ctcLink Learning Opportunities & Support Roundup: Aug. 21, 2024

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).

Date	Time	Event
Aug 22	9am	SF Training: 2024 Fall Welcome Back to Basics: Cashiering, Refunds, & Payment Plans
Aug 27	2pm	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting
Aug 28	1pm	HCM Work Session: Creating Pay Calendars
Aug 29	9am	BFET Item Type Configuration Training
Aug 29	1pm	SF Work Session: Best Practices for Keeping Your SF Config Clean
Aug 29	2pm	FIN Training: GL Back to Basics
Sep 3	2pm	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting *CANCELLED*
Sep 5	1pm	CS Core Work Session: Getting Repeat Ready
Sep 9	11am	FIN Work Session: Grants/Projects Q&A Drop-In
Sep 9	1pm	SF Work Session: CPL and Item Types in Depth
Sep 10	9am	Fin Aid Training: Loan Processing Refresher
Sep 10	9am	PS Query Training 301 Advanced - Part 1
Sep 10	2pm	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting
Sep 11	9am	PS Query Training 301 Advanced - Part 2
Sep 11	1pm	HCM Work Session: Payroll Processing - Overview
Sep 11	2pm	ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting
Sep 12	9am	SF Training: Intermediate Cashiering
Sep 17	9am	*NEW SESSION* Fin Aid Training: FLF Process w/ the New Enrollment Intensity Queries
Sep 17	11am	FIN Work Session: Asset Management Q&A Drop-In
Sep 17	2pm	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting
Sep 18	8:30am	CS Core Refresher: Enrollment Appointments
Sep 18	1pm	HCM Training: Employee Self Service (ESS)
Sep 19	1pm	SF Work Session: Refunding Part 1 - The Why/When/Who prior to!
Sep 24	9am	PS Query Training 401 Expert- Part 1
Sep 24	2pm	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting
Sep 25	9am	PS Query Training 401 Expert- Part 2
Sep 25	1pm	HCM Work Session: Payroll Processing - Checklist Steps 1 - 5
Oct 1	9am	Fin Aid Training: Census Refresher
Oct 1	2pm	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting
Oct 3	1pm	CS Core Work Session: Caring for Your Core Processes
Oct 3	2pm	FIN Training: Intermediate General Ledger - Journals (Part 1 of 2)
Oct 8	9am	*NEW SESSION* Advanced Fin Aid Training: Reviewing the View COD Data page
Oct 8	2pm	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting
Oct 9	2pm	ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting

 

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.

 

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. 

While ctcLink is not impacted, several commonly used online applications and services will be, so your attention is requested.  

An official message with final details was sent to the college system from SBCTC IT-Mail on Monday, Aug. 19.  

Please ensure impacted students and staff are aware of this downtime.

Downtime Details

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. 

The following college-, public-, and student-facing services and web applications will be unavailable during the server move.

• Mailman Lists (Listservs) – sent messages will be delayed
• metaLink
• Online Budget and Invoicing System (OBIS)
• Online Grant Management System (OGMS)
• QARS
• SBCTC Budget Reports
• SBCTC Internal Report Manager
• SBCTC.edu website
• SBCTC SharePoint sites
• Statewide Enrollment and Reporting System (SERS)
• Tickler

SBCTC staff only

Colleges won’t experience downtime, but SBCTC researchers will not have access to the following:

• DataLink
• Data Warehouse
• Tableau dashboards

What is not impacted?

• ctcLink
• CampusCE
• Canvas
• LACES
• LegacyLink
• Legacy Transcript
• Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP)

Post-Downtime

Once the migration is complete, we will notify the college system. We expect this to be a seamless transition for the colleges and all services to be fully operational post-migration.

IP addresses for all servers will change, so certain SBCTC teams (e.g., Application Services, Data Services, Research, ctcLink) will want to test queries, reports, and processes to ensure connectivity.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Johnathan Rider, SBCTC Infrastructure Services Director.

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.

How to Check the Status of an Enhancement Request

The ctcLink Customer Services Teams have documented all Enhancement Request (ER) forms submitted.

The ctcLink Enhancement Request Status lists are updated the first and third Wednesday of each month to align with the ctcLink Working Group calendar.

You can see where each Enhancement Request is in the governance review process, approval status, and/or any other actions taken in a couple of different views.

High-Level Summary At-a-Glance

The Full Enhancement Request List is sorted by status:

• In Flight
• Next Up
• Future Work

Enhancement Request Details

If you need more detailed information, downloadable spreadsheets with multiple tabs allow you to review and sort the data you need:

• In Flight Enhancement Requests

• Next Up Enhancement Requests

• Future Enhancement Requests

• Deployed Enhancement Requests

• No Action Taken - Canceled or Denied Enhancement Requests

Enhancement Requests (ER) Deployed

• ER 284 - (FYI) Enable Okta for OAAP - Deployed July 30, 2024
• ER 292 - (FYI) RSTRACC Combo Edit Rule Update – Deployed July 31, 2024
• ER 166 - CampusCE Search/Match Parameter - Deployed Aug. 1, 2024

ER Work Underway (In Flight)

• 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.
• Finance ER 285 - Purchase of EPM tool from Oracle for use to do Book to Bank reconciliation – in review with the technical, functional and Business Operations staff for solutions internal to ctcLink versus purchasing a third-party solution.
• ER 242 - Offboarding Automation is under development. Offboarding staff will become a mostly automated process in all three pillars. This will save staff hours of manual work.
• ER 266 - A Student Financial Responsibility Agreement – Electronic Signature is in development. Working with Education Division and AAG to develop SFRA functionality in ctcLink to assist the colleges in meeting several newer RCW’s and U.S Bankruptcy code.
• ER 122 - Charge Benefit Expense to Primary Job development is in progress. Presently the benefit expense gets split between all the budgets a person is being paid from on a particular payroll, rather than only charging to their primary job. This will change the way the benefits expense - HCA Avg Cost - gets split between budgets and charge it only to the Primary Job. The Primary Job's Combo code needs to be charged for the HCA Avg. Costs. The other charges (benefits or otherwise) should get charged to the job(s) being paid.

ERs Currently in Testing

• ER 289 (FYI) - Enable Advising Notes for student use in HighPoint Campus Experience (HCX). Functional testing in progress.

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, 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 job sets!  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

NEW! Cross-Pillar Training: BFET Item Type Configuration

Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, 9 – 10 a.m., Learn more and join the session

Learn the ins and outs of the BFET Item Types, including understanding how they apply, how to clean up and set up charge priority, what to expect and look out for, reconciliation, and more.

• Modules: BFET, Item Types
• Primary Audience: BFET Administrators and associated staff (Financial Aid, Student Financials, Finance)

Questions? Contact SF Support for more information.

FIN Training: GL Back to Basics

Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, 2 p.m., Learn more and join the session
Brand new to General Ledger or need a refresher on the basics? Join us for a overview and live demos of the basic tasks and processes within General Ledger. This basic level training aims to provide some of the foundational knowledge of the General Ledger Module within ctcLink PeopleSoft. All end users are welcome to join in and gain perspective. Some of the topics to be covered are:

• Difference between Manual Journals and Submodule Journals
• Create, Process Edits, and Submit a Manual Journal Entry
• Copy an Existing Journal Entry
• Correct Common Journal Errors

Primary Audience: Finance/Admin/Staff Managers

Related QRGs: General Ledger section of the ctcLink Reference Center

Prerequisite Course(s): GL100 General Ledger Basics

Presenter/Facilitators: Karen Ebert, SBCTC Functional Finance Trainer, and Brandy Eismon, SBCTC Functional Analyst

Questions? Contact Karen Ebert for more information.

FIN Training: Intermediate General Ledger - Journals (Part 1 of 2)

Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, 2 p.m., Learn more and join the session

Ready for a deeper dive into General Ledger Journals? Join us for Part 1 of 2 sessions on GL Journals.

This intermediate training will cover more complex journal processes such as reversals and unposting Journals in the General Ledger. Don't forget to save the date for Part 2 on Oct 24 that is all about the Journal Import Processes. All end users at any level are welcome to join in and gain perspective. Some of the topics that will be covered are:

• Creating and submitting Journal Reversals 
• Unposting Journal Process
• Correcting Complex Journal Errors
• and more TBD!

Primary Audience: Finance/Admin/Staff Managers

Related QRGs: General Ledger section of the ctcLink Reference Center

Prerequisite Course(s): GL100 General Ledger Basics, GL200 Intermediate General Ledger

Presenter/Facilitators: Karen Ebert, SBCTC Functional Finance Trainer, and Brandy Eismon, SBCTC Functional Analyst

Questions? Contact Karen Ebert for more information.

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. 27, 2 p.m.	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting
Tuesday, Sept. 3	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting *CANCELLED*
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2 p.m.	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting
Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2 p.m.	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting
Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2 p.m.	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2 p.m.	FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 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

Financial Aid Award Processing Update

Overall Numbers as of Monday, Aug. 19, 2024

Despite the FAFSA delays and the continued need for workarounds, during what has been arguably the most challenging aid year launch ever, college financial aid teams continue to make stellar progress. Please take a moment to acknowledge your team in whatever ways are most meaningful, be it with words, food, or flexibility.

As of Monday, 13,733 students have been awarded for the summer term, and 23,593 students have been awarded for the fall term of the 2024-2025 academic year.

In comparison, as of this date last year, 11,570 students were awarded for the summer term (up by 2,163), and 20,735 students were awarded for the fall term of the 2023-2024 academic year (up by 2,858).

Additionally, as of Aug. 19, colleges have loaded a total of 4,836 WASFA applications into the system to date, compared to 3,570 last year (up by 1,266).

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

Financial Aid Training

Financial Aid PRP 3.1 Q & A Session

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, 2-3 p.m., Learn more and join the session

The Campus Solutions Financial Aid PeopleSoft Release Patchset (PRP) 3.1 upgrade will be implemented in production on the evening of Thursday, Aug. 29. Prior to the Q&A session, SBCTC will send out the link to the supporting document which includes changes the user will experience once the changes are implemented

Learn more about these changes at this one-hour Q&A session to answer any questions users might have. The Q&A session is optional; however, we encourage users who are affected by these changes to attend.

Please feel free to reach out to Caitlin Stein, SBCTC Test Coordinator, if you have any questions.

NEW! Cross-Pillar Training: BFET Item Type Configuration

Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, 9 – 10 a.m., Learn more and join the session

Learn the ins and outs of the BFET Item Types, including understanding how they apply, how to clean up and set up charge priority, what to expect and look out for, reconciliation, and more.

• Modules: BFET, Item Types
• Primary Audience: BFET Administrators and associated staff (Financial Aid, Student Financials, Finance)

Questions? Contact SF Support for more information.

NEW! Fin Aid Training: Loan Processing Refresher

Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, 9 a.m., Learn more and join the session

Join this session to get a handle on loan processing. Training objectives:

• Understand the Loan Origination (Batch and Single Student) Process
• Understand the Loan Origination Outbound and Inbound Process
• Understand the Loan Disbursement Outbound and Inbound Process
• How to Query for Missing COD Files
• How to Award and Originate a PLUS Loan 
• How to Award and Process a Private/ALT Loan

Module(s): Financial Aid Loan Processing

Primary Audience: New Financial Aid Staff and staff needing a refresher who are responsible for Processing Direct Loan Program

Related QRGs:

• Originate Direct Loans
• Loan Business Processing Guide (on or around pp. 19 - 32)
• Awarding PLUS loans
• Originate a PLUS loan
• Awarding and Processing ALT loans (FA-SF)

Query:  QCS_FA_MISSING_COD_DATA

Prerequisite Course: CS:  FA104 Processing Pell Payments and Direct Loans

Contact Kelly Forsberg, FA Trainer, SBCTC

NEW! Fin Aid Training: FLF Process with the New Enrollment Intensity Queries

Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, 9 a.m., Learn more and join the session

This session will cover the steps in the FLF Process using the new Enrollment Intensity Queries.

Module(s): Canvas Course: FA103 Authorizing and Disbursing Financial Aid

Primary Audience: Financial Aid staff responsible for authorizing and disbursing Financial Aid

Related Queries:

• QCS_FA_ASSIGN_PKG_VARS_EI
• QCS_FA_ENROLL_INT_FLF_ADD
• QCS_FA_ENROLL_INT_FLF_REMOVE
• QCS_FA_PACK_VARIABLE_LTFT_LIST

Prerequisite Course: Canvas Course:  FA103 Authorizing and Disbursing Financial Aid

Presenter/Facilitator: Kelly Forsberg, ctcLink Functional Trainer (Financial Aid)

NEW! Fin Aid Training: Census Refresher

Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, 9 a.m., Learn more and join the session

Objectives:

• Understand the steps on the Census Process
• Update the Run Equation with AY and term
• Update the AY and terms on the Build FA Term page Run Controls for Census
• Update the AY and terms on the Census Run Equation
• Understand how to update the Census JobSet
• Understand which Census Queries are available

Module(s) Authorizing and Disbursing Financial Aid

Primary Audience: New Financial Aid staff (and current staff needing a refresher) who are responsible for processing Census in ctcLink

Prerequisite Course: FA103 Authorizing and Disbursing Financial Aid

Contact Kelly Forsberg, ctcLink Functional Trainer (Financial Aid)

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 Financial Aid session is an advanced training on a ctcLink Fin Aid page 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).

HCM Learning Opportunities

HCM Training

NEW!  HCM Training: Employee Self-Service

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, 1 – 3 p.m., 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 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

• SF Cashiering
• SF Refunds
• SF Payment Plans

Prerequisite Courses

• SF100 (Tuition Calculation)
• SF101 (Cashiering)
• SF102 (Refunds)
• SF103 (Payment Plans)

Contact Alec Risk, SBCTC Student Financials Functional Trainer, with any questions.

NEW! Cross-Pillar Training: BFET Item Type Configuration

Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, 9 – 10 a.m., Learn more and join the session

Learn the ins and outs of the BFET Item Types, including understanding how they apply, how to clean up and set up charge priority, what to expect and look out for, reconciliation, and more.

• Modules: BFET, Item Types
• Primary Audience: BFET Administrators and associated staff (Financial Aid, Student Financials, Finance)

Questions? Contact SF Support for more information.

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.

SF Work Session: Refunding Part 1 - The Why/When/Who Prior To!

Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, 1 p.m., Learn more and join the session

Primary Audience: Student Financials

Questions? Contact SF Support for more information.

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:

• 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.

Keeping the Lights On

You may never meet them directly, 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

• The most recent ctcLink Accessibility forum went well. There was discussion on how to get more attendees and appreciation for our progress with Oracle.
• HCM 49 Accessibility Image Overview Document (IOVD)
• FS 50 retrofit
• HCM Image 49 System Integration Testing Support - completed Aug. 20
• FA PRP 6/3.1 PRP System Integration Testing Support – completed Aug. 19

In Progress

• HC Image 49 and Tax Update 24-B SIT
• CS Image 32 and HCX 24.2.1 SIT
• FA PRP 3.1 SIT
• FS Image 50 Development work
• Performance and archiving
  • Tables by Size and Row Counts in Production with descriptions 8-16-24
  • Performance, Optimizations, Archiving, and Automating Tickets
• HCX deployment to PTS (completed) and TRB (in progress)
• ER 122 - Charge Benefit Expense to Primary Job development is in progress. Updates to PAYGL01 SQR. 4-5 weeks estimated completion.
• ER 242: Offboarding Automation. 1-2 weeks estimated completion.
• ER 232 - Adding Custom Self-Service Questions in Campus Solutions. Contractor will be starting this week to assist in development.
• CS 32 SIT support
• HCX 24.2.1 SIT support
• HCM 49 SIT support
• CS 32 and HCM 24.2 Accessibility IOVD
• Update Positive Pay file CEMLI. Ticket 196848.
• ER 264 - (Mandate) Employee Personal data redaction indicator in ctcLink HCM. Development work is underway.
• CS Image 32 and HCX System Integration Testing Support
• LegacyLink+FAM Testing Support
• Legacy Transcript Testing Support
• FIN Image 50 Testing Support
• OpenSearch Dashboard and Insights Testing Support
• Nelnet PeopleSoft Connector Upgrade Project Testing Support

Upcoming

• PQA refresh and HC Image 49 Install, Aug. 23, 2024
• FS 50 SIT support
• CS 32 and HCX 24.2.1 SIT support
• HCM Image Sanity Testing Support
• FA PRP 6/3.1 Q & A Session

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.