ctcLink Learning Opportunities & Support Roundup: July 23, 2025

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).  

 

 

Learn about how to register, badging opportunities, and more at the Professional & Personal Development Workshops page.

Registering for the workshops is easy!

1. Visit the SBCTC meetings and events calendar
2. Filter by "CTC Professional Development » Personal & Professional Development Suite"
3. Click "Sign up" button to enroll

 

PAW Travel & Expenses Proof of Concept Testing is Underway

The Process Alignment Workgroup’s inaugural effort -- Travel & Expense Process Task Force -- is now in the proof-of-concept phase.

Proof-of-concept is similar to “user acceptance testing.” These best practices were reviewed and agreed-upon by the colleges’ systemwide Travel & Expense (T&E) Process Alignment Workgroup (PAW) Taskforce.

All college and SBCTC Travel & Expense staff have been invited to “kick the tires” and try out the best practices for requesting travel authorizations, cash advances, and expense reimbursements for travel during the Proof-of-Concept phase, July 14 through August 29.

Colleges are not in this alone

It's a very busy time for the finance offices right now, so the PAW team extended the testing phase for as long a duration as possible (six weeks versus the usual two or three weeks).  

The testing process itself is straightforward and not overly time-consuming, roughly an hour per scenario, so depending on their level of experience, staff can plan on about four to six hours total (about one hour per week over the next six weeks).

PAW and SBCTC are there to help! The ctcLink Support team has set up weekly drop-in office hours through August to help college subject matter experts as they go through the tire-kicking.

The Proof-of-Concept Overview for Travel & Expenses quick reference guide has all the tools they need to succeed:

• Background on Travel & Expenses Task Force Efforts
• Travel & Expenses Proof-of-Concept Kick-Off Session recordings
• T&E Proof-of-Concept Open Q&A Follow-up Sessions
• Proof-of-Concept Test Details
• How to Execute Travel & Expense Test Scenarios
• Links to T&E Reference Center Resources

Miss the kickoff?

The July 14 kick-off sessions were very well-attended, with nearly all colleges present.

Kickoff presentations were recorded and uploaded to the Proof of Concept Overview for Travel & Expenses QRG for users to review.  If you missed a session, watch the recording before diving in.

PAW Travel & Expense Proof-of-Concept Testing Open Q & A Office Hours

Stop by for help every Tuesday, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., July 15 through Aug. 5, 2025. Additional sessions may be scheduled if necessary.

Audience

Individuals involved in trying out the recommended business practices for requesting travel authorizations, cash advances, and requesting expense reimbursements for travel.

What YOU Need to Do

All Proof of Concept (PoC) activities will take place in the PCP Environment, a safe and stress-free (data-scrubbed) environment, from July 14 through August 29.

POC/testing activities will end August 29, 2025, and any concerns or issues found need to be reported to SBCTC by that date.

The Service Desk ticketing system has been updated to ensure any issues discovered during testing can be reported under the Request Type: ctcLink Support > Special Project Activities > T&E Proof of Concept

Proof of Concept Materials

The Proof of Concept Overview for Travel & Expenses QRG includes everything you need:

• Background on Travel & Expenses Task Force Efforts
• T&E Proof-of-Concept Testing Kick-Off - Meeting Information
• Proof-of-Concept Test Details
• Access to the PCP Environment
• START TESTING: How to Execute Travel & Expense Test Scenarios
• Links to T&E Reference Center Resources

Questions About Recommendations or Process?

Please reach out to Lia Homeister, Travel & Expense PAW Task Force Lead, Director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness, ctcLink College Leader, Renton Technical College

Questions About Proof-of-Concept Online Materials?

Please reach out to the PMO Team at SBCTC, or submit a service request using the Service Desk ticketing system using the Request Type: ctcLink Support > Special Project Activities > T&E Proof of Concept.

Next Up for Process Alignment

Process Alignment: College-Driven | Agency-Supported | Leadership-Endorsed

Nearly 50 ctcLink pillar and cross-pillar ideas were submitted for consideration for the next Process Alignment task force in response to the survey which closed on June 9, 2025.

The Process Alignment Workgroup, PA leadership, and SBCTC ctcLink Support teams have reviewed the items, removed duplicates, and refined choices to a consolidated list to those that meet the criteria for process alignment. A survey has been extended to solicit feedback on prioritization, due by July 22.

During its August 13 meeting, the ctcLink College Collaboration Group — comprised of systemwide ctcLink College Leaders, subject matter experts, and business analysts — will be presented with the results for consideration and discussion.  A recommendation of top priority process topics will be communicated to the PAW Team to move forward.

What Is Process Alignment?

Process alignment involves creating common, agreed-upon business processes that align with our system's goals and strategies. It ensures that ctcLink system processes are consistent and efficient. 

Simply put: Is there something you do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis that makes you think, “There HAS to be a better way to do this! How could we ALL do it better?”

Contact

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns about the Process Alignment Workgroup activities:

• Jason Hetterle, PAW Team Lead, Director of Technology & Enterprise Solutions, Wenatchee Valley College
• Lia Homeister, Travel & Expense PAW Task Force Lead, Director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness, ctcLink College Leader, Renton Technical College

ctcLink Production Environment – HCM Image 52 Update

Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

SBCTC will be performing maintenance on ctcLink to deploy HCM Image 52.

• The Human Capital Management (HCM) pillar will be unavailable during the maintenance period.
• The Portal, Campus Solutions (CS), and Finance (FSCM) pillars will remain online during the maintenance period.
• Admissions (OAAP) and HighPoint HCX mobile pages will remain online during the maintenance period.
• Integration between CampusCE and ctcLink will remain online during maintenance period.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

Data Summit 2025: Register Now!

Monday, Aug. 4, 2025

Yakima Valley College, Kaminski Conference Center, 1704 W. Nob Hill Blvd., Building #38, Yakima, WA

This event is a collaborative effort sponsored by the dataLink Steering Committee, Information Technology Commission (ITC), Research & Planning Commission (RPC), and the ctcLink College Collaboration Group (cCCG).

Agenda

Data Summit 2025 Agenda (tentative) topics include:

• New dataLink users
• Overarching data flows, Baseline Data Replication Package (BDRP), ITC Best Practices
• Db/Dev Share Out
• Data Classification Presentation & Data Security
• Tables - large (archive & main)
• Process Alignment Workgroup (PAW)
• Data Visualization tools

Accommodations

Room blocks have been reserved at Tru by Hilton Yakima Airport and Home2 Suites by Hilton. Learn more about lodging details.

RSVP

Please submit this registration form if you plan to attend in person.

While we would love to see you all in person, a remote option to attend via Zoom is available on the Data Summit 2025 Agenda, but there is no need to RSVP.

New to ctcLink or Ready to Upskill? Make a ctcLink Training Plan

The ctcLink Customer Support Training team developed tools to assist colleges with employee onboarding in response to recommendations and requests.

Although learning a new software system can be challenging, these documents 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). 

• The Staff Training Participation (STP) application helps supervisors track ctcLink Canvas course training progress for staff and assign ctcLink Canvas courses for staff enrollment. Learn more about the Staff Training Participation Application
• Onboarding Training Manuals assist new college staff in their training journey through ctcLink (PeopleSoft). Learn more about the ctcLink Onboarding Training Manuals

About the Onboarding Training Manuals 

Onboarding Training Manuals can be found in the ctcLink Reference Center “Welcome to ctcLink – Start Here” section. Manuals are available for users in all PeopleSoft pillars, as well as for general staff:

• General Staff Onboarding Training Manual
• Campus Solutions Core Onboarding Training Manual
• Finance Onboarding Training Manual
• Financial Aid Onboarding Training Manual
• Human Capital Management Onboarding Training Manual
• Student Financials Onboarding Training Manual

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 intent is for supervisors to work with staff to provide clarity around staff roles and functions of their job based on the onboarding manual. 

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 checklist included 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. 

The ctcLink Training and Support teams look forward to partnering with the colleges and SBCTC agency staff to provide enhanced onboarding and training experiences for new and current employees. 

Please reach out to ctcLink Training Management if you have questions or concerns. 

Stressed? Overloaded? Replenish Your Resiliency Toolkit this Summer

Take a moment to take care of yourself! Professional and Personal Development Suite workshops are open to all Washington state community and technical college employees, whether faculty, staff, or exempt.

This series of soft-skill workshops was initially developed to support SBCTC IT staff. Once the workshops were discovered on the agency calendar by other SBCTC and college employees, they asked if they, too, might participate on a case-by-case basis. 

Learn more about how to register, badging opportunities, college requests for group training, and more at the Professional & Personal Development Workshops page.

The workshops are cross-linked from the SBCTC Professional Development page and the ctcLink Training & Learning Opportunities page.

Questions? Reach out to Corinne Taylor, Professional/Personal Development Trainer.

Upcoming offerings

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.

CS Core Support Updates

NEW Feature! Adding Custom Self-Service Questions in Campus Solutions (ER 232)

We are excited to announce that Enhancement Request (ER) 232 Adding Custom Self-Service Questions in Campus Solutions has passed User Acceptance Testing (UAT). This ER was implemented in production the evening of Tuesday, July 22.  

Gratitude

The CS Core Team expresses its sincere gratitude to everyone who took time to engage their peers across campus departments, review testing guidance and test these changes, and provide thoughtful and meaningful feedback on the solution and your UAT experience.

We work alongside amazing college staff who are admirable leaders and advocates for their students. We are excited to implement a solution that serves students, staff, and reporting needs.

Overview of Upcoming Changes

Tuesday, July 22, 2025 – by 6 pm

• Migrate ER 232 Work Package to production:
  • Custom Student Questionnaire page added to ctcLink Student Self-Service
  • Custom Student Questionnaire (Staff) page added to ctcLink for staff to input responses on behalf of the student
  • New positive Service Indicator – SSQ (Student Questionnaire), which contains a link to the Student Questionnaire and can be viewed in ctcLink and HCX (Mobile).
    • As a reminder, Service Indicators that begin with an “S” are created by SBCTC for global purposes.
    • College staff should not be granted SACR Security to the SSQ Service Indicator, as it is not needed to view the Service Indicator. CS Core will maintain a jobset to assign and release the SSQ.
  • New custom tables for query managers
  • New queries
  • Removal of OAAP Employment Question, as it will now be asked on the Student Questionnaire
  • New security role that college LSAs can assign to staff: ZZ CC Student Questionnaire

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

CS Core will kick off a new jobset to begin assigning the SSQ Service Indicator to applicable students, as well as release the SSQ for students who responded to the Student Questionnaire.

See the Campus Solutions Process Schedule for details

Friday, July 25, 2025 – by end of business

CS Core will send an email to students letting them know about the availability of the Student Questionnaire. This email will be sent on behalf of colleges who opted in for us to send this one-time email communication.

Phase 2 Future Implementation Items  (estimated March 2026)

• Staff page to view the full history of a student’s prior academic year responses
• Populate the student’s Languages table with the value the student selects in the questionnaire
  • Campus Community > Personal Information > Biographical > Personal Attributes> Languages
• We are continuing to review ER 232 UAT Survey Feedback for additional potential phase 2 items

QRG Resources

• Student Questionnaire (ctcLink)
• Student Questionnaire (HCX)
• Student Questionnaire (Staff) – Entering Responses on Behalf of Students

f you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Dani Rider, Assistant CIO – ctcLink, and Kyrsten Catlin, Associate Director, Campus Solutions (CS Core).

Campus Solutions (CS) Core Pillar Support Web Page

Visit the Campus Solutions (CS) Core pillar support web page at ctcLink Support for all things CS Core-related:

• ctcLink Reference Center Quick Links
• ctcLink Onboarding Training Manual
• Learning Opportunities & Training
• Lists and groups
• Pillar newsletter
• Oracle and PeopleSoft resources

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 training courses. You can find details about upcoming meetings on the SBCTC Calendar, CS Core Weeklyish COREspondence, and CS Core listserv. Please visit the QRG Campus Solutions Learning Opportunities Recordings for a list of previous recordings.

Enrollment Cancellation

Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 8:30 - 10 a.m., Learn more and join the session

If students fail to pay their tuition and fees in full or make appropriate payment arrangements by the established final deadline, their classes may be subject to cancellation. Through the Enrollment Cancellation process, the system identifies past-due students, removes their enrolled courses, and simultaneously eliminates any associated waitlist positions.

This session will provide a comprehensive overview of the ctcLink Enrollment Cancellation functionality, detailing class-by-class and term-level cancellation procedures. The discussion will address critical timeline considerations, re-enrollment eligibility procedures, and the calculation methods employed after an enrollment cancellation takes effect. We will also cover strategies for effective communication with students affected by this process.

• Module(s): Student Records and Student Financials
• Primary Audience: Staff Responsible for Enrollment Cancellation
• Related QRG: Enrollment Chapter

Key topics include:

• Important dates to remember
• Adjustment calendars, billing and due calendars, academic calendar
• Class-by-class cancellation within a term
• Re-establishing student enrollment eligibility after cancellation
• Post-cancellation calculation methods
• Effective communication protocols

CS Core Work Sessions

Campus Solutions (CS) Core Work Sessions, open to ALL end users, are generally held the first Thursday of each month, from 1 to 3 p.m., but may be offered on an alternative schedule (e.g., to accommodate holidays).

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.

CS Core Work Sessions features

• Include community engagement within each session (rather than having a formal, predetermined college panel). When possible, we will post the anticipated questions ahead of time so that you can be prepared.
• Dedicate at least the last half hour (2:30 to p.m.) to Open Q&A.
• If the scheduled session ends early and all related questions have been answered, Open Q&A will begin (i.e., it may begin earlier than 2:30 but will begin no later than 2:30 p.m.)

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

Coming up next!

Join us for CS Core Work Session: Managing Enrollment with a Side of Search/Match on Thursday, Aug. 7.

While it’s true the needs of our students vary widely, they all have one thing in common: Enrollment!

We’ll warm up with a quick review of the functional options before diving a little deeper to explore the building blocks of enrollment and how they intersect with other system processes. While it may seem like enrollment is a straightforward function MOST of the time, that’s not always the case.

Join us as we talk about what tools exist to troubleshoot and find solutions for those times when things don’t quite work as expected.

Questions? Contact CS Core Support.

Upcoming PBCS Migration – Scheduled Downtime & New Access Links

As noted in the June 11, 2025 edition of ctcLink CONNECT, Planning Budgeting Cloud Services (PBCS) is receiving a minor update. Testing is now complete, and the migration is scheduled for this weekend.

Downtime Schedule

During this time, PBCS will be unavailable as we are transitioning to a new platform:

• Start: Friday, July 25, 2025, 5 p.m.
• End: Monday, July 28, 2025, 8 a.m.

What This Means for Colleges

• PBCS access will be unavailable from 5 p.m. on Friday, July 25, to 8 a.m., Monday, July 28.
• Beginning on Monday, July 28, you’ll need to use a new URL to access PBCS.
• The interface will remain the same; only the access link will change.

New Access Links (Effective July 28, 2025)

• PBCS Web Access
• PBCS Smart View Access

All FIN - PBCS (Planning Budgeting Cloud Services training materials at the ctcLink Reference Center will be updated to reflect these changes.

Background

SBCTC anticipated changes to our system’s PBCS licensing due to a substantial cost increase, SBCTC leadership successfully negotiated with Oracle to replace PBCS with Oracle Cloud Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) to offset the higher subscription costs.

Understanding EPM Enterprise and PBCS

Oracle EPM Enterprise and PBCS are both enterprise performance management solutions offered by Oracle. While PBCS is designed as a more streamlined and cost-effective option suited for smaller organizations, EPM Enterprise provides a broader set of advanced features and capabilities tailored for larger and more complex institutions.

What This Means for Colleges

Oracle has assured us that transferring to the EPM Enterprise platform will not impact existing configurations, business processes, or the user interface/experience.

• Colleges that currently use PBCS will continue to do so without disruption.
• The look and experience that colleges know with PBCS will continue to be the same, just on a different platform.
• Colleges in the process of initial configuration are not expected to experience any impact and their estimated deployment timeframe remains January 2026.

Next Steps

We are in the process of transitioning existing PBCS functionality to the EPM Enterprise platform. While EPM offers additional features, our primary focus is on re-platforming the current toolset without disrupting the user experience. When feasible, we will assess and document relevant enhancements; however, our top priority remains completing this transition while staying on schedule with the next deployment group. The transition is expected to be finalized by August, and we will provide updates on our progress and any timeline adjustments as needed.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact Christyanna Dawson, ctcLink Project Manager.

PAW Travel & Expenses Proof of Concept Testing is Underway

The Process Alignment Workgroup’s inaugural effort — Travel & Expense Process Task Force — is now in the proof-of-concept phase.

Proof-of-concept is similar to “user acceptance testing.” These best practices were reviewed and agreed-upon by the colleges’ systemwide Travel & Expense (T&E) Process Alignment Workgroup (PAW) Taskforce.

All college and SBCTC Travel & Expense staff have been invited to “kick the tires” and try out the best practices for requesting travel authorizations, cash advances, and expense reimbursements for travel during the Proof-of-Concept phase, July 14 through August 29.

Colleges are not in this alone

It's a very busy time for the finance offices right now, so the PAW team extended the testing phase for as long a duration as possible (six weeks versus the usual two or three weeks).  

The testing process itself is straightforward and not overly time-consuming, roughly an hour per scenario, so depending on their level of experience, staff can plan on about four to six hours total (about one hour per week over the next six weeks).

PAW and SBCTC are there to help! The ctcLink Support team has set up weekly drop-in office hours through August to help college subject matter experts as they go through the tire-kicking.

The Proof-of-Concept Overview for Travel & Expenses quick reference guide has all the tools they need to succeed:

• Background on Travel & Expenses Task Force Efforts
• Travel & Expenses Proof-of-Concept Kick-Off Session recordings
• T&E Proof-of-Concept Open Q&A Follow-up Sessions
• Proof-of-Concept Test Details
• How to Execute Travel & Expense Test Scenarios
• Links to T&E Reference Center Resources

Miss the kickoff?

The July 14 kick-off sessions were very well-attended, with nearly all colleges present.

Kickoff presentations were recorded and uploaded to the Proof of Concept Overview for Travel & Expenses QRG for users to review.  If you missed a session, watch the recording before diving in.

PAW Travel & Expense Proof-of-Concept Testing Open Q & A Office Hours

Stop by for help every Tuesday, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., July 15 through Aug. 5, 2025. Additional sessions may be scheduled if necessary.

Audience

Individuals involved in trying out the recommended business practices for requesting travel authorizations, cash advances, and requesting expense reimbursements for travel.

What YOU Need to Do

All Proof of Concept (PoC) activities will take place in the PCP Environment, a safe and stress-free (data-scrubbed) environment, from July 14 through August 29.

POC/testing activities will end August 29, 2025, and any concerns or issues found need to be reported to SBCTC by that date.

The Service Desk ticketing system has been updated to ensure any issues discovered during testing can be reported under the Request Type: ctcLink Support > Special Project Activities > T&E Proof of Concept

Proof of Concept Materials

The Proof of Concept Overview for Travel & Expenses QRG includes everything you need:

• Background on Travel & Expenses Task Force Efforts
• T&E Proof-of-Concept Testing Kick-Off - Meeting Information
• Proof-of-Concept Test Details
• Access to the PCP Environment
• START TESTING: How to Execute Travel & Expense Test Scenarios
• Links to T&E Reference Center Resources

Questions About Recommendations or Process?

Please reach out to Lia Homeister, Travel & Expense PAW Task Force Lead, Director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness, ctcLink College Leader, Renton Technical College

Questions About Proof-of-Concept Online Materials?

Please reach out to the PMO Team at SBCTC, or submit a service request using the Service Desk ticketing system using the Request Type: ctcLink Support > Special Project Activities > T&E Proof of Concept.

Finance Pillar Support Web Page

Visit the Finance (FIN) pillar support web page at ctcLink Support for all things FIN-related:

• ctcLink Reference Center Quick Links
• ctcLink Onboarding Training Manual
• Learning Opportunities & Training
• Lists and groups
• Oracle and PeopleSoft resources

FIN Year-End Support

So many opportunities to get one-on-one support as you put a bow on yet another fiscal year.

FYE25 GL Journal Drop-In Support

FIN Learning Opportunities

ctcLink Accounting Team Presents

Every first and third Thursday, these recurring work sessions aim to provide accounting support and guidance regarding, but not limited to, the various reconciliation topics and processes. Each session covers a specific topic(s) and then moves to open Q&A.

Travel and Expenses Q&A & Mini Training

Recurring every last Monday of the month, 11 a.m. to noon, join us for a collaborative, interactive and troubleshooting drop-in support session on everything Travel and Expenses. This session may be partially recorded.

• 11 – 11:30 a.m. Training: The first half of the meeting is typically a short training focused on a particular topic/process in Travel and Expenses. This portion of the meeting is usually recorded. The recording and associated QRGs are posted to the ctcLink Pillar Work Session Information Canvas Course. End-users are welcome to listen in and learn something new.
• 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., Q&A: Second half of the meeting will not be recorded. Please come with your questions or issues and be ready to share your screen.

This open time is for college end users to collaborate with functional support and other Travel and Expense staff/supervisors to troubleshoot issues, discuss workflow or process questions, and/or even share your screen. Some examples of topics:

• Canceling EX Payments
• Initial Setup and the Importance of updating Expenses Profiles
• Applying Cash Advances to an Expense Report
• Cash Advance Reconciliation
• On & Off-boarding Employees for Expenses
• Why your Approved Expense Report Won't Stage for Payment

Module: Expenses / Travel & Expense

Primary Audience: Staff, Travelers, Travel Admins/Staff

Related QRGs: FIN - Expenses section of the ctcLink Reference Center

Prerequisite Courses: EX100, EX101 and/or EX102

Contact Alec Risk, ctcLink Functional Trainer.

FIN Work Session: Grants/Projects Mini Training and Open Q&A

NEW! Recurring every SECOND Monday of the month at 11 a.m. join the ctcLink Finance Customer Support team for a collaborative, interactive, training and troubleshooting drop-in session on everything Grants/Projects.

• 11 – 11:15 a.m., Training: First part of the meeting will be a Mini Training and will be recorded. End users are welcome to listen in and learn something new. 
• 11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m., Q&A- Second half of the meeting will not be recorded. This open time is for college end users to collaborate with Functional Support and other Grant/Project Staff to troubleshoot issues, discuss workflow or process questions, and/or ready to share your screen. Some examples of topics:
  • Grant Billing
  • Modify Grant Award or Capital Project Budgets
  • Amending Awards
  • Project-related Budget/Commitment Control Errors
  • Grant-related Combo Codes
  • Grant-related Item Types

You are invited to drop in with any questions related to grants and projects at the open Q&A sessions.

Need help with setting up FY25 grants? Feel free to reach out to Michele Rockwell, MSML, ctcLink Finance Functional Analyst.

Questions? See the contact information listed in the event calendar listings below.

FIN Work Session: Asset Management Q&A

Every second Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon (except where noted) join the ctcLink Finance Customer Support team for a collaborative, interactive and troubleshooting drop-in session on all things Asset Management.

• 11 – 11:30 a.m., Training: Come learn or share something new.
• 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., Q&A: Please come with your questions or issues and be ready to share your screen.

Some examples of topics:

• Tagging Active Assets
• Excel to CI Asset Upload
• Processing issues
• General questions

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.

The ctcLink Finance Subject Matter Experts list received a calendar invitation to Upcoming Finance Users Production Support meetings.

Didn’t get the invitation? Reach out to Shon Dicks-Schlesinger, Associate Director of Finance Functional Support.

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 Financials/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.

Financial Aid (FA) Pillar Support Web Page

Visit the Financial Aid (FA) pillar support web page at ctcLink Support for all things FA-related:

• ctcLink Reference Center Quick Links
• ctcLink Onboarding Training Manual
• Learning Opportunities & Training
• Lists and groups
• Pillar newsletter
• Oracle and PeopleSoft resources

FA Support Updates

FA Weeklyish Bulletin

Trying to recall that important thing you read in the ctcLink Financial Aid listserv FA Weeklyish Bulletin? Don’t miss a thing! Revisit past editions in the FA Weeklyish Bulletin Archive at the ctcLink Reference Center.

FA Learning Opportunities

Financial Aid Training

Fin Aid Training for Trailer Colleges Only: Loan Set Up for Schema 5.0c and 25/26 Loan Processing

Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Learn more and join the session

Join this hands-on workshop to set up/adjust your Run Controls for the 2025-2026 AY in preparation for sending out your Direct Loan files for the Fall Term.

Audience: Trailer College Financial Aid Staff responsible for Direct Loan Origination and Outbounding

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 pg.
• Updating the Process Loans Run Control ID parameters to 2026 AY
• 10:30 to 10:45 a.m.: Break
• Updating the EY Summer Include & Summer Exclude Run Control ID parameters to 2025/2026 dates and AY.
• Updating the EY Process Loan Dates Run Control ID to 2026 AY.
• Updating the Schema to 5.0b on the EY Generate Direct Loan Data pg.
• Updating and/or creating EY Run Control IDs for your Direct Loan Reports

This session will be recorded.  There will be no slide deck, as we will be working hands-on in the PRD environment.

Contact Kelly Forsberg, ctcLink Functional Trainer (Financial Aid).

HCM Image 52 Q&A Sessions

The Human Capital Management Image 52 upgrade will be implemented in ctcLink production on Saturday, Aug. 9. Attend one of two sessions to get answers to any questions you might have. The Q&A sessions are optional; however, users affected by these changes are encouraged to attend.

HCM Image 52 Q&A Session One

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, 10 – 11:30 a.m., Join Session

HCM Image 52 Q&A Session Two

Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, 2 – 3:30 p.m., Join Session

Overview documents outlining changes users will experience after the upgrade are available:

• HCM Image 52 Overview – August 2025
• HCM Image 52 Accessibility Supplemental – August 2025

Please feel free to reach out to Sean Cardoza, Senior Test Coordinator/Automation Engineer, if you have any questions.

ctcLink Production Environment – HCM Image 52 Update

Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, 7:00 am – 1:00 pm

SBCTC will be performing maintenance on ctcLink to deploy HCM Image 52.

• The Human Capital Management (HCM) pillar will be unavailable during the maintenance period.
• The Portal, Campus Solutions (CS), and Finance (FSCM) pillars will remain online during the maintenance period.
• Admissions (OAAP) and HighPoint HCX mobile pages will remain online during the maintenance period.
• Integration between CampusCE and ctcLink will remain online during maintenance period.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

HCM Support Updates

HCM Users Group Monthly Meet-Up

Thursday, August 11, 2025, 9-11 a.m. Attend Zoom meeting

Join this open-format, virtual meeting to discuss HCM processing, changes, and more. Watch for future meet-ups on the HCM Users Group page calendar.

Questions? Contact Annie Butler, HCM Users Group Chair.

Human Capital Management (HCM) Pillar Support Web Page

Visit the Human Capital Management (HCM) pillar support web page at ctcLink Support for all things HCM-related:

• ctcLink Reference Center Quick Links
• ctcLink Onboarding Training Manual
• Learning Opportunities & Training
• Lists and groups
• Pillar newsletter
• Oracle and PeopleSoft resources

HCM Image 52 & Tax Update 25-B

HCM Image 52 will be implemented the weekend of August 9-10, 2025.

Core HR, WFA, Position Management, ESS, MSS, Foundation tables, Approval Workflows have been impacted by this image, but all for the better as more than a few system bugs have been resolved.

Job Effective Date Row Insert Processing (JEDI)

We are enhancing the Automatic Job Data Update – known as Job Effective Dated Row Insert (JEDI) to allow colleges the ability to update employee salaries directly, reflecting changes in the OFM pay scales. A new feature has been added to the following processes to default pay components and calculate compensation.

• Create New Job Eff. Dated Row (CTC_JEDI_AE)
• Reverse Job Effective Dated Row (CTC_XJEDI_AE)

Non-Resident Alien (NRA) Processing In HCM

New NRA functionalities have been implemented and affected colleges successfully processed 06B 2025 payroll on July 3, 2025.

Colleges with FWL contract data set up for Part-Time and Moonlight Faculty will need to run FWL OTP and FWL Pay Line Extract processes separately for PXX and XXP pay groups.

HR Core

Workforce Administration (WFA):

• Position Management Workflow Notifications functionality has been enabled successfully. This is an addition to the already existing Position Management Approval functionality and complements the same.  Related QRGs have been updated, and Q& A recording(s) have been shared.
• Support Team is further working on projects to enable (design, develop, deliver) new system modules in the areas of ePerformance and Profile Management. Instead of the traditional waterfall approach, the core team has adopted Agile development methodology which will not only speed up the final delivery of the functionality in One USG Connect, but also ensure that all college level critical requirements are met in totality
• Further work is progressing in the areas of streamlining the application foundational structures in the area of Departments, in the Finance & HCM pillars.
• SOGI related updates are in progress and in the test phase, moving towards delivery.
• A new POI type to capture External Instructors is in process.
• Hourly classified transactional data entry and the related process has been standardized in ctcLink, and the recommended process to follow has been communicated.
• Support Team is currently in the process of supporting requests in the areas of salary plan, job, combo code and other related updates

Absence Management / Time & Labor

Absence Management and Time and Labor played a big part in the changes to NRA processing in HCM, especially with configuration and testing of the project, along with Payroll for North America and integrating with Central Payroll, App Services and Data Services.

Benefits / Faculty Workload (FWL)

DRS Calendars

DRS Calendars for the year ending 2026 must be updated in time for 7A payroll processing:   Please see https://ctclinkreferencecenter.ctclink.us/m/79717/l/928103-9-2-using-drs-calendars QRG for additional information.

Auto Enrollment Process Results

QHC_BA_E188_AUTOENR_ERROR_LOG query is available to HCM users to access Auto Enrollment Process results and errors for upcoming payroll processing timeframe.   Because SBCTC is running the auto enrollment process at 5:00 p.m. on the last day of payroll processing timeframe, this query is best accessed the following day.   If you need help with resolving errors or have any questions regarding any of the results, please contact HCM Customer Support.  Please note that due to this query’s availability, Customer Support will no longer be distributing errors to impacted colleges for review/corrections.

Faculty Workload

• See NRA Processing above
• The FW100 Faculty Workload Canvas Course is still ongoing and is making some progress in between other projects.

Payroll

• Paycheck Modeler - has been enabled in ESS for US Resident pay groups.
• 06B Payroll Confirmation completed July 3, 2025.

HCM Monthly Newsletter

Subscribe to the ctcLinkSME-HCM list to receive the latest edition of the HCM Monthly Roundup, featuring HCM hot topics, training, and how-to tips.

To subscribe: Visit ctcLinkSME-HCM – Human Capital Management (HCM) and follow the screen prompts.

Contact: HCM Customer Support

HCM Learning Opportunities

HCM Work Sessions

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.

Questions? Contact HCM Customer Support.

Call for HCM Work Session Ideas

The HCM Support Team wants to hear from you! Which topics and information you like to have featured in the Work Sessions?

The team is scheduling the HCM Work Sessions through Summer 2025 and beyond. Please, let us know your ideas and suggestions!

Keep in mind, this is YOUR forum for the exchange of ideas, processes and transactions related to the HCM Module of ctcLink. So, if you have found a way of solving or improving a process or transaction, others would be very interested also.

Sessions can also be presented by anyone in the HCM Community, just let us know and let’s work out the details!!

Contact HCM Customer Support.

SF Support Team Updates

Student Financials (SF) Pillar Support Web Page

Visit the Student Financials (SF) pillar support web page at ctcLink Support for all things SF-related:

• ctcLink Reference Center Quick Links
• ctcLink Onboarding Training Manual
• Learning Opportunities & Training
• Lists and groups
• SF DL Blast Pillar newsletter
• Oracle and PeopleSoft resources
• Student Financials (SF) Resources QRGincluding:
  • Resources that fall outside of other SF QRG main categories 
  • ctcLink Training Recordings Archives

SF Learning Opportunities

Please feel free to reach out to SFSupport@sbctc.edu if you have any questions or need further clarification.

• The Student Financials Learning Opportunities Recordings QRG is a comprehensive list of all previous SF-related recordings.
• Previous SF DL Blasts can be found within Student Financials Resources.

SF Training: Tuition Due Reminder Notice

Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, 1 – 2 p.m., Learn more and join the session

In this session we will cover the tuition reminder notice. May include its connection to the enrollment cancellation process and the use of service indicators. 

Primary Audience: Any staff involved in student payments and communications.

Related QRGs:

• Message Center - Tuition Due Reminder Notice
• SF Collections End-to-End Checklist

Contact: Alec Risk, SBCTC Functional Trainer

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 Financials/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.

 

Data Summit 2025: Register Now!

Monday, Aug. 4, 2025

Yakima Valley College, Kaminski Conference Center, 1704 W. Nob Hill Blvd., Building #38, Yakima, WA

This event is a collaborative effort sponsored by the dataLink Steering Committee, Information Technology Commission (ITC), Research & Planning Commission, (RPC) and the ctcLink College Collaboration Group (cCCG).

Agenda

Data Summit 2025 Agenda (tentative) topics include:

• New dataLink users
• Overarching data flows, Baseline Data Replication Package (BDRP), ITC Best Practices
• Db/Dev Share Out
• Data Classification Presentation & Data Security
• Tables - large (archive & main)
• Process Alignment Workgroup (PAW)
• Data Visualization tools

Accommodations

Room blocks have been reserved at Tru by Hilton Yakima Airport and Home2 Suites by Hilton

Learn more about lodging details.

Note: The hotel reservation block expires July 17, 2025.

RSVP

Please submit this registration form if you plan to attend in person.

While we would love to see you all in person, a remote option to attend via Zoom is available on the Data Summit 2025 Agenda, but there is no need to RSVP.

Query Developer Learning Opportunities

Instructor-Led Query Development Training

The ctcLink Training Calendar has been updated with instructor-led query-related training through summer. To clear filter settings, select None. Then select ctcLink Learning Opportunities > Reporting Training.

How to Enroll in Self-Paced Query Developer Courses

It’s easy to enroll in Query Developer Courses.

• 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.

ctcLink Accessibility Monthly Open Forum

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.

Join us! Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month, 11 a.m. to noon.

Please join us for the next ctcLink Accessibility Open Forum on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, at 11 a.m. All are welcome to attend via Zoom.

• Zoom meeting link: ctcLink Accessibility Open Forum 2025 and beyond

In case you missed a meeting, please see materials from past Open Forums.

ctcLink Accessibility Improvement Highlights

Each monthly ctcLink Accessibility Open Forum focuses on accessibility enhancements and collaborative efforts to improve user experience in ctcLink.

In case you missed a meeting, please see Materials and recordings from past ctcLink Accessibility Forums.

Below is a summary of highlights from the Accessibility & ctcLink Forum Presentation, July 8, 2025 session.

MacOS Safari Tabbing Issue

Christopher Soran discussed improvements in the application, including dynamic page headers and tabbing issues in Safari

• When tabbing through a page, instead of going to the Save button, the focus shifts to the URL bar instead of Save. This does not happen in Firefox or Chrome on MacOS, only Safari.
• This is related to Safari browser settings. Some page elements are skipped when you tab through the page. By default, Safari skips certain page elements when you tab through the page.
• Workaround
  • You can set your preferences to stop at each element.
  • Select Safari, Preferences to access the Preferences dialog box.
  • Click the Advanced icon.
  • Check the "Press Tab to highlight each item on a webpage“ check box.
  • Close the dialog box 

Dynamic Page Headers on Time Pages

This went to production June 10, 2025, and will help employees who have multiple jobs with the same title.

Added job information to these pages:

• Time Summary
• Enter Time
• Absence Balances
• Cancel Absence
• View Requests
• Manage Absence

Okta MFA

Monica Olsson provided updates about Okta, the multi-factor authentication tool, highlighting positive feedback from accessibility meetings and the hiring of a third-party accessibility firm, Deque, to address various accessibility issues.

• Okta published new 2025 VPATs
• The “Okta Platform” VPAT includes the End User Dashboard and the Sign-in Widget.
• Okta hired Deque to perform an accessibility audit, and fixed 90 percent of the reported issues.
• Vicki and Josh will re-test Okta Verify on mobile and sign-in widget on desktop in late August.

Title II April 2026

Christopher emphasized the importance of ongoing evaluations with Oracle regarding compliance with accessibility standards.

• The SBCTC Application Services team met with Oracle representatives June 16 to discuss Title II compliance.
• Oracle hosts a quarterly PeopleSoft Accessibility Focus Group for some PeopleSoft support staff at agencies and colleges across the country. The focus group has been for PeopleTools and HCM. They agreed to include Campus Solutions in future meetings.
• The biggest problem is reflow. At 400% zoom, all Classic and Classic+ pages fail.  Fluid pages can scale for all form factors. To be fully complaint, it would mean porting 4,000+ transactions in Classic (just in HCM alone) to fluid technology and that won’t be happening by next April. We’ve asked for heavily-used student pages to be prioritized for conversion.
• The VP of PeopleSoft Strategy and Development is going to advocate for a long-term solution for the reflow issue and get back to us.

Keeping the Lights On For You

In a ctcLink world populated with acronyms and mysterious jargon, the Application Services teams are the “pillar behind the pillars” for Washington’s community and technical colleges 24/7 by supporting ctcLink pillars, systemwide IT applications, environments, accessibility improvements, testing, and managing the network data load behind-the-scenes.

While you may never meet them directly or understand what they do, they support you every single day.