ctcLink Learning Opportunities & Support Roundup: Aug. 14, 2024
A weekly round-up of ctcLink learning opportunities, ctcLink support updates, and news for Washington state community and technical college ctcLink users.
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
System Server Downtime, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, noon to 8 p.m.
As part of the final move to the new SBCTC offices, physical server hardware is moving from the Quince Street office to the State Data Center (SDC) in our new facility.
An official message with final details will be sent to the college system from SBCTC IT-Mail on Monday, Aug. 19.
This will impact several commonly used online applications and services, so your attention is requested. Stay tuned!
Downtime Details
- Downtime: Friday, Aug. 23, 2023, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- The downtime will last approximately eight hours, with every effort made to minimize the duration.
Impacted Applications
During this period, all services hosted on the affected servers will be offline and unavailable.
Following is a draft list of college-, public-, and student-facing services and web applications which will be unavailable during the server move. This list will be finalized for the Aug. 19 official message.
- Emails sent from SBCTC
- Mailman Listservs
- metaLink
- Online Budget and Invoicing System (OBIS)
- Online Grant Management System (OGMS)
- QARS
- SBCTC Budget Reports
- SBCTC Internal Report Manager
- SBCTC.edu website
- SharePoint SBCTC sites
- Statewide Enrollment and Reporting System (SERS)
- Tableau dashboards
- Tickler
SBCTC staff only
Colleges won’t experience downtime, but SBCTC researchers and staff will not have access to the following products:
- DataLink
- Data Warehouse
- Tableau (including dashboards)
System Environment Updates & Outages
Stay up to date on planned maintenance and service outages for ctcLink and related systems: ctcLink Support Page (includes Planned Service Outages)
PCD Data Refresh
PCD Data Refreshes normally occur on the first Monday of every month. The next PCD data refresh will be Monday, Sept. 2.
HCX Versions
We are currently on Version 23.2.0. Our next adoption is scheduled for Fall and includes three HCX Versions (23.3, 24.1 and 24.2). For CS Core, testing has begun. HighPoint delivers releases three times a year, corresponding with the PeopleSoft Image Update schedule.
PeopleSoft Campus Solutions Update Image
We are currently on Image 29. Our next adoption is scheduled for Fall and includes Images 30, 31 and 32. For CS Core, testing has begun. Oracle delivers CS Image releases three times a year.
PeopleSoft PeopleTools Updates
We are currently on 8.59.21, deployed April 27, 2024. PeopleTools provides the underlying technology for PeopleSoft applications, including Campus Solutions. PeopleSoft applications are built, deployed, and maintained using PeopleTools. Oracle delivers PeopleTools releases every 12-18 months; no additional PeopleTools updates are scheduled for 2024.
Data Summit 2024: Just Around the Corner
Monday, Aug. 19, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., South Puget Sound Community College - Lacey Campus
4220 6th Ave SE, Lacey, WA 98503 Building 1, Room 186; no parking pass required.
This event is a collaborative effort sponsored by the DataLink Steering Committee working in partnership with the Information Technology Commission, Research & Planning Commission, and the ctcLink College Collaboration Group.
Sessions include
- High-Level Review of Baseline Data Replication Package (BDRP) and DataLink
- Essential data tables and resources within our systems
- Data governance essentials
- Budget reports for day-to-day budget managers
- Enhancing solution sharing with the BDRP Extractor Tool
- Data security protocols
- Information Technology (IT) and Institutional Research (IR) collaboration
- Automating student onboarding with BDRP and Okta
- Security Administration System Improvement (SASI) Project
Register
Please submit this short registration form if you plan to attend.
While we would love to see you all in person, we will also provide a remote option to attend via Zoom. Please register regardless of how you will participate.
OAAP Issue Fixed: EMPLID Users Now Able to Apply
ctcLink EMPLIDs with no prior admissions application history were unable to begin an OAAP application. This issue has been resolved as of Aug. 13, 2024.
CS Enhancement Requests
In-flight
- ER 232 (FYI) Adding Custom Self-Service Questions development work is in progress.
- OAAP ERs #178, 184,169, 183, 212, and 237 approved by Working Group. Work is underway
for Priority 1 (Residency & Citizenship) which includes some crossover between ERs
169, 184, and 237.
- Kastech has completed development work and CS Core will begin testing following CS Image and HCX updates testing priorities.
In progress
- ER 289 (FYI) – Enabled Advising Notes for student use in HighPoint Campus Experience (HCX), however, functional testing is on hold because security issue needs further analysis
- Activities are underway for CS Image 32 and HCX Updates.
- ctcLink Transcript Term GPA Rounding Fix is on hold while CS Image 32 and HCX update activities are underway.
Apprenticeship Project
CS Support is updating college apprenticeship academic plans on a college-by-college rollout basis. CS Support has one remaining ticket open with Clark College. The reporting FTE calculation change went into effect July 1, 2024.
SBCTC Education Division will follow up with the two remaining colleges that did not begin the apprenticeship coding cleanup project.
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, and 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 includes 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
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.
Questions? Contact CS Core Support.
Getting Repeat Ready
Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, Learn more and join the session
We’ve spent a lot of time talking about the Repeat Rule and the State Repeat Policy. In this session, Cielito Lane, Bates Technical College, won’t cover ANY of that! Nope, not at all! This is not about the Rule. It is not about the Policy. So what is it about? This session is about DOING it. Because that’s what time it is. Time to DO IT.
Our focus is getting repeat-ready, so this session will benefit those colleges who haven’t felt quite brave enough to run the Repeat Checking Process. Getting repeat-ready means preparing by cleaning up your Course Catalog and using queries to make sure everything IS clean. It also means making some business decisions around how you will process students who had enrollment in both Legacy and ctcLink, specifically around the REP grading basis and REXP repeat codes. You’ll leave this session feeling confident and ready to tackle repeat checking!
Caring for Your Core Processes
Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Read more and join the session
Come learn about the best practices, common issues and frequently asked questions related to scheduling and jobsets! We’ll talk about run controls and process recurrences as we demonstrate how to use the process monitor and how to review resulting success/error files. Shelia will join us to explain the purpose of the college jobs account and related expectations and responsibilities. Note, this content will be specific to CS Core modules (admissions, advisement, enrollment, curriculum management, etc).
Module: PeopleTools
Primary Audience: Process Schedulers
Facilitator/s: Maria Sultan and Marissa Baker, with Shelia Sloan
Reference materials: Process Scheduler/Process Monitor
CS Core Work Session: [Students] Got Bills; They’re Multiplying!
Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Read more and join the session
Does looking at the student account make you feel like you’re loooooosing control? Well, you better shape up, to help you better understand (la la la), that this session is for you. This is the-one-you-want (do-do-do). This session is for those of you who work outside of Student Financials who may need to view the student account and understand what you are seeing. Today we’ll get you a few key words and concepts that will help you better navigate, translate and make sense of Student Financials.
We’ll start with a high-level overview of different tuition groups and tuition calculation. Then, a basic understanding of how to read the student account and where to find information about payments, refunds and more. We will also review the account from the student’s perspective so you can help your students navigate what they see in Self-Service. GREASE up those minds, this session will be ELECTRIFYING.
Module: Student Financials
Primary Audience: Student Financials-Adjacent staff
Facilitator: Jill Hammitt, Highline College
Reference materials
- What I Owe (HCX) QRG
- Highline Canvas: Tuition/Fees Account Balances (Student Homepage)
- Highline Canvas: Tuition/Fees and Account Balances (Mobile)
NEW! CS Core Work Session: Get on the sCOREboard
Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Read more and join the session
As the year ends, it’s once again time to celebrate the progress we've made as a system in ctcLink! All that hard work deserves a break so let’s take some time for some fun and games! Your CS Core team will host this light-hearted trivia-esque experience. The winning college not only gets bragging rights but ALSO gets to work with us to ensure that one of their most desired topics is addressed in a 2025 work session. This is your opportunity for you to show off that you’ve been scouring your bulletins, attending our work sessions, and bookmarking your QRGs/Canvas courses.
We may even throw in some random college and Washington state facts just to keep everyone on their toes and even the playing field!
FIN Learning Opportunities
FIN Work Session: Grants/Projects Q&A Drop-In Sessions
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 |
|---|---|
| Monday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m. | FIN Work Session: Grants/Projects Q&A Drop-In |
| Monday, Oct. 14, 11 a.m. | FIN Work Session: Grants/Projects Q&A Drop-In |
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, Aug. 20, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting |
| Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting |
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, Sept. 11, 2 p.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting |
| Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2 p.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting |
Calc SAI Button to Be Removed by Sept. 12; Do Not Use
Ana Ybarra, Associate Director Campus Solutions - Financial Aid, sent the following notice to college financial aid staff today:
A recent Department of Education (ED) decision has had significant impacts on Washington’s community and technical college financial aid clients (i.e., college FA staff).
ED recently announced it will not accept ISIR corrections for the 24/25 aid year. See announcement: (GENERAL-24-96) Update on Batch Corrections for Institutions via the Electronic Data Exchange, Flexibilities, and Additional Support for the 2024-25 FAFSA Cycle
Our college FA clients are habituated to select the “Calc SAI” (Calculate Student Aid Index) button while performing file review or making changes to a student ISIR to get the most accurate SAI for awarding purposes.
Unfortunately, the SAI formula itself from PeopleSoft is still incorrect, so our college clients should not select “Calc SAI” button on the Correct ISIR Records page.
Additionally, in some cases, incorrect data populates in other fields on the page when the button is selected.
We have already received several tickets on this issue and will likely receive more until we hide the button.
What needs to change and why
SBCTC ctcLink Support has determined it needs to hide the “Calculate SAI” button on the “Correct ISIR Records” page for most FA clients, because selecting the button causes inaccurate data to be populated.
Only FA directors will have the capability based on security roles.
SBCTC intends to leverage Page and Field configuration by assigning director-only security roles for the Correct ISIR Records page to afford only directors the ability to select the button under special circumstances.
ED has provided guidance, which we have consistently echoed, that unfortunately clients will have to go to the FAFSA Partner Portal (FPP) to see accurate data, which causes an undue work burden.
Timeline
This change needs to live in the ctcLink Financial Aid production environment before fall term.
As of today, the goal is no later than Sept. 12, but we are aiming for Sept. 9, 2024.
This matter qualifies as a bug fix considering the Department of Education’s challenges and Oracle’s inability to rectify the SAI calculation button.
Because it requires immediate attention, it does not require a separate enhancement request and form.
What should colleges do until the fix is made?
Until the “Calc SAI” is removed, college financial aid staff are asked to please not select that button.
We will have more specific details on which FA security roles will be applied to Calc SAI button, and more details about our testing within the next few days, early next week. Stay tuned.
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
Federal Student Aid (FSA) Training Spotlight
Have you missed a recent FSA training webinar? You can find links to all recent webinars at the top of FSA’s Webinars and Training Videos page. The most recent webinars are linked there so you can find them easily:
- July 24: FAFSA Data Use in 2024‒25
- July 10: How to Report FVT/GE Data to NSLDS
- June 28: Demo of FAFSA Partner Portal Corrections
Visit the new FAFSA Partner Portal training page to watch a demo on an overview of using the system. Stay tuned soon for additional in-depth training on FAFSA Partner Portal functionality including Applicant View and Corrections.
If you have any questions about your own training situation and completion of courses, please send an email to helpdesk.fsatraining@ed.gov.
FAFSA in the News
- Keep up with the latest news from the NASFAA FAFSA Simplification Web Center
FA Learning Opportunities
Loan Set Up for Schema 5.0b and 2024/2025 Loan Processing: Trailer Colleges
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.
NEW! Advanced FA Training: Reviewing the View COD Data page
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, 9 - 10:30 a.m., Learn more and join the session
This Fin Aid Session is an advanced training on one of the ctcLink Fin Aid pages that will aid you in your direct loan troubleshooting and reconciliation needs.
Objectives
- Understand how to do in-depth reading and interpreting the values on the View COD Data page
- Understand how to search for Entrance Counseling and MPN info by SSN
- Understand how to troubleshoot Direct Loan errors using the View COD Data page
- Understand where the link to the Doc ID lives on the Manage Pell Payment page and how that can be found/used in View COD Data
- Understand how to read the Doc ID on a raw CRAA and CRDL file
Audience
Financial Aid staff responsible for Direct Loan processing and troubleshooting
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).
The HCM Monthly Newsletter Returns
In its effort to improve communications throughout the ctcLink pillars, HCM Support is re-introducing its monthly newsletter to provide the HCM user community an information roundup of information with news and updates in HCM Support, things that happened last month, and most importantly, what to know to be ready for the coming month.
Beginning September, the monthly newsletter will be sent to the HCM eList (listserv) in the first week of the month. Be sure to subscribe to the HCM eList (listserv) so you don’t miss a thing!
HCM Learning Opportunities
HCM Training
NEW! HCM Training: Employee Self-Service
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, 1 – 3pm, Learn more and join the session
Employee Self Service (ESS) training is intended for new hires added to the ctcLink system. Topics covered reflect the transactions available to all employees through the ESS Homepage tiles.
NEW! HCM Training: Manager Self-Service
Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, 1 – 3pm, Learn more and join the session
This work training covers the Manage Self-Service (MSS) homepage and all the transactions available to managers. More details will be available soon.
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.
For calendar details, search the ctcLink Learning Opportunities calendar at SBCTC meetings and events and apply Human Capital Management filter.
- Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, 1 to 3 p.m., Creating Pay Calendars
- Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, 1 to 3 p.m., Payroll Processing Overview
- Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, 1 to 3 p.m., Payroll Processing Checklist Steps 1-5
- Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, 1 to 3 p.m., HCM Work Session: HR Core - Overview
- Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, 1 to 3 p.m., HCM Work Session: HR Core - HR Administration
- Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, 1 to 3 p.m., Data Prep for Year-End Reporting W-2 Forms - Part 2
SF August Update Highlights
This and all updates are stored in the Reference Center at SF Distribution List (DL) Blasts. Be sure to subscribe to the Student Financials eList (listserv) so you don’t miss a thing!
Updates and Reminders
Campus CE Descoped & QRG updates
- Campus CE has been updated and is available for use in the PRD and PCD environments. Kudos to all who helped on this challenging project.
- Please review Understanding Contract Payment Type in CampusCE for updates
1098-T Tax Statements
We are working to produce a new 1098-T Business Processing Guide (BPG) currently being validated/edited via the 2024 1098-T Working Group Volunteers and anticipate rollout at the end of the month. The intention of the BPG is to contain detailed instructions for all processes 1098-T related.
REMINDER! Is it time to send out your missing SSN notification or ask students to agree to the electronic version (paperless) version of the 1098-T?
Here are some handy QRGs just for you:
College contacts for Item Type approvers
- Please remember to notify the SBCTC SF Team of any changes to staff who approve and sign off on new (or edits) to item types. Send a note to sfsupport@sbctc.edu.
- The new item type form does not have a field within it for approvers/signers; we ask that approver/signer either submit the form or add a note to the ticket giving final authorization.
Third Party Contracts
- When creating or rolling over contracts, avoid using the "All Charges" tree node. Instead, enter more specific parameters within the Third-Party Charges tab to improve the functionality of your contracts. Leaving the "All Charges" node in TPCs can lead to issues and corrections down the road.
- Keep TPC payment/charge adjusting within the TPC menu in ctcLink. Do not use the Reverse Charge to adjust external organization transactions as this will break the process and require a long/complicated fix. In addition, if an adjustment is needed on the student’s account, use the Assign page to manipulate the dollar amount to change what’s awarded to the student.
Are You Printing QRGs?
Reference Center Quick Reference Guides (QRGs) are frequently updated, so avoid printing and instead refer to the latest version online. Periodically review those QRGs most pertinent to you to stay informed of any updates or changes.
Student Financials in-flight Enhancement Requests
- TouchNet (ER 41) - The SBCTC PMO Team continues to work towards establishing connectivity for a test site that will allow for a proof of concept.
- Student Financial Responsibility Agreement (SFRA) (ER266) - The SFRA enhancement has confirmed that the Attorney General's Office (AGO) will require students to submit the authorization once per academic year. Additionally, the AGO will validate the language to be used for all agreements. We anticipate receiving the approved language within the next two weeks.
- Make a Payment Page: Classic to Fluid (ER 253) - The SBCTC Application Services Team is facilitating this ER, it is in the queue for development and will begin as soon as resources become available.
SF Learning Opportunities
Please feel free to reach out to SFSupport@sbctc.edu if you have any questions or need further clarification.
SF Training: 2024 Fall Welcome Back to Basics
Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Learn more and join the session
This session is intended for new employees and those seeking to refresh their skills with processing basics including:
- Cashiering
- Refunds
- Payment Plans
Related QRGs
Prerequisite Courses
- SF100 (Tuition Calculation)
- SF101 (Cashiering)
- SF102 (Refunds)
- SF103 (Payment Plans)
Contact Alec Risk, SBCTC Student Financials Functional Trainer, with any questions.
SF Work Session: Best Practices for Keeping Your Configuration Clean
Thursday, Aug. 29, 1 p.m., Learn more and join the session
This presentation aims to show users how configuration such as term fees, criteria, waivers, and tuition groups should be maintained year over year. Colleges will also be shown new queries to help identify common issues in these areas of configuration to help find and fix issues before they hit your students' accounts.
SF Training: Charge Priority Lists (CPLs) & Item Types in Depth
Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, 1 p.m., Learn more and join the session
In-depth session on item types and their charge priority lists (CPLs.) We'll review payment priority conflicts before diving into detailed CPL data analysis using queries and spreadsheets.
SF Training: Intermediate Cashiering
Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, 9-11 a.m., Learn more and join the session
In this session, we may cover:
- Set-up
- Reconciliation
- Corrections
- View Customer Account page
- Select Charges to Pay (Student View)
Primary Audience: Student Financials
Related QRGs: SF - Cashiering
Prerequisite Courses:
- SF100 - Tuition Calculation
- SF101 - Cashiering
- SF106 - Term Roll/Item Types/GL
Contact Alec Risk, SBCTC Student Financials Functional Trainer, with any questions.
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, Sept. 11, 2 p.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting |
| Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2 p.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting |
| Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m. | 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:
- Aug. 21, 8:45 a.m., PS Query Training 102 - Query Security
- Sept. 10, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 301 Advanced - Part 1
- Sept. 11, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 301 Advanced - Part 2
- Sept. 24, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 401 Expert- Part 1
- Sept. 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 Registration page,
- 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.
SASI LSA Update
We are preparing for Organizational Change Management (OCM) and Testing activities for the Security Administration System Improvement (SASI) Project, Work Package #1 – Role Grouping Templates. This change involves mass loading roles to users via a college specific set of templates that you will be building out by working with departments across your campus.
Local security administrators (LSAs) have been invited to complete a survey about their college, security team, and business practices are around role assignments when onboarding staff by Friday, Aug. 23 p.m. to prepare for the next step.
Next step
This next step involves grouping “like” college teams together and hosting small group sessions where your team can plan for this transition with your fellow LSA community members that are most like you. These groups will work together to plan for transition to using this new template process by sharing their approach for collecting information to populate their templates and even sharing templates already developed to shorten the “think time” to build these out.
SASI Project Team Space
We will also be providing a SASI Project Team Space for all groups to share ideas, templates, and other tools to help you work with other departments to build your templates and get ready for testing this change before it’s released into production.
We hope this supportive environment will make it easier for LSAs to get ready to start using these new tools right away and will set you on a path for a manageable workload in your daily life.
The Backbone of SBCTC IT & ctcLink
You may never meet them directly, or understand what they do, but the Application Services teams “keep the lights on” for Washington’s community and technical colleges 24/7 by supporting ctcLink pillars, systemwide IT applications, environments, testing, and managing the network data load behind-the-scenes.
Complete
- FSPDV FSCM Image 50 Deployment 8/7
- FSAUT Environment Refresh (FSPDV Snapshot) 8/12
- Deployed fix for non-student EMPLID accounts in OAAP on 8/13
- Deployed successfully CampusCE descoped items in CSPCD on 8/5/2024
- Meet with Nelnet for connector upgrade planning.
- FS 50 retrofit completed ahead of schedule.
- HCM 49 accessibility IOVD completed and shared at ctcLink Accessibility Forum on 8/13
- After dealing with errors and working with the vendor, HCX 24.2.1 has been deployed to CSPTS.
In Progress
- Stat Workflow Changes
- Stat Email Approval Review
- Dated AWS snapshot removal
- July CPU Nelnet Jar File inquiry
- HCM Image 49 System Integration Testing
- CS Image 32 and HCX System Integration Testing Support
- LegacyLink+FAM Testing Support
- FA PRP 6/3.1 PRP System Integration Testing Support
- FIN Image 50 Testing Support
- OpenSearch Dashboard and Insights Testing Support
- Nelnet PeopleSoft Connector Upgrade Project Testing Support
- PTF Working with Okta Research
- Work with TouchNet for proof-of-concept setup
- Investigate and support CampusCE incident
- Support CS image upgrade activities
- Provide ongoing operation support for existing integrations
- Plan future enhancements for integrations
- Support OAAP OKTA integration and other production integrations
- ER 242 Offboarding enhancement development nearing completion. Goal is 8/16.
- ER 122 About four to five weeks of development remain
- ER 232 - Adding Custom Self-Service Questions in Campus Solutions. Contractor Ashwini is about to start development of the admin side and Neel continues to work on project development
Upcoming
- TTRD Refresh, date TBD
- Okta/OAG Non-Prod Maintenance (no outage) 8/16
- Stat Outage for Certificate Update 9 a.m. 8/16
- PQA Refresh + HCM Image 49 Deployment (MS package Deployment for Timing) 8/23
- FA PRP 3.1 CSPRD Deployment 8/29
- Setup integrations between CampusCE and PTS with new updates.
- Provide ongoing operation support for existing integrations
- Plan future enhancements for integrations.
- Support TouchNet project in proof-of-concept setup
- Document third party vendor contact details
- ER 264 Discussion - HCM Person/Personal data redaction
- ER 253 - Make a Payment Page Classic to Fluid
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, Sept. 10, 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.
