Business Affairs Updates for CofC Faculty, Staff

The Division of Business Affairs consists of an array of different offices, departments and services that support the campus community. And – collectively known as the Business and Fiscal Services (BUAF) team – the staff within the different units have been busy making 2022–23 another successful academic year.

BUAF is made up of:

Fiscal services (AR/AP, controller/accounting, the Office of Budgeting and Payroll Services and the Treasurer’s Office)
Facilities Management, including capital project management and space management
Public Safety/Fire and EMS
Procurement and contracting, including warehouse and inventory management
Office of Human Resources
Campus Services (Campus Housing, Dining Services, parking and transportation, vending, Cougar Card, the George Street Box Office and Sottile Theatre, insurance and lease management and Campus Services HQ)

Below are some updates from a few of the units making up the BUAF team.

Fiscal Services: There are a few fiscal services updates for faculty and staff to know. First, the annual financial statement audit went well, and the College received an unqualified opinion without any adjustments or findings. The Annual Comprehensive Financial Report can be found on the Controller’s Office’s website. The team is now working to complete the annual Single Audit and the NCAA Agreed Upon Procedures engagements.

In addition, a new travel and expense system called Concur is coming out in the near future. The system allows for enhanced travel planning and expense management. Travelers will be able to make online reservations for airline flights, car rentals and hotel stays. Using Concur, travelers will submit Travel Authorizations and Travel Reimbursement Requests electronically, which will eliminate the current paper forms. The automated workflow process will allow travelers to track the approval and reimbursement status and reduce processing time. There will also be a mobile app that travelers can use to track itineraries and capture receipt images. The configuration is almost complete and pilot group testing will begin soon after.

Also, of note: Approximately 40 new grants have been opened in FY23. A new indirect cost agreement is in place for federal grants and the new rates are 50% for on campus and 20% for off campus. In addition, the Controller’s Office is assisting the Office of Research and Grants Administration to implement WebGrants by Dulles Technology. Staff members in the Controller’s Office are participating in the process via small group meetings and trainings several days each week. Implementation is projected to be finalized in spring 2023.

Procurement: The Office of Procurement and Supply Services reports that in the first quarter of FY23 1,665 purchase orders were placed with 441 suppliers for a total of $31,135,766 – down from $50,140,519 on 1,718 purchase orders from 466 suppliers in the first quarter of FY22. A significant part of the difference is due to a new contract for the energy savings program awarded to Siemens last fiscal year.

In addition, as managed print continues to evolve and the College continues efforts to conserve funds and achieve sustainability goals, the Division of Information Technology and procurement have discussed additional ways to advance the cause. IT is organizing a task force to discuss the next iteration of printing on campus.

Facilities Management: After a busy summer of building upgrades, updates, renovations and refreshes, things haven’t slowed down for Facilities Management. A special shout-out goes to the team who stayed on campus to brave Hurricane Ian and deal with anything and everything that came their way. The team responded to water intrusion, downed trees, power outages and debris removal. After the storm, the Facilities Management teams helped each other to clean up the campus and have it up and running the next day.

The storm also pushed back the celebration of National Custodial Workers Recognition Day, Oct. 2, to Oct. 7, 2022. Find out more about the celebration on The College Today.

On Oct. 19 and 20 the Facilities Master Planning consultant team from Beyer, Blinder and Belle met with campus representatives to kick off the master planning engagement. The team will be meeting with many groups across campus to develop a “Strategic Campus Framework” to guide the future development of campus in alignment with the College’s strategic plan.

Also, thanks to its dedicated, safety-minded staff, Facilities Management will also be celebrating one full calendar year of no-time-lost work injuries.

Human Resources: The Office of Human Resources is excited to announce its reorganization to expand opportunities focused on supporting employees in furtherance of the College’s strategic plan Pillar Three: Employee Experience and Success. Kimberly Gertner ’01, the newly appointed associate vice president of human resources and employee success, will lead this area, which includes the College’s employee training and development programs, employee relations and the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs. As part of this transition, Leya Nelson has been appointed the director of the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs and Title IX Coordinator, and Steven Bell has been named the equal opportunity programs compliance and employee success officer in addition to the ADA/504 coordinator.

“We look forward to strengthening our campus partnerships and working together to implement new initiatives that inspire and further an inclusive, innovative and thriving workplace for our employees,” says Gertner.

The Office of Human Resources is also excited about the new Paid Parental Leave (PPL) benefit, which went into effect Oct. 1, 2022. Find out all about it on The College Today.