Business and Financial Services News, Training and Events

Self nominations for Financial Management Certification Program Due Today

Staff members interested in UC Merced’s new Financial Management Certification Program (FMCP) have until 5 p.m. March 15 to complete and submit a self-nomination form.

The FMCP is a comprehensive training course that supports professional development of business officers and promotes the ethical management of the campus’s financial resources. Building on financial, compliance and administrative concepts introduced in the Business Officer Institute, the FMCP consists of mandatory and elective classes in major topic areas critical to successful financial management. Classes begin in April.

To earn a certificate, participants must successfully complete 12 modules in various critical areas including ethics, fraud, compliance, controls, risk assessment and personnel management. For detailed information about the program, including nomination requirements, due dates and class dates, please visit the Financial Management Certification Program page under "forums and training" on the Controls website.

New UC Program Offers Personal Travel Insurance

Employees and students can now purchase personal travel insurance through a new UC program.

The Travel Accident Protection program is available to university employees and students to purchase for themselves, their families and/or traveling companions. The program covers medical emergencies for travelers outside their home country or country of permanent residence, provides accident and sickness benefits, emergency medical and security evacuations and other valuable travel assistance services. Two plan options are available, the Blue plan or the Gold plan. The Gold plan includes everything in the Blue plan plus some additional benefits. Each plan has an option to increase the medical-expense and accidental-death-and-dismemberment limits. The purchasing employee or student is responsible for the premium payment.

In order for each traveler to be covered, all must enroll individually and pay their respective premium. For more information, please visit the Risk Services website.

Tax Services Adopts On-Campus Hours

Starting March 19, staff from UC Merced’s Tax Services department will be available from 8:30-10:30 a.m. on the third Tuesday of each month in KL 201. People who need assistance with campus tax-related questions and matters are welcome to drop by during those hours. Please note that while Tax Services cannot offer specific tax advice on any matter, department staff can direct people to the appropriate resources. In addition to drop-in hours, Tax Services can be reached by email at tax@ucmerced.edu or by contacting Tax Services Manager Kiran Samran at extension 4075. Additional information is available on the Tax Services website. 

Upcoming Meetings and Training

• Join the next monthly AO/MSO meeting from 10:45 a.m. to noon March 19 in KL 232 to hear the latest news in campus updates, requirements, training and support. The AO/MSO meetings occur the third Tuesday of every month.
• If you missed February’s Purchasing, FAU and CatBuy trainings, the next round is scheduled in mid-April. These sessions are required for certain campus job positions but are also informative for any staff and faculty seeking to familiarize themselves with the campus’s purchasing protocols. Visit the training website for more information.

• Explore upcoming training opportunities involving CatBuy, SharePoint and other systems and protocols used on the job by visiting training.ucmerced.edu.

In-Person Payroll Assistance

Every Friday, a Payroll expert is stationed in KL 201 until 5 p.m. to discuss payroll concerns in person without having to make a formal appointment. Payroll-related questions can also be sent via email or call the department at extension 2729.