Resources

There’s a Scheduled ConnectCarolina Outage… When you see that message on the ConnectCarolina Notifications or Announcement tiles, you probably check the date and time, and notice that, most of the time, it’s not occurring during work hours. When you log into ConnectCarolina after the outage, you may think, “I don’t see any difference, so, what was the outage for?” While it’s true that often you won’t see changes in the ConnectCarolina screens or the way you work in them after an outage, there’s a lot going on behind-the-scenes that’s making ConnectCarolina work better for you. Consider a few of the reasons there are ConnectCarolina outages: Applying software updates: ConnectCarolina is built on PeopleSoft software. If we don’t keep up with the latest version, we could find ourselves without technical support or vulnerable to security bugs. Sometimes we’re patching and doing bug fixes on the software. A patch is a set of changes meant to update, fix, or improve the software or its supporting data. Semester census process. You’re probably familiar with this 5:00 pm to midnight outage that occurs a few weeks into each semester when we “count” the student population. We need to freeze student information to take the … Read more

This reference card contains 13 tips for managing student hires, including working with expected job end dates, the importance of entering actions on time, using positions correctly, and taking care to choose the correct person when entering the hire.  This reference card also contains a table of job codes for managing student hires.

Good morning, You’re receiving this message because you have used the Surplus Property Management system in the last year. We wanted to let you know that, starting 5:00 pm today, November 26, the Surplus Property Management System is being made more secure by the addition of 2-Step Verification (Duo), and you will need to go through 2-Step to get to the Surplus Property management system. If you have access to more than the Self Service menu in ConnectCarolina, you’re already using 2-Step Verification (Duo). With this method, you use a phone or other device to verify that “you’re you” before you see sensitive information or access certain applications. If you’re already using 2-Step Verification (Duo) for ConnectCarolina, you don’t need to take any action. If not, go to https://its.unc.edu/2-step/ to learn more and to see instructions for how to sign up. As always, we appreciate your understanding as we work to make the University’s systems even more secure. If you have any questions about this change, contact the Service Desk by submitting a help request at help.unc.edu or calling 919- 962-HELP. Sincerely, The ConnectCarolina Team   Information | ccinfo.unc.edu Questions | cc_communications@unc.edu Training | connectcarolina_training@unc.edu Subscribe | ConnectCarolina Newsletter Help | help.unc.edu | 962-HELP      

This presentation is an overview of the 2-Step Authentication and why it is so important in our environment.

On October 5, UNC-Chapel Hill implemented 2-Step Verification, a process designed to secure and safeguard personal information and vital University data and credentials. At a time when phishing scams are becoming ever more frequent on our campus, this enhancement is part of our ongoing work to ensure that personal and University information remains secured and protected. Watch a quick video to learn about 2-Step Verification What is 2-Step Verification? Also called 2-Factor or Multi-Factor authentication, 2-Step Verification adds a second layer of security to account access – and is being used by banks, stores and other places where people have online accounts. In order to authenticate and sign in, people have to provide something they know (e.g., their Onyen and password) and use something they have (a mobile device or landline phone). Whenever people sign in, a special access code is sent to their mobile device or landline phone before they can complete signing in to their account. With two different authentication methods, people can protect their log-ins from remote attackers exploiting stolen or weak credentials. UNC-Chapel Hill’s service is powered by Duo Security, a proven solution in multi-factor authentication. Duo works with many universities around the country –- including … Read more

Don’t forget: 2-Step Verification is required for students to access and pay bills in ConnectCarolina. How to Register for 2-Step Verification Visit onyen.unc.edu and click on “2-Step Verification for Duo.” The registration process takes just 10 minutes. You need to have your mobile device and PID available. We recommend downloading the DUO Security app from your phone’s app store for the smoothest 2-Step experience. Set Up an Authorized User If your parents, guardians or another party pay your bills, they must be set up as Authorized User to access Student Financials. This keeps your banking information safe. Authorized Users do not need to set-up 2-Step Verification; however, they cannot use student Onyen credentials to access ConnectCarolina. For step-by-step instructions on how to set up Authorized Users, visit: ccinfo.unc.edu/give-proxyauthorized-users-access-information-2/. Need Assistance? If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to visit help.unc.edu to chat with a support representative or call the ITS Service Desk at 919-962-HELP.

  Students, As a reminder, 2-Step Verification is required for portions of ConnectCarolina, including Student Bill Pay. We encourage you to take time now to configure 2-Step to ensure that you will not encounter any payment issues once fall semester bills are released.   Register for 2-Step Verification Visit onyen.unc.edu and click on “Register & Manage 2-Step Verification.” The registration process takes just 10 minutes. You will need to have your mobile device and PID available. We recommend downloading the DUO Security app from your phone’s app store for the smoothest 2-Step experience.   Set Up an Authorized User If your parents, guardians or another party pay your bills, they must be set up as Authorized User to access Student Financials. This keeps your banking information safe. Authorized Users do not need to set-up 2-Step Verification; however, they cannot use student Onyen credentials to access ConnectCarolina. For step-by-step instructions on how to set up Authorized Users, visit: https://ccinfo.unc.edu/give-proxyauthorized-users-access-information-2/.   Need Assistance? If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to visit help.unc.edu to chat with a support representative or call the ITS Service Desk at 919-962-HELP.  

During the 2016-2017 academic year, ConnectCarolina support staff shifted their focus from post-go-live stabilization support for finance, human resources and payroll applications to enhancing functionality, providing new reporting capabilities, and improving the usability of the system. Both campus and central administrative users benefited from the team’s efforts. This report highlights some of the most significant improvements and successes.

Your tax year 2017 W-2 form is now available for viewing via the SelfService menu on the ConnectCarolina home page. An advantage of accessing your W-2 form online is that you can print and use it sooner than the paper version issued in late January by Payroll Services. In late January 2018, all employees will also receive a printed W-2 for tax year 2017.  For details, see the Jan. 12 memo from Payroll Services. Remember that 2-Step Verification is required for online W-2 access.

Open Enrollment for all benefit plans is October 15–31, 2020, and our friends in the Office of Human Resources (OHR) want to remind you that this is your only opportunity to enroll or make changes to your benefits unless you experience a change in family status or other qualifying event outside of the enrollment period. Log in to ConnectCarolina between Thursday, October 15 and Saturday, October 31 to make your benefits selections. Self Service home page > My Benefits tile > Benefits Enrollment option You can also complete your benefits enrollment over the phone by calling the State Eligibility and Enrollment Support Center at 855-859-0966. To learn more about your benefit options, visit the Open Enrollment 2021 webpage on the UNC Human Resources website.

Email Communication Send Date:  May 26, 2020 From: ITS Communications To: 25Live Users Subject: 25Live Scheduling Software News Hello, Last month we sent an email announcing a new scheduling software called 25Live that will be going live later this year. You also may have read about it in April’s edition of the ConnectCarolina Newsletter. As a reminder, 25Live will be replacing the current scheduling systems Ad Astra, which is used by the University Registrar for classroom scheduling, and EMS, which is used by the Carolina Union for event scheduling. Since our initial communication, we’ve received a lot of interest and questions about 25Live and while we’re still working out some details, we want to share what we know now. We are implementing 25Live starting with two groups. The Carolina Union, and anyone currently using the instance of EMS supported by the Carolina Union, will start using 25Live later this summer. The University Registrar, and anyone else using Ad Astra to schedule classrooms, will start using 25Live in October. We know 25Live can be a benefit to other units, but we want to make sure the tool is stable before we make it available to other areas. When the onboarding process has been determined, we’ll share that … Read more

Email Communication Send Date: May 26, 2020 From: ITS Communications To: 25Live Engagement Group Subject: 25Live Scheduling Software News Hello, Last month we sent an email announcing a new scheduling software called 25Live that will be going live later this year. You also may have read about it in April’s edition of the ConnectCarolina Newsletter. As a reminder, 25Live will be replacing the current scheduling systems Ad Astra, which is used by the University Registrar for classroom scheduling, and EMS, which is used by the Carolina Union for event scheduling. Since our initial communication, we’ve received a lot of interest and questions about 25Live and while we’re still working out some details, we want to share what we know now. We are implementing 25Live starting with two groups. The Carolina Union, and anyone currently using the instance of EMS supported by the Carolina Union, will start using 25Live later this summer. The University Registrar, and anyone else using Ad Astra to schedule classrooms, will start using 25Live in October. We know 25Live can be a benefit to other units, but we want to make sure the tool is stable before we make it available to other areas. When the onboarding … Read more

Email Communication Send Date: October 06, 2020 From: Information Technology Services on behalf of The Office of the University Registrar To:  Academic Schedulers who use Ad Astra Subject:  25Live Training Registration You are receiving this message sent on behalf of The Office of the University Registrar and Information Technology Services because you currently have access to schedule classes in Ad Astra. Hello, You’ve heard by now that we’re replacing Ad Astra with a new scheduling tool called 25Live. 25Live is on track to launch on Monday, November 2 so it’s time to start getting ready. Training Registration Information  Attending one 25Live training session is required for you to have access to the system. Even though there are multiple days and times to choose from, don’t wait to register! Each session is limited to 7 people and spots will fill quickly. As soon as you register for a session, you will be redirected to log in to the 25Live Test/Training site with your Onyen and password. This preliminary login allows us to set up your access for training and it will also give you a sneak peak of 25Live. If you don’t complete the preliminary log in, you won’t be able to attend your scheduled session. To see … Read more

In April’s edition of the ConnectCarolina newsletter, we promised you more information on 25Live, the new scheduling software replacing the current scheduling systems Ad Astra, and EMS. After our April publication, the 25Live project team received interest in and questions about 25Live, so we’re taking this opportunity to focus on a few key messages: It Will Be Available to Everyone, but First… To start out, 25Live is going to be used by two groups. The Carolina Union, and anyone currently using the instance of EMS supported by the Carolina Union, will start using 25Live later this summer. The University Registrar, and anyone else using Ad Astra to schedule classrooms, will start using 25Live in October. 25Live can be beneficial for other units too, but the project team wants to make sure the tool is stable before it’s available to other areas.  Once it’s been determined that 25Live is ready for other areas, an announcement will be made, so keep an eye out. Scheduling not Registration Another important point to know about 25Live is that it is a scheduling tool only, not a registration tool. This means you can use it to reserve a space for an event or class, but people won’t be able to register for that event using 25Live. That’s all for now, but we’ll keep you in the loop as more information becomes available.

This recorded webinar captured a Finance User Group meeting. This meeting covered 7 key concepts: Most transactions go through 5 basic steps. Vouchers manage payments in ConnectCarolina. Information about budgets is tracked separately from information about actual transactions. Once a transaction is budget-checked, you see it in InfoPorte. Unposted GL journals are deleted at month end. Our new accounting method is called the accrual method. Unposted vouchers are rolled forward at the end of the month.

These slides were used withe the “7 Key Concepts” webinar. The webinar covers these concepts: Most transactions go through 5 basic steps. Vouchers manage payments in ConnectCarolina. Information about budgets is tracked separately from information about actual transactions. Once a transaction is budget-checked, you see it in InfoPorte. Unposted GL journals are deleted at month end. Our new accounting method is called the accrual method. Unposted vouchers are rolled forward at the end of the month.

There’s good news for you if part of your job includes scheduling classroom or event space. After a diverse group of campus partners participated in a software selection process, coming this summer, CollegeNET’s 25Live software will become the new tool for classroom and event scheduling. Currently, there are different scheduling tools for UNC Classroom scheduling and UNC Carolina Union Event scheduling. Specifically, the Office of the University Registrar schedules classes using Ad Astra and the UNC Carolina Union staff uses the EMS scheduling tool. With 25Live, schedulers can go to one source and see the real-time availability of key spaces on campus. Among the benefits the University will see are: More efficient and transparent use of key University space resources Access to real-time availability reporting of campus spaces Ability to account for students, faculty, and staff quickly and precisely during a campus emergency Centralized support for campus partners Earlier this year, a project team with members from the Carolina Union, the University Registrar, and ITS began working closely with CollegeNET to get the software “UNC ready.” When configuring a system that will be used across campus, it’s important to get input from those who will be using the software. With that in mind, earlier this week, the project … Read more

Starting October 19, you won’t click a “Get Adobe Flash” link when you log into the Time Information Management (TIM) system to enter your time or see your accrual balances and projections. The TIM system will move to a Flash-free version the weekend of October 17, 2020. The way that you enter your time won’t change and you’ll see the same screens and options, so the fact that you don’t have to click “Get Flash” may even slip by you. TIM Managers and Administrators will see one small change–the link to open their timecards is in a different location on the screen. Planned TIM Outage There’s some technical work needed to update the TIM system, so the system will be down on Saturday October 17, from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm.

Starting on April 11, you will see a new layout when you type connectcarolina.unc.edu into your browser. You’ll see the same links you’re used to seeing plus a few extra, and we think the page will be easier to use for those new to ConnectCarolina and for students’ family members who only occasionally log in to ConnectCarolina. There is no downtime or outage associated with this update. The Changes We‘ve simplified the page layout and made it is easier to navigate. The links work the same as they do now. Only the look is different. Looking for the InfoPorte link? It’s in ConnectCarolina under Enterprise Reporting on the left . For Students The first column is for students and their proxy users. Like today, students will click the big green button to get to the ConnectCarolina Student Center, and once in ConnectCarolina, everything will work the same as it does now. Parents or others can pay bills or see student info by clicking the blue buttons in the lower left.  (As always, students first need to give them access.) Click the first link under the green button, Useful Links for Students to go to a friendlier version of the page … Read more

There’s some exciting news coming from the Office of Human Resources (OHR). The University is implementing Cornerstone, a talent management system branded “Carolina Talent,” which has tools that support the University’s ability to plan for, attract, develop, engage and retain talented employees. What’s a talent management system? It’s a system that gives us tools to manage our careers at the University, plus it gives managers and HR representatives tools for working with employees through all stages of their careers.   The first part of the Carolina Talent system we’ll start using is “My Learning,” the Learning Management System (LMS), which is targeted to go live this summer. During phase one of the implementation, training offered by the Office of Human Resources’ Organization and Professional Development group and LinkedIn Learning content will be available through My Learning. When it reaches its potential, My Learning will give us a central place for employees to find most of the development opportunities available to them across the University. Things to Note The training history that is currently in ConnectCarolina will be transferred to Carolina Talent. The new LMS does not impact any student-facing systems such as Sakai. Managers will be able to see the training … Read more

There’s some exciting news coming from the Office of Human Resources (OHR). The University is implementing Cornerstone, a talent management system branded “Carolina Talent,” which has tools that support the University’s ability to plan for, attract, develop, engage and retain talented employees. What’s a talent management system? It’s a system that gives us tools to manage our careers at the University, plus it gives managers and HR representatives tools for working with employees through all stages of their careers.   The first part of the Carolina Talent system we’ll start using is “My Learning,” the Learning Management System (LMS), which is targeted to go live this summer. During phase one of the implementation, training offered by the Office of Human Resources’ Organization and Professional Development group and LinkedIn Learning content will be available through My Learning. When it reaches its potential, My Learning will give us a central place for employees to find most of the development opportunities available to them across the University. Things to Note The training history that is currently in ConnectCarolina will be transferred to Carolina Talent. The new LMS does not impact any student-facing systems such as Sakai. Managers will be able to see the training … Read more

The Faculty Portal, a new ConnectCarolina home page for faculty members, is currently being rolled out, school by school.  The Faculty Portal combines the teaching and research information faculty members use most onto the first page they see when they log in. From one page, faculty members can: access their teaching schedules (which means fewer clicks to print class rosters, email students, create academic progress reports, and enter grades) see the students who have incompletes in their classes see financial information about their contracts and grants (on the new “PI Dashboard”) see approval notifications from research applications such as RAMSeS and ecrt find charging instructions for their salary (that is, funding sources for their salary) access the most commonly-used links for teaching and research as well as as place faculty can add their own links to make the Faculty Portal even more useful. Do You Work With Faculty? Do you work with faculty? If so, you may be asked how the Faculty Portal works, and we want to make sure you have resources to answer that question. A quick-start guide, available on CCinfo.unc.edu, details how to use the Faculty Portal.  A Faculty page on CCinfo.unc.edu contains links to other documents faculty may find useful. One thing … Read more

FERPA, HIPAA, Information Security … If you’re like us on the ConnectCarolina team, you have to take multiple training sessions each year, and each one is delivered a different way and comes at a different time. Sometimes it feels like training requirements come out of the blue.  Not only that, you may be wondering what professional development opportunities the University offers that you haven’t heard about. That’s about to change. The My Learning component of Carolina Talent is available now, and it will eventually be the go-to place for most professional development and compliance training at the University. Go take a look. You can get there by going to the Self Service home page in ConnectCarolina and clicking the My Learning tile. Between training offered through LinkedIn Learning, the Office of Human Resources, and the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office, there are more than 5,000 learning opportunities available already, with more on the way. Note: My Learning doesn’t replace any student-facing learning management systems that are currently in place.  This is just the first step in bringing you all that Carolina Talent has to offer. Visit the Carolina Talent web page to learn about what’s coming up next. My Learning is intuitive to use, but … Read more

If you use InfoPorte to do any of your work, you’ll notice that it looks a bit different when you log in on Wednesday, August 14. During the system maintenance on Tuesday, August 13, the team is updating the background color and updating the buttons on the top right. The SAS reports in InfoPorte are getting a facelift too and will have consistent colors across reports, in all areas (Finance, HR, and Student Administration). Though the system and the reports will look different, everything will work the same way it does today, except the Access Request Tool that Access Request Coordinators (ARCs) use. If you’re an ARC, you’ve probably been waiting for this change. When we announced it earlier this summer, many of you wanted to know when the change was coming because it’ll make entering access requests easier. The upgraded access tool will be available for all ARCs beginning on Friday, August 16. For a sneak peek at the upgraded tool, join us for a webinar on Tuesday, August 13 at 2:30 pm. You can join the webinar using this link: https://unc.zoom.us/j/876159375. If you’re not able to join the live webinar, you can watch the recording when it’s posted on CCinfo.unc.edu. … Read more

Formal Notice Send Date: November 11, 2022 A Message from the Division of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity and Compliance Hello Tar Heels, At times, staff and faculty need to submit forms that pertain to leave programs such as Family Medical Leave (FMLA), Paid Parental Leave, etc. Starting Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, active employees will be able to submit leave forms and attachments online through ConnectCarolina using the following path: SelfService > My Benefits > Leave > Submit a Leave Document. HR Reps will also be able to submit leave forms and attachments online for employees in their respective school or division. About the new process The only thing changing about leave is how employees will submit their forms. With this new process, leave forms and attachments will no longer be accepted via email. Instead, employees will use ConnectCarolina to submit attachments like: • Leave request forms. • Medical certifications. • Return-to-work forms. • Additional leave-related documents. This new online process applies to leave requests related to: • Personal or family medical situations (FMLA). • Paid Parental Leave. • Voluntary Shared Leave (requests and donations). • Military leave. Once processed, employees can view their leave attachments online through ConnectCarolina using … Read more

Currently, managers complete performance plans and evaluations outside of ConnectCarolina, then enter overall performance and competency ratings in the system. Starting in April, a pilot group made up of the Office of Human Resources (OHR) and select departments across campus will use ConnectCarolina for the full process for SHRA employees. Managers and employees in the pilot group will follow the traditional assessment process but will complete the forms in ConnectCarolina instead of using paper forms. These forms include performance plans, off-cycle reviews, an employee self-assessment, and evaluations. Staff participating in the pilot are testing the appraisal process from end-to-end with the goal of the rest of campus using it next year. Representatives from the Employee and Management Relations division of OHR are demonstrating the new process to the pilot groups throughout March.

Did you know that UNC-Chapel Hill conducts an average of 8,300 background checks a year? You may be surprised by that number until you consider that background checks are required for Faculty, permanent and temporary employees, UNC independent contractors, unpaid volunteers, interns, and visiting scholars, just to name a few. So, what goes on behind the background check curtain? There are several types of background checks with components that vary based on the type of appointment and what the role requires. Currently, campus background check initiators that submit background check requests must know all the different packages and components when they’re submitting requests for background checks. So, what goes on behind the background check curtain? There are several types of background checks with components that vary based on the type of appointment and what the role requires.  Currently, campus background check initiators that submit background check requests must know all the different packages and components when they’re submitting requests for background checks. Things are changing on May 10, 2021. As part of the Provost’s Operational Excellence initiative to improve the Hiring and Onboarding experience, the Background Check unit is implementing a new process for requesting and managing background checks. The … Read more

Did you know that UNC-Chapel Hill conducts an average of 8,300 background checks a year? You may be surprised by that number until you consider that background checks are required for faculty, permanent and temporary employees, UNC independent contractors, unpaid volunteers, interns, and visiting scholars, just to name a few. So, what goes on behind the background check curtain? There are several types of background checks with components that vary based on the type of appointment and what the role requires. Currently, campus background check initiators that submit background check requests must know all the different packages and components when they’re submitting requests for background checks. Things are changing on May 10, 2021 The Background Check unit is implementing a new process for requesting and managing background checks. The guiding principles for the initiative include addressing concerns about turnaround time, navigation, transparency, and administrative burden. Positive Impacts for All Involved So, what’s changing for anyone involved in the background check process? For candidates and appointees, it means a streamlined, easy to navigate process, but that’s just the start. If you’re part of the end-to-end background check process, you’ll notice big improvements. Improvements for Candidates and Appointees Streamlined user experience Improved … Read more

When you go to connectcarolina.unc.edu on May 20, expect to see one “smart” green button instead of separate green buttons for students and staff. The log-in will take you to a default home page based on your role at UNC. You may also wonder what happened to the more than 20 links you see on the current Log in page. We’re trying to declutter the screen. Many links were already on the Useful Links for Students page. Others are moving to a new Help page in ConnectCarolina. The decision about what links and buttons would stay on the Log In page was driven partly by how frequently they were used (such as the heavily-used link to Sakai) and partly by whether the link needs to be accessed by people who don’t have an Onyen or Guest ID (such as the “Pay Student Bills” link). The page is still under construction and there may be some changes to what is shown here, but you can visit ConnectCarolina Makeover – A Simplified Log In Page to see the new Help page and the retitled Useful Links for Students page. The new title is Links for Students, Parents & Proxies.

Attention Undergraduate Faculty: The Academic Progress Reporting period is now open for Spring 2017. The Academic Progress Report (APR) system in ConnectCarolina gives instructors the opportunity to provide feedback to students in their courses who are performing well and to students exhibiting signs of academic distress. Academic Progress Reports are intended to encourage students to reflect on their academic performance and take action in a timely manner. Undergraduate faculty is encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to provide students with early feedback on their academic progress in your course. This is especially important for students early in their undergraduate career. For more information, visit http://studentsuccess.unc.edu/for-faculty/. For streamlined access to your class roster, photo roster, and academic progress reports, select “Student Administration” from the left menu, and click on “My Schedule.”