Financial Services Office

FSO Monthly Newsletter Archive
 

The University of Arizona


February, 2007

In this edition:

1. FSO Web Redesign Usability Study - Participants Needed
2. Kuali Project Update
3. Business Community Open Forum (BCOF) - April 26, 2007
4. FSO By the Numbers - PCard Documentation
5. Frequently Asked Questions - Administrative Service Charge
6. Introducing FSO's New Employee

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1. FSO Web Redesign Usability Study - FSO is in the process of redesigning its website and is looking for campus users to participate in usability survey/sessions. Three one-hour-long sessions have been scheduled for Friday, March 2 in USB Room 405. Refreshments will be provided. Please help us provide campus with a valuable web resource and register for a session at https://www.fso.arizona.edu/isw/default.asp?app=training

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2. Kuali Project Update - Welcome to James Smith, who has joined the Kuali Financial System development team. The search continues for 3 developers for Kuali Research Administration, refer to the HR job number 36638 for details or to apply.

Development continues on the phase 2A modules: AP/Purchasing, Labor Distribution (aka PET and Effort Certification), Budget Construction and Contracts & Grants Post-Award. The maintenance documents that update the tables driving the primary functions have been completed and are in
initial testing. Phase 2A is scheduled for release October 2007.

Kuali Demos will resume once the key functionality of the Phase 2A modules are available for show and tell (i.e., Purchase Requisitions, Salary Expense Transfers, Proposals and Awards, etc.).

Kuali Hands On Sessions will resume in March.

Kuali Financials using MySQL testing has begun. In order to be truly open source, Kuali has been retrofitted to be used with the MySQL database in addition to the Oracle database. The MySQL Kuali Financial System release is scheduled for March.

IBM has joined the Kuali Foundation as a commercial affiliate. Other commercial affiliates include the rSmart Group and Huron Consulting.

For more info: http://kuali.org/

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3. Business Community Open Forum (BCOF)

Mark your calendars now for the April BCOF - April 26, 2-3:30 pm, Student Union, North Ballroom. The tentative topic for April's meeting is "Surviving Budget Cuts and the Rising Costs of Doing Business."

The Open Forum is open to anyone who has an interest in the University's business policies and processes. The purpose is to provide information to and solicit concerns from members of the business community, and serve as a networking opportunity for the business community with their
peers and central administration.

A listserv (centraladmin@listserv.arizona.edu) has been set up as a method for suggesting future topics, asking questions and/or voicing concerns to the panelists off line.

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4. FSO By the Numbers - PCard Transactions

Since the implementation of the PCard centralized storage process at the beginning of the fiscal year, FSO has scanned the supporting documents for 62,879 PCard transactions.

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5. Frequently Asked Questions

--Your Question: What is the Administrative Service Charge (ASC) and how is it calculated?

--Reply: The ASC is a fee assessed by the University designed to recover costs incurred by the institution on behalf of accounts not funded by either state appropriations or sponsored grants and contracts. The rate is reviewed and set annually by the Finance Committee and is currently
established at 6.5%. For additional information, refer to FRS 6.17, Administrative Service Charge Policy - http://www.fso.arizona.edu/fso/deptman/6/617asc.html.

FSO maintains a database of frequently asked questions. Visit our FAQ page at http://www.fso.arizona.edu/app/faq/faq.asp to review previously asked questions, search by category or keyword, or ask a question of your own.

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6. Introducing FSO's New Employee:

Mary Baum, Office Specialist, Senior - FSO Operations
Sang Mi Bowen Office Specialist, Senior - FSO Operations
Jamie Hussell, Office Supervisor - FSO Operations
Denise Moynihan, Accountant, Senior - FSO Financial Management
James Smith, Applications Systems Analyst, Senior - FSO Information
Technology Services


Contact: Kymber Horn