February 2021

Table of Contents

• Grants & Contracts Accounting
• NCURA FRA Conference March 15 - 17
• VCU Group Registration Deadline - Wednesday, March 3rd
• G&C Staffing Updates
• G&C Redesigning The Accounts Create Memo
• Procurement Services
• New Cancel Invoice Request Form
• P-card Classroom Training – Virtual
• Expiring P-cards
• Announcement Regarding Potential Duplicate P-Card Transactions
• RealSource Software Upgrade - Early April
• Suggestions for Updating the RealSource User Help-Guide
• New RealSource eCatalog

Grants & Contracts Accounting

NCURA FRA Conference March 15 - 17

Thanks to everyone who has expressed an interest in the NCURA Financial Research Administration (FRA) and management conferences:

VCU Group Registration Deadline - Wednesday, March 3rd

Workshops: The logistics and costing of the additional conference workshops may differ from individual to individual. Please contact Cathy directly for more information.

If you would like to attend, enter your registration details in the following google form. We will register the group and keep you posted. Once registered, you will receive the join information and other conference news directly from SRAI and NCURA.

2021 Financial Research Administration / Management Conferences - VCU Group Registration

Please contact Cathy Short at cfshort@vcu.edu with any questions.

G&C Staffing Updates

We are excited to announce that Shanea Raj will be joining the Effort Reporting team in G&C effective February 10th. Shanea joined G&C in 2017 as a Grant Accountant on the Gamma Team. During her time at G&C she has worked on streamlining initiatives and special projects, and been involved in many working groups on campus. In addition to her time at VCU, Shanea has over nine years of accounting experience in the private sector. Shanea will be transitioning into her new role on the Effort Reporting Team over the next several weeks, where she will be tasked with assisting departments in completing quarterly effort certifications, conducting compliance reviews, and providing training to the VCU community. For more information or assistance with effort reporting, please contact effortreport@vcu.edu. Shanea is completing her post baccalaureate certificate in Accounting and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from VCU.

We are equally thrilled to announce that Lynn Boyd will be taking on a leadership role in G&C Accounting as the Beta Team Manager effective February 10th. Lynn has been a part of the Delta Team for the last eight years and most recently held the position of Senior Accountant for the last several years. Prior to joining VCU, Lynn worked for Hanover County Public Schools and the Children's Museum of Richmond. Lynn completed her post baccalaureate certificate in Accounting and Bachelor's degree in History from VCU. Lynn will be transitioning into her new role over the next several weeks and can be reached via lsboyd@vcu.edu. For inquiries and pending items, please email the shared inboxes for each team.

Please join me in congratulating both Lynn and Shanea on their new roles within G&C!

Javeria Kazi joined VCU as the Director of Grants & Contracts Accounting and Effort Reporting on December 7th. Javeria has more than thirteen years of combined pre- and post-award research administration experience. She recently transitioned from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where she was the Director of Research Administration for approximately two years. Prior to that Javeria spent her tenure at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas where she managed central post-award operations in the Division of Research. Javeria holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston and is currently completing her MBA. She is a Certified Research Administrator, has presented nationally at National Council of University Research Administrators and the Society of Research Administrators International annual conferences, and is an active working group member of the Federal Demonstration Partnership. She can be reached at kazij@vcu.edu.

G&C Redesigning The Accounts Create Memo

G&C is redesigning our Accounts Create Memo and welcomes your feedback. We are looking to include information from Banner that would be valuable to recipients. he redesigned memo is projected to launch by the end of March 2021. Please reach out to us with suggestions or for a sample of the new design.

Contact Javeria Kazi at kazij@vcu.edu.

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Procurement Services

New Cancel Invoice Request Form

Procurement Services has a new Cancel Invoice Request form available to departments. This form is located on the RealSource homepage in the Accounts Payable showcase. Departments may utilize this form to request the cancellation of any invoices that are either in Process or Payable status. Allow at least 1 to 2 business days for the invoice to be cancelled.

P-card Classroom Training – Virtual

P-Card will resume virtual classroom trainings in February. To enroll in the Cardholder training, please visit training.vcu.edu. Use the keyword search “pcard.”

If you have further questions, please contact Corpcard@vcu.edu.

Expiring P-cards

P-Cards that are due to expire, are mailed to your Campus Box Number in the month in which they expire. If you are still working from home and need the card mailed to your home address, please email CorpCard@vcu.edu. Please provide your home address and we will contact BOA on your behalf.

Announcement Regarding Potential Duplicate P-Card Transactions

On December 31st, 2020 and January 1st, 2021, duplicate transactions may have posted to some P-cards. This was due to a technical error that has since been fixed. BOA has processed an off-setting credit for the duplicate transaction which means cardholders haven't been over charged and the transactions cancel each other out. If you see this on your transaction report, please sign off on the transactions. Nothing further is required.

RealSource Software Upgrade - Early April

An upgrade to the RealSource tool is expected to occur in the 2nd week of April. The upgrade will impact the general look and feel of certain forms/screens but does not impact the overall functionality system. Further, it involves requisitions, purchase orders and invoices only (not vendors, receiving or contracts). Information about the upgrade, including dates for InfoSessions, will be provided in early March.

Suggestions for Updating the RealSource User Help-Guide

The RealSource User Help-Guide is undergoing an overhaul to align with the new software upgrade expected to occur in early April. If you have suggestions on how to improve the RealSource User Help-Guide, please email us at RealSource@vcu.edu.

New RealSource eCatalog

An new eCatalog has been added to RealSource and is available for use to the entire university. The eCatalog is with Medline, an American healthcare company. Medline is the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies. Medline provides products, education, clinical programs and services with offices in 20 countries. This brings the total count of RealSource eCatalogs to 30. If you have questions about this or any other RealSource eCatalog, existing or future, please send an email to RealSource@vcu.edu or call 8-1077, Option 6.

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