ctcLink Learning Opportunities & Support Roundup: Oct. 28, 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

Call for Nominees: “Accounts Receivable" PAW Task Force

As announced in the October 21 edition of ctcLink CONNECT, the next Process Alignment Work (PAW) Task Force on Accounts Receivable is launching soon.

The first step is to identify nominees for the systemwide task force dedicated to this process.

Task Force Details

The task force will be composed of a small group of 8 to 12 members working on behalf of all 34 colleges. We aim to ensure the following characteristics are represented within the team:

• Finance staff involved in Accounts Receivable processing
• Finance staff involved in general accounting
• Staff with a general understanding of AR processes and how they fit with a wider dynamic system (systems thinker)
• Staff with knowledge of policy or compliance requirements that impact AR processes
• Staff involved in managing local ctcLink Accounts Receivable training
• Colleges of varying size (small, medium, large) and types (technical, community)

Task Force Leads

The Process Alignment Workgroup (PAW) is pleased to announce that the Accounts Receivable Process Alignment Task Force will be co-led by two members of PAW:

• Miranda Brown, Skagit Valley College Senior Accountant
• Tammy Murphy, Skagit Valley College Scheduling Specialist and Project Management Professional (PMP)

Miranda and Tammy bring extensive combined experience within our college and ctcLink system, serving in process alignment subgroups, as well as project management skills.

Tanya Kerr, Clark College Internal Controls Business Analyst, will support the effort as Task Force Coordinator.

What’s expected?

• Task force kickoff meeting and orientations will be held in November 2026. The task force members will agree on a weekly meeting schedule.
• During the discovery phase, the task force will conduct a process review to define the scope of the work, then proceed through an analysis phase before offering their "best practice" recommendations.
• Task force members can anticipate a time commitment of one to three hours per week over approximately two quarters (ending in May 2027) to fully participate in the review activity.

Interested?

If you would like to be formally nominated:

1. Discuss with your supervisor and seek their support.
2. Reach out to your designated ctcLink College Leader right away, so they can submit your name. The ctcLink College Leaders have received a form link to submit nominations.

All nominations are due from the ctcLink College Leader by Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Task force membership will be announced the following week with an initial orientation/kickoff meeting shortly thereafter.

What is Process Alignment?

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

Learn more about the PAW Project

• Process Alignment Selection
• Process Alignment Shared Vision and Project Overview

Reach out to Jason Hetterle, PAW Team Lead, Director of Technology & Enterprise Solutions, Wenatchee Valley College, if you have any questions or concerns about the Process Alignment Workgroup activities.

ctcLink Production Environment Server Maintenance

Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, 8 – 10 a.m.

The entire ctcLink production environment (all pillars) will remain offline during the maintenance window.

• The HighPoint Campus Experience (HCX) mobile site and app will be unavailable.
• The Online Admissions Application Portal (OAAP) will be unavailable.
• The integration between CampusCE and ctcLink will be unavailable. Following completion of the maintenance activities, colleges will need to resubmit any unprocessed orders received during the downtime. 
• Canvas will not be impacted.
  • Users logging into ctcLink will be directed to an offline notice with links to college Canvas sites.

Plan ahead for upcoming Pillar Environment/Pillar Updates and Planned Service Outages.

Okta ctcLink MFA default changes now in effect

The Information Technology Commission (ITC) decided during its May 2026 meeting to no longer use Email as multi-factor authentication (MFA) in ctcLink.

The systemwide decision to discontinue the use of Email as an MFA option in ctcLink reflects a collective effort by SBCTC and ITC to align our authentication methods with current security best practices and strengthen the overall security of the ctcLink environment.

What changed and when?

This change went into effect systemwide on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026.

If a student or staff member has not selected an alternative MFA method beyond Email, they will simply be prompted to select another available MFA option the next time they log in after the change is implemented.

Background

As background, colleges committed to implementing Okta MFA at the campus level. To date, the ctcLink Okta instance has been implemented for all employees and students systemwide.

Why?

To strengthen account security, Email will no longer be available as an MFA option.

Email accounts can be compromised through phishing, password reuse, or other attacks.

Removing this option reduces the risk of account compromise and encourages the use of stronger authentication methods, such as biometrics, Okta Verify, Google Authenticator, or security keys such as YubiKeys.

What do I need to do?

If you have already selected an MFA option other than Email, no additional action is required.

If you need assistance updating your MFA options, please refer to the following Quick Reference Guides (QRGs):

• Staff: HCM Employee Self Service Okta - Multi-Factor Authentication - select Setting Up Your Multi-Factor Recovery Options
• Students: Student Self Service Okta - Multi-Factor Authentication - select Setting Up Your Multi-Factor Recovery Options

NOTE: MFA Factors and Security Role Configuration in ctcLink were sent separately to College CIOs and Local Security Administrators.

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 Image 38 and HCX 26.2 Functional Overview

The CS Image 38 and HCX 26.2 updates were deployed to the production environment on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Q&A Session Recordings

In case you missed the Q&A sessions, please watch one of the recordings.

• CS Image 38 & HCX 26.2 Q&A Session 1
• CS Image 38 & HCX 26.2 Q&A Session 2

Documentation

Find out what’s new and improved:

• Campus Solutions Image 38 Overview – Revised Oct. 9, 2026
• Campus Solutions Image 38 Accessibility Overview
• HighPoint Campus Experience HCX 26.2 Upgrade Overview

Questions?

Reach out to the CS Core 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

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.

Call for Nominees: “Accounts Receivable" PAW Task Force

As announced in the October 21 edition of ctcLink CONNECT, the next Process Alignment Work (PAW) Task Force on Accounts Receivable is launching soon.

The first step is to identify nominees for the systemwide task force dedicated to this process.

Task Force Details

The task force will be composed of a small group of 8 to 12 members working on behalf of all 34 colleges. We aim to ensure the following characteristics are represented within the team:

• Finance staff involved in Accounts Receivable processing
• Finance staff involved in general accounting
• Staff with a general understanding of AR processes and how they fit with a wider dynamic system (systems thinker)
• Staff with knowledge of policy or compliance requirements that impact AR processes
• Staff involved in managing local ctcLink Accounts Receivable training
• Colleges of varying size (small, medium, large) and types (technical, community)

Task Force Leads

The Process Alignment Workgroup (PAW) is pleased to announce that the Accounts Receivable Process Alignment Task Force will be co-led by two members of PAW:

• Miranda Brown, Skagit Valley College Senior Accountant
• Tammy Murphy, Skagit Valley College Scheduling Specialist and Project Management Professional (PMP)

Miranda and Tammy bring extensive combined experience within our college and ctcLink system, serving in process alignment subgroups, as well as project management skills.

Tanya Kerr, Clark College Internal Controls Business Analyst, will support the effort as Task Force Coordinator.

What’s expected?

• Task force kickoff meeting and orientations will be held in November 2026. The task force members will agree on a weekly meeting schedule.
• During the discovery phase, the task force will conduct a process review to define the scope of the work, then proceed through an analysis phase before offering their "best practice" recommendations.
• Task force members can anticipate a time commitment of one to three hours per week over approximately two quarters (ending in May 2027) to fully participate in the review activity.

Interested?

If you would like to be formally nominated:

1. Discuss with your supervisor and seek their support.
2. Reach out to your designated ctcLink College Leader right away, so they can submit your name. The ctcLink College Leaders have received a form link to submit nominations.

All nominations are due from the ctcLink College Leader by Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Task force membership will be announced the following week with an initial orientation/kickoff meeting shortly thereafter.

What is Process Alignment?

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

Learn more about the PAW Project

• Process Alignment Selection
• Process Alignment Shared Vision and Project Overview

Reach out to Jason Hetterle, PAW Team Lead, Director of Technology & Enterprise Solutions, Wenatchee Valley College, if you have any questions or concerns about the Process Alignment Workgroup activities.

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

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 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

Held 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

FIN Work Session: Asset Management Workshop and 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

ctcLink Accounting Team: SBCTC Finance

Every third Thursday, this recurring work sessions aim to provide Accounting support and guidance regarding, but not limited to, the various reconciliation topics and processes. We will cover a specific topic(s) and then move to open Q&A.

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 Work Session: Mass Aid Cancellation Part 1 | Readiness & Scenario Review

Thursday, October 29, 2026, 1 to 2 p.m., Join the Webex session

New Financial Aid staff and staff supervisors! Don your bravest face, pack your pumpkin-spiced provisions, and get ready to treat yourself to Mass Aid Cancellation.

Session information

Join Debbie Englehardt, ctcLink Senior Functional Analyst (FA), and Kelly Forsberg, ctcLink Functional Trainer (FA),  for a work session focused on preparing for Mass Aid Cancellation. We'll review Packaging Plan readiness, work through key setup, and discuss a variety of cancellation scenarios to help you feel confident before running the process. Session demos and any colleges testing the process will be occur in PCD.

 We’ll cover

• A walk-through of the new Mass Aid Cancellation Guide we will introduce at the session
• Getting ready by Creating the Mass Cancel Packaging Plan in PCD
• A review of scenarios of students to be picked up in the process
  • Scenario 1 – Mass Aid Year Cancellation for students who never rolled into the next term
  • Scenario 2 – Mass Aid Year Cancellation for breaks in enrollment

FA Work Session: 2027/2028 Aid Year Rollover Prep

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, 2-3 p.m., Join the Webex session

Join Britney Corbitt, Functional Analyst (Financial Aid), in a FA Work Session on how to prepare for Aid Year Rollover for 2027/2028. This session is only for those completing the AYRO process this year. This session will include the review docs and checklist processes.

Session QRG:  2026-2027 Aid Year Roll Over Prep | FA - Financial Aid Business Process Guides | ctcLink Reference Center

FA Work Session: Mass Aid Cancellation Part 2 | Processing & Troubleshooting

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, 1 to 3 p.m., Join the Webex session

Financial Aid Awarding staff!  You are invited to Join Kelly Forsberg, ctcLink Functional Trainer (FA), and Debbie Englehardt, ctcLink Senior Functional Analyst (FA), in this Part 2 follow-up session. 

We will demo the Mass Aid Cancellation process from start to finish and review common errors, troubleshooting strategies, and tips for resolving potential issues using the Mass Aid Cancellation guide. Session demos and any colleges testing the process will occur in PCD.

This session will be recorded.   

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.

HCM Paysheet Hourly Rate Adjust Process

The SBCTC HCM team implemented an enhancement to the Paysheet Hourly Rate Adjust process in ctcLink Production on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026.

What changed?

The custom process Paysheet Hourly Rate Adjust (CTC_HROP_AE) has been updated to run by Pay Run ID. It will process pre-specified pay groups for the respective company code.

• Simplified User Interface: This update eliminates the need for the Payroll Administrator to enter company code and pay group(s) when they run the process.
• Streamlined Payroll Processing: This was the last of the custom processes requiring company code entry on the run control page. The rest were modified in 2023.

The Quick Reference Guide (QRG) was updated to reflect the changes users will experience following the implementation: Run the Paysheet Hourly Rate Adjust Process | 9.2 HCM - Payroll | ctcLink Reference Center

HCM Users Group Monthly Virtual Meet-Up

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 9-10 a.m., via Zoom at HCM Users Group Monthly Virtual meeting

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

Questions? Contact Rachel Russell, HCM Users Group Chair.

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 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 calendar for the latest offerings.

Find past trainings and sessions at ctcLink Pillar Work Session Information

SF Support Updates

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 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.

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.

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

Join this new two-part series and jump into SF Communications with a fresh lens. Please come prepared with questions—we look forward to interactive discussions about 3Cs Communications and Message Center.

Primary Audience: Student Financials Staff

Related QRGs: SF - Collections

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

2026 1098-T SF Work Sessions & Drop-In Sessions

Student Financials staff processing 1098-Ts are invited to join these sessions.

Related QRGs: SF 1098-Ts

PCD Refresh and Your Queries: Get Ready!

The PCD (Production College Development) environment will be refreshed from PRD on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026. Beginning Friday, Oct. 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, Oct. 31, at noon but wait until you receive a notification from Data Services.

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 naming convention will not be backed up and will be lost.

Query Developer Learning Opportunities

Step Up your Query Game

Instructor-led query-related training has been updated for the rest of 2026 in the ctcLink Training Calendar.

To clear filter settings, select None. Then select ctcLink Learning Opportunities > Reporting Training.  Click “Sign Up” to enroll.

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 & Open Forum October Meeting Summary

Christopher Soran, Application Support Manager, led the October 13 ctcLink Open Forum, joined by Josh Giha, PeopleSoft Developer & Support Engineer, as well as Monica Olsson, Policy Associate - Accessible IT Coordinator, and Vicki Walton, Web Accessibility Specialist and QA Tester, from the Education Division.

CS 38 Image Overview Document (IOVD)

Josh Giha reviewed the accessibility fixes in Campus Solutions Image 38, which went into production October 10. Most changes address WCAG 2.2, especially success criterion 2.5.8 (Target Size Minimum).

These changes apply to fluid pages with screen reader mode turned off. Classic and Classic Plus pages in screen reader mode still show links placed close together.

Target size, spacing, and focus

• Increased spacing between hyperlinks and interactive controls.
• Improved spacing for Address Type selections; updated Student Center layout.
• Spacing and link-control updates on View Financial Aid and Accept/Decline Awards. Many of these were only one or two pixels, so they are hard to spot without comparing the pages side by side.
• Improved focus visibility and control spacing on Transfer Credit, Browse Course Catalog, My Academics and Faculty Center My Schedule.
• Updated shared style for Faculty Center pages.

Labels, headers, and tables

• Added a visible label for the Currency field on the Holds page, and the missing Currency Code column header.
• Added a link on the Edit Address page to change the country from United States, and aligned the OK and Cancel buttons.
• Updated column header spacing in Course History and the financial aid award summary.
• Student Services Center buttons formerly labeled "Go" now name their destination (for example, "Proceed to other academic information").
• Removed unnecessary bullet marks next to the term in Faculty Center View My Schedule.

Screen reader and keyboard improvements

• Student Self Service, Academic Records and Milestones: the milestone detail modal tabs are now keyboard-navigable and show proper focus.
• Exam Schedule page: resolved heading inconsistencies and double headers, removed blank columns exposed to assistive technology, corrected grid markup and the intermittent invalid grid error, and improved screen reader announcements.
• Calendar View in Faculty Center now loads properly and is keyboard-navigable.
• Evaluate My Transfer Credit: screen readers no longer announce objects that are not visible (such as the group box).
• Fluid Class Search, Class Index Preprocess (Curriculum Management): tab focus now moves predictably.
• Search results now appear consistently at the top of the page across these pages.
• Gradebook, Class Cumulative Grades: Select Grade Roster field aligned and labeled with proper spacing.

Discussion

Monica Olsson said it was an impressive number of improvements, noting visible focus, target size, consistent control placement and grid navigation, and thanked Josh for reviewing the release notes for the community.

Josh said he is still disappointed that screen reader mode on and off produces two very different experiences, and that Oracle still tells screen reader users to leave the mode on, even as it improves the fluid pages with the mode off.

However, he was encouraged overall and sees CS 38 as groundwork for improving the heavily customized Faculty Center over the next few years.

Vicki Walton asked why some images (PeopleSoft updates) contain few fixes and others many. Christopher explained it is a combination: the team reports every issue it finds or that colleges report, and reviews each image's bug-fix list for accessibility items, asking Oracle for more detail when needed. Other institutions, notably in Texas and Boston, also actively report accessibility bugs.

Okta

Monica Olsson explained that Okta is the multi-factor authentication (MFA) tool used across the system for secure ctcLink sign-in; some institutions, including the State Board, also use it for other applications.

About a year ago the State Board began monthly accessibility check-ins with Okta after identifying screen reader hardships in the MFA process, and Okta has made considerable progress.

• In the last week, Okta published new and updated ACR/VPAT reports, mapped to WCAG 2.2 AA and evaluated with Deque as a third-party auditor: Okta Platform, Okta Sign In Widget, Okta Browser Plugin, and Okta Verify for Android, iOS, Mac and Windows (seven reports).
• Monica clarified that being mapped to 2.2 AA does not mean every item meets it. Several areas are still rated "partially supports," and some are critical or foundational criteria at Level A.
• Vicki Walton noted that Deque reports cover a defined scope of tested pages, usually the most important areas, rather than the whole product.
• Follow-up questions will go to the next Okta accessibility meeting. Okta has switched to a new main contact, so that relationship needs to be re-established. Anyone is welcome to read the ACRs and send questions or feedback.

Oracle

The two accessibility contacts at Oracle were laid off in the September 2026 Oracle layoffs. They had helped move tickets forward, escalate to managers and raise priority in the queue. The team will keep working through service requests (SRs) and escalate when responses fall short. SBCTC's commitment has not changed, though some items may take longer without those contacts.

Service Desk Tickets / Oracle Service Requests (SRs)

The team is waiting on Oracle Support to deliver bug fixes already in development and continues to open new SRs and advocate for quick resolution.

Campus Solutions

Incorrect mark-up on the "Add" button (WCAG violation): Oracle accepted it as a bug and development is working on it.

Screen reader mode, Enter key after submitting search criteria behaves incorrectly: use Firefox as a workaround; fix expected in PeopleTools 8.63.

Human Capital Management

In Firefox, the Calendar button is read as "Button" rather than "Calendar Button." Oracle blamed Firefox and closed the ticket; SBCTC pushed back and is waiting to hear whether development will fix it.

Bug 37949705 (benefit summary horizontal scroll bar missing in small form factor): the fix delivered in HCM Image 53 did not resolve the issue.

Finance

Cash Advance reading order was corrected, but User Default, Import ATM Advances, View Printable Version, Notes and Attachment items are read twice. An SR is open and a defect was submitted to engineering.

All pillars

Combo box drop-down shows a blank row and items are not ordered top to bottom: PeopleTools development took it as an enhancement request (KB599915); awaiting the fix.

Incorrect instructions and missing "* for required" legend on all search prompt pages: SR started with Oracle.

Third-party vendors

OAAP SSN entry (Kastech): the field gives no format instructions, and entering dashes (###-##-####) was rejected while nine digits without dashes were accepted. SBCTC will work with Kastech on this.

College Sharing

Colleges can send ideas for future forum meetings to csoran@sbctc.edu and molsson@sbctc.edu. The web submission form was retired because it was mostly used by people who could not log in to ctcLink and needed technical support, not for disability-related accessibility questions. Colleges can still send accessibility questions, requests and comments by email.

ctcLink Accessibility Web Page at SBCTC.edu

The ctcLink Accessibility page includes accessibility reviews, image overview documents (including the CS 38 IOVD), PeopleSoft Update Manager (PUM) image information, Oracle and third-party VPATs, and a glossary of terms.

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, Nov. 10, 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.