Quick Guide

Electronic time sheets (ETS) will populate for your new position within 2 to 3 pay cycles of when your paperwork is processed. You may not receive notifications when the time sheets are created, so you will need to log in to MyUMBC and click on Employee Time Sheets on the main page or check the link here to see if your time sheets have begun populating every two weeks. 

Until the electronic time sheets begin populating, an employee will complete a paper time sheet every two weeks at the end of the pay period. 

1. The employee will fill in their name, hourly rate of pay, their supervisor, choose the correct department, and pay period from the dropdowns.  
2. They will then enter the hours worked on each appropriate day and then click “Generate Timesheet.”  3.
3. The time sheet will then need to be signed and approved by both the employee and the supervisor and turned in to the Business Operations Team in ENG 202 for processing during the next available payroll processing period.  

This process will need to be done separately for each pay period that requires it. These manual paper time sheets will not be accepted after electronic time sheets become available in order to prevent double submission of hours, so please check the ETS link every two weeks to see if they have become available.  

At least 20 business days before the employee’s requested start date for: 

• Salaried employees (Research or Instructional Faculty, Staff, Adjunct/PT Instructors, Graduate Assistants, Contingent II).
• At least 10 business days before the requested start date for:
• Hourly employees (students, Contingent I).

Please submit your request via our Submit a Request page and select your respective dropdown options to ensure that your request ends up in the correct queue. 

This lead an RT t-time for each category of employee gives the operations staff enough time to reach out to the employee, schedule needed appointments for new hires, and review and submit the paperwork by HR’s submissions deadlines.  

After graduation, the student is unable to continue working in their current graduate assistant or student hourly position. They will need to be placed into a contractual position (Contingent I) with the appropriate information completed on a contract and their resume.  

This type of request needs to be submitted to our office at least ten business days before the contract’s requested start date to ensure it is processed under Human Resources payroll processing deadlines.  

Another option is to obtain a regular or contractual Faculty appointment, such as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate, which must be requested and approved by the requestor’s department, Dean’s Office, and the Provost’s Office. This process can take up to a month or more, so please plan accordingly if this is the path desired.  

Please submit your request via our Submit a Request page and select your respective dropdown options to ensure that your request ends up in the correct queue. 

The best dates for a part-time contract will depend on the period of performance of the funding source and the length of time expected for the work to be completed.  

Our office needs to receive the request for this contract and all required documentation at least ten business days before the contract’s requested start date. Please submit your request via our Submit a Request page and select your respective dropdown options to ensure that your request ends up in the correct queue. 

Preferred dates would fall on the beginning and end of a pay period. Temporary Contingent I contracts can be up to 6 months in length if they are 20 hours or more and can be renewed once, while If-and-When-Needed Contingent I contracts are for 19.75 hours and fewer and can be up to one year in length and be renewed continuously.  

If the hiring paperwork is processed within HR’s submission deadlines, a salaried employee will receive their first paycheck on the Friday following the end of the pay period in which their employment became active.  

For hourly employees, if the hiring paperwork and time sheets are submitted and processed in the appropriate time frame, they will receive their first paycheck on the third Friday from the end of the pay period in which their employment became active.  

All hourly positions are paid for hours worked during a pay period about three weeks after the end of that pay period.  

The process for each pay period is that the hours worked during that pay period are submitted and approved by the supervisor the week following the end of the pay period, reviewed and submitted to the State of Maryland for processing the following week, and then the check for those hours is cut the following Friday.  

Generally, once the direct deposit form is mailed to the Central Payroll Bureau (CPB), it will be processed within 2 to 3 pay cycles. If it has not been processed within 6 weeks of when you submitted it and you are still receiving paper paychecks, please resubmit the direct deposit form or speak with one of the specialists in our office in ENG 202.  

In order to access all of your paystubs, you will need to log in to the Payroll Online Service Center (POSC). Instructions for setting up an account are here.  

1. If your direct deposit has been active for at least six pay cycles, you will need to contact the Business Operations Team to request a recent check advice number to set up your POSC account. 
2. If you are still receiving paper paychecks, the check advice number is located on your most recent paystub.  

Once an account is set up, you will be able to access a rolling 12 months of paycheck stubs and year-end paystubs outlining a summary of your earnings for the entire year for the past four years.  

Administrative Leave Guidelines can be found on the UMBC Human Resources (HR) website.

In order to update your address or update your W-4, you will need to log in to the POSC and click on the link titled “Updated Address / W4 (Tax Withholding)” and complete the required information on the website with the new address or W-4 information. It will take about ten business days from the time of submission for the address or W-4 to be updated across all of the state’s databases for payroll.  

The only exemption from this process is if you claim Exempt for state and/or federal taxes on your W-4. If you claim Exempt, you will need to complete a paper W-4 with the new address or W-4 information and submit it to the HR department for processing.  

In order to access a duplicate W-2, log in to the POSC and click on the link titled “View / Print Duplicate W-2.” You can download or print W-2s from UMBC for the previous three calendar years from this link.  

We work with individual departments to prepare budgets and consolidate them into one overall State budget for the COEIT and Division of Information and Technology (DOIT).  We also prepare monthly reports, analysis and projections for the College and DOIT for the State and department level funding resources. The reports are generally used by Chairs, VPs, and Directors. 

The original funding source, i.e. state funding vs. external grant/contract funding:  The FP&A team assists the COEIT’s Chairs and DOIT’s VPs with developing, monitoring, analyzing, revising, and projecting cost for the department level State, Revolving, DRIF, and Foundation budgets. We review, approve, financial transactions in PeopleSoft, PAW, and on P-Cards. We work collaboratively within COEIT’s SSC and inter-departmentally to accomplish goals in support of our customers.  

Similarly, the Sponsored Research Team (SRT) completes the same aforementioned responsibilities for COEIT’s faculty grants and other sponsored activities, start–up revolving/DRIF and Foundation accounts. 

We approve transactions such as journal entries (JEs), travel and reimbursement requests, procurement transactions in PAW and as P-Card supervisors. We also approve GA appointment letters, tuition & health forms. Generally, the transactions are entered by department staff, technicians, faculty or our Business Operations Team. If needed, we may also enter transactions such as journal entries or purchase requests in the PAW system.  

In general, we approve GA Appointment letters, tuition, and health insurance forms and PAW transactions within 24 hours; journal entries in 48 hours; travel reimbursement requests within 48 hours; payment requests within 48 hours.  However, if we have questions, or if there is missing documentation etc., these transactions may take longer to approve.  

Please reach out to us through email, phone call, Slack, or Google Chat, and we will prioritize the transaction as appropriate.  

Please notify one of us and we will review the transaction or provide an answer to your questions. Another team member will review and approve your transaction.  We are cross trained, and all our staff can assist with the answer or approval.  

• We need a written approval from the budget authorizer.  For our team, the budget authorizers are: Department Chair, Director, Program Director, faculty mentor or faculty teaching the class. 
• We require a brief description of the purpose i.e., (interview candidate, lab supplies, office supplies, equipment, consultancy, or name of an event, etc.). When requesting on behalf of someone else, please include that information in the comments section and provide a copy of the email or RT ticket. 

The chartstring should be provided by the person who has the authority to approve the purchase. It may vary depending on multiple factors.  Please reach out to one of our team members to assist you with that information.  

You may see the full chart account numbers and description on Financial Services’ Chart of Accounts.  

Please refer to the Team Contact Table.

This process includes multiple steps complete:   

1. Once the travel packet has been put together by the traveler or departmental staff, it is reviewed thoroughly by our Business Operations Team. 
2. Depending on the funding source, it is then reviewed and approved by either SRT or FP&A.   
3. Next, it is reviewed and approved by UMBC Accounts Payable.   
4. Then it is submitted to the State of Maryland for payment.  

Generally, it takes 3-6 weeks for the State of Maryland to issue payment, which is either directly deposited into your account or a check is issued. 

AP can remove/adjust expenses that have been inadvertently overstated in the request or that do not comply with UMBC policy. 

For convenience, the traveler may purchase airfare, lodging and registration cost directly through UMBC funds (with preapproval).   

Please review this presentation to review the overall travel process and to find more details about how to minimize your out-of-pocket travel costs.

There are two ways you may use/access Foundation funds:  

• Directly through the Foundation – Use Foundation accounts directly to pay invoices, make purchases (with vendors who accept checks), and individual reimbursement requests. You need to work with a UMBC representative to process the invoice or make purchases on your behalf.   
• Through a UMBC revolving account – Expenses (travel, p-card purchases, payroll) can be paid through a UMBC revolving account and then billed to the Foundation for reimbursement.  

Generally, our BOT team will complete Foundation disbursement requests for invoices and UMBC reimbursements for travel, payroll expenses, and p-card purchases.  Other small purchases and individual reimbursements can be completed by the departmental staff support.  

Generally, our BOT team will complete Foundation disbursement requests for invoices and UMBC reimbursements for travel, payroll expenses, and p-card purchases.  Other small purchases and individual reimbursements can be completed by the departmental staff support.  

All disbursements must: 

• Provide a direct benefit to the institution 
• Be properly reported and documented for tax purposes 
• Be used in compliance with any donor restrictions

The expenses need to relate to the purpose of the Foundation account, and the expenses need to be reasonable and necessary. If the backup submitted is not sufficient, we will follow up with questions. This is an effort to be in compliance and transparent. 

There are two levels of approval:  

• Level 1: Departmental approval: Approved by the Chair, the Director, or faculty member  
• Level 2: Dean’s office approval: The Dean or Assistant Dean of Finance & Administration 

USFM requires proof of payment (receipts) and records that justify the expenses. For more detailed information on this topic, please navigate to the Foundation’s Policies and Procedures site.  

All disbursements must: 

• Provide a direct benefit to the institution 
• Be properly reported and documented for tax purposes 
• Be used in compliance with any donor restrictions

The expenses need to relate to the purpose of the Foundation account, and the expenses need to be reasonable and necessary. If the backup submitted is not sufficient, we will follow up with questions. This is an effort to be in compliance and transparent. 

Yes, lump sum transfers can be made within the USMF foundation accounts with the completion of USMF’s form and emailed request from the chairperson. 

The departments need to demonstrate their efforts to utilize the donated revenue in line with the designation of the funds received. 

Our team has assigned departments, and we send reports monthly to the department chairpersons. The report can be accessed in REX, but those reports only reflect actual-to-date expenses.  They do not include projections of expenditures or revenue and other available departmental funding. 

COEIT’s Dean’s Office has stipulated that each department should, if possible, fully spend their annual operating budget. The maximum fiscal year-end fund balance should be less than 1.5%, or $50k with a supporting justification. 

The mid-year FY (December 2019) reporting includes payroll accruals for the first time in the history of UMBC’s financial reporting. Therefore, the mid-year (December) 5-year trend analysis for 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and prior do not provide a 1:1 comparison. 

Solution: Examine the financial information as of the end of the prior (November) or following (December) accounting period to avoid the anomaly.   

“The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers approximately 470 teaching, research or combination teaching/research awards in over 125 countries. Opportunities are available for college and university faculty and administrators as well as for professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, independent scholars and many others. In addition to several new program models designed to meet the changing needs of U.S. academics and professionals, Fulbright offers flexible awards including multi-country opportunities.”  Comparative and International Education Societies. (n.d.). Fulbright Scholar Program, U.S. Scholar Program. Retrieved February 28, 2020, from https://www.cies.org/       

Each case should be coordinated with COEIT’s Shared Services Center, Business Operations Team  for verification of the details. The period of the Fulbright Scholar Program abroad can range from two weeks, or as long as a full academic year.   

Faculty utilizing sabbatical to participant in the program for a full academic year are subject to a reduction in pay of 50% in accordance with the University System of Maryland’s (USM) Policy and Procedures.  

Faculty utilizing fellowship leave are subject to the receipt of the Fulbright Scholar Program funding being deducted from their paid leave of absence. More information can be found here. 

Please remember to route your specific case through COEIT’s Business Operations Team. 

Please submit your pre-award proposal request through the RT ticketing system. 

Select your respective Division, Department, then select “Sponsored Research” from the Request Type drop down menu. You will then have the option to select “Pre-Award Assistance” from the Action drop down menu. 

• Pre-Award Questionnaire  
• Budget 
• Budget Justification 
• Statement/Scope/Summary of Work (SOW) 

Please reference our extensive checklist (forthcoming) for required documents associated with different types of proposals and associated sponsors.

Navigate to our COEIT Pre-Award Docs Google Drive. 

We encourage you to submit the RT request as soon as you’ve made the decision to submit a proposal. We do not need all of the required documents at the time of the initial request. Submitting the request in advance will help us to distribute our workload.  

Since the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) requires that the proposal be fully routed through the Dean’s office three business days before the sponsor’s deadline, we need to have all required documents to review AT LEAST 5 business days before the sponsor’s deadline to perform minimum review before routing.  

Please reference our menu and document checklist for more specific information.  

• Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) Memo 
• SRT Menu 
• SRT Checklist 

Per the memo from the Office of Vice President of Research (OVPR), Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) requires that the proposal be fully routed through the Dean’s office 3 business days before the sponsor’s submission deadline. 

A Letter of Intent/Concept Paper/White Paper/Pre-Proposal is an informal proposal. Usually a brief document, they could range from 2-3 pages to as many as 10-20 pages depending on the requirements of a specific program.  They are used to explain the importance of a particular research project and may also be used to get invited to submit a full grant proposal. 

Some require only lump-sum cost estimates rather than detailed budgets. An informal proposal does not require campus endorsement; therefore, it does not need to proceed through the formal review and approval procedure. In those instances, however, budgetary matters should be discussed with Business Managers and/or with the OSP to avoid confusion or misunderstanding at a later date. A lack of correlation between the technical proposal and the budget may lead to rejection of the proposal.  

For those informal proposals that require a detailed budget and/or university approval, the informal proposal must be routed through OSP. 

Your RT request for pre-award assistance could be assigned to Gina Fischer, Bobbie Soellner, Alex Via, or Eric Vooys. 

The NSF HERD survey is the primary source of information on research and development expenditures at higher education institutions in the United States and outlying areas. Over 900 universities and colleges complete the survey every year. UMBC’s participation in this survey is very important as it helps the NSF produce the most accurate statistics possible on U.S. higher education R&D expenditures. 

• Gina Fischer – CBEE – (Blaney and Lavik) and CSEE (Oates, Moshenin and Pirsiavsh) 
• Bobbie Soellner- IS and CWIT 
• Alex Via – CSEE (A – N, + Patel & Robucci) 
• Eric Vooys – CBEE, CSEE (P – Z, + Nicholas), and ME.

Please start with our Shared Services Tasks Menu.

• Procurement/Purchasing Questions 

UMBC has recently implemented a new procurement system called PAWS. Please contact your respective department* representative for more information.  

* CSEE Principal Investigators, please contact Dee Ann Drummey or Alex Via. 

Please refer to the Shared Services Tasks Menu. The E-Travel request originates in your respective academic department. 

Please refer to the tasks menu Shared Services Tasks Menu. The request originates in your respective academic department, while the Business Operations Team is backup.  

Submit an RT ticket . 

Submit an RT ticket 

Startup, revolving, foundation, and grant financial reconciliation reports are sent to all PI’s within 7 business days of the month-end close, which is usually around the 10th of every month. 

SOPC’s will be sent as PDF’s via email every two weeks following payday. 

Please refer to the instructions from OCGA (Link Forthcoming)  

Submit an RT ticket 

Submit an RT ticket