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PASSAIC COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Volume 1, Issue 4

June 2016

F&A Neighborhood News

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Cover Story 1

Accounting 2

Bursar 2

Budget 3

Public Safety 4

Purchasing 4

Docu-Center Tips 5

Security Q&A 5

Chef for a Day 6

Facilities Round-Up 6

Trivia Question 7

Notable News 7

Inspirational Corner 8

STEVEN HARDY

Vice President Finance & Administrative

Services

COVER STORY

Passaic County Community College

(PCCC) has recently forged a new and

exciting partnership with Haier America

Inc., a global leader in manufacturing

affordable kitchen, laundry, home

comfort, and HVAC systems. Haier

employs more than 70,000 people

around the world and distributes

products in more than one hundred

countries. Haier is headquartered in

Passaic County, located in nearby

Wayne, New Jersey.

This new partnership is designed to train

the next generation of technicians that

will be employed to service appliances

and equipment in the manufacturing and

appliance sector. Haier is donating

dedicated equipment to be used for

training these future technicians and

PCCC is providing new facilities and

core instruction, making this a joint

venture between the two entities. In

addition to this unique employer-focused

partnership, the College will be working

with Haier to deliver industry-recognized

content as well as help place

participants in jobs through their network

of servicing firms and retailing centers.

Technicians will have exciting

opportunities with employers such

as Best Buy, P.C. Richards, and others.

Haier and other employers have

identified a need for skilled technicians

who have mastered basic skills, have a

strong work ethic, and are fluent not only

in technical competencies, but also

knowledgeable of customer service

fundamentals.

Thanks to the support of the Consortium

of Community Colleges, a portion of this

partnership is being funded through

the U.S. Department of Labor’s “Ready-

To-Work” grant designed to foster in-

demand job training and employment.

Brian Egan

5 Church Street, home to the new Technician Training Program

ACCOUNTING

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You may have heard finance personnel use the term “year-end.” What exactly is

“year- end” and what is involved?

The College operates on a fiscal year that runs from July 1st to June 30th. The term

“year-end” is used to refer to the closing of the current fiscal year and to prepare for

the financial audit which normally occurs in September.

The College audit is performed by an independent, external Certified Public

Accounting firm that is hired by PCCC’s Board of Trustees (BOT). The audit lasts

approximately four weeks and involves various College offices. The auditor’s role is

to determine if the College has properly recorded and classified all financial

transactions.

In preparing for the audit, the Accounting Department must first identify any

transactions processed in July where the item was actually received and/or service

completed on or before June 30th. Those items are put into the proper fiscal year via

a journal entry. It takes approximately five weeks to ensure that all the

aforementioned, necessary journal entries have been created and recorded

correctly. Once completed, preparation for the audit begins.

Financial statements and various schedules are prepared for the audit. It is important

to complete this process prior to the audit starting. This allows for the audit process

to proceed smoothly as personnel are available to answer auditors’ questions as

soon as they arrive, rather than simultaneously with schedule preparation.

At the conclusion of the audit, the auditors appear before the BOT to present their

results. Their final step is to issue an audit report which becomes a permanent

College record that is subsequently sent to both the state and federal governments.

BURSAR

UPCOMING PAYMENT CHANGES

Various PCCC departments and campuses have been requesting the ability to make

online payments for non-tuition charges. The Bursar Office worked with Purchasing

to research and acquire a system that would be compatible with their present

payment configuration. They are currently teaming up with IT to make and test the

necessary system changes in order to get this new feature available and functioning.

Once completed, students will have the ability to pay for fees, memberships, etc.

without having to come to the office.

Please contact Danielle Budka-Nepola at dbudka-nepola@pccc.edu if you are

interested in utilizing this feature. There is a minimal percent charge for each

transaction.

Interview with Dr. Heather Mayer,

Budget Manager, Passaic County

Community College

Q: What is the mission of the Budget

Office?

A: The Budget Office exists to drive

the vision of the College into the future

and effectively lead the development

and management of funds. The role of

the budget is to match the long-term

goals of the organization with available

funding, while also having the flexibility

to anticipate immediate needs. The

Budget Office provides guidance to

Budget Officers for anticipated budget

overage problems. It is a top priority of

the Budget Office to provide assistance

to departments so that the mission of

each area is fulfilled with the largest

number of students in the community

being served.

Q: What are the functions of the

Budget Office during the year?

A: When the Fall semester begins, we

start to prepare both the operating and

capital budgets for the following

academic year by looking at new

requests and where the College ended

in the previous year. A recent addition

to the budget process was holding

budget hearings for each department.

This helps improve communication,

especially since some departments

only interact with Finance a few times a

year. This gives us an opportunity to sit

down for a brief time and discuss the

vision of each department at the

College. The hearings allow everyone

to be heard for prioritization of funds

and to explain their operations so we

can support the mission.

Q: What improvements have been

made?

A: The use of the online purchasing

module in Colleague/Datatel has been

a tremendous improvement to the

Finance Division. Going paperless has

taken manual verification out of all of

BUDGET

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minor capital that was approved by

the Board and listed in Colleague/

Datatel is 9984. Prior years of capital

for projects that have not been

completed will be loaded into codes

9985 and 9986.

The steps for purchasing minor capital

will be the same as those that are

used for entering operating expenses.

Facilities will be heavily involved with

the new capital process. We have

completed the first phase of testing

and training for the July 1, 2016 start,

however we will continue testing the

Facilities portion of the plan.

Q: What are some other processes

that flow through the Budget Office?

A: The work authorization form

process is being enhanced with the

assistance of Human Resources (HR)

and Payroll. There is one budget

verification for each half of the fiscal

year. This will help provide enough

time for processing all authorization

forms through Budget, HR, and

Payroll. We have added another level

of communication back to the area

supervisor to verify the forms. The

goal for the future is to move to a

paperless authorization system,

similar to Enrollment Management’s

Hyland Imaging System.

Increases to purchase orders

(including blanket POs) have been

streamlined in coordination with

Purchasing to speed up the process

and eliminate paper. This is the new

Change Order process.

Q: What will be the biggest change

for the upcoming fiscal year?

A: As of July 1, 2016, capital

purchases will be paperless and all

departments will be free from the

paper-based system. This will

complete the process of transitioning

to Colleague/Datatel for Purchasing.

This allows for a more uniform view of

the budget.

the College operating budget lines.

The time that was spent on budget

checks is now used for further

analysis of budget-to-actual

expenses, otherwise known as

budget variance reports. Going

paperless with the operating budget

prepared us for the next phase in

the paperless process, capital

expenditures.

Q: How are capital purchases

processed?

A: Capital purchases, which are

approved by the Board of Trustees

on an annual basis, are currently

purchased using the paper-based

requisition. However, starting July 1,

2016, these purchases will be

entered into budget lines with object

codes pertaining to minor capital.

The code for current year

Ann Marie Keegan

Heather Mayer, Budget Manager

PUBLIC SAFETY

During the week of May 23, 2016, Public Safety

rolled out the redeployment of their bicycle patrol

program. The unit is comprised of squad

members Angel Rivera, Security Supervisor, and

Officers Johnnie Boggs, Danny Nika, Victor

Arias, and Daniel Burnett. Upon being selected

for the patrol program, these officers underwent

a rigorous training course at the Bergen County

Police and Fire Academy. Each officer was

required to master and perform the tactical skills

learned during training as a requirement for

certification.

Weather permitting, the unit has daily scheduled

morning and afternoon shifts, each comprised of

one to two riders depending on availability and

department workload. Besides patrolling the

various campus building locations, the unit is

responsible for monitoring the Paterson Parking

Authority garage as a supplement to the security

cameras strategically located throughout the

structure. Each bicycle carries first aid supplies

and a summons books, in addition to other

equipment utilized on campus.

The implementation of the bicycle patrol is part of

Public Safety’s enhanced security plan. It has the

benefit of increased deterrence through visibility

coupled with rapid response to any problems,

creating a greater sense of security to students

and visitors. The program has already generated

positive feedback for the department. Give a

wave of appreciation when you spot the patrol!

PURCHASING

FY 2017 PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS

Purchasing has a number of process improvements that we will be rolling out with

the start of the new fiscal year:

End of Paper Requisitions

After a forty plus year run, Paper Requisitions (PRs) are becoming extinct.

Despite the best efforts of some dedicated paper process conservationists,

we’ve been unable to save this species. Starting July 1st, the Purchasing

Department will no longer accept paper requisitions.

New Change Order Process

We’re in the process of creating a new, easier process for Change Orders to be

rolled out in July, replacing the request to increase or decrease forms.

Changes to travel orders, credit card purchases, and office supply ordering are all

coming soon. Please look out for communications in the coming months!

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“Summertime is always the best of what might be.”

- Charles Bowden

Ada Gonzalez

Officers (l to r) Boggs and Nika

Ada Gonzalez

Officer Boggs (l to r), Supervisor Rivera, and Officer Nika

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SECURITY Q&A

QUESTION 2: If being harassed, what

steps should a victim take?

A secure environment is critical to

providing the proper learning experience

for the student and a professional work

environment for faculty and staff. Acts of

harassment can range from occasional

unwelcomed comments or remarks to

more persistent or repeated acts of

bullying or intimidation.

If after informing the individual that their

behavior is unwelcomed or unappreciated

and the acts continue, the student or

faculty/staff member is strongly

encouraged to promptly report that

information to Campus Security. Working

together with the administration, security

can formulate an effective action plan to

ensure that the matter is properly

addressed and that the victim is free to go

about their business in an appropriate and

intimidation free environment.

QUESTION 3: If I see someone being

harassed but they are afraid to report

it, what should I do?

If you become aware of a situation in

which another person is afraid to address

a harasser directly, you'll need to get

security and College officials involved.

The only safe and secure way to preserve

the integrity of the campus environment

for the target of harassment is to address

the matter as discretely and effectively as

possible. Our obligation to provide a safe

and harassment free environment is part

of our responsibility to all members of the

PCCC community.

Other helpful hints for dealing with such

matters include:

Encouraging the victim to seek

assistance;

Have them talk to someone they trust

about how they’re feeling;

Get counselors/advisors involved;

Keep a record of what happened; and

Provide emotional support and

encouragement in reporting the

matter to security.

Glenn Brown, Acting Director of Security,

continues with his Q&A series (based on

questions submitted by readers) first

featured in our previous issue.

QUESTION 1: What should I do if I find

an unattended package or bag?

The vast majority of incidents in which

packages or bags are left unattended turn

out to be innocuous or typical mistakes.

That being said, safety and security

remain the primary concern and

responsibility of Campus Security. A

balance must be struck between

addressing potential threats and causing

undue disruption to campus life. Below

are some basic, standard, precautionary

measures for students and faculty who

may encounter any “suspicious”

packages or bags that appear to have

been left unattended:

Contact Campus Security immediately at 973-684-5403;

Do not attempt to carry or transport the package/bag to the Public Safety Office;

Do not touch, shake, or examine its contents;

Do not attempt to sniff the package/bag if a strange odor is detected;

Make note of any unusual items, such as wiring, that may be visible;

Make note of any unusual sounds, such as a ticking sound, that may be audible;

Leave the area and attempt to prevent access, alerting others; and

Pending the arrival of Campus Security, prepare a list of persons you may have observed in the area of the package/bag.

NOTE: Campus Security will work

with our law enforcement

partners to determine if

evacuation or other

precautionary action is

necessary.

It is always a good idea to keep the sealed envelopes separate from the unsealed. This will lead to fewer incidents (jammed envelopes) that would cause your Docu-job request to be delayed.

Always have your budget number on the envelope to ensure accurate charging and timely mailing.

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FACILITIES ROUND-UP

Food Service is in the planning stages to

enhance the Paterson Cafeteria serving

area. We hope to make some of these

modifications over the summer so that

come the Fall semester, everyone will be

able to enjoy the changes.

The Center for STEM Education

residing in Hamilton Hall is complete. All

rooms are operational and most of the

faculty have returned to their new

offices.

Continuing Education, in partnership with

Haier America Inc., will be utilizing 5

Church Street (part of the 126

Broadway Academic Center building) for

the new Technician Training Program.

Renovations to this area will be finished

before the Fall semester.

The Paterson Campus interior

signage/wayfinding project is moving

forward as our consultant has turned

over all of the signage format files in

addition to a listing of all needed signs.

At this point, we are determining how

best to produce and install the signs as

efficiently and cost effectively as

possible so as to have most, if not all,

installed before the Fall semester

begins.

At the Passaic Academic Center, we

are still optimistic to get the new parking

lot functional at the beginning of the Fall

semester. Unfortunately, this project

needs to be rebid.

A music studio, isolation booth, a

Student Government Association (SGA)

area, and two additional offices in the

Wanaque Academic Center will be

completed in the next few weeks.

And lastly, or until the phone rings with

the next request, the former Engineering

Lab space in Academic Hall will be

renovated into a new Physics Science

Lab.

Founders Hall and Academic Hall exterior

renovations are complete. Notice the

absence of the bangs, taps, knocks, and

rattles.

A small open student lounge area along the

second floor “spine” (the hallway

connecting Founders Hall to Academic Hall)

is complete and should have furniture

installed in July. Windows on both sides of

this corridor will be replaced during the

year.

The area in Academic Hall which was the

former Enrollment Services area has been

completely renovated and will now be the

new home to the Humanities and English

Departments.

Plans and specifications for an additional

elevator in Academic Hall are almost

complete therefore this project should be

out to bid soon. It will consist of adding a

second elevator into Academic Hall in the

same hallway as the existing elevator,

utilizing a small corner of the courtyard.

This will not only enable us to better move

people through the building, but also allow

us to renovate the existing elevator without

the inconvenience of not having any

elevator service.

Founders Hall third floor is being

renovated to provide for some updated

office areas for the VP of Finance and

Administrative Services, the AVP of Human

Resources, and the Human Resources

staff. The second phase of this three-phase

project is almost complete with the third

phase to start right after.

The Gymnasium will have a major

renovation with both a new floor and

bleacher system installed over the summer.

The replacement of roofs for the Academic

Addition, Founders Hall, and the

Gymnasium/Theater will be rebid, but we

are hopeful to have new roofs in place

before the winter weather.

DROP BISCUITS

YIELD: 6-12 biscuits

1 lb. (≈ 2-1/2 cups) all-purpose

flour

2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. baking powder

4 tbsp. sugar

5 tbsp. unsalted softened

butter (room temp)

2 eggs

9 oz. milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients. Add

butter and rub by hand (or use

paddle attachment on a mixer) to

incorporate butter into the flour.

There should be pea-sized bits of

butter still visible after mixing.

Whisk eggs and milk together and

stir into dry ingredient/butter mixture

until just combined (over mixing will

make biscuits tough). Dough should

be sticky and wet, but not runny.

Using an ice cream scooper, scoop

out dough onto a greased cookie

sheet and brush tops with milk.

Bake for 8-10 minutes (depending

on biscuit size). When done, biscuits

will be golden brown all over, slightly

darker on bottom, and feel light

when picked up.

Store unused, cooled biscuits in an

airtight container.

NOTE: For flavor variation,

additional ingredients (shredded

cheese, chopped jalapeno, corn

niblets, etc.) can be added to dry

mixture.

Johnnie Boggs joins Public Safety as a Security Officer. Already a member of the

redeployed bicycle patrol squad, Johnnie was recently elevated to a full-time staff position.

He comes to PCCC with extensive experience having served in similar positions in the

private sector and is a welcome addition to the department.

Henry Cabrera recently accepted the position of Coordinator of Student Accounts. In his

time at the Bursar Office, Henry has become an invaluable employee, doing an

outstanding job handling third party billing. He came to PCCC in February of 2013 from

Provident Bank. Henry received a BS in Business Administration from Berkeley College

and is currently working toward a MPA at Fairleigh Dickinson.

Brian Egan was recently appointed Associate Vice President for Facilities Management

and Planning. As he completes his 20th year at PCCC heading up the department, Brian

has helped the College expand from one campus to four, which encompass 550,000+

gross square feet of space. Besides his role of managing day to day Facilities operations,

he is also charged with implementing numerous construction and renovation projects

funded by both the State of NJ Chapter 12 and College Capital budgets. Brian has a BS

degree in Electrical Engineering from NJIT and an MBA from Marist College. In his spare

time he likes to... oh wait, he doesn’t have any spare time!

José A. Fernández is the new Associate Vice President of Human Resources. He joins

PCCC from Mercer County Community College where he served as the Executive Director

of Human Resources for over ten years. Jose received a BS in Criminal Justice from

SUNY College of Buffalo, an MBA from Northern Arizona University, and a JD from the

University at Buffalo Law School. Besides leading the department, Jose’s role will be to

improve critical HR business processes and implement new programs that will better serve

the College’s faculty and staff.

Michael Grossi recently accepted the Director of Cafeteria and Food Service Operations

position. He has been the Assistant Director of Food Service/Instructor at the College for

the last 15 years. Prior to PCCC, Michael worked in contract food service for 20 years as

well as fine dining on the east and west coasts. He has an AOS from the Culinary Institute

of America, a BS in Business Administration from Seton Hall University, and an MBA from

Kaplan University.

Steven Hardy was recently appointed Vice President for Finance and Administrative

Services with the addition of Human Resources to the division. Steven came to PCCC just

under two years ago. His previous experience includes 16 years in higher education as a

Controller, Assistant Vice President, and Vice President, as well as nine years in the

private sector working for two Fortune 500 corporations. Steven has an MBA and a BBA

with a concentration in Accounting, both degrees earned from Eastern Michigan University.

Muhamedin “Moe” Skenderi joins Facilities as the Assistant Manager of Mechanical

Services. He has over 15 years of HVAC service, with the last five years supervising

various field repair crews. Moe has experience in hospitality, commercial, and retail

settings. He has an Associate Degree in Business Administration from Bergen Community

College, a Technical Certification from Lincoln Technical Institute, and numerous HVAC

and Environmental Certificates. Moe’s responsibilities at PCCC will mostly consist of staff

supervision and improving our HVAC maintenance program.

Rasheena Williams joins Human Resources as a Technical Specialist. She has a BS in

Psychology from Montclair State University and has worked in HR since March of 2015.

Rasheena brings with her a wide body of PCCC knowledge via her numerous years in

Enrollment Management. In her short tenure, she has become an integral part of the HR

team and we look forward to having her continued efforts at providing excellent service.

Page 7

NOTABLE NEWS

WHICH THREE INTRAMURAL/

RECREATIONAL SPORTS DOES PCCC

PARTICIPATE IN?

Look for the answer in the next issue!

Answer to last issue’s trivia question:

PLANETARIUM

Please email any

comments/topics to

amkeegan@pccc.edu

CONTRIBUTORS:

Glenn Brown

Danielle Budka Nepola

Mike D’Agati

Brian Egan

Jose Fernandez

Ada Gonzalez

Michael Grossi

Steven Hardy

Ann Marie Keegan

Heather Mayer

George Myers

Mike Powell

INSPIRATIONAL CORNER

WHAT GLASSES DO YOU SEE THE WORLD THROUGH?

Have you ever gotten a great and exciting opportunity, only to say to yourself, "This is too good to be true?" Have you then managed to muster enough doubt and suspicion about this great opportunity that, perhaps as an act of self-fulfilling prophecy, this great opportunity really did not turn out?

I certainly have done that very thing a number of times, figuring that when great things happen, they often come with obvious or hidden negative strings attached. Then, I recently listened to a tape by Les Brown, a motivational speaker. He said, "Whenever you think that something is too good to be true, change that thought to saying that the opportunity is good and... that it is happening to the right person. YOU!" How simple.

I have watched this difference in negative and positive expectations in my dog and my Mom's dog. My dog was brought up in an environment of love and total security. Her power of positive expectation is absolutely astounding. Whomever she meets, she assumes she will be liked and that she will get what she wants. I will admit that she might not have much going on in her brain other than how to raid the next garbage can without getting caught, but that's perhaps, besides the point. Her expectation of the world is positive and, funny enough, it is only rare that her expectations aren't met.

My Mom's dog is different. He was abused as a puppy, before she got him. Although the abuse was almost 10 years ago, his expectations of the world are still doubtful and suspicious. When a stranger offers love or food, he either won't approach at all or approach very slowly. The difference between my dog and him isn't at all in the environment around them, it is only in the interpretation of it.

How do you expect the world to treat you? Do you face the world expecting red lights, mean bosses, and difficulties? Or, do you face your environment expecting great things to happen? Whichever we expect is what will likely happen - expect goodness!

"Motivational, Inspirational and Business Articles." Motivational, Inspirational and Business Articles. N.p., Jan. 2001. Web. 8 Sept. 2015.

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