ctcLink Learning Opportunities & Support Roundup: June 26, 2024
A weekly round-up of ctcLink learning opportunities, ctcLink support updates, and news for Washington state community and technical college ctcLink users.
The next edition will be Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
If you have questions or suggestions for future editions, contact ctcLink News or slnelson@sbctc.edu.
What ctcLink learning opportunities are available?
ctcLink Support eLists
ctcLink Customer Support teams send notifications of learning opportunities (including trainings, work sessions, user acceptance testing, and more), as well as global and cross-pillar system communications to the applicable ctcLink Support eLists (aka listservs) on a regular basis.
If you are a ctcLink end-user, and not already hearing about learning opportunities firsthand, join one or more support lists today: ctcLink Support eLists
Training calendar
Find the latest learning opportunities, including notices of cancellation or schedule changes, on the ctcLink Training & Learning Opportunities Registration page or on the SBCTC meetings and events calendar (apply filters).
Take a training tour
View the ctcLink Training Overview video for a quick online tour of resources. To view it in full screen, select box icon in the upper right corner.
Learning Opportunities & Work Sessions Ahead
To plan further ahead or find the latest learning opportunities, as well as notices of cancellation or schedule changes, see the complete calendar at the ctcLink Training & Learning Opportunities Registration page or on the SBCTC meetings and events calendar (apply filters).
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| ctcLink Training Quick Reference Guides | The ctcLink Training Quick Reference Guides (QRGs) in the ctcLink Reference Center lists and links to recordings of sessions delivered by the Training Team. |
| Work Sessions in Canvas | The Work Session Canvas Course lists and links to recordings of sessions, including CS Core-offered Work Sessions. Register for the course(s) at ctcLink Training & Learning Opportunities Registration. |
| ctcLink Security Documentation & Training | Find ctcLink Security-related training materials, documentation, Quick Reference Guides (QRGs), useful queries, and more on the ctcLink Security Documentation & Training page. |
| Accessibility and ctcLink Open Forums | SBCTC hosts monthly Accessibility and ctcLink Open Forums to engage Washington's community and technical college system in discussions around ctcLink accessibility and technology. Find materials and recordings from past ctcLink Accessibility Forums on the website. |
ctcLink News
Next PCD Refresh Set for July 1
In support of the Financial Aid community's contingency awarding efforts currently underway, the next Production College Development (PCD) refresh date will be Monday, July 1, 2024.
This has been updated on the ctcLink Support webpage: Environment/Pillar Updates and Outages.
Why this change?
There was concern among the colleges and the FA Support team that SAIs from the Department of Education uploaded to PCD might get lost, so they want to wait until they’re confident ISIRs loaded into Production are working as designed, so colleges are assured a record to compare what they see in PROD vs. PCD.
ctcLink Onboarding Training Manuals & Staff Training Participation Application Ready for Use
We are pleased to announce the ctcLink Customer Support Training team has created two important tools to assist colleges with employee onboarding and tracking ctcLink training participation activities:
- Employee Onboarding Training Manuals
- Staff Training Participation Application
These new tools respond to multiple recommendations and requests:
- Aligns with recommendations set forth in WACTC’s 2023 ctcLink Improvement Plan to help employees better understand which leaning opportunities and trainings they need to do their work in ctcLink.
- Addresses a recent State Auditor's Office (SAO) finding that employees need to participate in more training and learning opportunities to better understand the ctcLink system.
- Provides training onboarding and tracking management tools which ctcLink College Leaders (Points of Contact), subject matter experts, and supervisors have expressed a need for since go-live.
Be on the lookout for open Q & A sessions on the Onboarding Manuals and the Staff Training Participation Application later in the summer!
Onboarding Training Manuals
Onboarding Training Manuals will assist new college staff in their training journey through ctcLink (PeopleSoft). Although learning a new software system can be challenging, we expect these documents will provide new staff with the information needed to locate, understand, and participate in the various training and learning opportunities available from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC).
Each manual is divided into sections highlighting specific topics and information necessary to become more comfortable with our ctcLink system. Section topics may include:
- Onboarding checklist
- Welcome to ctcLink Training
- Each pillar’s place in ctcLink
- Prerequisite ctcLink courses
- Role-based training content and requirements (i.e., required and recommended ctcLink self-paced training courses)
- Additional onboarding resources
How to use the onboarding manuals
The Onboarding Training Manuals can be found in the ctcLink Reference Center “Intro to ctcLink” section. Onboarding manuals are available for Finance users, Human Capital Management users, Financial Aid users, and General staff.
- General Staff Onboarding Training Manual
- Finance Onboarding Training Manual
- Financial Aid Onboarding Training Manual
- Human Capital Management Onboarding Training Manual
Manuals for Campus Solutions and Student Financials users will be available in July 2024.
The intent is for supervisors to work with staff to provide clarity around staff roles and functions of their job based on the onboarding manual.
To enhance understanding of the ctcLink system, each ctcLink module lists required and recommended self-paced ctcLink Canvas training courses which directly align to roles and functions performed at the colleges. For example, each staff member is required to complete general prerequisite courses to introduce them to the ctcLink system.
The included checklist allows supervisors to identify which required and recommended courses should be completed by each staff member. Additional training resources are provided to assist new staff in their onboarding activities.
ctcLink Staff Training Participation Application
The colleges have experienced an increased need to track online training course completion and progress for members of their staff. SBCTC has created a web-based application which will display training course completion information extracted from Canvas.
Phase 1 Initial Launch
Users will be able to view their own course completion information, as well as course completion information for any staff within their chain of supervision.
Security roles will be dynamically assigned to all active users in the system to access their own training data, and the training data of any staff in the user’s supervisory hierarchy. Depending on the security role, staff can search for active or inactive employees' training data by various means including employee ID, supervisor name, employee first or last name, department, or training course title.
An elevated ctcLink security role, which will provide users with college-level training data, will be assigned to college designated Points of Contact (ctcLink College Leaders). For ongoing role-level access, the individual local security administrators (LSAs) will have the ability to update access for maintenance purposes.
Revised security settings were tested, and the fix was applied, so the application is now available to all staff.
Please see the ctcLink Staff Training Participation Application quick reference guide (QRG) for step-by-step instructions.
Phase 2 Checklist Implementation
The integration of checklists to assign required and recommended ctcLink Canvas course training is under development.
The Onboarding Checklist available in the Onboarding Training Manuals will soon be replaced with a built-in, automated version. Supervisors will have access to assign and track ctcLink course completions through the checklist feature of the application.
This Phase 2 checklist enhancement has moved out of the planning stage and into the development phase with anticipated delivery of the new feature in Fall 2024.
Phase 3 Instructor-Led Training (ILT)
The ability to track staff participation in Instructor-Led Training (ILT) learning opportunity sessions is in the early planning stages. Anticipated delivery for the ILT participation functionality is late 2024.
The ctcLink Training and Support teams look forward to partnering with the colleges to provide enhanced onboarding and training experiences for new employees.
Data Summit 2024: Save the Date!
Monday, Aug. 19 (all day) & Tuesday, Aug. 20 (tentative half-day) at South Puget Sound Community College, Lacey Campus.
Planning for Data Summit 2024 is now underway
The DataLink Steering Committee (IT Commission & Research and Planning Commission) is in the planning stages for another informative event discussing all things data. Last year, participants heard from several areas about work occurring to set a foundation for growth in this area.
In 2024, the committee aims to build on that foundation with valuable discussions and a more in-depth look at our system’s data landscape and data needs.
The agenda is under development but will include:
- Hands-on work with the data
- Deep dives on hot topics
- Topic-specific groups, rather than role-specific
- Opportunities for collaboration
- Information on what’s coming down the road
For the Tuesday half-day, the planning team is considering hands-on, deep dives into a couple of topics, but nothing is set.
Get involved
We want to hear from you!
- Got some ideas? Fill out this online form.
- Want to have fun with your colleagues and help plan the Data Summit? Fill out this online form.
User Acceptance Testing Kickoff: Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP)
Monday, July 8, 2024, 1 – 3 p.m., Join Session
Colleges are asked to participate in upcoming user acceptance testing (UAT) July 8-19, 2024 for the OAAP Okta enhancement. During UAT, users will review the upcoming enhancement and test functionality to confirm these changes work as intended. SBCTC will provide supportive testing guidance during the UAT kickoff, including information on the changes the user will be testing.
Changes will be implemented in ctcLink production pending outcome of testing.
Note: The presentation portion of the session will be recorded and distributed so users can continue their testing post-session. UAT activities will end on July 19, 2024. Any concerns or issues found need to be reported to SBCTC by submitting a service desk ticket by that date.
Overview of Changes
Okta authentication is being enabled for the Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP). Okta is a user authentication tool for applications and currently used by ctcLink. While multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled for ctcLink Okta, the Okta tool for OAAP will not have MFA enabled at this time.
See enhancement request details: ER 284 – (FYI) Enable Okta for OAAP.
Additionally, to support the OAAP Okta changes, two new OAAP Administrator pages have been created for staff to:
- Reset OAAP Account emails and passwords, and
- View audit logs of email and password reset changes.
These new pages meet one of the requirements in ER 212 – OAAP Admin and Student Sections.
Tester Information Needed
The college users participating in this UAT should include users who are current OAAP College Admins and/or users who assist students with OAAP. Please email the list of names and emails to cstein@sbctc.edu (no EMPLIDs are needed for this UAT). This will help us ensure that identified testers receive all necessary UAT information after the kickoff session.
Tester Preparation Required
To test the changes related to OAAP Admin pages and logging in to OAAP with an EMPLID, each college will be provided with a shared test account to utilize for testing. Login information will be provided during the session.
To test the changes related to OAAP Account Creation and logging in with an OAAP account, each tester must come prepared with a real and unique email address to use for each OAAP account they want to create for testing. All testers will need to log into these email accounts during your testing. The data created during testing activities within the OAAP test environment will be deleted following the conclusion of UAT activities.
Out of Scope
During this UAT, users will not log into the ctcLink PQA environment or using their EMPLID to login to the OAAP environment. Additionally, users will not submit or review applications.
Please reach out to Caitlin Stein, Test Coordinator, if you have any questions or concerns.
CS Core Learning Opportunities
CS Core Training
CS Core Trainings, a valuable learning opportunity, are held on the third Wednesday of every month from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The dates may change, and notifications will be sent in advance. The CS Core training alternates between refreshers and different process approaches. We highly value your participation and welcome all end-users to attend these trainings. You can find details about upcoming meetings on the SBCTC Calendar, CS Core Weeklyish CORErespondence, and CS Core listserv. Please visit the QRG Campus Solutions Learning OpportunitiesRecordings for a list of previous recordings.
NEW! CS Core Refresher: Enrollment Appointments
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, 8:30 – 10 a.m., Read more and join the session.
This session will include the following topics:
- Student Program Plan Discontinuation
- Batch Term Activation
- Enrollment Appointments
- Define Student Appointment Blocks
- Create the Enrollment Appointment Table
- Assign Enrollment Appointments in Batch
The term activation batch job runs more efficiently with fewer active program/plan stacks and fewer term-activated students' tuition calculations. Additionally, it prevents accidental term activations. Develop criteria for when a student must reapply to your institution and submit a ticket to discontinue ineligible students.
Next, we will walk through Batch Term Activation. Before enrolling, students must be term-activated; the local business process will determine the number of previous terms to include. Then, we will create Student Appointment Blocks using Student Groups and Cumulative Units. Student Blocks are One-Time Setups. Once you have set up your Student Appointment Blocks, you do not need to recreate them every term. After creating Student Appointment Blocks, we will set dates and times on the Appointment Table. Finally, we will assign appointments in Batch.
CS Core Work Sessions
Campus Solutions (CS) Core Work Sessions, open to ALL end users, are held the first Thursday of each month, from 1 to 3 p.m. The CS Functional Support team facilitates, alternating between functional team delivered content and college user delivered content with functional team support. Each meeting includes time for colleges to ask questions about other topics or service tickets.
Find details on the SBCTC Calendar and in the CS Core Weeklyish COREspondence (sent on Fridays to the CSSupport listserv).
Core Sessions: College System & SBCTC Calendar
CS COREterly Open Q&A Sessions
- CS Core invites you to attend its quarterly Open Q&A sessions! While these sessions are for learning and problem-solving, we want to emphasize that these are also part of our efforts to support community building.
- Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Learn more and join the session
- Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Learn more and join the session
We want these sessions to provide an opportunity for college users to:
- Get assistance with any functionality they want to better understand or situation they are struggling to make work.
- Seek advice on anything they are trying to solve.
- Share best practices and lessons learned.
- Develop networks and build community.
To support the varied work areas of our users, each session will have a breakout room for each of the following modules:
- Records & Enrollment, which includes Student Program/Plan, Term Activation, Enrollment Appointments, Enrollment, Transfer-In Credit, Transcripts, Graduation and so on.
- Campus Community, which includes 3Cs, BioDemo, Service Indicators and so on.
- Curriculum Management, which includes class building, course catalog management, enrollment requirements and so on
Along with your colleagues who can share their real-life experiences and the solutions they have employed; CS Core team experts will be present in each room. We encourage you to submit your questions before the session (but doing so isn’t required). Enter your questions on the CS COREterly Question Submissions tab. Knowing your questions ahead of time just helps us to be prepared and allows us to help as many people as possible.
We hope you’ll join us even if you don’t have specific questions! We look forward to connecting with you and for you to connect with each other.
Hodgepodge: A Treasury of Tiny Topics
Thursday, July 18, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Learn more and join the session
So many topics deserve a spotlight but don’t quite merit an entire session by themselves. So, what to do? We are bundling them up for you in a Very Special Hodgepodge Session!
While we plan to cover some fundamentals, such as understanding effective-dating and best practices in testing, much of this session will be a speed-review of reminders and suggestions about fix-it processes like Synchronize Enrollment Totals and workarounds like Bypassing Clean Address.
Designed to prompt many “Ohhh, RIGHT!” responses and build your muscle memory, this session should be a fun one.
Modules: All
Questions? Contact CS Core Support.
Behind the Integration Broker (IB): Data Synchronization between HCM and CS Pillars
Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Read more and join the session
Seeking clarity about what data moves from HCM to Campus Solutions? And how? We hope to not only satisfy your curiosity but also make it easier for your Student Records and HR offices to stay in sync and achieve your intended outcomes.
This session will be an introduction to what Integration Broker (IB) is, how it works and what it does. We’ll discuss some of the basic consideration points and tips about managing biodemo data, particularly those nuances of being in a multi-pillar, global environment.
Questions? Contact CS Core Support.
FIN Learning Opportunities
FIN Work Sessions: FY24 Grants & Projects
Please join the ctcLink Finance Customer Support team for two collaborative support sessions to help troubleshoot, clear-out errors, and reconcile prior Fiscal Year End 2023-2024. This includes ALL Grants, Program Projects, and Capital Projects.
- Session 1: FY24 Grants & Projects - BEFORE 6/30: Thursday, June 27, 2 –3pm, Read more and join the session
- Session 2: FY24 Grants & Projects - AFTER GL Close & BEFORE OBIS Billing Deadline of 7/15: Thursday, July 11, 2 - 3 p.m., Read more and join the session
Questions? See the contact information listed in the event calendar listings above.
ctcLink Accounting Team presents: Chartstring Clean-Up & Special Topics
Join the SBCTC Business Operations ctcLink Accounting team every Thursday from 10 to 11 a.m. for special topics and ChartString clean-up working sessions.
Questions? See the contact information listed in the event calendar listings below.
| DATE/TIME | EVENT/TOPIC |
|---|---|
| Thursday, June 27, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: Fixed Asset Reconciliation |
| Friday, June 28, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: FYE24 Open Q&A |
FIN Daily Fiscal Year-end (FYE) Work Sessions
Join the SBCTC Business Operations ctcLink Accounting team for Fiscal Year-end 2023-2024 accounting support and guidance. Topics include FYE preparation, reconciliation, and processes.
These focused work sessions will run daily, Monday through Friday (except holidays), 10 to 11 a.m., July 1 through August 2, 2024.
Questions? See the contact information listed in the event calendar listings below.
FIN Work Session: Grants/Projects Q&A Drop-In
Every second Monday of the month at 11 a.m. join the ctcLink Finance Customer Support team for a collaborative, interactive and troubleshooting drop-in session on everything Grants/Projects.
Questions? See the contact information listed in the event calendar listings below.
Need help with setting up FY25 grants? Feel free to reach out to Michele Rockwell, MSML, ctcLink Finance Functional Analyst.
You are invited to drop in with any questions related to grants and projects at the open Q&A sessions.
| DATE/TIME | EVENT/TOPIC |
|---|---|
| Thursday, June 27, 2 p.m. | Grants & Projects Drop-In Session |
| Monday, July 8, 11 a.m. | Grants & Projects Drop-In Session |
| Thursday, July 11, 2 p.m. | Grants & Projects Drop-In Session |
Finance (FSCM) College Users Production Support Meetings
Meetings are held every Tuesday, from 2 to 3 p.m.
These sessions are open to ALL Finance (FSCM) end users. The ctcLink Finance Customer Support team provides updates on Service Tickets, PeopleSoft enhancements, and open forum time to ask questions or request future topics.
| DATE/TIME | EVENT/TOPIC |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, June 25, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: YEAR END TOPIC on PO Rollover |
| Tuesday, July 2, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting |
| Tuesday, July 9, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting with DYK “did you know?” topic on Asset Management Review and Assistance |
| Tuesday, July 16, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting |
| Tuesday, July 23, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting with DYK “did you know?” topic on Grants/Projects |
Monthly Student Finance/General Ledger SF/GL Open Forum
Every second Wednesday, 2 to 3 p.m., the SBCTC Business Operations Accounting team invites you to bring your questions (and solutions) to share during this open forum meeting space for all things Student Finance/General Ledger (SF/GL) related.
There is no formal agenda as we welcome all questions about everything from item types and second journal sets to waivers, queries, or internal cash reconciliation.
See the SBCTC meetings and events calendar and look for ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting.
| DATE/TIME | EVENT/TOPIC |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, July 10, 2024 | ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting |
Financial Aid Award Processing: Week 2 Recap
There will continue to be adjustments from the Department of Education (ED), bug fixes, and requisite coding changes from Oracle, so this effort is only the beginning and awarding financial aid is by no means easy yet.
PeopleSoft Release Patchset (PRP) 2.7
FA PRP 2.7 was successfully implemented in ctcLink production the evening of Thursday, June 20.
SBCTC has created a supporting document that includes the changes the user will experience once the PRP is implemented: Campus Solutions Financial Aid PRP 2.7 Overview - June 2024
Getting there!
Thirty colleges have now been able to award financial aid in ctcLink production as of today (June 26).
FAFSA Simplification Known Issues Tracker
While colleges are meeting with success, they also continue to experience a variety of issues with jobsets and packaging equations, among other things.
A FAFSA Simplification 2024-2025 Known Issues in ctcLink tracking tool is posted at the ctcLink Reference Center under FAFSA Simplifications 24-25.
This page compiles known issues and bugs, most of which have been discussed with the financial aid community in work sessions and/or emails. Each item includes statement of impact, workaround (if any), timeline for resolution, priority level, and status, as well as which organization is responsible for troubleshooting (e.g., Department of Education, Oracle, SBCTC, WSAC).
Bugs and Issues Fixed
Several items in the tracker have been resolved since last week:
- When running Generate Direct Loan Data for Aid Year 2025, the loan file that is produced has the incorrect namespace
- When running Generate Pell Data for Aid Year 2025, the enrollment intensity is not accurate for Less Than Full Time Students
- 2024-2025 ISIR JobSet Cannot Be Run After 06/13/2024
SBCTC FAFSA Resources Webpage
Visit the 2024-25 FAFSA Resources web page for regularly updated information for college employees and includes updated FAQ templates including a Q&A center.
FAFSA Simplification Q&A center (for colleges)
Submit questions and ideas about FAFSA simplification efforts to the SBCTC FAFSA Response Team
FAFSA in the News
- Keep up with the latest news from the NASFAA FAFSA Simplification Web Center
New Gainful Employment Rules a Moving Target
It is certainly whiplash season for higher education.
On Tuesday, June 18, colleges participated in a presentation about the new Gainful Employment reporting and the 150% rule slated to take effect on July 1, 2024. See presentation: Gainful Employment reporting and the 150% rule (Zoom recording).
And then three days later, on Friday, June 21, a federal judge partially halted the Department of Education's (ED) upcoming administrative capability rule, citing a provision that would specifically target career and technical programs. See NASFAA News: Court Blocks Maximum Program Length Rule for Gainful Employment (GE) Programs.
The court imposed a temporary injunction against a provision in the rule concerning maximum program length for gainful employment (GE) programs. GE programs in the past were eligible to offer Title IV aid provided they did not exceed 150% of the minimum number of clock hours required for the occupation for which the program prepares the student by the state the institution is located.
Effective July 1, 2024, under the rules now halted by the injunction, the maximum program length would instead be capped at 100% of the state’s minimum required clock or credit hours. The final rules could result in students not qualifying for federal student aid if a program’s minimum hours exceed those required by the state in which they operate.
What we know
This injunction does not affect the reporting requirement, so we are continuing our work with the National Student Clearinghouse. SBCTC agency staff is continuing to work to identify programs that might be affected if the injunction does not hold.
We suggest campus teams designated to work on this reporting huddle up and discuss. Summer Kenesson is distributing a detailed message to colleges today and tomorrow.
Many are concerned about recent federal rulemaking concerning the reintroduction of Gainful Employment and Financial Value Transparency (GE/FVT) reporting, and the ‘150% rule’ change that was to go into effect on July 1. The timing of these federal expectations would be challenging in any year, but this is exacerbated with the pressures of enrollment recovery and the simplified FAFSA.
Stay tuned
In this rapidly shifting landscape, SBCTC is working to ease the burden on colleges of compliance with these new rules and rule changes and will continue to provide information on these rules, how they may affect colleges, and what the SBCTC is doing to provide support.
More updates, FAQs and information on both the GE reporting and the 150% rule will be shared via the listservs as available.
If you have questions about the GE/FVT or 150% rules, please reach out to Summer Kenesson, SBCTC Director of Policy Research.
Update: Equation Engines and Process for Mass Removing EA Indicators
College Bound Scholarship (CBS)
The issue with the CBS enrollment-based awarding equation engines was identified and resolved earlier this week so you may have already noticed they are no longer inflating to the annual amount for each term. They should be awarding one term amounts for each term and prorated accordingly as expected.
State Work Study (SWS)
The issue with the SWS prior enrollment selection equation engine has been identified and resolved this morning. Only two colleges are using the SWS prior enrollment equation engine, but we wanted to let everyone know the issue has been resolved.
EA Indicator Mass Removal
Instructions for mass removing the EA indicator on students for those colleges that awarded students aid using the EA checkbox until the 2024-2025 image was in production were sent to the ctcLink Financial Aid Support and FAC lists this morning.
FA Learning Opportunities
Loan Set Up for Schema 5.0b and 2024/2025 Loan Processing *NEW SESSION*
Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Read more and join the session
Audience: Trailer College Financial Aid Staff responsible for Direct Loan Origination and Outbounding
By request, some colleges have expressed interest in a session to walk through setting up the new AY loan run controls for when you begin processing loans in the 2024-2025 Aid Year (AY).
This Financial Aid Session is a hands-on workshop to set up/adjust your Run Controls for the 2024-2025 AY in preparation for sending out your Direct Loan files for the Fall Term.
Agenda
- Updating/checking Loan Fee Set Up
- Updating/checking Loan Fee in Item Types Set Up
- Updating/checking the Loan Fee in Create Loan Types page
- Updating the Process Loans Run Control ID parameters to 2025 AY
- Break: 10:30 – 10:45 a.m.
- Updating the Odd Year (OY) Summer Include & Summer Exclude Run Control ID parameters to 2024/2025 dates and AY
- Updating the OY Process Loan Dates Run Control ID to 2025 AY
- Updating the Schema to 5.0b on the OY Generate Direct Loan Data page
- Updating and/or creating OY Run Control IDs for your Direct Loan Reports
This session will be recorded. There will be no presentation slide deck, as we will work hands-on in the production environment.
Financial Aid (FA) Work Sessions
Financial Aid (FA) Work Session meetings are on the fourth Thursdays, from 1 to 3 p.m.
The FA Functional Support team facilitates alternating between functional team delivered content and college user delivered content with the support of the FA functional team. The end of each meeting is open for colleges to ask questions about the topic presented. These sessions are open to ALL end users.
Find the latest information, including notices of cancellation or schedule changes, on the ctcLink Training page or on the SBCTC meetings and events calendar (apply filters).
HCM Learning Opportunities
HCM Work Session Meetings
Human Capital Management (HCM) meetings are held every other Wednesday, from 1 to 3 p.m. The HCM Functional team along with the training team offers Work Sessions and Training Sessions around the different functionality in HCM.
- Wednesday, July 10, 1- 3 p.m., HCM Work Session: Fiscal Year DRS Calendar Update/Creation (Rescheduled from June 26)
Behind the Integration Broker (IB): Data Synchronization between HCM and CS Pillars
Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Read more and join the session
Seeking clarity about what data moves from HCM to Campus Solutions? And how? We hope to not only satisfy your curiosity but also make it easier for your Student Records and HR offices to stay in sync and achieve your intended outcomes.
This session will be an introduction to what Integration Broker (IB) is, how it works and what it does. We’ll discuss some of the basic consideration points and tips about managing biodemo data, particularly those nuances of being in a multi-pillar, global environment.
Questions? Contact CS Core Support.
All Things SF Fiscal Year End
- Make sure your SF internal cash balances to zero and that your Error and Clearing GL Accounts have been cleaned out prior to June 30, 2024 .
- Remember! The SBCTC Business Operations Accounting team is offering daily year-end training and Q&A sessions through August 2, from 10 to 11 a.m. See Finance (FIN) News section above for details.
ER224 - Academic Information link
Have you noticed the improvement on the Academic Information link via the View Customer Accounts page yet?
As of Thursday, June 13, the information contained within the Academic Information link will be displayed by term in descending order, include the institution field, and only display data relating to your SACR Business Unit Security.
Career Term Data will display for students as long as your Business Unit Security includes college codes of the enrollment. If you have multiple colleges listed within your Business Unit Security, you will retain the ability to view enrollment information from each.
CyberSource and NelNET
Do you use CyberSource or NelNET?
If so, please note the following new SolarWinds request types under ctcLink Support > Student Financials:
- SF: NelNET
- SF: CyberSource
Please use these ticket request types for all issues related to either of these important third-party vendors.
The SF Team will direct any email correspondents to submit tickets using these new request types.
NEW PROMPTS added to SF_PS_COMGEN_LIMIT query
Please review the “Edit Prompts” link when using this query as additional prompts have been added.
The new prompts let you restrict your run to letters assigned during a time period.
If you have run ComGen with a run control you’ve used previously and get a Pop-Up Message, please refer to the following resources:
Some SF Things to Keep in Mind!
Second Journal Sets
SJS item type update access in ctcLink is now open so accounting chart string information may be updated by college staff.
- Access will be open to staff with the ZD_SAR_2ND_JRNL_SETUP role.
- Access will be open between the dates of Monday, June 3, through Friday, June 28.
- After access is removed, all SJS item type updates will require a SolarWinds ticket and form.1098T Statements
Don’t forget to consider asking students for any missing SSNs or to consent to electronic 1098Ts.
Mass Assign/Mass Release Service Indicator
This process utilizes the Mass Assign/Mass Release Service Indicator pages and some flexible queries designed to assign any indicator the user has access to assign, based on the prompted criteria. See Mass Assign/Release SF Service Indicators Based on Amount Past Due in the ctcLink Reference Center.
FARP/FARC note
Use the Reversal pages for account cleanup. This will reverse the FARC/FARP item types from the student account. It is recommended to reverse both the charge and the payment when you need to make an adjustment/correction or to allow other forms of aid to apply. This will help with reconciling internal cash each month.
SF Trainings/Work Sessions/Resources Roundup
Recent Learning Opportunities
- End of Fiscal Year Prep: May 20, 2024
- Write-Off Updates: May 23, 2024
- SF Reconciliation Canvas link & recording: June 3, 2024
- Updated resource/query in G6 Management Process slide deck – a watchful eye discovered an update needed. Please note use of query QCS_FA_DISB_INFO_LIMITED_POP.
- SF Work Session on Second Journal Set (SJS) Updates:, June 20, 2024
Resources
- Running Start Series videos on YouTube: Please check out the SBCTC Running Start channel for news and updates.
- Sign up for SF beginner courses or access the Pillar Work Sessions in Canvas.
SF Learning Opportunities
Please feel free to reach out to SFSupport@sbctc.edu if you have any questions or need further clarification.
Monthly Student Finance/General Ledger SF/GL Open Forum
Every second Wednesday, 2 to 3 p.m., the SBCTC Business Operations Accounting team invites you to bring your questions (and solutions) to share during this open forum meeting space for all things Student Finance/General Ledger (SF/GL) related.
There is no formal agenda as we welcome all questions about everything from item types and second journal sets to waivers, queries, or internal cash reconciliation.
See the SBCTC meetings and events calendar and look for ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting.
| DATE/TIME | EVENT/TOPIC |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, July 10, 2024 | ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting |
Query Developer Learning Opportunities
Instructor-Led Query Development Training
The ctcLink Training Calendar has been updated with next quarter’s instructor led query development training schedule. Have a look at their fresh offerings.
Step Up your Query Game
Learn more about the Designated Query Developer Training series and start your journey to becoming your college’s very own query guru! Or query wizard, if you prefer. Or maestro. Maybe a goddess, crackerjack, wizard, or maven. It’s up to you!
Upcoming courses include:
- July 9, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 101 Basics - Part 1
- July 10, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 101 Basics - Part 2y 30, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 201 Intermediate - Part 1
- July 31, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 201 Intermediate - Part 2
- Aug 21, 8:45 a.m., PS Query Training 102 - Query Security
- Sep 10, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 301 Advanced - Part 1
- Sep 11, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 301 Advanced - Part 2
- Sep 24, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 401 Expert- Part 1
- Sep 25, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 401 Expert- Part 2
Plan ahead for 2024
The ctcLink Training Calendar has been updated with 2024 instructor-led query-related training. To clear filter settings, select None. Then select ctcLink Learning Opportunities > Reporting Training.
How to for Query Developer Courses
The process to enroll in Query Developer Canvas courses has been streamlined. Now, instead of emailing Data Services, simply:
- Visit the ctcLink Training Registrationpage,
- Select the class(es) from the Designated Query Developer Training section,
- Follow the sign-up process.
More for PeopleSoft Query Developers
Find more ctcLink PeopleSoft Query Development resources including forms, documentation, and tools at the ctcLink PeopleSoft Reporting web page.
Security Potpourri
- The Staff Training Participation application security role integration has been fixed and the application is now available to all staff.
- Finance pillar masking is in progress in the development environment and a ticket has been submitted to Oracle for some of the issues encountered.
- The SASI Advisory team is meeting soon to finalize Business Process Review for a user access request form and workflow.
- To further tighten security, all elevated CTC Support accounts at SBCTC will get a new Okta role on July 1, 2024, to prevent them from using security questions and email as multi-factor options.
- All old CTC Roles will become unavailable on July 1, 2024, and removed from all user accounts to become audit compliant.
ctcLink Accessibility Monthly Open Forum
Join us! The ctcLink Accessibility monthly forums engage Washington's community and technical college system in discussions around ctcLink accessibility and technology. We aim to improve communication and transparency while providing space for productive and solution-focused dialog. Our main objective is to deliver accessible technology for all our students, staff, and the larger community.
Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month, 11 a.m. to noon.
The next ctcLink Accessibility Open Forum will be Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 11 a.m. All are welcome to attend via Zoom.
In case you missed a meeting, please see materials from past Open Forums.
