A weekly snapshot that captures important university updates, work across VPFO departments, and relevant resources.
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Operations updates
Comptroller, Finance & Operational Excellence and Treasury
- Upcoming training workshops for UBC VISA Cardholders: The new online, monthly workshop is designed to help UBC Visa cardholders and delegates better understand the university’s Visa program policies and their responsibilities as a cardholder. Learn more
- Workday Adaptive Planning Replacing Hyperion in Summer 2023: The Adaptive Planning implementation will reduce reliance on manual systems and streamline budgeting & forecasting, while also capturing more detailed finance information and in-depth reporting. For project updates, visit the UBC Adaptive Planning website.
- New Save Option Added to Create Supplier Requests: The Create Supplier Request task in Workday now includes a 'Save for Later' button so that a request can be saved as a draft. Visit Workday This Week
- Claiming unidentified wire transfers and direct deposit: Please check through the list of unidentified wire transfers and direct deposits (updated as of September 13) to see if any payments belong to your department.
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Communications & Engagement, Human Resources, and Safety & Risk Services
- Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) COVID-19 booster clinic: Starting September 19, 2022, a VCH COVID-19 booster clinic has opened at the UBC Life Sciences Centre. You must make an appointment for a booster dose. For the most up-to-date clinic dates and hours, visit the VCH website. Learn more
- Asbestos management by UBC Safety & Risk Services & Facilities: UBC had many buildings constructed/renovated during decades when asbestos was a common addition to building materials. The Asbestos Alert Bulletin, which documents the locations of known asbestos materials on campus, has recently been updated. Learn more about the Asbestos Management Program
- Upcoming webinar on Chemical Inventory Management:
Join us in a webinar on September 21 to learn about inventory management requirements and best practices from UBC Safety & Risk Service's Chemical Safety Advisor, Dr. Peggy Paduraru. Find more information, including Zoom details.
- New photos of Campus Security now available on Flickr: VPFO Communications & Engagement recently captured photos of our Campus Security patrol officers' interaction with the community during Ready Week. View the VPFO Flickr to see the collection.
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People of the VPFO
At the VPFO, we love celebrating success! Join us every week in recognizing the great work our VPFO team members are doing to support the university.
Facilities
- Adam Rosenthal, Head Tool Crib/Store Operator – VPFO Communications & Engagement recently did a photo shoot in Municipal Services' Stores warehouse. Special thanks to Adam for being so patient and collaborative, and for helping us capture the great work the team does for our community. You're awesome!
- Mike Laing, Metal Worker – Big shout out to Mike for getting our vehicles cleaned up for the new Fall term. What a great year to begin the new academic year!
Finance & Operational Excellence
- Alex Fiuza, Service Excellence Transformation (SET) Project Senior Manager – Kudos to Alex for leading and implementing a great structure for Operational Excellence, and for building a helpful library of project management tools and templates for our community. Your supportive and approachable style and willingness to roll up your sleeves and champion the way forward are much appreciated!
- Harjot Guram, Senior Director, ISC Operations – Thank you to Harjot for being a leader that leads with confidence and diplomacy. Your ability to eloquently navigate conversations and put forward ideas clearly and respectfully is very impressive. Way to go!
- Jason Fung, Buyer – Kudos to Jason for covering the Faculty of Medicine portfolio in July/August in addition to your normal duties as the Buyer for the Faculty of Arts. Your willingness to step up and help the team is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Well done! Want to give someone a shout out in the next edition? Submit a kudos in your local recognition program or email communications@vpfo.ubc.ca
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- Cameron Honey joins Municipal Services within Facilities this week as Labourer.
- Charles Creelman returns to Building Operations within Facilities as Project Coordinator, Electrical Technical Support.
- Valerie Zhang has joined the VPFO Administrative team from Hiring Solutions, and will be providing temporary administrative support to the Office of the Comptroller through the middle of December, as Holly Rail, Executive Assistant to the Comptroller, transitions fully into Sandy Zarka’s, Manager, VPFO Administration & Executive Assistant, position during her 6-month leave of absence.
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All positions at UBC are available on the UBC HR Careers website, or through the career application in your Workday account. Please note that applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on the day prior to the posting end date. The following VPFO positions are currently open:
- Service Centre (ISC) Representative (JR9447) – 9/21/2022
- Service Centre (ISC) Representative (JR9446) – 9/21/2022
- Tool Crib / Store Operator (JR9650) – 9/21/2022
- Auxiliary Service Worker (10 Positions) (JR9288) – 09/23/2022
- Digital Payments Manager (JR9481) – 9/25/2022
- Senior Financial Spec 1a (Gr8) (JR9699) – 9/26/2022
- Project Manager 1 (JR9483) – 09/27/2022
- Finance Manager (JR9710) – 9/30/2022
- Data Systems Administrator, Capital Projects (JR9432) – 10/1/2022
Don't forget to apply as an internal candidate! Please review the Apply for an Internal Job Posting guide in the Workday Knowledge Base for instructions on how to apply. Reminder to attach a copy of your resume when you apply for a career opportunity in Workday.
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Pilot project in VPFO & VPHR to increase compliance with UBC Required Training
This October, VPFO staff who are not up to date on their UBC Required Training will receive a Workday notification as a reminder to complete the training(s). Furthermore, managers will receive a Workday notification with instructions/details to access a report that outlines compliance for their team(s).
Please keep an eye out for this new notification and check that you are up to date on your UBC Required Training. Further instructions on how to enroll in training and check your records in Workday will be available in the Workday notification.
Led by Safety & Risk Services in collaboration with VP Human Resources and UBC IT, this project aims to increase compliance with required training, as mandated by legislation and UBC policies.
Read the full notice
Multiple Indigenous-focused initiatives receive UBC funding to help advance rights of Indigenous peoples
Through the Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Fund (ISI Fund), UBC has committed a total of $4 million this academic year to helping advance the rights of Indigenous peoples as well as the crucial journey towards meaningful reconciliation.
Read the full story
Learn how you can make your workplace more accessible
September is Disability Employment Month, highlighting the significant role people with disabilities have in British Columbia’s workforce. This month also aims to promote inclusion and encourage employers to build more accessible workplaces.
The Centre for Workplace Accessibility can work with you to promote a disability-aware and inclusive workplace with a 15-minute introductory presentation from a Workplace Accessibility Specialist at your next meeting.
To request a presentation, email workplace.accessibility@ubc.ca or call 604-822-8139.
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Some interesting news articles our team members have found informative, helpful, or fun! These are provided for information and entertainment only. Unless noted, UBC doesn’t specifically endorse or supply this content.
- "If you believe that everything is up to you and totally within your control, you are going to spend your whole life stressing out." Authors of "The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown" provide a tool kit for navigating the growing uncertainty we face in our lives. Access the tool kit
- Like residential schools in Canada, Indian days schools were created to assimilate Indigenous children and eradicate their culture, language and community. Here are three things you might not know about Indian day schools, available on UBC Beyond.
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HR has collected mental health resources to help you manage your ups and downs. To view workshops, webinars and events visit the HR event listing.
Our VPFO HR staff is always available for a confidential conversation. Refer to this service map to connect with the HR Advisor supporting your area.
Access the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) confidential services, through LifeWorks, by calling 1-866-424-0770.
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