September 2024 - Kick off the school year with these fall updates!

September 2024 Newsletter Table of Contents

• General
  • September Administrator’s Meeting Recording Now Available
• Payments and Procurement
  • Escalating inquiries to UW Procurement
• HR/Payroll
  • Merit Corrections
  • Returning from Summer
  • Reminder: Autumn I-9 drop-in hours start September 25
• Foreign National Services
  • J-1 VISIT/VISER: English Proficiency Policy Update
  • J-1 VISIT/VISER: J-Visa Request and Extension Forms
  • New ISO mailing list for scholars

---

GENERAL

September Administrator’s Meeting Recording Now Available

The September Administrator’s Meeting zoom recording is now available! If you were not able to join us on September 10, 2024, be sure to review the recording to catch up on the most recent updates on Pay/Pro and HR/Payroll policies, and steps on staying on top of Workday for FY2025.

---

PAYMENTS AND PROCUREMENT

Escalating inquiries to UW Procurement

To identify high priority requests, UW Procurement has changed how they triage their general inquiries. Procurement highly encourages using webforms instead of sending inquiries via email. Sending your questions through AST’s General Inquiry webform allows AST to identify which inquiries and issues need to be flagged for priority.

Here is a current list of forms to use for the most pressing Procurement actions:

• General Inquiries: AST General Inquiry form
• Invoice Match Exceptions: Department Match Exceptions
• Purchase Order: Change or Close
• Check Cancellation: Cancellation Request

Do you have a request languishing at Procurement that needs immediate attention? Contact AST noting the UW Connect REF number and reason for escalation, and we will adjust the prioritization on your behalf.

---

HR/PAYROLL

Merit Corrections

Merit has been uploaded to Workday for eligible faculty and staff. To ensure accuracy, run the Merit Adjustment Validation Report (R0537) in Workday to verify correct merit loading. If inconsistencies are found, you must first determine whether this is a correction or a change.

• Correction: Use if the recommendation was approved by OAP/UWHR but did not load correctly.
• Change: Use if you want to revise the percentage or merit reason code after approval. (Note: Changes may not reflect on September 25 payslips, and changes should be rare.)

For AST Payroll Units: Submit a general inquiry request. Include the employee’s name, EID, and correct amount. If requesting a change, you must also provide the rationale and dean’s approval.

For non-AST Payroll Units: To submit a correction or change, please follow the “Submitting Corrections or Changes” instructions found in the “Corrections & Changes” section of the Merit & faculty unit adjustment process guide. These instructions outline how to create a UW Connect ticket based on your employee’s job profile, what to include in the subject line, and the necessary information to include in your request.

Returning from Summer

All summer hiatus entries with an estimated last day of September 15, 2024, will automatically be returned from leave by the Workday Application Management Team on September 15, 2024.

To ensure a smooth transition back after the summer hiatus for 9-month faculty and cyclic staff, follow these steps starting September 16:

Workday reports to run	Action items
Run the “Workers on Leave” report in Workday to confirm all leaves have an “Actual Last Day”	If corrections are needed: AST Payroll Units: Submit a request through our Time and Leave form to return the worker. Non-AST Payroll Units: Enter the return from leave directly in Workday (refer to the Leave of Absence guide in the Employee Workday Help’s User Guide Library).
Run the “Employee Detail By Organization R0314” report in Workday to verify 9-month faculty have the correct FTE and costing for autumn quarter	If changes are needed: AST Payroll Units: Submit a change request using the appropriate HR/Payroll intake form if not already on your roster. Non-AST Payroll Units: Make changes directly in Workday (refer to the relevant user guides in the Employee Workday Help’s User Guide Library).

Reminder: Autumn I-9 drop-in hours start September 25

Don’t forget that AST will be hosting I-9 drop-in hours from September 25 to October 4 in AST’s Office, Communications Building B042, to assist new hires with the in-person verification of their I-9 documents and authorize employment. Please view the autumn 2024 drop-in calendar (PDF) for the full schedule and share it with your new hires.

Additionally, we encourage you to share the following resources with your new hires:

• I-9 Journey Map: This resource helps guide new-to-the-university employees through the process of filling out Section 1, Employee Information and Attestation, of their Form I-9 in Workday.
• I-9 Appointment Scheduling Link: If your new hires are unable to attend our I-9 drop-in hours, have them schedule an appointment to verify their original, unexpired document(s) with our team. We highly recommend this process be completed within three business days of their hire date, as required by the USCIS.

Please contact us at teamcas-i9@uw.edu if you have any questions.

---

FOREIGN NATIONAL SERVICES

J-1 VISIT/VISER: English Proficiency Policy Update

There are now two options for an applicant’s proof of English language proficiency:

1. A TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test taken within the last two years, with test score reports submitted as PDF attachments. Please review the following minimum required score of each respective test:
   1. TOEFL iBT score of at least 80
   2. IELTS academic test score of at least 6.5
   3. Duolingo English Test score of at least 105 (Please note that in alignment with the Graduate School Policy 3.2, the Duolingo English Test score minimum will be increasing to 110 for all applications submitted on or after January 6, 2025.)
2. The UW faculty supervisor may conduct an interview in-person or by video conference with the intern applicant to determine whether the applicant has sufficient proficiency in the English language to participate successfully in the research program and to function on a day-to-day basis.
   1. The UW faculty supervisor must complete the updated UW VISIT/VISER English Language Proficiency Interview Form (available on the VISIT or VISER Canvas site – enroll for VISIT or VISER if you do not already have access) and provide it to the department contact (AST) for the department contact to submit with the online application.

J-1 VISIT/VISER: J-Visa Request and Extension Forms

All J-Visa Supplemental Request forms and Extension forms have been updated according to new LewerMark insurance contracts and cost of living estimates in the Seattle area.

• Health insurance costs for LewerMark will increase from $145 to $152
• Cost of living fees will increase from $2,927 to $2,974

These changes have been updated on the J-Visa request forms (VISIT and VISER, extension request, and Fulbright short forms) on the respective VISIT and VISER department Canvas pages. While it is requested that we use the updated forms immediately, we understand that some applications are currently in process and will continue to accept the old costs on all applications submitted on or prior to September 25.

New ISO mailing list for scholars

International Scholars Operations has rolled out a new mailing list to communicate directly with UW-sponsored visa holders. This will be used to send out a quarterly newsletter with important reminders and alerts, and to announce changes to UW policies or U.S. immigration law.

Scholars can join the mailing list if they have an active UW NetID. To join the emailing list, visit the ISO UW group page and click “Join this group.”

---

As always, please fill out our General Inquiry Form (preferred) or email teamcas@uw.edu if you have any questions or concerns. 

Have a great start of the new academic year!

Administrative Support Team