Finance and Administration News
Office of Sustainability announces spring Sustainability Hub Seminar Series
Ohio University’s Office of Sustainability announces the spring semester Sustainability Hub Seminar Series. Seminars will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams at 5 p.m. on the third Mondays of February, March and April.
Surveys Advisory Community seeks members and campus input
OIT announces new Surveys Advisory Community that invites discussion on various survey tools that support University wide initiatives. The first Surveys meeting is set to occur on February 25, 2021 from 11am-12pm via Microsoft Teams.
2020 ECO Challenge winning team hopes to reduce spread of COVID-19 on campus
The 5th Annual ECO Challenge brought together students of different disciplines to work as a team to identify and solve sustainability issues, preparing them for the challenges they will face in their careers after they leave OHIO.
Spring 2021 Sustainability Film Series virtually explores environmental topics
The Athena Cinema, Alden Library and Environmental Studies program are presenting the spring 2021 Sustainability Film Series in conjunction with Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.
Office of the Bursar Process Reminders
As we kick off the semester, please remember the processes we have put in place to keep campus safe.
January OBI Dashboard Enhancements
As communicated in December Business Matters, enhancements to the Oracle E-Business Suite User Access dashboards are underway. As of January 26, 2021, enhancements to this dashboard have been implemented that will allow authorized users to look up employees’ EBIZ and OBI HR/finance access in a single dashboard. This dashboard previously contained EBIZ access detail only. Due to the expansion of this dashboard to include OBI access, the dashboard will be renamed to Finance & HR Systems Access. Additional information about the enhanced dashboard has been published in an updated quick reference guide on the OBI training page.
OHIO Makes PPE Available for Spring Semester
Ohio University students returning to the Athens or regional campuses for spring semester can pick up a personal protective equipment (PPE) bag. Each bag includes hand sanitizer, two branded masks and a digital thermometer and is available for each student. A student ID is required to pick up the bag. Departments can direct students to pick up their PPE bags per this article, https://www.ohio.edu/news/2021/01/ohio-makes-personal-protective-equipment-available-spring-semester
For additional updates on returning to Ohio University’s campuses, visit www.ohio.edu/coronavirus.
Travel Restrictions Continue
In the July 2020 Business Matters, it was communicated that in state travel is allowable but all other travel must be approved using the exception process outlined in the article. As of January 2021, that process remains in place as a result of COVID-19.
If you had an airline ticket that was cancelled as a result of COVID-19, and you have an outstanding credit, you can see that information in Concur. These funds can be used once travel resumes. To view any credits for airline tickets, please refer to the Business Matters article from October, 2020 to view this information in Concur.
Questions? Contact travel@ohio.edu.
Brown Enterprise Solutions to Replace Office Depot as Preferred Supplier
In early 2021, Brown Enterprise Solutions (BES) will replace Office Depot as the preferred supplier of office supplies at Ohio University. The Inter-University Council of Ohio (IUC) voted to adopt BES as the preferred supplier in the fall and OHIO will take part in the contract, making this catalog available in early 2021. When this new catalog is enabled, BES will be the only office supply provider in BobcatBUY all other catalogs will be closed/disabled.
Software Purchase Process Reminder
As we begin the new calendar year, we wanted to communicate again, the process that must be followed before purchasing software. Most software vendors require the customer accept certain terms and conditions in order to use the software. As a public institution in the State of Ohio, Ohio University is required to abide by certain terms and conditions in accordance with Ohio law. As a result, before any purchase of software is made, the purchaser must first seek approval of the software from the Office of Information Technology (OIT) as well as receive approval for the terms and conditions of the software by Purchasing Contracts.