A weekly round-up of ctcLink learning opportunities, ctcLink support updates, and news for Washington state community and technical college ctcLink users.
If you have questions or suggestions for future editions, contact ctcLink News or slnelson@sbctc.edu.
What ctcLink learning opportunities are available?
ctcLink Support eLists
ctcLink Customer Support teams send notifications of learning opportunities (including trainings, work sessions, user acceptance testing, and more), as well as global and cross-pillar system communications to the applicable ctcLink Support eLists (aka listservs) on a regular basis.
If you are a ctcLink end-user, and not already hearing about learning opportunities firsthand, join one or more support lists today: ctcLink Support eLists
Training calendar
Find the latest learning opportunities, including notices of cancellation or schedule changes, on the ctcLink Training page or on the SBCTC meetings and events calendar (apply filters).
Take a training tour
View the ctcLink Training Overview video for a quick online tour of resources. To view it in full screen, select box icon in the upper right corner.
Learning Opportunities & Work Sessions Ahead
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 page or on the SBCTC meetings and events calendar (apply filters).
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| ctcLink Training Quick Reference Guides | The ctcLink Training Quick Reference Guides (QRGs) in the ctcLink Reference Center lists and links to recordings of sessions delivered by the Training Team. |
| Work Sessions in Canvas | The Work Session Canvas Course lists and links to recordings of sessions, including CS Core-offered Work Sessions. Register for the course(s) at ctcLink Training Registration. |
| ctcLink Security Documentation & Training | Find ctcLink Security-related training materials, documentation, Quick Reference Guides (QRGs), useful queries, and more on the ctcLink Security Documentation & Training page. |
| Accessibility and ctcLink Open Forums | SBCTC hosts monthly Accessibility and ctcLink Open Forums to engage Washington's community and technical college system in discussions around ctcLink accessibility and technology. Find materials and recordings from past ctcLink Accessibility Forums on the website. |
ctcLink News
Next PCD Refresh updated to July 1
In support of the Financial Aid community's contingency awarding efforts currently underway, the next PCD refresh date will be Monday, July 1, 2024. The environment will not be updated June 10.
This has been updated on the ctcLink Support webpage: Environment/Pillar Updates and Outages.
Why this change?
There was concern among the colleges and the FA Support team that SAIs from the Department of Education uploaded to PCD might get lost, so they want to wait until they’re confident ISIRs loaded into Production are working as designed, so colleges are assured a record to compare what they see in PROD vs. PCD.
To best support the Financial Aid community's activities, PCD needs to be stood up 24/7. In particular, FA Support will be intently working with college clients June 10-12 to load ISIRs into PROD.
ctcLink Enhancement Request (ER) Prioritization Process update
During last week’s WACTC Technology Committee meeting, Pat Daniels, ctcLink College Collaboration Group co-chair, Highline College Deputy CIO & ctcLink Director, gave an update on the ctcLink enhancement request (ER) prioritization process.
Process Overview
Since April 1, members of the ctcLink College Collaboration Group have reviewed and prioritized a comprehensive list of 68 outstanding ERs, some of which have been on hold for consideration since 2018 due to implementation activities. The overall goal of this new process is to solidify a clear voting process for ER prioritization moving forward.
Each college used a decision-making rubric developed by the wizards at Bellevue College to aid colleges in conversation and ranking the ERs.
Hats off to the prioritization rubric wizards from Bellevue College
The all-volunteer rubric development team (Maria Rivas, ctcLink Project Manager; Dave Ortega, Business Analyst; Stephanie Baker, Business Analyst; Carson Yip, Business Analyst; and Rodger Harrison, VP, Bellevue College IT Technical Services) went way above and beyond their roles as ctcLink College Leaders and committee members to create this complex and critical tool to serve the college system.
A time-out for new ERs (April 1 to May 31, 2024) allowed the cCCG members to review an unchanging list.
Participation
Overall participation and engagement were excellent, with only one college opting to not participate, another college logging minimal votes, and another skipping one pillar area.
Next Steps
Formal votes from each college/district were due May 10 and results were reviewed during the May 22 ctcLink College Collaboration Group meeting. Tabulations are being finalized and will be provided to SBCTC ctcLink Support to get ERs into the priority work queues as identified.
Read more
- ctcLink Enhancement Request Prioritization Underway, May 1, 2024 ctcLink CONNECT blog under Cross-Pillar News section:
- See the ctcLink Prioritization Proposal one-pager for more details.
- Enhancement Requests Start with You
Data Summit 2024: Save the Date!
Monday, Aug. 19 (all day) & Tuesday, Aug. 20 (tentative half-day) at South Puget Sound Community College, Lacey Campus.
Planning for Data Summit 2024 is now underway.
The DataLink Steering Committee (IT Commission & Research and Planning Commission) is in the planning stages for another informative event discussing all things data. Last year, participants heard from several areas about work occurring to set a foundation for growth in this area.
In 2024, the committee aims to build on that foundation with valuable discussions and a more in-depth look at our system’s data landscape and data needs.
The agenda is under development but will include:
- Hands-on work with the data
- Deep dives on hot topics
- Topic-specific groups, rather than role-specific
- Opportunities for collaboration
- Information on what’s coming down the road
For the Tuesday half-day, the planning team is considering hands-on, deep dives into a couple of topics, but nothing is set.
Get involved
We want to hear from you!
- Got some ideas? Fill out this online form.
- Want to have fun with your colleagues and help plan the Data Summit? Fill out this online form.
Next PCD Refresh updated to July 1
In support of the Financial Aid community's contingency awarding efforts currently underway, the next PCD refresh date will be Monday, July 1, 2024. The environment will not be updated June 10.
This has been updated on the ctcLink Support webpage: Environment/Pillar Updates and Outages.
Why this change?
There was concern among the colleges and the FA Support team that SAIs from the Department of Education uploaded to PCD might get lost, so they want to wait until they’re confident ISIRs loaded into Production are working as designed, so colleges are assured a record to compare what they see in PROD vs. PCD.
To best support the Financial Aid community's activities, PCD needs to be stood up 24/7. In particular, FA Support will be intently working with college clients June 10-12 to load ISIRs into PROD.
CS Core Learning Opportunities
CS Core Training
CS Core Trainings, a valuable learning opportunity, are held on the third Wednesday of every month from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The dates may change, and notifications will be sent in advance. The CS Core training alternates between refreshers and different process approaches. We highly value your participation and welcome all end-users to attend these trainings. You can find details about upcoming meetings on the SBCTC Calendar, CS Core Weeklyish CORErespondence, and CS Core listserv. Please visit the QRG Campus Solutions Learning Opportunities Recordings for a list of previous recordings.
CS Core Training: Graduation Tracking
Wednesday, June 5, 2024, 8:30 – 10 a.m., Read more and join the session
We invite you to join us in reviewing the Graduation Processing process, with a focus on Graduation Tracking and Search functionality. Suppose your college allows students to apply for graduation online through ctcLink. In that case, the Graduation Tracking Search page will be the first resource credential evaluators access when looking for new graduation applications to review. Once accessed, evaluators can use the Graduation Tracking page to update statuses and add Graduation Notes.
Contact Tanjagay Martin, SBCTC Functional CS Core Trainer, with questions.
Behind the Integration Broker (IB): Data Synchronization between HCM and CS Pillars
Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Read more and join the session
Seeking clarity about what data moves from HCM to Campus Solutions? And how? We hope to not only satisfy your curiosity but also make it easier for your Student Records and HR offices to stay in sync and achieve your intended outcomes.
This session will be an introduction to what Integration Broker (IB) is, how it works and what it does. We’ll discuss some of the basic consideration points and tips about managing biodemo data, particularly those nuances of being in a multi-pillar, global environment.
Questions? Contact CS Core Support.
CS Core Work Sessions
Campus Solutions (CS) Core Work Sessions, open to ALL end users, are held the first Thursday of each month, from 1 to 3 p.m. The CS Functional Support team facilitates, alternating between functional team delivered content and college user delivered content with functional team support. Each meeting includes time for colleges to ask questions about other topics or service tickets.
Find details on the SBCTC Calendar and in the CS Core Weeklyish COREspondence (sent on Fridays to the CSSupport listserv).
Core Sessions: College System & SBCTC Calendar
CS COREterly Open Q&A Sessions
- CS Core invites you to attend its quarterly Open Q&A sessions! While these sessions are for learning and problem-solving, we want to emphasize that these are also part of our efforts to support community building.
- Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Learn more and join the session
- Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Learn more and join the session
We want these sessions to provide an opportunity for college users to:
- Get assistance with any functionality they want to better understand or situation they are struggling to make work.
- Seek advice on anything they are trying to solve.
- Share best practices and lessons learned.
- Develop networks and build community.
To support the varied work areas of our users, each session will have a breakout room for each of the following modules:
- Records & Enrollment, which includes Student Program/Plan, Term Activation, Enrollment Appointments, Enrollment, Transfer-In Credit, Transcripts, Graduation and so on.
- Campus Community, which includes 3Cs, BioDemo, Service Indicators and so on.
- Curriculum Management, which includes class building, course catalog management, enrollment requirements and so on
Along with your colleagues who can share their real-life experiences and the solutions they have employed; CS Core team experts will be present in each room. We encourage you to submit your questions before the session (but doing so isn’t required). Enter your questions on the CS COREterly Question Submissions tab. Knowing your questions ahead of time just helps us to be prepared and allows us to help as many people as possible.
We hope you’ll join us even if you don’t have specific questions! We look forward to connecting with you and for you to connect with each other.
Stacking the Deck: Student Program/Plans
Thursday, June 6, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Learn more and join the session
Based on college feedback, this year we are creating more spaces for sharing lived experience. I’m looking for a couple of colleges to join the party. Before you tell me you can’t because you’re still working things out, that’s fine! We just need folks willing to share what they are doing and how it’s going. If you’re up for it, please contact Michelle Kuwasaki.
Module/s: Records and Enrollment
Primary Audience: Admissions, Student Records
Related QRGs: Student Program and Information Chapter
Because the impact of the Student Program/Plan is wide, it is important to get them right! We’ll warm up with a quick review of the building blocks involved: effective-dating, adding rows, action reasons, and attributes. Then, make connections with term activation, tuition calculation, FA, the AAR and the transcript. Of course, we need to save time for common conundrums like when to start a NEW stack vs adding a change row not to mention everyone’s favorite, those certificates earned “along the way.”
Student Program/Plans also matter to QARS and NSC Reporting. We will cover general best practices for ensuring data accuracy which also conveniently reduces NSC and QARS errors. And we’ll close by strongly advocating for various maintenance activities such as keeping term activation tidy and minimizing the number of open Student Program/Plans.
Hodgepodge: A Treasury of Tiny Topics
Thursday, July 18, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Learn more and join the session
So many topics deserve a spotlight but don’t quite merit an entire session by themselves. So, what to do? We are bundling them up for you in a Very Special Hodgepodge Session!
While we plan to cover some fundamentals, such as understanding effective-dating and best practices in testing, much of this session will be a speed-review of reminders and suggestions about fix-it processes like Synchronize Enrollment Totals and workarounds like Bypassing Clean Address.
Designed to prompt many “Ohhh, RIGHT!” responses and build your muscle memory, this session should be a fun one.
Modules: All
Questions? Contact CS Core Support.
Next PCD Refresh updated to July 1
In support of the Financial Aid community's contingency awarding efforts currently underway, the next PCD refresh date will be Monday, July 1, 2024. The environment will not be updated June 10.
This has been updated on the ctcLink Support webpage: Environment/Pillar Updates and Outages.
Why this change?
There was concern among the colleges and the FA Support team that SAIs from the Department of Education uploaded to PCD might get lost, so they want to wait until they’re confident ISIRs loaded into Production are working as designed, so colleges are assured a record to compare what they see in PROD vs. PCD.
To best support the Financial Aid community's activities, PCD needs to be stood up 24/7. In particular, FA Support will be intently working with college clients June 10-12 to load ISIRs into PROD.
FIN Learning Opportunities
FIN Work Sessions
FIN Work Sessions: FY24 Grants & Projects
Please join the ctcLink Finance Customer Support team for two collaborative support sessions to help troubleshoot, clear-out errors, and reconcile prior Fiscal Year End 2023-2024. This includes ALL Grants, Program Projects, and Capital Projects.
- Session 1: FY24 Grants & Projects - BEFORE 6/30: Thursday, June 27, 2 –3pm, Read more and join the session
- Session 2: FY24 Grants & Projects - AFTER GL Close & BEFORE OBIS Billing Deadline of 7/15: Thursday, July 11, 2 - 3 p.m., Read more and join the session
Questions? See the contact information listed in the event calendar listings above.
ctcLink Accounting Team presents: Chartstring Clean-Up & Special Topics
Join the SBCTC Business Operations ctcLink Accounting team every Thursday from 10 to 11 a.m. for special topics and ChartString clean-up working sessions.
Questions? See the contact information listed in the event calendar listings below.
| DATE/TIME | EVENT/TOPIC |
|---|---|
| Thursday, May 30, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: Expense Module Recon (YE Prep) (tentative) |
| Thursday, June 6, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: Accounts Receivable Recon Queries |
| Tuesday, June 11, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: Payroll Liabilities |
| Thursday, June 13, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: Suspense Account Cleanup |
| Monday, June 17, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: Outstanding Checks and Escheatment |
| Tuesday, June 18, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: Year-end Accrual Process |
| Thursday, June 20, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: VPA Year-end Reconciliation and Process |
| Friday, June 21, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: FYE24 Open Q&A |
| Tuesday, June 25, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: Payable Reconciliation |
| Wednesday, June 26, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: Deposits in Transit and Inventory Year-End |
| Thursday, June 27, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: Fixed Asset Reconciliation |
| Friday, June 28, 10 a.m. | ctcLink Accounting Team: FYE24 Open Q&A |
FIN Daily Fiscal Year-end (FYE) Work Sessions
Join the SBCTC Business Operations ctcLink Accounting team for Fiscal Year-end 2023-2024 accounting support and guidance. Topics include FYE preparation, reconciliation, and processes.
These focused work sessions will run daily, Monday through Friday (except holidays), 10 to 11 a.m., July 1 through August 2, 2024.
Questions? See the contact information listed in the event calendar listings below.
FIN Work Session: Grants/Projects Q&A Drop-In
Every second Monday of the month at 11 a.m. join the ctcLink Finance Customer Support team for a collaborative, interactive and troubleshooting drop-in session on everything Grants/Projects.
Questions? See the contact information listed in the event calendar listings below.
| DATE/TIME | EVENT/TOPIC |
|---|---|
| Monday, June 10, 11 a.m. | FIN Work Session: Grants/Projects Q&A Drop-In |
| Monday, July 8, 11 a.m. | FIN Work Session: Grants/Projects Q&A Drop-In |
Finance (FSCM) College Users Production Support Meetings
Meetings are held every Tuesday, from 2 to 3 p.m.
These sessions are open to ALL Finance (FSCM) end users. The ctcLink Finance Customer Support team provides updates on Service Tickets, PeopleSoft enhancements, and open forum time to ask questions or request future topics.
| DATE/TIME | EVENT/TOPIC |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, May 28, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting *CANCELED* |
| Tuesday, June 4, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: YEAR END TOPICS on PU, AP, KK |
| Tuesday, June 11, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: YEAR END TOPICS on AM, GL |
| Tuesday, June 18, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: FSCM Prod Support Meeting |
| Tuesday, June 25, 2 p.m. | FIN Work Session: YEAR END TOPIC on PO Rollover |
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 Finance/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.
| DATE/TIME | EVENT/TOPIC |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, June 12, 2024 | ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting |
| Wednesday, July 10, 2024 | ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting |
Financial Aid ISIRs Work Sessions
The ctcLink Financial Aid Support team has announced open work sessions Monday through Friday, June 10-14, 2024, for colleges to process ISIRs and begin awarding aid using the contingency awarding process:
- 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., work session
- 12 – 1 p.m., lunch break
- 1 - 4 p.m., work session continues
During the Webex on Friday, June 14, the FA community will evaluate its needs for the week ahead. Just in case, colleges are asked to block out the June 17-18 and June 20-21 for the same time. (June 19 is the Juneteenth holiday.)
Get ready
On Monday, June 10, colleges will begin loading summer header college ISIRs during the supported work session. To prepare, college FA officers were asked to read the PowerPoint slides distributed May 24 to the FA Support listserv. While this information was covered during the Aid Year Rollover sessions, colleges are asked to read instructions specific to June 10.
FAFSA milestones ahead
- Saturday, June 8, 2024: Financial Aid Support and Application Services teams move the PRP3 into production and conduct final readiness tests.
- Monday, June 10, 2024: Colleges get access to the new system.
- June 10 through June 21, 2024: ctcLink Financial Aid Support team will deliver hands-on financial aid support sessions for colleges.
There will continue to be adjustments from the Department of Education (ED) and requisite coding changes from Oracle, so this effort is only the beginning.
College FA teams are getting it done!
As reported during the WACTC Presidents business meeting on Friday, May 24:
- 24 colleges have already loaded ISIRs in the contingency awarding alternative environment
- Three colleges have begun awarding in ctcLink production and another handful of colleges were getting ready to make awards (as of last week).
SBCTC FAFSA Resources Webpage
Visit the 2024-25 FAFSA Resources web page for regularly updated information for college employees and includes updated FAQ templates including a Q&A center.
FAFSA Simplification Q&A center (for colleges)
Submit questions and ideas about FAFSA simplification efforts to the SBCTC FAFSA Response Team
FAFSA in the News
- Keep up with the latest news from the NASFAA FAFSA Simplification Web Center
Campus Solutions Financial Aid PRP 2.6 upgrade
The Campus Solutions Financial Aid PRP (PeopleSoft Release Patchset) 2.6 upgrade will be implemented in production the evening of Thursday, June 6.
If you are interested in learning more about these changes, attend a Q&A session.
- FA PRP 2.6 Q & A Session 1: Tuesday, June 4, 2024, 10 – 11 a.m., Join Session
- FA PRP 2.6 Q & A Session 2: Wednesday, June 5, 2024, 2 – 3 p.m., Join Session
Sessions are optional, but users affected by these changes are encouraged to attend. Prior to the Q&A sessions, SBCTC will send a link to the supporting documents outlining the changes users will experience.
Reach out to Caitlin Stein, Test Coordinator, if you have any questions or concerns.
Next PCD Refresh updated to July 1
In support of the Financial Aid community's contingency awarding efforts currently underway, the next PCD refresh date will be Monday, July 1, 2024. The environment will not be updated June 10.
This has been updated on the ctcLink Support webpage: Environment/Pillar Updates and Outages.
Why this change?
There was concern among the colleges and the FA Support team that SAIs from the Department of Education uploaded to PCD might get lost, so they want to wait until they’re confident ISIRs loaded into Production are working as designed, so colleges are assured a record to compare what they see in PROD vs. PCD.
To best support the Financial Aid community's activities, PCD needs to be stood up 24/7. In particular, FA Support will be intently working with college clients June 10-12 to load ISIRs into PROD.
FA-Related Query Freeze Until July 1
The FA Support team has requested a freeze on all migrations for FA related queries. This freeze is to help the FA Support team focus on the upcoming FA changes that are moving into production on June 8. The freeze began Wednesday, May 8, and goes through Friday, June 28.
We do understand and acknowledge the concerns surrounding the brief pause in FA query migration to production. Typically, we aim to provide advanced notice for such activities, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Moving forward, we are committed to improving our communication practices to ensure you are informed well in advance of any similar interruptions. Given the ever-evolving landscape of financial aid regulations, particularly with the Department of Education and Oracle updates, we find it imperative to allocate as much attention as possible to setting up and testing the aid year promptly.
A comprehensive list of queries is available for the financial aid community, along with an additional set tailored to support the preparation and processing of the 2024-2025 aid year. Despite this, we must temporarily pause FA query development for the following reasons:
- Maintaining Global Query Criteria: Ensuring consistency and relevance across all queries is crucial for effective data management, data usage and reporting.
- Minimizing Upstream and Downstream Impacts: We are dedicated to mitigating any potential disruptions to data flow and system functionality.
- Maximizing Data Integrity: Our focus remains on preserving the accuracy and reliability of the information within our system and our global standards.
We want to reassure you we will migrate FA queries currently in the queue into production as scheduled. Additionally, moving forward until early July, our teams will prioritize critical FA query needs, dedicating concerted efforts to create, validate, and deploy them promptly.
Your understanding and support during this period are greatly appreciated. If you have any urgent FA queries or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly.
Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we navigate these developments together.
Contact Ivy Brent, Associate Director of ctcLink Business Intelligence, if you have any questions.
FA Learning Opportunities
Financial Aid (FA) Work Sessions
Financial Aid (FA) Work Session meetings are on the fourth Thursdays, from 1 to 3 p.m.
The FA Functional Support team facilitates alternating between functional team delivered content and college user delivered content with the support of the FA functional team. The end of each meeting is open for colleges to ask questions about the topic presented. These sessions are open to ALL end users.
Find the latest information, including notices of cancellation or schedule changes, on the ctcLink Training page or on the SBCTC meetings and events calendar (apply filters).
Next PCD Refresh updated to July 1
In support of the Financial Aid community's contingency awarding efforts currently underway, the next PCD refresh date will be Monday, July 1, 2024. The environment will not be updated June 10.
This has been updated on the ctcLink Support webpage: Environment/Pillar Updates and Outages.
Why this change?
There was concern among the colleges and the FA Support team that SAIs from the Department of Education uploaded to PCD might get lost, so they want to wait until they’re confident ISIRs loaded into Production are working as designed, so colleges are assured a record to compare what they see in PROD vs. PCD.
To best support the Financial Aid community's activities, PCD needs to be stood up 24/7. In particular, FA Support will be intently working with college clients June 10-12 to load ISIRs into PROD.
HCM Learning Opportunities
HCM Work Session Meetings
Human Capital Management (HCM) meetings are held every other Wednesday, from 1 to 3 p.m. The HCM Functional team along with the training team offers Work Sessions and Training Sessions around the different functionality in HCM.
- Wednesday, June 5, 1- 3 p.m., HCM Work Session: W-2 Year-End Preparations - Part 1
- Wednesday, June 12, 1- 3 p.m., HCM Work Session: Payroll Processing Timeline
- Wednesday, June 26, 1- 3 p.m., HCM Work Session: Fiscal Year DRS Calendar Update/Creation
Behind the Integration Broker (IB): Data Synchronization between HCM and CS Pillars
Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, 1-3 p.m., Read more and join the session
Seeking clarity about what data moves from HCM to Campus Solutions? And how? We hope to not only satisfy your curiosity but also make it easier for your Student Records and HR offices to stay in sync and achieve your intended outcomes.
This session will be an introduction to what Integration Broker (IB) is, how it works and what it does. We’ll discuss some of the basic consideration points and tips about managing biodemo data, particularly those nuances of being in a multi-pillar, global environment.
Questions? Contact CS Core Support.
Next PCD Refresh updated to July 1
In support of the Financial Aid community's contingency awarding efforts currently underway, the next PCD refresh date will be Monday, July 1, 2024. The environment will not be updated June 10.
This has been updated on the ctcLink Support webpage: Environment/Pillar Updates and Outages.
Why this change?
There was concern among the colleges and the FA Support team that SAIs from the Department of Education uploaded to PCD might get lost, so they want to wait until they’re confident ISIRs loaded into Production are working as designed, so colleges are assured a record to compare what they see in PROD vs. PCD.
To best support the Financial Aid community's activities, PCD needs to be stood up 24/7. In particular, FA Support will be intently working with college clients June 10-12 to load ISIRs into PROD.
SF Learning Opportunities
Please feel free to reach out to SFSupport@sbctc.edu if you have any questions or need further clarification.
SF Work Session: Second Journal Set (SJS) Updates
Thursday, June 20, 2024, 1 p.m., Learn more and join the session
Join us for a comprehensive training session on the SJS enhancement, which went live in February. We will review the added benefits of this crucial financial tool to ensure everyone is up to date.
As part of our annual updates, we will demonstrate how to update SJS item type project/activity information. We are planning to streamline access so you can make these updates at your convenience without the need to submit a ticket.
Our session will cover:
- Locating, updating, and validating your SJS item types to ensure proper configuration.
- SBCTC Business Operations Division will provide guidance on reviewing and manually posting SJS-generated journals
- The option to automate the generation process.
Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your understanding and efficiency with the SJS system. Join us and stay ahead with these important updates.
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 Finance/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.
| DATE/TIME | EVENT/TOPIC |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, June 12, 2024 | ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting |
| Wednesday, July 10, 2024 | ctcLink Accounting Team: SF/GL Open Forum Meeting |
Next PCD Refresh updated to July 1
In support of the Financial Aid community's contingency awarding efforts currently underway, the next PCD refresh date will be Monday, July 1, 2024. The environment will not be updated June 10.
This has been updated on the ctcLink Support webpage: Environment/Pillar Updates and Outages.
Why this change?
There was concern among the colleges and the FA Support team that SAIs from the Department of Education uploaded to PCD might get lost, so they want to wait until they’re confident ISIRs loaded into Production are working as designed, so colleges are assured a record to compare what they see in PROD vs. PCD.
To best support the Financial Aid community's activities, PCD needs to be stood up 24/7. In particular, FA Support will be intently working with college clients June 10-12 to load ISIRs into PROD.
Data Summit 2024: Save the Date!
Monday, Aug. 19 (all day) & Tuesday, Aug. 20 (tentative half-day) at South Puget Sound Community College, Lacey Campus.
Planning for Data Summit 2024 is now underway.
The DataLink Steering Committee (IT Commission & Research and Planning Commission) is in the planning stages for another informative event discussing all things data. Last year, participants heard from several areas about work occurring to set a foundation for growth in this area.
In 2024, the committee aims to build on that foundation with valuable discussions and a more in-depth look at our system’s data landscape and data needs.
The agenda is under development but will include:
- Hands-on work with the data
- Deep dives on hot topics
- Topic-specific groups, rather than role-specific
- Opportunities for collaboration
- Information on what’s coming down the road
For the Tuesday half-day, the planning team is considering hands-on, deep dives into a couple of topics, but nothing is set.
Get involved
We want to hear from you!
- Got some ideas? Fill out this online form.
- Want to have fun with your colleagues and help plan the Data Summit? Fill out this online form.
Query Developer Learning Opportunities
Step Up your Query Game
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!
Upcoming courses include:
- Tuesday, June 11, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 401 Expert- Part 1
- Wednesday, June 12, 9 a.m., PS Query Training 401 Expert- Part 2
Plan ahead for 2024
The ctcLink Training Calendar has been updated with 2024 instructor-led query-related training. To clear filter settings, select None. Then select ctcLink Learning Opportunities > Reporting Training.
How to for Query Developer Courses
The process to enroll in Query Developer Canvas courses has been streamlined. Now, instead of emailing Data Services, simply:
- 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.
Recertification BI Publisher Reports per Pillar Now Available
New BI (Business Intelligence) Publisher reports can be run to assist institutions in recertifying user access per pillar. This is a huge step for audit compliance!
These reports do not contain Base security role access for employees but will show other roles assigned to users that need to be recertified at least twice a year for all users in ctcLink.
Thank you to Kael Godwin, Highline College, and Tami Morrill, SBCTC Data Services, for getting these reports out there and to the Security team for testing and documenting. Laurel Anderson and Bill Ramirez were instrumental in getting these released.
See the Quick Reference Guides (QRGs) for more information:
- HCM/FSCM/CS 9.2 Security-How to Set Up and Conduct a ctcLink Supervisee Access Recertification or Supervisee Access ctcLink Audit
- CS 9.2 Security-How to Read BCS_SEC_CERT
- FSCM 9.2 Security-How to Read BFS_SEC_CERT
- HCM 9.2 Security-How to Read BHC_SEC_CERT
Please feel free to email Shelia Sloan, Application Security Associate Director, if you have any questions.
Accessibility Activity Update
A new Highpoint Campus Experience (HCX) VPAT has been posted for release version 24.1.3 which came out April 20. There was only one exception in ‘partially supports’ conformance level (Page 8). That one exception has been fixed in version 21.1.4 released by Highpoint on May 10. An updated VPAT is pending.
ctcLink Accessibility Monthly Open Forum
Join us! 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.
Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month, 11 a.m. to noon.
The next ctcLink Accessibility Open Forum will be Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 11 a.m. All are welcome to attend via Zoom.
In case you missed a meeting, please see materials from past Open Forums.
