May 2025 CLAS Shared Services Updates

May 22, 2025

Below is a roundup of important announcements and reminders from the Business Center. If you have a question or there is something that you'd like to include in the next roundup, please feel free to reach out to the Business Center via bsc@uconn.edu.

Announcements

Annual Year End Deadlines

  • View the complete list of University Deadlines.
  • Please note the following year-end deadlines for CLAS and the University:
    • Internal CLAS Deadline for All Invoices/Payments in HuskyBuy (DV, PREQ) and Employee Payments, including Travel and Employee Reimbursements, and Clearing of Travel Advances and Cash Advances for FY25 – Friday, June 13.
      • University Deadline – Friday, June 20.
    •  Internal CLAS Deadline for Pro-Card Reports for all Pro-Card transactions with a posting date of June 13 and prior – Monday, June 18.
      • University Deadline – Monday, June 23.
      •  Go to the purchasing website under news flash for additional information on the submission of Pro-Card statements for this period.
    •  Internal CLAS Deadline for Payroll Funding Changes – Friday, May 23.
      • University Deadline – Thursday, June 5.
    •  Internal CLAS Deadline for Financial Processing (DI, GLT, TF, ST, IB, BA, and SSBA) – Friday, June 13.
      • University Deadline – Thursday, June 26.
  • Please submit all items by the internal CLAS deadlines to allow adequate time for review in time for the University deadlines.

FY26 Graduate Payroll Processing Deadline

  • Departments may begin processing new and returning Graduate Assistants (GAs) and Provost’s Professional Interns (PPIs) in CoreCT/SmartHR on June 2 for AY25-26.
  • Internal CLAS Deadline to submit these transactions is Friday, July 11.
    • The University deadline for these transactions to be approved in SmartHR is Friday, July 18.

Finalizing FY25 eDocs in KFS

  • In order to ensure that all pending FY25 KFS eDocs must be finalized by the end of June:
    • Review your action list and make sure there are no eDocs awaiting your approval.
    •  Follow up on pending eDocs that you have initiated.
      • If some of the eDocs that you have initiated are still marked as “enroute,” check the route log to see whose Action List they are in and follow up as needed.
      • To view the Route Log, open the eDoc and click on the Route Log tab, or click on the Route Log link in the far-right column.
      • To find Enroute eDocs in KFS, go to the “Doc Search”, select “detailed search” and select “ENROUTE” in the Document field along with your netID in the Initiator field.

Foundation Scholarship/Fellowship Submissions in Kuali Build

  • Reminder to begin submitting all scholarships and fellowships for this upcoming Summer term and for AY25-26.
    • Fall fee bills are issued in early June.
    • Spring fee bills are issued mid-November.
    • Spring 2025 scholarships will not be posted after June 15, 2025.
    • Predoctoral Awards are due in the respective system by June 1, 2025.
  • All summer and fall scholarships and fellowships are awarded until the start of the new fiscal year and the start of the semester, respectively.
        • These will not show up in FY25 Foundation financials, regardless of whether they are submitted in FY25.
        • The award will post to the student’s fee bill/account in FY25.For example, a Summer 2025 scholarship will be held until July and processed in fiscal year 2026.
  • If the scholarship you are awarding does not require enrollment in a summer course, please submit detailed documentation for the use of the funds. This could include the breakdown of project costs or details of the summer enrichment activity. We will review and, if eligible, we will post in the summer. If the award is not for a specific project/enrichment activity and is not a requirement of the student’s program, the scholarship should be awarded in the spring semester.

Post-Doc Appointments and Renewals Reminder

  • Reminder regarding post-doc appointments and renewals:
    • All post-docs need to be renewed with a 3% increase (increases are not allowed outside of renewal period.)
      • Effective July 1st, 2024, post-docs need to be hired at least at $60k starting salary.
      • If a PI would like to pay above the 3% increase at the time of renewal, please obtain approval from the CLAS Shared Services Business Center (please email bsc@uconn.edu) with justification for the increase.
    • Appointments are typically for 1 year at a time; any appointments under 100% FTE or under 1 year, require approval from the CLAS Shared Services Business Center and Labor Relations.
    • Approval is required to hire a post-doc beyond a 5-year term, so please consult with the CLAS Shared Services Business Center if this situation arises.
    • Post-doc appointments cannot contain any teaching duties – must be strictly research based.
      • If there is a teaching component, that should be processed through Special Payroll, in addition to their unclassified post-doc position.
    • You can read more about Appointment/Reappointment Details for PostDocs on the CLAS Knowledge Base.
    • If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the CLAS Shared Services Business Center (bsc@uconn.edu.)

PTR/PR & Interfolio Updates

Submission of Departmental MOUs to the CLAS Dean’s Office

  • Please submit all Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) developed within your department for faculty or departmental MOUs to the CLAS Dean’s Office. The College is maintaining a centralized record of MOUs, and completed documents should be sent via email to clas@uconn.edu.
  • The Dean’s Office will also monitor MOU timelines and provide reminders to departments as end dates approach.
  • If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Turbes at clas@uconn.edu.

Timecard Reminders

  • Reminder that approvers should not put a start date in the timecard approval in case their employees have to enter past edits.
  • Supervisors must approve all timecards on the Monday after the Pay Period end date.

Phone Lines

  • Softeligent is the University’s phone reporting system and departments have been receiving monthly statements with your unit’s phone information.
    • As a reminder, there is no action needed on your end – the statements are just for informational purposes.
  • The Business Center has begun following up with departments to review and update phone line information to ensure data accuracy within Softeligent and plans to connect with all units this summer.
    • If you have any questions about your unit’s phone lines, please do not hesitate to reach out to bsc@uconn.edu.
    • Please do not cancel an existing phone line or purchase a new phone line without first connecting with the Business Center.
    • Phone lines are funded permanently, so we prefer to repurpose existing lines rather than purchasing new lines or cancelling existing lines, as we will not get the perm funds returned to the College.

2025 Survey for UConn Departments Hosting Visiting Scholars and Student Interns on J-1 Visas

  • International Student and Scholar Services at UConn must report annually on the activities of our J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program to the U.S. Department of State.
  • Respond to this survey by July 15 if your department hosted a J-1 exchange visitor between July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024.
  • Submit one general response per department via the ISSS Scholar Portal.
    • You can access a list of your J-1 scholars by logging into the ISSS Scholar Portal and clicking on the ACTIVE and INACTIVE tabs.
    • Please review both active and inactive visitors.
    • Please note that this survey is for department admins, faculty, and leadership in Hosting Departments.
  • Do not forward the survey to J-1 scholars; You may consult them for input on certain questions.

Save the Date: Fourth Annual CLAS Conference for Administrative Excellence

  • CLAS is proud to announce its Fourth Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence on Wednesday, June 11 from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM in the Pharmacy/Biology Building (PBB) rooms 129 and 131
    This event brings staff from across CLAS together for a day of collaboration, professional development, and networking and will feature large group sessions of high-impact topics, small group breakout sessions, and lunch.
  • To RSVP, sign up for breakout sessions, and suggest questions to be addressed on specific topics, please visit the Conference RSVP Form.

Save the Date: ITS Technology Day

  • ITS’s annual Technology Day will be held in McHugh Hall on June 3 from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
  • This year’s sessions will feature topics such as AI, Concur, Qualtrics, Microsoft Programs, cybersecurity, and more!
  • Visit ITS's event page for more information,

Monthly Meetings

  • Monthly meetings will take place between CLAS Shared Services Management and the following:
    • Procurement will take place on Wednesday, May 28. 
    • Procurement and A/P will take place on Monday, June 9. 
    • Payroll will take place on Friday, June 6. 
  • CLAS Business Center Monthly Topic Overview will be held on Thursday, June 19. 
  • Please reach out to bsc@uconn.edu with ideas for future topics.
  • Please feel free to reach out to bsc@uconn.edu with any areas of concern you would like to discuss at any of these meetings.

Professional Development Opportunities

  • LinkedIn Learning is now available at no cost to all UConn staff on the Storrs campus as an e-learning resource.
    • LinkedIn Learning offers an opportunity to develop professional skills through a digital library of over 6000 courses.
    • Visit the Microsoft App Store and navigate to the LinkedIn Learning application to activate your license.
  •  CLAS Shared Services maintains a lending library featuring a diverse selection of books on professional development and self-improvement.
  •  Academic Impressions offers professional development resources for higher education professionals. Resources include hundreds of hours of training in topics such as Academic Leadership, Advancement, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Faculty Success, Leadership Development, Compliance, and more.
  •  The Lexington Group, Inc. is UConn’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The Lexington Group offers confidential, face-to-face counseling, or, in certain circumstances, video counseling, to help employees identify and resolve personal issues, regardless of their uniqueness and diversity. Examples include family and marital conflicts, stress, substance abuse, depression, and other emotional issues. The Lexington Group also assists with referrals for eldercare support, childcare, as well as legal and financial guidance through our Life Care program.
    • Employees may call The Lexington Group for immediate and confidential assistance at 1-800-676-4357 (HELP) or visit The Lexington Group's website. The Lexington Group is available seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.
  • Please see the schedule for the Graduate School’s Timely Topics webpage.
    • Topics for live upcoming sessions include:
      • Preparing for Fall: Graduate Assistant Payroll Procedures – Thursday, May 29th at 1:00 PM.
      • Register for a session.

Trainings

  • Annual Compliance Training is available in your Learning@Work portal and must be completed by May 23, 2025.
    • Topics include:
      • The Code of Conduct.
      • The University's Guide to the State Code of Ethics.
      • Key Reminders: Privacy, Reporting Obligations Under Title IX, and Export Control Regulations.
    •  Trainings are available as an online, self-paced course in Learning@Work or in live sessions through WebEx.
      • Live, instructor-led sessions are available at the following times:
  • Concur Open Labs Registration
    • Travel Services will be holding bi-weekly Open Labs at 3 Discovery Drive in the Bid Room.
    • Please come prepared with receipts and supporting documents saved to your laptop or in Concur.
    • The next sessions will be held on Wednesdays, May 21 and June 4.
      • Half hour slots are available from 10 a.m.-noon
    • Visit the Travel Services website for more information.
  • HuskyBuy Open Labs Registration
    • Please come prepared with your laptop, questions, and any quotes or supporting documents you may have questions about.
    • Labs will be available biweekly, with the next two sessions scheduled for Wednesday, May 28.
    • Half-hour slots are available from 10 a.m to 12:00 p.m.
    • Please reach out to huskybuysupport@uconn.edu with any questions.
  • Form I-9 Training

CLAS Shared Services Grant Management

  • New Research Development Services for CLAS Grants:
    • Grant Management Services is pleased to announce new support for CLAS researchers preparing grant proposals. Services include proofreading, technical editing, and resubmission assistance—all designed to help researchers craft strong proposals that meet funder guidelines and stand out to reviewers. Learn more about Research Development Services.
    • For the month of March, CLAS faculty submitted 36 grant applications with a total requested amount of $56.2M.
    • For the month of March, CLAS faculty were awarded 18 new awards with a total funded amount of $4M
      OVPR has launched UCONN EMERGE provides short-term (<12 months) essential support when external funding for an investigator has been interrupted due to circumstances (broadly related to recent changes in federal policies and priorities) beyond the investigator’s control. Please have your faculty contact GMS if they have any questions.
    • Did you know CLAS has the most Effort Reports? In total, CLAS has over 700 Fall 2024 reports to review and forward to faculty for confirmation of effort for themselves and paid personnel on each active grant award.
    • Haley Gillman, Courtney Gunter, Jacob Heiden, Jess Marron, Victoria Rosado, Ally Urban, and Margaret Vassilopoulos attended and presented at NCURA Region 1.
      • “Launching Excellence: Award Kick-Off & Organizational Best Practices” Haley and Jess.
      • “Navigating Complex Challenges: Collaborative Strategies with Faculty” Ally and Margaret.
      • “Proposal Portal Party: A deep dive into the intricacies and nuances of application submission portals” Courtney, Jacob and Victoria.
      • Allison Goldsnider co-authored an article, “Help! We Need to Re-org” published in NCURA’s Sponsored Research Administration: A Guide to Effective Strategies & Recommended Practices.

CLAS Shared Services Information Technology

  • This summer, the CLAS IT team will be working in our computer labs to prepare for the upcoming academic year. We’ll also be working with faculty and staff to replace university-owned devices that are no longer supported.
  • If there is something specific you would like us to review—such as software, AV setups, or classroom technology—please let us know.
  • Email CLASIT@uconn.edu with any requests or suggestions

Well Wishes

  • Christine Buckley, Communication and Publicity Manager, CLAS Communications.