ctcLink Learning Opportunities & Support Roundup: July 22, 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

PAW Travel & Expense Snapshot: Seven Colleges Achieve 100% Alignment, All Approved ERs Deployed

The PAW Organizational Change Management (OCM) Subgroup is happy to report that all four of the approved Travel & Expense (T&E) Task Force Enhancement Requests (ERs) are now deployed in ctcLink production. These include additional expense types and the three label changes in Travel Authorizations and Expense Reports. 

Hats off!

Seven colleges have achieved a 100% completion rate in adopting the aligned T&E processes (as of July 16, 5 p.m.). Hearty congratulations to:

• Clark College
• Clover Park Technical College
• Columbia Basin College
• Edmonds College
• Green River College
• Tacoma Community College
• Wenatchee Valley College

How to assess your college's response to the ERs 

1. Scroll to the bottom of your T&E Change Assessment Worksheet.
2. Locate and review the four Enhancement Requests with a status of "ER Deployed to PRD" 
3. If applicable, change the status to "Complete." (Several users reported that the label changes were unobtrusive and helped clear up confusion about the purpose of the fields.) 

Get help

If your local team would like personalized assistance addressing the T&E recommendations or completing your Change Assessment Worksheets:

• Email the ctcLink Project Management Office (PMO) team, or
• Book a 1:1 work session with the PMO team: Sign-up for T&E Change Assessment Worksheet Help

Employee Onboarding & Offboarding (EO&O) Task Force Presents Security Recommendations

The EO&O Task Force has been working hard on behalf of all 34 colleges to review onboarding-related ctcLink business practices to streamline processes and improve our use of ctcLink as a system. The Task Force has completed its review work with onboarding processes and previously presented recommendations during the July 8 cCCG meeting.

Today, the EO&O Task Force presented Security-specific recommendations for best practices to the ctclink College Collaboration Group (cCCG). HR staff, HCM SMEs, and Local Security Administrators were invited to attend.

The Task Force will resume its meetings in August to discuss Transitioning and Offboarding.

PAW EO&O Security Recommendations

• Employee Onboarding and Offboarding (EO&O) Task Force Security Recommendations: See slides 12 through 30.
• EO&O Security Enhancement Requests presentation, July 22, 2026 – Time limited to slides 3 through 20. The remainder (slides 21-30) will be presented during the Aug. 26, 2026, cCCG meeting.

There will be more onboarding recommendations regarding Security/HCM cross-functional and Training ahead; however, the Task Force wants to present them in easier-to-digest, bite-sized portions, so this presentation was dedicated to Security-specific recommendations only. 

Save the date!

HR staff, HCM SMEs, and Local Security Administrators will be invited to the August 26 cCCG meeting, beginning at 10:30 a.m., to hear the next EO&O recommendations:

• Remaining EO&O Security Enhancement Requests (slides 21-30)
• HR/Security Cross-Functional Recommendations

Next steps

• Send questions or feedback to Sindie Howland, Employee Onboarding & Offboarding Process Alignment Task Force Lead.
• Vote on Security College Business Process Recommendations
• Enhancement Request Process
• Colleges provide Feedback on voting form
• HR/Security Cross-Functional Recommendations and remaining EO&O Security Enhancement Requests will be presented during the next cCCG meeting, August 26, 2026.

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.

PCD Refresh and Your Queries: Get Ready!

The PCD (Production College Development) environment will be refreshed from PRD on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. Beginning Friday, July 31, at noon, PCD will not be available for query development until after the PCD is refreshed.

What you need to do

Make sure any PCD queries you want to keep begin with the prefix DEV_ unless you have submitted a ticket requesting backup of queries that will be used for BI Publisher, Pivot Grid, or nVision reports.

Standard Queries

Any queries in PCD that do not begin with DEV_ will be deleted.

• This applies to all standard Public and Private queries.
• SBCTC will perform a query backup for in-progress queries (private and public) that meet the DEV_ naming convention.
• This backup will NOT be done by folder. This means if a query is in the DEVELOPMENT folder but doesn’t begin with DEV_ it will be overwritten and lost.

BI Publisher, Pivot Grid, and nVision Queries

Any query used in a BI Publisher, Pivot Grid, or nVision report DOES NOT have to follow the DEV_ protocol as it is very time-consuming to change them back when they are ready to migrate.

Instead, please submit a Service Desk ticket under Data Services – Reporting – Other with the title “PCD Refresh Backup Request.”  Provide the name of the query being developed for use in one of the advanced reporting tools in the request.  These queries will be individually backed up on an as-needed basis.

What to expect

• The queries in the backup will be imported back to PCD after the refresh is complete and a notice is received from Application Services.
• Data Services will send a message to you once our work is complete.
• Please do not log back into PCD after Friday, July 31, at noon but wait until you receive a notification from Data Services.

Queries that do not follow these naming conventions will be lost

Remember! Naming convention for queries

• Being developed in PCD: MUST begin with the prefix DEV_
• Used for training in PCD: MUST begin with QXX_TRAIN
• Being developed for use in BI Publisher, Pivot Grid, or nVision reports in PCD: MUST begin with the appropriate convention based on the reporting tool being used. Do not follow the DEV_ convention. Request must be sent to Data Services via Service Desk ticket.

Why you need to do it

Queries that do not follow this convention will not be backed up and will be lost.

Cross-Pillar Training: CS Core/FA/SF Enrollment Cancellation

Monday, Aug. 24, 1-2:30 p.m., Learn more and join the session

Newer staff responsible for reviewing and processing Enrollment Cancellation are invited to this cross-pillar session. 

Join Pauline Smith, SF Functional Trainer; Tanjagay Martin, CS Core Functional Trainer; and Kelly Forsberg, FA Functional Trainer, as they discuss:

• Reviewing Important Dates (Academic Calendar, Billing & Due Calendar, Adjustment Calendar)
• Communications
• Financial Aid and their role in this process
• Running the Enrollment Cancellation Process

Related QRGs

• Enrollment Cancellation - Drop for Non-Payment
• Making Student Eligible for Enrollment after Enrollment Cancellation or Term Withdraw -Automated
• Tuition Calculation After Enrollment Cancellation
• Completing the Enrollment Cancellation Process

2026 Data Summit - Register Today

Monday, August 10, 2026, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Centralia College, TransAlta Commons

The 2026 Data Summit is shaping up to be focused, practical, and collaborative. 

Co-sponsored by the DataLink Steering Committee, IT Commission (ITC), Research & Planning Commission (RPC), and the ctcLink College Collaboration Group, the summit agenda emphasizes real-world application — moving beyond theory into how colleges are using data today.

The agenda includes:

• Conversation around AI and data 
• Data Visualization tools and options
• Data Governance/Data Security
• Opportunities for collaboration and networking
• Deep dives on Hot Topics

Register now

2026 Data Summit REGISTRATION is now available. 

The registration form includes a link to a high-level agenda and accommodation recommendations based on quality and proximity to the event.  

What's it all about?

Key themes include improving data governance, exploring analytics tools, strengthening data access, and addressing emerging areas like AI and data protection.

Breakout sessions highlight shared challenges and solutions across institutions, with a strong focus on what’s working and where teams are still evolving.

Overall, the summit reflects a system actively aligning around consistent, effective data practices while adapting to new technologies and priorities.

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.

CS Core Updates

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

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.

Cross-Pillar Training: CS Core/FA/SF Enrollment Cancellation

Monday, Aug. 24, 1-2:30 p.m., Learn more and join the session

Newer staff responsible for reviewing and processing Enrollment Cancellation are invited to this cross-pillar session. 

Join Pauline Smith, SF Functional Trainer; Tanjagay Martin, CS Core Functional Trainer; and Kelly Forsberg, FA Functional Trainer, as they discuss:

• Reviewing Important Dates (Academic Calendar, Billing & Due Calendar, Adjustment Calendar)
• Communications
• Financial Aid and their role in this process
• Running the Enrollment Cancellation Process

Related QRGs

• Enrollment Cancellation - Drop for Non-Payment
• Making Student Eligible for Enrollment after Enrollment Cancellation or Term Withdraw -Automated
• Tuition Calculation After Enrollment Cancellation
• Completing the Enrollment Cancellation Process

Space Mission PERC: Navigating Requirement Checks

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.

This month, we turned our attention to PERC (Prerequisite Enrollment Requirement Checking). PERC depends on Enrollment Requirements and reveals how they behave in practice; however, this session focuses on PERC and does not cover Enrollment Requirement configuration.

In the Training Session, we started with a pre-launch checklist, where strong requirement configuration sets the stage before lift-off. The mission began with running the PERC process, moved through interpreting and applying results, and concluded with exploring Enrollment Requirement rosters.

In the Work Session, we held an in-flight simulation experience! Together, we orbited real scenarios, explored best practices, and identified strategies for determining why a student was flagged-or not flagged-as expected.

June 2026 Recordings Available

If you receive an "Access Denied" message, you may not yet be enrolled. Access may 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.

FIN Updates

FIN Fiscal Year-End 2026 Information and Resources

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.

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

CyberSource Demos

Staff working with CyberSource are invited to attend one of these repeated sessions to learn more about changes ahead.

Tamara Allen, Student Financials Senior Functional Analyst, will:

• Review the CyberSource pages impacted by the transition.
• Demonstrate the minor changes students will experience during the payment process.
• Discuss the migration schedule and implementation approach for each college.
• Provide an opportunity for questions and feedback.

FIN & SF Info Session: Penny Rounding

Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, 1-2 p.m., Learn more and join the session

The SBCTC Student Financials and Business Operations teams invite you to review the new systemwide cashiering guidance for cash rounding (penny elimination) and participate in a question-and-answer session.

See the related QRG: Penny Rounding. This session will not be recorded.

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

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 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 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

These daily 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 & 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

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 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.

FA Learning Opportunities

FA Training: The Suspense is Killing Me! Clues for ISIR Suspense Management

Tuesday, July 28, 9-10:30 a.m., Learn more and join the session

This FA Training Session is an intermediate-level session to:

• hunt for the clues of system routing mechanics and match levels
• discuss the importance of establishing timelines to prevent processing bottlenecks
• and help to define communication expectations to handle the post-award impacts of post-screening and/or discrepant ISIRs.

Audience: Newer FA Staff responsible for FA ISIR loading and ISIR suspense management.

Objectives

• Differentiate between ‘Suspend’ and ‘Skip’ Reasons based on globally defined routing control configurations
• Review the operational differences and systemic limits between the varying Max Match Levels
• Prioritize an optimal ISIR Suspense Management processing schedule based on the fast-moving flow of the ISIR load
• Predict the financial and compliance impacts of loading suspended ISIRs after file review completion and aid is awarded
• Identify the specific FA staff roles to notify when types of suspended ISIRs are loaded

FA Drop-in Support Sessions

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

Stop on by the Webex at any time in between 9AM – 11AM. Feel free to come and go as you have questions.

FA Training: From Paper Pile to Completed File - Using the File Review Query

Tuesday, Aug. 11, 9-10 a.m., Learn more and join the session

This FA Training Session is a review session to walk through how to use the global File Review Query.

Audience: FA Staff responsible for completing the Verification process, WASFA processing, and completing file review.

Objectives

• Understand the essential preemptive work and data cleanup required before initiating a file review cycle.
• Understand how to navigate the system to run the QCS_FA_FILE_REVIEW_DATA query within Schedule Queries.
• Sift through query results to quickly isolate and prioritize the exact students who are 100% ready for review.
• Identify the pages and fields to check during the evaluation process to ensure accuracy.
• Apply proven tips and tricks to efficiently manage and work through the query’s varying population of students.

Cross-Pillar Training: CS Core/FA/SF Enrollment Cancellation

Monday, Aug. 24, 1-2:30 p.m., Learn more and join the session

Newer staff responsible for reviewing and processing Enrollment Cancellation are invited to this cross-pillar session. 

Join Pauline Smith, SF Functional Trainer; Tanjagay Martin, CS Core Functional Trainer; and Kelly Forsberg, FA Functional Trainer, as they discuss:

• Reviewing Important Dates (Academic Calendar, Billing & Due Calendar, Adjustment Calendar)
• Communications
• Financial Aid and their role in this process
• Running the Enrollment Cancellation Process

Related QRGs

• Enrollment Cancellation - Drop for Non-Payment
• Making Student Eligible for Enrollment after Enrollment Cancellation or Term Withdraw -Automated
• Tuition Calculation After Enrollment Cancellation
• Completing the Enrollment Cancellation Process

FA Training Workshop: (Trailer Colleges Only) Loan Set Up for Schema 5.0d and 26/27 Loan Processing

Tuesday, Aug. 25, 9-11:30 a.m., Learn more and join the session

Join Kelly Forsberg, ctcLink Functional Trainer, in a hands-on workshop to set up/adjust your Run Controls for the 2026-2027 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 2027 AY
  • 10:30 – 10:45: Break
• Updating the Odd Year (OY) Summer Include & Summer Exclude Run Control ID parameters to 2026/2027 dates and AY
• Updating the OY Process Loan Dates Run Control ID to 2027 AY
• Updating the Schema to 5.0d on the OY Generate Direct Loan Data pg
• Updating and/or creating OY 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.

ctcLink Production Environment Downtime: HCM Image 55 Update

Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

This notice is for HCM users of the ctcLink production environment. See also the HCM Image 55 Production Upgrade and Q&A Sessions in Learning Opportunities section below.

SBCTC will be performing maintenance on ctcLink to deploy HCM Image 55.

• 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 Users Group Monthly Virtual Meet-Up

Join us for open format discussions concerning best practices and procedures for all HCM Users.

Questions? Contact Rachel Russell, HCM Users Group Chair.

HCM Users Group Fall 2026 Quarter Meeting

Thursday, Oct. 8, and Friday, Oct. 9 (half day), 2026

• Hosted by Bates Technical College 
• In-person and online

Speakers covering benefits and open enrollment are lined up. Send any ideas for other topics you want to learn about to Rachel R. Russell, HCM Users Group Chair.

Watch the HCM Users Group eList and the Human Capital Management (HCM) Users Group web page for details.

HCM Support Updates

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

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

HCM Learning Opportunities

HCM Image 55 Upgrade and Q&A Sessions

The Human Capital Management (HCM) Image 55 upgrade will be implemented in production on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026.

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 55 Q&A Session One: Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, 2 – 3:30 p.m., Join Session
• HCM Image 55 Q&A Session Two: Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, 10 – 11:30 a.m., Join Session

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

• HCM Image 55 Overview – August 2026
• HCM Image 55 Accessibility Supplemental – August 2026

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 Updates

Cashiering Penny Guidance

• In response to new federal guidance on the discontinuation of penny minting and the passage of Washington State House Bill 2334, the State Board has developed ctcLink cashiering guidance for processing cash transactions and applying the required cash rounding procedures.
• Find more information at the Penny Rounding
• Be sure to attend the Penny Rounding SF Info Session on Aug. 3, 2026, if you have any additional questions. See details below.

CyberSource Unified Checkout

CyberSource is retiring the current Secure Acceptance checkout experience and replacing it with the new Unified Checkout platform.

As part of this migration, CyberSource is modernizing the behind-the-scenes security used to authenticate online payment transactions. This update is transparent to students and is not expected to disrupt online self-service payment processing.

To learn more about the upcoming changes and migration process, please ensure that staff at your institution who support student payment processing attend one of the following demo sessions:

1098-T

2026 QRG Updated

1098-T Business Processing Guide & Tracking Calendar QRG

FIRE System Retirement and Transition to IRIS

The FIRE System has been retired, and the IRS is transitioning fully to the Information Returns Intake System (IRIS).

Beginning with Filing Season 2027, IRIS will be the only intake system available for filing information returns.

Existing FIRE users are strongly encouraged to apply for a new Transmitter Control Code (TCC) through IRIS to ensure continued electronic filing capability.

SF subject matter experts received an email with additional information from SBCTC via the SF eList on May 1, 2026.

See IRS Publication 5717: Information Returns Intake System (IRIS) Taxpayer Portal User Guide for set-up instructions.

Non-disbursable Item Types review

SBCTC Student Financials (SF) Team is reviewing non-disbursable item types to strengthen functional safeguards and improve tracking mechanisms. These updates are intended to ensure that non-disbursable aid cannot be inadvertently posted or disbursed to a student's account while improving consistency between Student Financials and Financial Aid configuration.

SF Updates

• Remove the Overall Payment Priority so that any attempt to post the item type will generate an error.
• Uncheck the Refundable indicator.
• Add a Second Journal Set General Ledger chart string to support FIN error tracking and reporting.

FA Updates

FA Support will focus on this work once the FA community is stabilized from post OB3 updates.

Cashiering Closing Steps

It is important to run the Generate Cashiering Entries process after completing the first two tabs of the Close Offices page (Close Registers and Close Cashiers) and before completing the third tab (Close Offices).

Important: Always complete Close Registers first, followed by Close Cashiers. Performing these steps out of sequence can result in the office balancing as over or short.  

QCS_SF_TUT_CALC_ERRORS report

This query has been updated and can now be run for a single student.

Sign up for the  Student Financials (SF) eList

In addition to SF Connect announcements and updates, the SF eList is available for colleges to ask questions, share information, and engage in peer-to-peer discussions on Student Financials topics (e.g., Billing, Cashiering, Collections, Fee & Tuition Calculation, General Ledger Interaction, Payment Plans, Refunds, Student Receivables, Tax Forms).

If you or someone you know someone would benefit from receiving these updates, please visit or share this link to subscribe: ctcLinkSME_StuFin 

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  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 editions of SF Connect can be found within Student Financials Resources.

CyberSource Demos

Staff working with CyberSource are invited to attend one of these repeated sessions to learn more about changes ahead.

Tamara Allen, Student Financials Senior Functional Analyst, will:

• Review the CyberSource pages impacted by the transition.
• Demonstrate the minor changes students will experience during the payment process.
• Discuss the migration schedule and implementation approach for each college.
• Provide an opportunity for questions and feedback.

SF & FIN Info Session: Penny Rounding

Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, 1-2 p.m., Learn more and join the session

The SBCTC Student Financials and Business Operations teams invite you to review the new systemwide cashiering guidance for cash rounding (penny elimination) and participate in a question-and-answer session.

See the related QRG: Penny Rounding. This session will not be recorded.

SF Work Sessions

Typically held on the FOURTH Monday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m. and occasionally on Thursdays, the Student Financials Functional team delivers content focused on a particular topic/process within the Student Financials pillar area.

This is also time for college end-users to collaborate with functional support and other Student Financials staff/supervisors to troubleshoot issues, discuss workflow or process questions and/or share your screen.

SF Work Session: Hot Topics 1098-T Resolution

Monday, Aug. 17, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Learn more and join the session

Student Financials staff processing 1098-Ts are invited to join Amy Lanser, SF Functional Analyst, for a discussion of Prior Year Process Overview and IRIS.

Related QRG: SF 1098-Ts

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.

SF Training

2026 Fall Welcome Back to Basics: Cashiering, Refunds, and Payment Plans

Monday, Aug. 10, 1 p.m., Learn more and join the session

New to SF processing or need a refresher? 

New Student Financials employees or those seeking to refresh their SF skills are invited to join Pauline Smith, ctcLink SF Functional Trainer,  for an overview session of essential SF processing topics, including:

• Cashiering
• Refunds
• Payment Plans

Module(s): Student Financials

• Related QRGs: SF Cashiering, SF Refunds, SF Payment Plans
• Prerequisite Course(s): SF100 (Tuition Calculation), SF101 (Cashiering), SF102 (Refunds), SF103 (Payment Plans)

Cross-Pillar Training: CS Core/FA/SF Enrollment Cancellation

Monday, Aug. 24, 1-2:30 p.m., Learn more and join the session

Newer staff responsible for reviewing and processing Enrollment Cancellation are invited to this cross-pillar session. 

Join Pauline Smith, SF Functional Trainer; Tanjagay Martin, CS Core Functional Trainer; and Kelly Forsberg, FA Functional Trainer, as they discuss:

• Reviewing Important Dates (Academic Calendar, Billing & Due Calendar, Adjustment Calendar)
• Communications
• Financial Aid and their role in this process
• Running the Enrollment Cancellation Process

Related QRGs

• Enrollment Cancellation - Drop for Non-Payment
• Making Student Eligible for Enrollment after Enrollment Cancellation or Term Withdraw -Automated
• Tuition Calculation After Enrollment Cancellation
• Completing the Enrollment Cancellation Process

PCD Refresh and Your Queries: Get Ready!

The PCD (Production College Development) environment will be refreshed from PRD on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. Beginning Friday, July 31, at noon, PCD will not be available for query development until after the PCD is refreshed.

What you need to do

Make sure any PCD queries you want to keep begin with the prefix DEV_ unless you have submitted a ticket requesting backup of queries that will be used for BI Publisher, Pivot Grid, or nVision reports.

Standard Queries

Any queries in PCD that do not begin with DEV_ will be deleted.

• This applies to all standard Public and Private queries.
• SBCTC will perform a query backup for in-progress queries (private and public) that meet the DEV_ naming convention.
• This backup will NOT be done by folder. This means if a query is in the DEVELOPMENT folder but doesn’t begin with DEV_ it will be overwritten and lost.

BI Publisher, Pivot Grid, and nVision Queries

Any query used in a BI Publisher, Pivot Grid, or nVision report DOES NOT have to follow the DEV_ protocol as it is very time-consuming to change them back when they are ready to migrate.

Instead, please submit a Service Desk ticket under Data Services – Reporting – Other with the title “PCD Refresh Backup Request.”  Provide the name of the query being developed for use in one of the advanced reporting tools in the request.  These queries will be individually backed up on an as-needed basis.

What to expect

• The queries in the backup will be imported back to PCD after the refresh is complete and a notice is received from Application Services.
• Data Services will send a message to you once our work is complete.
• Please do not log back into PCD after Friday, July 31, at noon but wait until you receive a notification from Data Services.

Queries that do not follow these naming conventions will be lost

Remember! Naming convention for queries

• Being developed in PCD: MUST begin with the prefix DEV_
• Used for training in PCD: MUST begin with QXX_TRAIN
• Being developed for use in BI Publisher, Pivot Grid, or nVision reports in PCD: MUST begin with the appropriate convention based on the reporting tool being used. Do not follow the DEV_ convention. Request must be sent to Data Services via Service Desk ticket.

Why you need to do it

Queries that do not follow this convention will not be backed up and will be lost.

Query Developer Learning Opportunities

Step Up your Query Game

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 Forum July Meeting Highlights

This monthly open forum, facilitated by Christopher Soran and Monica Olsson, provided colleges and accessibility stakeholders with the following updates:

Upcoming Images/Releases

• HCM Image 55 goes into production August 8, 2026. The team is testing Oracle's accessibility fixes and preparing an accessibility image overview document to accompany the release.
• Campus Solutions Image 38 and HCX 26.2 (mobile app) are next in the queue for accessibility bug-fix testing and reporting.

ConexED (Student Success Software)

• Additional accessibility testing is underway beyond what was done during the original RFP. Josh Giha is testing student-facing features, with faculty-side testing to follow.
• Monica gave background context on the RFP process: ConexED's accessibility work was evaluated against a scoping document built with third-party partner Deque (pronounced D.Q.).
• Both Deque and internal reviewer Vicki Walton conducted separate audits against the same scope. Leadership required ConexED to resolve Deque's high/critical findings as a first priority after selection.
• Of roughly 12 vendors evaluated, two or three (including ConexED) stood out on accessibility, though ConexED wasn't the top performer in that category. Accessibility, cost, and business fit were all weighed together.
• Josh reported some overlap with Vicki's earlier findings but also some new issues from his independent testing, and requested a list from ConexED of what they've already fixed to avoid duplicating work.
• Findings and ConexED's response will be documented and shared with college stakeholders.

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 to 11:30 a.m.

Please join us for the next ctcLink Accessibility Open Forum on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 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 2026 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.