August 2011

CORRECTED: August 25th Update on PD Webforms PS Module

Colleagues,

The following are important updates from OPA as of August 25, 2011:

PeopleSoft PD Web Forms Module Go-Live Dates:
• New appointments (“STF Postdoc Invite” & “Administrative Forms/Recommendation Form”) = now for entire campus community
• Change Transactions and Termination Forms = Week of August 29th (we will send out an announcement of the exact date next week; this unexpected delay from our original target date of 8/25/11 is due to the lead programmer in Administrative Systems having to leave to tend to a personal emergency.)

Special Meeting for Independent Labs & Centers (and Departments/Divisions who work with them):
• Tuesday, September 6, 2011 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM -- location: Physics and Astrophysics 102 103

Authority to Work in the New PeopleSoft Module:
• Authority has been granted to all groups who have confirmed Roles #1, #2 (optional) and #3.
o If you cannot access the system and are new to PeopleSoft, please confirm that you have completed the required “PeopleSoft Concepts and Compliance” course and submit a HelpSU to that group if there is an unexpected delay.
o If your group has not confirmed the roles, has an error with their roles that must be resolved, or has changed the roles and not sent the authority request to OPA, you will not have access to the module in PeopleSoft.
• PLEASE NOTE: If you are granted any new privileges via Authority Manager after your Postdoc Web Forms security is granted, your Postdoc Web Forms security will be wiped out and must be reinstated. Please submit a HelpSU if this happens to you.

Tips on Reviewing Information Sheets from Invited Postdoc & Offer Letters Online:
• The biographic/demographic data entered by the invited postdoc cannot be corrected once Role #1 (Administrator/Originator) “approves” the information sheet in WorkFlow.
• If any of the following is incorrect when you receive the invited postdoc’s information in Workflow, you must RETURN the information sheet to the PostDoc to have that data corrected:
o Data entered by PostDoc MUST BE EXACT MATCH information on DS2019, passport and/or visa.
 Names must match machine readable passport names with no symbols (letters and spaces only)
o Birth date must be in DD/YY/MMMM formatting
o All documents requested must be uploaded by postdoc
 Role #1 can upload degree conferral .PDF when filling out the Recommendation Form if this document is not available at the time the postdoc completes the information sheet.
• Please carefully review the draft offer letter while working in the Recommendation Form (click on “Offer Letter” at the top of the form).
o Once the recommendation sheet is submitted and approved by Role #3, it locked and sent to the invited postdoc.
 Changes after the offer letter has been accepted online by the invited postdoc are done via the “Change Transactions” form.

New OPA Turn-Around Times For Review and Decision on Appointments/Change Transactions/Termination Forms in Workflow:
• Two to five business days.
o For appointments requiring visas: OPA cannot approve appointments without both the recommendation form and the DS2019. Turn-around time will be two to five days from receipt of the last required item of submitted (recommendation form or DS2019).
o Upon receiving Workflow “notice of approval” by OPA, postdoc’s data will be uploaded into PeopleSoft within 24 hours.
o Please continue to follow all required lead times set-out by Bechtel for visas.

Bechtel and GFS Policies and Procedures
• Please continue to follow all policies, procedures and deadlines for Bechtel and GFS.
o Paper H1B request form still required by OPA.

Known Issues with the Module:
• There are some minor glitches with the new software that AS will be fixing. Please check here for a current list of known issues: http://postdocs.stanford.edu/admin/PeopleSoft_Project.html
o Remember to use FIREFOX browser to be able to open documents in WorkFlow

Training & Open Labs:
• The new training PowerPoint, training dates and open lab dates are all listed here: http://postdocs.stanford.edu/admin/PeopleSoft_Project.html

To request to join or leave this email list please visit: https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/supdssworkgroup

Friendly Reminder: Please submit questions or requests to OPA via HelpSU.
http://helpsu.stanford.edu : Request Category = Student Services; Request Type = Postdoctoral Affairs

Update on PeopleSoft Module, Status of Appointments, Authority

Colleagues,

The following is some helpful information to answer some frequently asked questions we have been receiving in the past few days.

Status of Appointments/Changes/Terminations:
• Email notifications have been or will be sent for the remaining hard-copy submissions received by OPA. If you think you may have missed the email, please log-in to PeopleSoft to check for the ID number. If you have not heard from OPA by Wednesday on a paper packet you submitted on or before Aug. 12th, please submit a HelpSU.
• Status for items submitted online should be checked by the administrator (Role #1) via WorkFlow, or, if approved by OPA, by logging-in to PeopleSoft to pull the ID number.
• Staff who complete training and defined their originator (Role #1) and approver roles (Role #3) may now initiate new appointments in the new system at any time. The only transactions that cannot be performed are reappointments, terminations or leave of absence. Data migration is happening this week and you will be emailed once those types of transactions can be done in the system.

Getting Access to and Working in PeopleSoft:
• If you are in Role #1 – also known as Department Entry or Originator – for your area, you will receive an email notice that you have been given authority to PD Webforms. (This takes several days after all required training is completed, or we may be waiting for your department to finalize the roles.) You must have an approver, Role #3, defined for you in the system for you to receive security in the system.
• If you are in Roles #2 (Department Coordinator) and #3 (Department Manager), your Workflow will be activated when the corresponding administrator in Role #1 gets their authority.
• Role #1: If you can access the STF Postdoc “Invite” form, but cannot pull up your Dept ID please submit a HelpSU immediately – your authority needs to be re-instated. There is a known bug that if anything changes in Authority Manager, your security for the webforms must be reset. (Administrative Systems is aware of this bug.)
• Training required for Role #1 and Role #2, and is helpful but not required for Role #3.
• If you would like to attend the training again as a refresher, please feel free to audit any of the remaining sessions. The materials have been updated, so there will be some new information.
• PeopleSoft Learning Center can be found at https://www.stanford.edu/dept/as/sandhr/learnps/index.html

PD Webforms Systems Training PowerPoint Presentation:
• Available online at: http://postdocs.stanford.edu/admin/PeopleSoft_Project.html

Known Issues for the PeopleSoft Module:
• Current list available online at: http://postdocs.stanford.edu/admin/PeopleSoft_Project.html

Open Labs:
For anyone who needs a little one-on-one help with a question or problem they are having with the new Postdoc module in PeopleSoft and/or GFS. The labs are an unstructured format; first come, first served, and will be staffed by OPA and GFS. Please bring your real work with you to get help in real-time.
• Friday, September 30th, 9:00 am – noon, 427 Arguello Way (Please click on the campus map for directions.)
• Friday, October 7th, 9:00 am – noon, 427 Arguello Way (Please click on the campus map for directions.)
• Friday, November 4th, 9:00 am – noon, 427 Arguello Way (Please click on the campus map for directions.)
• Friday, December 2nd, 9:00 am – noon, 427 Arguello Way (Please click on the campus map for directions.)

PS Module Training Dates:
Please sign-up for the required OPA PS training – “PD Webforms Systems Training” – if you will be in either Role #1 or Role #2 for your area. Sign up in STARS: search for “PD Webforms” (Note: if attending the class for a second time, please do not register in STARS.)
• 08/25/2011: 10:00 AM – noon, Li Ka Shing Center, RM: LK120
• 09/07/2011: 10:00 AM – noon, 1215 Welch Road, Modular A, Room 62 [NEW!]

To request to join or leave this email list please visit: https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/supdssworkgroup