ctcLink Learning Opportunities & Support Roundup: May 6, 2026

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

• The SBCTC meetings and events calendar (apply ctcLink Learning Opportunities 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

Employee Onboarding & Offboarding (EO&O) Task Force to Present Next Set of Recommendations May 13

The ctcLink Process Alignment Workgroup (PAW) Employee Onboarding & Offboarding (EO&O) Task Force has been working hard on behalf of all 34 colleges to review on- and offboarding-related ctcLink business practices to streamline processes and improve our use of ctcLink as a system.

Based on lessons learned from the first task force, the EO&O team is presenting recommendations in easier-to-digest portions rather than wait until the end to present 20-plus changes.

On Wednesday, May 13, systemwide HR staff, HCM subject matter experts, and Local Security Administrators are invited to attend the ctclink College Collaboration Group (cCCG) meeting for a preview of EO&O Task Force’s second set of recommendations focused on best practices related to employee emails during onboarding and offboarding.

Watch your in-box next week for an invitation from Sindie Howland, Employee Onboarding & Offboarding Process Alignment Task Force Lead.

Learn more about the PAW Project

• PAW Project Information
• Employee Onboarding/Offboarding PAW

Questions?

Please reach out to Sindie Howland, Employee Onboarding & Offboarding Process Alignment Task Force Lead & Everett Community College Associate Director for Change Management and Process Improvement, if you have any questions or concerns about EO&O Process Alignment activities.

Travel & Expense (T&E) Organizational Change Management (OCM) Tools & Alignment Support Activities

The SBCTC Project Management Office (PMO) and PAW are working together in many ways to help colleges move toward alignment in T&E processes:

• Building and maintaining Change Assessment Worksheetsfor colleges to evaluate their progress toward alignment
• Offering individual work sessions for college Points of Contact and Travel & Expense administrators to "jump start" their change assessment analysis
• Partnering with SBCTC Training and Support teams to hold Mini-Training Workshopson Travel & Expense alignment topics every two weeks through May 2026
• Providing template slide decks for colleges to modify for their own local use
• Compiling/updating Travel & Expense Training Resourcesand T&E Organizational Change Management Resources

Where to Learn More

Travel and Expenses Q&A & Mini Trainings and OCM T&E sessions

Join the Process Alignment Workgroup – Organizational Change Management (OCM) Subgroup for focused discussions on completing the Change Assessment Worksheet and developing Change Action Plans to integrate the Travel & Expense Task Force recommendations into your college’s regular business practices.

Colleges who have already implemented some of these changes are encouraged to participate and share their experiences supporting travelers and travel administrators in adopting the new processes.

ctcLink College Collaboration Group (cCCG)

The PAW OCM subgroup will continue to check in on this process during the biweekly ctcLink College Collaboration Group meetings to help ctcLink College Leaders stay on goal.

Regular meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays at 10 a.m. unless otherwise noted.

Questions?

If you need clarification, please reach out to the Project Management Office (PMO) team at PMOteam@sbctc.edu and they will guide your question to the right party for response.

ctcLink Planned Downtime for PeopleTools Upgrade

Saturday, May 16, 2026, 6 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

The entire ctcLink production environment will remain offline during the maintenance period while SBCTC upgrades PeopleSoft applications to PeopleTools version 8.61.17.

• Admissions (OAAP), HighPoint HCX mobile pages, and Campus CE integration will be unavailable during the maintenance period.
• Users logging into ctcLink will be directed to an offline notice with links to college Canvas sites.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

Process Scheduling

Any jobs or processes that you have scheduled to run during the maintenance window should be canceled ahead of time. They can be rescheduled after maintenance is completed.

See the Process Take-Down Instructions QRG, to assist with the steps involved.

No action is required for jobs or processes scheduled outside of the maintenance window.

On Monday, May 18, all users should verify that their scheduled jobs and processes are displaying correctly.

Student Financials and Cashier’s Offices

Additionally, SBCTC will need to run the Student and Cashiering Fund Balance Jobs at 1 p.m. sharp Friday, May 15, 2026.

This means all Cashier’s Offices need to be closed by noon on Friday, May 15. 

Your Cashier Offices will also be notified directly of this expected downtime. Should they have any questions please have them reach out directly to the SF Support Team.

2026 Data Summit - Save the Date and Share Your Ideas

Save the date: Monday, August 10, 2026, Centralia College

Planning is underway for the 2026 Data Summit, co-sponsored by the DataLink Steering Committee, IT Commission (ITC), Research & Planning Commission (RPC), and the ctcLink College Collaboration Group.

The committee is in early stages of planning and still building the agenda, but plans include:

• Conversation around AI and data 
• Data Visualization tools 
• Hands-on opportunity to work with the data
• Data Governance/Data Security
• Opportunities for collaboration 
• Deep dives on Hot Topics

Got an idea or want to get involved? Let us hear from you

• Have a topic you would like to hear more about?
• Want to share your expertise?
• Willing to help facilitate a conversation?
• Would you like to help shape the event?

Please take a moment to fill out the 2026 Data Summit Ideas survey.

Keep an eye out for the 2026 Data Summit Registration form.

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. 

Get Connected: Join ctcLink Support eLists

ctcLink Customer Support sends updates, outage notices, changes to configuration, training and workshop opportunities, global and cross-pillar communications to colleges via Mailman eLists (often referred to as listservs, which is a registered trademark).

College subject matter experts (SMEs), PeopleSoft users/stakeholders can use the lists to ask their college peers questions about how they do things in ctcLink, best practices, local training plans, and more. 

When you join, do NOT select the Digest option or you might miss out on time-sensitive messages.

Find your lists

• ctcLink Support eLists – Lists geared toward ctcLink end-users, including reporting, queries, and dataLink.
• In addition, each ctcLink pillar area suggests related lists to join under their “Get Connected to” menus.
  • Campus Solutions (CS) Core
  • Financial Aid (FA)
  • Finance (FIN)
  • Human Capital Management (HCM)
  • Student Financials (SF)
• Mailman eLists – See the complete list of Mailman lists available to the community and technical colleges.

Are You Receiving ctcLinkAlerts?

SBCTC uses the ctcLinkAlerts eList to send notices about planned downtime for system updates, production alerts, urgent issues, and any unplanned downtime.

Each college maintains a local ctcLinkAlerts email distribution list (e.g., ctclinkalerts@columbiabasin.edu, ctcLinkAlerts@spscc.edu) which your ctcLink College Leader maintains as needed.

These college lists, not individuals, are subscribed to ctcLinkAlerts@lists.ctc.edu.

Each college chooses who to include, but typically colleges include their local ctcLink leadership, local ctcLink committee or task force members, key subject matter experts, IT, Help Desk, and PIO.

Restock Your Resiliency Toolkit

Take some time 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.

Since piloting outside participation and receiving positive feedback and requests, we sought agency leadership and support to work across SBCTC departments to present to a systemwide audience. 

2026 Offerings

Professional Development Suite

• Effective Communication Strategies 
• Generational & Learning Preferences - NEW 
• Leadership 
• Presentation Tips & Tricks - NEW 
• Teams/Team Bonding 
• Time Management 
• Top Tier Customer Experience 

Personal Development Suite 

• Emotional Quotient (EQ)
• Managing Stress Part 1
• Managing Stress Part 2
• Mental Health: Awareness & Support
• Mind Frame: Turn Negative Thoughts into Positive Actions
• Psychological Safety in the Workplace
• Vicarious Trauma
• Work/Life Balance 

Teaming Suite 

• Effective Communication Strategies
• Psychological Safety in the Workplace
• Teams/Team Bonding

Learn More and Sign up

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.

How to Check the Status of an Enhancement Request

The ctcLink Customer Services Teams document 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 Updates

REVISED UAT Timeline for OAAP Fraudulent Security Controls (Phase 1)

The User Acceptance Testing (UAT) activity for the Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP) Fraudulent Security Controls Enhancement (ER 328 Phase 1) will be delayed by two weeks and will now be held June 2-9.

What changed?

During recent development, the vendor enhanced the Service Indicator assignment process to better account for suspended application processing. As a result, however, SOF Service Indicators would no longer be applied in near real time for submitted applications. These Service Indicators will include details on the suspicious flags identified for each application.

Moving forward with this approach would introduce challenges for colleges. Service Indicators would only be applied through an hourly jobset managed by CS Core, requiring ongoing monitoring and troubleshooting. Additionally, visibility and staff awareness of potentially suspicious activity could be delayed unless applications were reviewed individually within OAAP by OAAP College Admins.

Timely visibility into suspicious activity is critical for protecting your institutions. So, with that in mind, the vendor was asked to revise the solution to better support college needs by:

• Assigning the Service Indicator in real time at application submission when an EMPLID is available (i.e., non-suspended applications)
• Running hourly checks for suspended applications that are later processed and assigned an EMPLID, and then applying the Service Indicator
  • As an added safeguard, flagged applications will remain identifiable through the suspended applications query

This revised approach restores near real-time visibility while still ensuring coverage for suspended applications.

NEW DATE: OAAP Fraudulent Security Controls (Phase 1) Kickoff Session

Monday, June 1, 2026, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Join Session

SBCTC will provide testing guidance following the UAT kickoff.

Note: The presentation portion will be recorded and shared for continued reference.

Updated Testing Timeline

• June 1: UAT Kickoff
• June 2: UAT begins
• June 9: UAT ends (all issues must be submitted via self-service ticket)
• June 10–15: Bug fixes and retesting (as needed)
• June 16: Production deployment (approximately 1 hour of evening downtime)

What’s next?

If no issues are identified during UAT and bug fixes are not needed, we may be able to move production deployment up to Saturday, June 13.

We recognize that timeline adjustments require flexibility, and we appreciate your continued partnership as we take this step to deliver a more reliable and effective Phase 1 solution - one that provides timely alerts and better supports your teams in identifying and responding to potentially fraudulent activity.

Overview of Changes

Phase 1 focuses on identifying and flagging suspicious applications. Flags can be reviewed in two locations:

• The OAAP Admin site
• ctcLink, within the comments section of a new SOF Service Indicator applied to accounts in near real-time

Phase 1 requirements were determined collaboratively by SBCTC and college stakeholder representatives, with the goal of delivering timely, practical improvements to help identify and flag suspicious criteria. After implementation, there will be an assessment period to evaluate results and determine any needed adjustments for future phases.

NEW DEADLINE for College Action Needed: Submit College Tester Information –

Each college’s ctcLink College Leader has been asked to provide the names and email addresses of participating users (OAAP College Admins and/or staff involved in fraudulent account review to Sarah Whetzel, ctcLink Test Coordinator, by Wednesday, May 13.

This will help ensure that testers receive all necessary UAT information after the kickoff session. No EMPLIDs are needed for this UAT.

Required Tester Preparation

• Each tester should bring real, unique email addresses to create OAAP test accounts. Testers must be able to access these email accounts during testing. All test data will be deleted after UAT concludes.
• Each college will receive a shared test account (credentials provided after kickoff) to support the following:
  • Accessing OAAP Admin features and reviewing flagged applications
  • Viewing submitted applications and Service Indicator details in the ctcLink PQA test environment

Out of Scope

Testers will not log into the ctcLink PQA environment directly or use EMPLIDs to access OAAP during this UAT.

Questions?

Reach out to Sarah Whetzel, ctcLink Test Coordinator.

ctcLink Planned Downtime for PeopleTools Upgrade

Saturday, May 16, 2026, 6 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

The entire ctcLink production environment will remain offline during the maintenance period while SBCTC upgrades PeopleSoft applications to PeopleTools version 8.61.17.

• Admissions (OAAP), HighPoint HCX mobile pages, and Campus CE integration will be unavailable during the maintenance period.
• Users logging into ctcLink will be directed to an offline notice with links to college Canvas sites.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

Process Scheduling

Any jobs or processes that you have scheduled to run during the maintenance window should be canceled ahead of time. They can be rescheduled after maintenance is completed.

See the Process Take-Down Instructions QRG, to assist with the steps involved.

No action is required for jobs or processes scheduled outside of the maintenance window.

On Monday, May 18, all users should verify that their scheduled jobs and processes are displaying correctly.

Student Financials and Cashier’s Offices

Additionally, SBCTC will need to run the Student and Cashiering Fund Balance Jobs at 1 p.m. sharp Friday, May 15, 2026.

This means all Cashier’s Offices need to be closed by noon on Friday, May 15. 

Cashier’s Offices will also be notified directly of this expected downtime. Should they have any questions, please have them reach out directly to the SF Support Team.

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

Running Start Series

SBCTC Dual Credit presents monthly virtual sessions for college Running Start staff. Each session includes SBCTC/OSPI updates and time for Running Start college staff to come together and connect. Participants cover a wide range of topics, including Campus Solutions - Student Financials.

The presentation portion is recorded and posted to the SBCTC Dual Credit YouTube playlist.

Feel free to contact Stephanie Wahl, SBCTC Student Services & K12 Alignment Policy Associate, with any questions.

CS Core Learning Opportunities

You can find details about upcoming CS Training and Work Sessions on the SBCTC Calendar, CS Core Weeklyish COREspondence, and CS Core eList.

For a list of previous recordings, please visit the Campus Solutions Learning Opportunities Recordings QRG.

CS Core ctcLinkUp: Well Done - Grade Rosters to Grade Posting

While grading season may never rival a summer barbecue, with the right tools and a little preparation, it doesn’t have to feel like you’re getting grilled at every turn. With the right setup, you might even relish it. Sear-iously.

Training Session: May 6, 2026

The Training Session walked through the full recipe for success: opening grade rosters, entering grades, posting rosters, and making grade changes.

The session recording is now available in the ctcLink Learning Opportunities Information Canvas course.

If you receive an "Access Denied" message, you may not yet be enrolled. Access can be institution-specific—if needed, update the URL by replacing “SBCTC” with your institution’s name. To request access, please visit the ctcLink Training Registration page.

Work Session: May 20, 2026 • 8:30-9:30 a.m.

During the Work Session, we’ll fire up the grill. We'll get hands-on with best practices, key considerations, and practical strategies for handling access issues, roster discrepancies, and missing grades. For a little extra sauce, we’ll cover grade lapsing. Bring your questions and we’ll do our best to serve up some solutions.

CS Core ctcLinkUps are planned with purpose and each session is designed to stand alone. While content is related, sessions are independent and each has a distinct scope and a different purpose. Training Sessions review functionality. These are intentionally followed by Work Sessions that explore usage. You may choose to attend either session alone or both as a set.

FIN Updates

ctcLink Planned Downtime for PeopleTools Upgrade

Saturday, May 16, 2026, 6 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

The entire ctcLink production environment will remain offline during the maintenance period while SBCTC upgrades PeopleSoft applications to PeopleTools version 8.61.17.

• Admissions (OAAP), HighPoint HCX mobile pages, and Campus CE integration will be unavailable during the maintenance period.
• Users logging into ctcLink will be directed to an offline notice with links to college Canvas sites.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

Process Scheduling

Any jobs or processes that you have scheduled to run during the maintenance window should be canceled ahead of time. They can be rescheduled after maintenance is completed.

See the Process Take-Down Instructions QRG, to assist with the steps involved.

No action is required for jobs or processes scheduled outside of the maintenance window.

On Monday, May 18, all users should verify that their scheduled jobs and processes are displaying correctly.

Student Financials and Cashier’s Offices

Additionally, SBCTC will need to run the Student and Cashiering Fund Balance Jobs at 1 p.m. sharp Friday, May 15, 2026.

This means all Cashier’s Offices need to be closed by noon on Friday, May 15. 

Your Cashier Offices will also be notified directly of this expected downtime. Should they have any questions please have them reach out directly to the SF Support Team.

FIN Fiscal Year-End 2026 Information and Resources

The time has come to prepare for Fiscal Year-End. The SBCTC Finance and Accounting teams want to ensure you have all the resources necessary to prepare for and deliver Year-End Processing.

Check it out and mark your calendar

You’ll find information about upcoming sessions and additional resources for each FIN module, as well as FIN Sessions presented by the SBCTC Accounting team at the Finance ctcLink Customer Support Year-End Information and Sessions document.

Recordings

Year-end recordings and background information will be in the ctcLink Learning Opportunities Information course in Canvas.

Within the course, select the Modules link. Year-end content is in the Finance Learning Opportunities section with a subsection of FYE26: FISCAL YEAR END. If you do not have access to the course, you can register through the ctcLink Training Registration Form.

You may also find all sessions on the College System & SBCTC Calendar.

Questions?

Reach out to Alec Risk, MBA, MSML, Functional Trainer – Finance.

Travel & Expense Process Alignment: Tools and Training Ready for Use

The systemwide Process Alignment Workgroup (PAW) has concluded its inaugural travel and expense process alignment task force and passed the baton to the ctcLink Support and Training teams.

Recommendations and best practices for alignment are regularly updated and incorporated into ctcLink reference and training materials.

Colleges and SBCTC staff are encouraged to dive in to explore and take advantage of Travel and Expenses Training Resources, including:

• Self-Paced Travel & Expense Training Courses
• Travel & Expense Learning Opportunities - Instructor-led sessions designed for staff who have successfully completed the self-paced Travel & Expense Canvas course trainings. Sessions are delivered on a cyclical basis — monthly, quarterly, or yearly — with the goal of strengthening participant skillsets.
  • Travel and Expenses Q&A & Mini Trainings - Every last Monday of the month, 11 a.m. See schedule below. The PAW Organizational Change Management (OCM) subgroup will attend these standing meetings. Collaboration and future topic schedules will be discussed, so travel subject matter experts and ctcLink College Leaders are encouraged to attend.
• Recurring FIN Work Session: Travel and Expenses Mini Training & Workshop
• Fluid vs Classic: The Travel & Expense Task Force has recommended using the Fluid interface going forward, as Oracle is no longer providing updates to “Classic” pages. Training materials are being updated to reflect Fluid pages, while maintaining the instructions for “Classic” to allow colleges time to make the transition. Also, Fluid better meets accessibility requirements and is responsive to device size.
• Reference Center Resources: detailed user guides and step-by-step instructions for creating, submitting, approval, and managing travel authorizations, cash advances, and expense reports, as well as delegation workflows, troubleshooting errors, budget exceptions, and administrative maintenance tasks.

Feel free to reach out to Gretchen Fulmer, Associate Director of Training, if you have any questions.

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 Learning Opportunities

FIN Training: FY27 Capital Projects Creation to Finalization and Maintenance

Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 1 – 3 p.m., Learn more and join the session

July is the beginning of a new fiscal year, which may include adding new Capital Projects to ctcLink PeopleSoft.  

Finance/Grants staff and capital project budget managers are encouraged to join Alec Risk, ctcLink Functional Trainer, and Michele Rockwell, MSML, ctcLink Finance Functional Analyst, and Susan Locke, SBCTC Capital Budget Analyst, to walk through the creation to activation process for a Capital Project.

They will also review the basics on maintaining a Capital Project plus tips and tricks throughout the setup process.

• Create a Capital Project
• Create and Finalize a Capital Project Budget
• Maintaining Capital Projects
• Time for Q&A

Module: Project Costing

Related QRGs:

• Capital Projects section of the ctcLink Reference Center
• Grants and Projects Checklist & Process Steps Guide
• Create and Finalize a Capital Project

Prerequisite Course: PC100 - Project Costing

FIN Training: FY27 Grant Awards Creation to Activation [CRC & FPC]

Thursday, June 4, 2026, 1 – 3 p.m., Learn more and join the session

July is the beginning of a new fiscal year [FY27]. Finance/Grants staff and supervisors responsible for creating, maintaining, and/or monitoring grants are encouraged to join Alec Risk, ctcLink Functional Trainer, and Michele Rockwell, MSML, ctcLink Finance Functional Analyst, for this information-packed session.

• 1-2 p.m.: Cost Reimbursable Contract (CRC) Award creation to activation process
• 2-3 p.m.: Fixed Price Contract (FPC) Award creation and activation. We will follow the basic steps for each Grant Type:
  • Award Prep: Gather your info.
  • Create and Submit a Proposal.
  • Generate an Award.
  • Manage the Award: Adding Terms, Project Type, and Finalize the Budget.
  • Finalize and Activate the Award.
  • Communicate valid ChartStrings for Payroll Combo Codes & Tuition-related Item Types.

Modules: Grants and Contracts Module; Project Costing

Related QRGs:

• Grants and Projects Checklist & Process Steps Guide
• Reimbursable Grant - Creation to Activation
• Fixed Price Grant - Creation to Activation

Prerequisite Courses:          

• GR100 Grants and Contracts
• GR200 Intermediate Grants
• PC100 Project Costing
• BI100 Billing

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.

Mark your calendar for the upcoming Travel and Expenses Q&A & Mini Trainings and OCM T&E sessions! The PAW OCM subgroup will attend the FIN standing meetings (as well as the extra OCM sessions) to help guide the colleges. Travel subject matter experts and ctcLink College Leaders are encouraged to attend.

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

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.

Michele Rockwell, MSML, ctcLink Finance Functional Analyst, facilitates.

• 11 – 11:30 a.m., Training: First half of the meeting will typically be a short training focused on a particular topic/process in Grants and Projects. This portion of the meeting is usually recorded. The recording will be posted to the ctcLink Learning Opportunities Information Canvas Course.
• 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Q&A: Second half of the meeting will not be recorded. You are invited to drop in with any questions related to grants and projects at the open Q&A sessions. This open time is for college end-users to collaborate with functional support and other Grants and Projects staff/supervisors to troubleshoot issues, discuss workflow or process questions, and/or even 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

Related QRG: FIN - Grants/Contracts section of the ctcLink Reference Center

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

Finance College Users Production Support Meetings

Meetings are held every other Tuesday, from 2 to 3 p.m. These sessions are open to ALL Finance (FIN) 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.

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.

Accounts Receivable (AR) and Billing (BI) Open Q&A

Every other Thursday, these recurring Accounts Receivable and Billing work sessions aim to provide accounting support and guidance regarding, but not limited to, the various reconciliation topics and processes.

Bring your AR and BI questions and get functional support or listen in and collaborate with your community college peers.

The recorded sessions will be posted to the ctcLink Learning Opportunities Information Canvas Course located under Modules > Finance Learning Opportunities > Accounts Receivable and Billing Work Sessions.

Module(s): FIN [AR and BI]

Primary Audience: Accounts Receivable and Billing Staff

Related QRG: FIN - Accounts Receivable, FIN - Billing

ctcLink Accounting Team Presents

Every 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.

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

FIN & Accounting Work Session: GL Fiscal Year-End Open Q&A

Tuesday and Thursdays, June 30 to August 4, 2026, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

These drop-in sessions are specific to help resolve General Ledger Journal troubleshooting for Fiscal Year-End 2026. This includes lifting rules, activating accounts and appropriations, and answering or assisting with journal errors.

Refer to the “SBCTC ctcLink Accounting Team Presents” Q&A sessions for general accounting questions and concerns.

FA Support Updates

FA Weeklyish Bulletin

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

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 Learning Opportunities

Advanced FA Training: New AY Pre-Processing Review of FA Eligible Plans

Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 9-10 a.m., Learn more and join the session

Join us for an advanced review of FA-eligible Academic Plans as they relate to the COD Credential Cross Reference Table and the Academic Plan Table in ctcLink.

The purpose of the session is to show FA users how to review any Academic Plans that may need to be removed or added to the COD Credential Cross Reference Table before new year Federal Financial Aid processing begins.

Objectives

• Understand how to review the Academic Plan Table > Taxonomy for varying Academic Plans
  • Understand which plans are FA-eligible and which are not FA-eligible
  • Understand which plans are Active vs Inactive
• Understand how the Academic Plan Table and COD Credential Cross Reference Table impacts Federal Financial Aid processing
• Understand how to work with the data from the QCS_FA_ACADEMIC_PLAN_TABLE query Excel results, reviewing for FA eligible plans
• Understand how to extract the COD Credential Cross Reference Table plans into Excel
• Understand how to compare the data in the QCS_FA_ACADEMIC_PLAN_TABLE query to the COD Credential Cross Reference Table data
• Understand how to identify new FA eligible plans to update on the COD Credential Cross Reference Table before Federal Aid processing begins in the New Year (2027)

Audience: FA staff responsible for managing Federal Financial Aid programs, FA staff Direct Loan and Pell processors

Related QRGs: Direct Loan Troubleshooting Guide, Pell Troubleshooting Guide

Prerequisite Course(s): Canvas Course: FA104 Processing Pell Payments and Direct Loans

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

FA Work Session: Unfold the Hold - Using Item Type Disbursement Rules for Direct Loan Proration

Thursday, May 28, 2026, 1 – 2 p.m., Learn more and join the session

This session provides a walkthrough of how to add and manage holds within Direct Loan Item Type Disbursement Rules. You’ll learn when these holds are appropriate, how they impact disbursement timing, and the steps needed to configure them accurately to support the new OB3 Direct Loan proration requirements.

Audience:  Financial Aid staff responsible for managing disbursement and Direct Loans

Topics include

• How the LFTDH Service Impact will prevent disbursement of the Direct Loan Item Types for Less Than Full Time students
• Review a query to identify Item Types that need the LFTDH Service Impact added to the Item Type Disbursement Rules page
• A walk-through on adding the LFTDH Service Impact on Direct Loan Item Types that need review for proration due to OB3A
• A quick review of the FLF process identified in the FA Flow Business Processing Guide

This session will be recorded.   

2026 FA Drop-in Support Sessions

Need help troubleshooting or want to learn something new? Join these casual drop-in sessions to connect with colleagues, share insights, and solve challenges together.

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

HCM Support Updates

ESD Employer Newsletter

If you haven’t already done so, your friends at SBCTC Central Payroll recommend you subscribe to the Employer Newsletter from the Employment Security Department (ESD). The April 2026, Issue 74 edition includes:

• Q1 2026 reports are due by April 30
• WA Cares annual reports now available to workers
• Paid Leave statements to be mailed in May.
• Three state and three county employment reports out this month
• BizFair coming to Spokane in May; Puyallup in September

Share and Subscribe

The monthly “Employer Newsletter” contains information important to Washington employers.

• Subscribe to the ESD Employer Newsletter to receive the newsletters as soon as they are available
• Find past issues in the archive on the Employment Security website

Refresh your HCMemory

HCM Work Sessions are recorded and stored in the ctcLink Learning Opportunities Information Canvas course (formerly Pillar Work Session Info) for future reference.

More about how to access the Training Recordings Archive.

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

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 Learning Opportunities

HCM Work Sessions

Recurring every other Wednesday, 1 to 3 p.m. (except where noted), HCM Work Sessions offer deeper dives into PeopleSoft functionality, focusing on skills enhancement in specific HCM functions (e.g., payroll, benefits, manager self-service).

• Visit the Schedule of Human Capital Management pillar for the latest offerings.
• Find past trainings and sessions at ctcLink Pillar Work Session Information.

SF Support Updates

ctcLink Planned Downtime for PeopleTools Upgrade

Saturday, May 16, 2026, 6 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

The entire ctcLink production environment will remain offline during the maintenance period while SBCTC upgrades PeopleSoft applications to PeopleTools version 8.61.17.

• Admissions (OAAP), HighPoint HCX mobile pages, and Campus CE integration will be unavailable during the maintenance period.
• Users logging into ctcLink will be directed to an offline notice with links to college Canvas sites.
• Canvas will not be impacted.

Process Scheduling

Any jobs or processes that you have scheduled to run during the maintenance window should be canceled ahead of time. They can be rescheduled after maintenance is completed.

See the Process Take-Down Instructions QRG, to assist with the steps involved.

No action is required for jobs or processes scheduled outside of the maintenance window.

On Monday, May 18, all users should verify that their scheduled jobs and processes are displaying correctly.

Student Financials and Cashier’s Offices

Additionally, SBCTC will need to run the Student and Cashiering Fund Balance Jobs at 1 p.m. sharp Friday, May 15, 2026.

This means all Cashier’s Offices need to be closed by noon on Friday, May 15. 

Your Cashier Offices will also be notified directly of this expected downtime. Should they have any questions please have them reach out directly to the SF Support Team.

Student Accounts Receivable (AR) Health Report Dashboard NOW AVAILABLE in ctcLink

We are excited to introduce the Student Accounts Receivables Health Report dashboard, now available in ctcLink production. This dashboard (also known as STARHR) is designed to provide colleges with a centralized, visual, and actionable view of student receivables performance.

The Student AR Health Report combines operational activity, financial metrics, and student-level data into a single, interactive experience conveniently located as a tile in ctcLink. Colleges can monitor key processes such as tuition due reminders, drops for non-payment, and collection letter activity, while also identifying trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

Visit the Student AR Health Report (Insights Dashboard) QRG at the ctcLink Reference Center.

With STARHR, users can analyze data through charts, tables, and graphs, allowing for quick review and deeper analysis of student financial activity. STARHR supports both college-level drill downs and systemwide comparisons, helping ensure consistency in business processes and improved receivables management across institutions.

This dashboard represents an important step toward strengthening visibility into student receivables, supporting data-informed decision making, and promoting consistent practices across the system.

ctcLink Insights Dashboard Training

To fully leverage the tool’s capabilities, college staff are strongly encouraged complete the ctcLink Insights Dashboard training available in Canvas

You may need to sign up for the course via the SBCTC website Canvas page with more info (End-User Reporting.)

To get started, users will need the appropriate security role (ZD SF Insights View Privilege) from their Local Security Administrators, then follow the QRG instructions “Adding a Dashboard Tile to your Homepage”, and should ensure they update the default time filter when opening the dashboard, as it initially displays only the last 15 minutes of data. Adjusting the time filter (e.g., to one year) will provide a more complete and meaningful view of activity.

Related Learning Opportunities

Join us for the WWSFD (What Would Student Financials Do?) AR Series which kicks off Monday, May 11, and involves working with student AR and will include STARHR information. See more in SF Learning Opportunities below.

1098-T Statements  

Annual Survey Due Friday, May 8

We kindly ask that each college submit at least one response to this year’s survey: 2025 1098-T Survey Link 

The survey consists of just eight questions and will help us confirm each college’s primary contact for this important annual process, as well as identify opportunities for improvement. 

SF DL Blast Newsletter

See previous editions of the Student Financials Distribution List Blast: SF DL Blasts.

Subscribe to the ctcLinkSME_StuFin list to receive the latest editions of the SF DL (Student Financials Distribution List) Blast featuring SF hot topics, training tips, and tricks.

Student Financials (SF) Pillar Support Web Page

Visit the Student Financials (SF) 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

SF eList subscriptions

Please note the ctcLink Support eList and SBCTC e-list sign up pages, especially these three:

• Main Student Financials eList: ctcLinkSME_StuFin
• 1098-T Statements eList: ctcLink-1098T
• BAR (Budget, Accounting, and Reporting Council) eList: BAR

Remember, besides receiving notes from our team, these resources are an easy way to ask questions of your systemwide SF colleagues.

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 Work Session: WWSFD (What Would Student Financials Do?) AR Series

Join  our three-part series and jump into Accounts Receivable with a fresh twist. Please come prepared with questions—we look forward to interactive discussions!

Primary Audience: Student Financials Staff

Related QRGs: SF - Collections

Presenter/Facilitator: Pauline Smith, ctcLink SF Functional Trainer and SF Team

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.

Query Developer Learning Opportunities

Step Up your Query Game: Sign-Ups Now Open

The ctcLink Training Calendar has been updated with 2025 instructor-led query-related training. To clear filter settings, select None. Then select ctcLink Learning Opportunities > Reporting Training.

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!

Query Fundamentals Lab

Every Monday, 10-11 a.m., Join the Webex session

Query fundamentals labs are held weekly giving all Query Developers the chance to practice their query development skills. Different topics/skills are covered each week. Past lab exercises and recordings are available in Canvas.

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, May 12, 2026, at 11 a.m. All are welcome to attend via Zoom.

• Participants are encouraged to submit ideas for future meetings via an online form.
• Zoom meeting link: ctcLink Accessibility Open Forum 2025 and beyond

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

Keeping the Lights On

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.