VPFO Monday Update

Across the VPFO

• To manage this unprecedented COVID-19 event the university has started up an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). The VPFO is well represented in many roles. Please visit UBC’s Emergency Preparedness site to learn more about EOCs at UBC.
• All departments continue to operate in maintaining crucial and required services to the university.

Facilities – Building Operations, Energy & Water Services, Infrastructure Development

• All departments are adjusting to a rotating schedule to minimize the number of staff on campus while ensuring crucial and required services are maintained. All regular and part-time staff will continue to be paid.
• Staffing model adjustments are being made in consultation with our Academic, HR and Finance partners to maintain alignment with campus needs and to ensure the health of our staff and community.
• Facilities that are no longer occupied are being locked to the general public upon direction from respective Deans. Services to these facilities will be limited to basic safety and regulatory requirements. A thorough process is in place with the Faculties and Departments when a request is made to close a building.
• Construction sites with external contractors remain active at this time. Project Services and UBC Properties Trust maintain oversight over these projects. View a map of the current construction on campus.

Finance – Comptroller, Finance & Operational Excellence, Treasury

• Comptroller Group

  • The Budgeting & Reporting team has delivered a draft of UBC’s proposed 2020/21 budget to the university’s Board of Governors and is rapidly exploring the impact of COVID-19 on UBC’s finances.
  • The Comptroller’s group is maintaining a cross-functional connection between UBC’s distributed finance teams and working closely to manage the deadlines for fiscal year-end.
    • Online weekly meetings are being held between Financial Operations and the Comptroller’s group to ensure all queries relating to year-end processes are answered, and to avoid any ambiguity with these processes.
  • The Financial Reporting team is also working with OAG to meet audit timelines, and with the Ministry to meet their reporting deadlines.

• Finance & Operational Excellence

  • The Payroll team has established payroll continuity for UBC’s employees and is working hard with the university’s finance community to develop processes that enable the necessary information about employee work (including hourly timesheet details) to be provided.
  • The Accounts Payable and Procurement teams are actively engaged with UBC stakeholders to ensure the community understands how to continue to work with our services, and to keep year-end processes moving forward as planned.
    • • Working with many of our key vendors to understand their business continuity plans, and to establish how/whether goods and services will continue to be available to UBC, as supply may be restricted in some cases.Working rapidly to establish where impacts may be, and to provide information to UBC’s units directly.
      • Procurement Partners and Buyers remain available to provide UBC’s faculties and administrative units with procurement, payment, or financial operations questions.
  • The Operational Excellence team is providing vital support to keep projects and operations on track as more work moves online.

• Treasury

  • Continuing to work on preparing for year-end close; maintaining critical activities on fraud control, bank reconciliation and cash management; and developing a responsible investment policy for UBC, as well as exploring innovative technical solutions for the university’s financial and disbursement needs as we move away from paper-based processes in light of COVID-19.

Operations & Advising – Communications & Engagement and Human Resources

• The Communications & Engagement team is working from home and is available by email, cell phone, and Skype for Business.
  • • Supporting the Department Operations Centers (DOC) and UBC Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and its working groups.
    • Especially with alignment with messaging sent out to local teams and the campus community.
• The Human Resources team is working on rotation to support the VPFO departments that are working on campus. If team members are not on campus, they can be reached through email and phone.
  • • In alignment with central HR, Human Resources is keeping resources update to date and available for teams and team members as the environment evolves.
    • Supporting business continuity plans and ensuring they are providing other resource support as needed through DOC for Building Operations and other local team meetings set up to keep the crucial work going.
    • Focusing on creating and revising HR online processes to ensure team member changes are made as quickly as possible.

Safety & Risk Services

• The Emergency Management team is coordinating the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), which was activated in line with BC’s declared state of emergency, enabling a more coordinated response to the pandemic and better connectedness with external response partners.
• PrISM is working to ensure that data privacy and information security best practice is maintained as university operations shift to an online model, prioritizing online class delivery and exams at this time.
• The Insurance team are liaising with UBC’s insurers to clarify potential insurance and coverage issues as a result of changes to UBC’s operations.
• The Occupational & Research Health & Safety team is supporting Operational groups to implement adjusted procedures and processes. Team members are also heavily involved in supporting the EOC.
• Campus Security have stepped up security measures on the Vancouver campus with all campus users requested to carry UBC ID at all times.
• Environment Protection continue to operate as normal, with hazardous waste pick-up and disposal ongoing.