will credit this amount to the PI’s F&A account to support the impacted project.  This transaction will be separate from the annual F&A distribution to faculty, departments, and Schools/Colleges, which will continue in accordance with the 10/10/10 distribution model. Please allow some time as SPS reviews and calculates each project account during this process.  Accounts that have already been adjusted to 61% will be prioritized and the return will be completed by April 30, 2020. The return for the remainder of the projects will be completed by the end of the fiscal year. Should you have a unique circumstance, please don’t hesitate to contact Laura Kozma or Jen Johnson.

Laura Kozma                                                                                                                                      Jen Johnson
Executive Director, Sponsored Programs Services                                                              Associate Director, Awards Management & Accounting
laura.kozma@uconn.edu                                                                                                             jennifer.johnson@uconn.edu
860.486.3798                                                                                                                                      860.486.4293

From: University Research Administrators Forum <UCRESADM-L@LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU> On Behalf Of Johnson, Jennifer M
Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2020 11:29 AM
To: UCRESADM-L@LISTSERV.UCONN.EDU
Subject: [UCRESADM-L] F&A Rate Process Change

Mileage Rate Change (From Foundation)

As of January 1, 2020 the federal rate for mileage reimbursement has changed to 57.5 cents per mile.

The rate for 2019 was 58 cents per mile.

The Travel and Entertainment workbook has been updated for this change and can be found in the Supplemental Documents in PaperSave.  The form is titled “Travel and Entertainment – 2020”.

Note:  The “Travel and Entertainment-2019” workbook will stay in the system for the first quarter of the calendar year and is to be used for recording/calculating mileage for travel that occurred in 2019.

It is imperative that the correct forms be used for calculating/reimbursing mileage.  If an incorrect form is used, the Request for Disbursement (RFD) will be returned for correct form usage.

As a reminder, the workbook may be opened in Excel using the following steps:

  1. Click on the box to the left of the desired form.
  2. Click on the “Save” button in the toolbar.
  3. An Excel link will appear on the bottom of the screen, click on this link to open the workbook.

The workbook will need to be scanned/saved as a PDF file for attachment to an RFD.

If you have any questions or need additional information please feel free to contact a member of the Disbursement Team.

 

Edward Liedke
Director of Fund Administration
And Disbursements
Phone:  860-486-2006
2390 Alumni Dr. U-3206
Storrs, CT 06269
From: Edward Liedke <ELIEDKE@foundation.uconn.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 8, 2020 11:12 AM
Subject: Mileage Rate Change