LionsLink Project Updates

Hello from the Lair!

A quick reminder that LionsLink will go offline tonight while the next group of colleges transition over to ctcLink.

LionsLink will be offline tonight (Thursday) from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. tomorrow (Friday), and again tomorrow from 3 p.m. until Monday morning at 7 a.m.

Students and staff will not be able to access their LionsLink account during this time. Canvas and LWTech email will still be available.

Take care, and GO LIONS,

~Leslie

Hello from the Lair!

Students are settling in nicely into LionsLink. While there are still some challenges for folks, overall the transition has gone just as smoothly for students as it did for employees.

With that, we have just a few reminders that may be helpful for you:

Reminders…

Helpful Reminders for Students and Employees

Many virtual and in-person resources to assist students in transitioning to LionsLink have now ended. If students have LionsLink related questions, please share the following resources with them.

• The LWTech.edu/LionsLinkStudentHelp webpage has great information that is being updated regularly.
• Please encourage students to visit the Frequently Asked Questions page on the website, where hopefully they’ll find the answers they need. We continue to update this information as we receive feedback.
• ASK Me! This is another great resource for students if they can’t find the information they need, or if an employee needs a quick answer.
• Students and employees are encouraged to submit an ITS Helpdesk Ticket to help solve any issues they are having with LionsLink.
• Whenever there’s a system outage we will communicate to students and employees through one of the following communications channels: email, the website and social media.
• Your current ID cards are still working and okay to use on campus while ITS is working to get our supplemental systems like Legend online. We will send an email to students and employees when the new ID cards with our new LionsLink ID numbers can be made.
• We’ve updated the Student Tuition and Fees webpage. There is a new section to help students and employees understand tuition and fees information shown in LionsLink. Our previous systems did not have this level of information viewable to the same degree, so we’re really excited about this new feature!
• The Business and Cashier’s Offices are still in the process adjusting their work in LionsLink. If students come to you with issues related to things like not seeing their account balance, making a payment, or if they have other questions related to tuition and fees, please have them contact the cashier’s office by email or by phone at (425) 739-8403.

LionsLink Tip of the Day

Even though we’ve been working in LionsLink for several weeks, it’s still going to take time for folks to get fully up to speed. You might find it helpful to build in extra time for your questions/requests to get answered and/or processed.

Final Thoughts…

The message of flexibility was not lost on me earlier this week when I brought the plants I purchased from the Annual Plant Sale home. Not an hour after I set all of the plants outside, it started to snow. And, I immediately brought them all back into the garage, where they are still residing while I wait for the temps to go up. Just another reminder from the universe to embrace change and to be flexible. Even the best laid plans can change.

Hello again from the Lair!

It’s a busy time as we prepare for the start of Spring quarter next week. Even though the college has been up and running in LionsLink for five weeks now, there’s still a lot of work going on in the background, as teams are still incredibly busy working hard to make sure LionsLink runs efficiently. Thank you for your continued patience as requests and responses may take longer as we continue to adjust and adapt our work in LionsLink.

And, with that, here’s the latest news from the Lair:

HR Update from Katie Stewart

Don’t forget to submit your TIME and ABSENCE by tomorrow, March 31, 2022!

LionsLink has made a recent update. Effective with the 03/16/22 pay period, OVERTIMEreporting is changing. We will be reverting back to the same process used to report overtime in TLR.

In the Time tile, enter your REG hours then select the + button to add a new row. In the new row select OVT from the drop down menu then enter your overtime hours under the appropriate date.

Reporting for Straight Overtime (SOV) has not changed. If you are working less than full time (40 hrs./week) SOV is used to report hours worked over your regular schedule but less than 40 in a work week.

Once you have entered your time for the pay period, hit the Submit button. Be sure to review for any exception which may prevent payment. Follow the link below to search for and correct exceptions. Employee Self Service (ESS) Exceptions

Ask HR/Payroll Drop-In Sessions:

HR/Payroll will continue to host drop in sessions twice a month through Spring quarter. This will follow the same as New Employee Orientation.

Date	Time	MS Teams Link
1st of the Month	11 a.m. to 12 p.m.	HR Drop-in MS Teams Link
16th of the Month	2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	HR Drop-in MS Teams Link

Student Support

Students are in the process of activating their accounts, and folks from around the college are continuing their work to make this a seamless process. If you have students who need help in LionsLink, please direct them to use the online ‘how to’ directions, or stop by the Student Programs office for in-person support. Students can also use the student-focused, online service ASK Me, visit the Frequently Asked Questions section on the website, or submit a ITS Helpdesk Ticket.

Student Support Drop-In Sessions

Date	Time	Zoom Link
March 30 - 31, 2022	9 a.m. to 4 p.m.	General LionsLink Zoom Support
March 29, 2022	4 p.m. to 6 p.m.	Evening LionsLink Zoom Support
April 4 - 7, 2022	9 a.m. to 4 p.m.	General LionsLink Zoom Support
April 5, 2022	4 p.m. to 6 p.m.	Evening LionsLink Zoom Support

In-Person Student Support Resources:

Student Programs is working with the wayfinding group to make sure students are aware of the transition to LionsLink. They will direct students to the East Mall if they need help with account activation. Student Programs will have Spanish language account activation instructions available (thank you Alex Wallace ).

Date	Time	MS Teams Link
April 4 - 5 2022	8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.	East Mall
April 6 – 8, 2022	8 a.m. to 2 p.m.	East Mall

Purchasing Update from Isaac Robinson

Please note that there should not be any orders from old purchase orders that start F2122-XXX. As a requestor, you are required to create a new open purchase order or one-time purchase requisition in the LionsLink system to make all purchases. Orders submitted through old PO’s starting in F2122-XXX will be pushed back to be created in the LionsLink system. Old purchase orders were closed during the transitional period, so Accounts Payable should not be receiving new invoices from legacy PO’s. Invoices generated from previous PO’s will incur a lengthy delay in processing, especially on orders submitted during the shutdown. We have started to issue purchase orders in the new, LionsLink system, and the PO numbers start WA260-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

Most individuals have been trained in the new system and are able to submit OPEN and/or one-time purchase requisitions. If you have not yet been trained, please come to one of our Purchase Requisition training sessions. The schedule can be found here on the LionsLink Help Page on the Business Office tab.

If you do not track your budgets, you will need to reach out to A/P to find out your existing balances. Please be patient in response times as we all are very busy with the transition. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Purchasing/Business Office and we can lead you in the right direction.

Business Office Update from Xieng Lim

The Business Office needs your help directing students to LWTech’s Student Tuition and Fees information.

LionsLink displays more information to students about tuition and fees than LWTech’s previous system. Our college follows the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) tuition and fees policies, which generally describe the amounts that are charged for different types of classes and students. More information is available at the SBCTC tuition and fees web page and will be available soon on the LWTech’s Tuition and Fees page.

LionsLink Tip of the Day

Today’s Tip of the Day comes from ITS: Employee & Student awareness tip: my.lwtech.edu Express Password Reset is Offline. With the transition to LionsLink the express password reset option has been taken offline until further notice. If you are having issues with your LWTech Student or Employee email/canvas password or if your LWTech email password has expired, please call the ITS helpdesk for assistance at (425) 739-8100 x8603.

 Final Thoughts…

News from the Lair will begin ramping down during Spring quarter. Until we bid each other farewell, we’ll continue to send LionsLink updates as needed, as will department leads.

Go Lions!

Take care,

~Leslie

Hello again from the Lair!

We’re going to reach two new milestones on Wednesday when students Go-Live in LionsLink for the first time, and when many departments return to more traditional office hours. If you have a student who has questions about LionsLink you can direct them to the student training page on the website or to Dr. Sheila Walton.

Reaching these milestones this week also means that you will be able to go into LionsLink and look around after Wednesday. I know it’s been like, “on your mark, get set, STOP,” for a few weeks. Well, now you can GO and check it out. Well, you can after Wednesday, so I guess it’s a few more days of “stop” before the GO.

Thank you again for your continued patience as our colleagues around the college continue to adapt to our new business system.

And, with that, here’s the latest news from the Lair:

Reminders…

1. Don’t forget to submit your TIME and ABSENCE by Wednesday!
2. Next week, Faculty, you will have grading days when there will be the hand-off between Enrollment Services and the Instruction team. Please see the schedule below for training opportunities. If you have any questions about schedules, training, or where to find information, please reach out to Marah Selves in Instruction and she’ll be able to help you or connect you to the best person to answer your questions.

A Message from Meena

Note: TIME AND ABSENCE submissions are due on 3/16. Employees will be locked out and unable to submit after 12pm on 3/17.

Now that TIME and ABSENCE is behind us, I hope you take some time to explore all the bells and whistles that LionsLink has to offer. To help you on this journey, we will be updating the LionsLink Training webpage with the following topics:

Additional Training Topics:

• How to reset your password
• How to view and update your biographic and demographic data (address, contact info, emergency contact, etc.)
• How to download the mobile app
• How to view your absence balances
• How to view and update your direct deposit
• How to view your paychecks
• How to view and update your tax withholding information (W-4)

Coming Soon:

• Recorded Training: How to submit partial absences. We will let you know when the training is available on the LionsLink Training webpage.

Reminder:

• Vaccine Attestation: Your vaccine attestation information is currently not available. SBCTC’s ctcLink project team is working on the conversion for all colleges and anticipates completion in the next two weeks. In the meantime, please do not enter your vaccine information in LionsLink as it may affect the accuracy of the data converted.

Grading Days – Drop-In Support

We will have a zoom drop-in if you need support during the grading timeframe. You can expect any of the following to be there ready to assist you: Rhonda DeWitt, Sally Heilstedt, Marah Selves, or Amber Wyman.

 

Date	Time	Zoom Link
March 21 and 22	9 a.m. to 9 p.m.	Drop-in Faculty LionsLink Support Zoom Link Meeting ID: 868 0780 2130 Passcode: 133815

TIME and ABSENCE Help Sessions

Date	Time	Zoom Link	Zoom Link	Time
March 16	11 a.m. to 12 p.m.	LionsLink Help Session	2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	LionsLink Help Session
March 17	10 p.m. to 11 a.m.	LionsLink Help Session	1 p.m. to 2 p.m.	LionsLink Help Session

IR Reporting and Information Support Sessions

Date	Time	Zoom Link
March 14	1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.	IR Reporting and Information Support Zoom Room

Office Hours

As a reminder, here are office hours for the next several weeks:

Business Office

The Business Office will have limited  services until March 21.

EDI Office

Open normal operations hours.

Foundation

Open normal operations hours.

Human Resources and Payroll

• Weeks of February 28 and March 7
  • Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • There may be delays during these weeks while the team is busy with stabilization. HR will provide drop in sessions where they will answer questions about payroll and Time and Absence reporting.
• Week of March 14
  • Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • There will be one dedicated HR team member in the office Monday-Thursday, and remote support on Fridays. The team will hold open Zoom sessions for the March 1-March 15 pay period for submitting Time and Absence.
• Week of March 21, and Beyond
  • Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • There will be one dedicated HR team member in the office Monday-Thursday, and remote support on Fridays. HR anticipates being back to normal service.

Institutional Research

• March 1 through March 15
  • Reporting and Information Support Zoom Room 
    • Monday-Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
    • Thursday, Friday, 9 a.m. to11 a.m.
  • Additional ctcLink-related support will be available through an open Zoom room to help users locate reports and information as LionsLink launches. Drop-in hours may be updated or added after Go-Live.

Instruction

• February 28 through March 31
  • Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Instruction admins will go into producing the annual class schedule.
  • One administrative assistant will be the go-to person for in-person and email requests.
  • All other administrative assistants will direct their out-of-office message to that person.
  • There will always be someone available in Instruction either in-person or electronically Monday-Thursday.
  • The office will remain closed on Fridays for LionsLink work.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Open normal operations hours.

Marketing and Communications

Open normal operations hours.

President’s Office

Open normal operations hours.

Student Services

• March 7 through March 15
  • Enrollment Services and Financial Aid will continue to be closed to the public.
  • Other student services offices will be open virtually on Monday and Thursday, and in person Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • All offices closed on Fridays.
• March 16 through April 3
  • We anticipate all student services offices to be open virtually on Monday and Thursday, and in person Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • All offices remain closed on Fridays.
  • Special LionsLink support Zoom room for students open as listed online: LWTech.edu/LionsLinkStudents
• April 4 and beyond
  • We anticipate all student services offices to be open in person Monday through Thursday (with virtual options).

LionsLink Tip of the Day

Today’s Tip of the Day comes from HR: You can now view your paycheck in Employee Self-Service! As we learn to navigate LionsLink together, we have the following key takeaways from our first payroll run:

• Browser: Use Chrome or Firefox (preferred) to view the correct tiles.
• Order of TIME and ABSENCE SUBMISSIONS: Submit your ABSENCE first and then TIME.

Final Thoughts…

As we Rise Up to greet another week, I hope you take time to breathe, stretch, and do one nice thing just for yourself.

I’ll continue to send updates, as we have them, as will department leads.

Go Lions!

Take care

~Leslie

Hello again from the Lair!

We’re in week two of LionsLink and things are going well, thanks to all of YOU! Next Wednesday, March 16 students will Go-Live and we’ll reach another major milestone! The website continues to be updated, and if you haven’t checked out the students section, take a look. We have updated information for students for virtual and in-person training. Thank you to our Student Communications Team led by Dr. Sheila Walton and Robin Desilet. This team, comprised of student leaders and folks from the Project Management Office and Marketing and Communications teams has been working together for months to ensure our students have a smooth transition to LionsLink.

And, with that, here’s the latest news from the Lair:

Reminders…

1. As a reminder, please don’t enter any information into the employee self-service immunization attestation section as it will impact the information that will be imported. The SBCTC will import the COVID-19 vaccination records into CTClink in two weeks.
2. Faculty, if you have any questions about schedules, training, or where to find information, please reach out to Marah Selves in Instruction and she’ll be able to help you or connect you to the best person to answer your questions.
3. Many offices around the college are still closed this week to work on LionsLink. Although we’ve launched, folks are still super busy in the transition process. As a reminder, here are office hours for the next several weeks.

Office Hours

Business Office

The Business Office will have limited  services until March 21.

EDI Office

Open normal operations hours.

Foundation

Open normal operations hours.

Human Resources and Payroll

• Weeks of February 28 and March 7
  • Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • There may be delays during these weeks while the team is busy with stabilization. HR will provide drop in sessions where they will answer questions about payroll and Time and Absence reporting.
• Week of March 14
  • Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • There will be one dedicated HR team member in the office Monday-Thursday, and remote support on Fridays. The team will hold open Zoom sessions for the March 1-March 15 pay period for submitting Time and Absence.
• Week of March 21, and Beyond
  • Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • There will be one dedicated HR team member in the office Monday-Thursday, and remote support on Fridays. HR anticipates being back to normal service.

Institutional Research

• March 1 through March 15
  • Reporting and Information Support Zoom Room 
    • Monday-Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
    • Thursday, Friday, 9 a.m. to11 a.m.
  • Additional ctcLink-related support will be available through an open Zoom room to help users locate reports and information as LionsLink launches. Drop-in hours may be updated or added after Go-Live.

Instruction

• February 28 through March 31
  • Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Instruction admins will go into producing the annual class schedule.
  • One administrative assistant will be the go-to person for in-person and email requests.
  • All other administrative assistants will direct their out-of-office message to that person.
  • There will always be someone available in Instruction either in-person or electronically Monday-Thursday.
  • The office will remain closed on Fridays for LionsLink work.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Open normal operations hours.

Marketing and Communications

Open normal operations hours.

President’s Office

Open normal operations hours.

Student Services

• March 7 through March 15
  • Enrollment Services and Financial Aid will continue to be closed to the public.
  • Other student services offices will be open virtually on Monday and Thursday, and in person Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • All offices closed on Fridays.
• March 16 through April 3
  • We anticipate all student services offices to be open virtually on Monday and Thursday, and in person Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • All offices remain closed on Fridays.
  • Special LionsLink support Zoom room for students open as listed online: LWTech.edu/LionsLinkStudents
• April 4 and beyond
  • We anticipate all student services offices to be open in person Monday through Thursday (with virtual options).
  • All offices closed on Fridays.

Ongoing Training and Assistance

Time and Leave Drop-In Help Sessions

Date	Time	Zoom Link
Wednesday, March 16	11 a.m. to 12 p.m.	Payroll Zoom Link
Wednesday, March 16	2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Payroll Zoom Link
Thursday, March 17	10 a.m. to 11 a.m.	Payroll Zoom Link
Thursday, March 17	1 p.m. to 2 p.m.	Payroll Zoom Link

IR Reporting and Information Support Sessions

• March 1 through March 15
  • Reporting and Information Support Zoom Room 
    • Monday-Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
    • Thursday, Friday, 9 a.m. to11 a.m.

LionsLink Tip of the Day

Today’s Tip of the Day comes from the Project Management Office: Don’t forget to clear cache or switch to an incognito browser if you experience an issue first, before submitting a help desk ticket.

Due to the web-based nature of LionsLink, sometimes things will work in Incognito Mode that do not work in a normal browser window related to LionsLink. To open an incognito window, open your internet browser (preferably Firefox) and press Ctrl+ Shift + P (Firefox) or Ctrl + Shift + N (Chrome) to open an incognito browsing window. Alternatively, click the menu icon in the top right corner of the browser followed by New Private Window (Firefox) or New Incognito Window (Chrome). See attached directions.

Final Thoughts…

Finally, I hope you’re all feeling as good as I am about how we’re doing. I’m so excited for our students to experience LionsLink next week.

I hope you’re having a great week. I’ll continue to send updates, as we have them, as will department leads.

Go Lions!

Hello again from the Lair!

Congratulations, we made it through the first week in LionsLink! Our conversion to LionsLink was unremarkable, and that’s a VERY good thing! No major issues were raised that couldn’t be addressed and resolved. Way to go Lions!!

Here’s the latest news from the Lair:

Reminders…

1. If you haven’t attended a training session, don’t worry. We’re running more sessions today. See below for today’s schedule.
2. From our friends in Instruction: For those of you who use 25Live to reserve rooms, please be aware that room names have slightly changed. All room names in 25Live will now also contain “LW.” For example, Technology Building Room 120 will now appear in 25Live as “LWTECT120.”
3. If you haven’t yet, please make sure you go into the Employee Self-Service area of your account and confirm that you’ve set your preferred email address to your LWTech email. All system notifications will go to this email. If you are an adjunct faculty member, there is flexibility in setting up your email notifications to your most used email. There’s a Quick Reference Guide on how to add and update email addresses called ctcLink Employee Self Service.

Training and Assistance

The LionsLink Account Activation and General Issues Virtual Support Room for all employees is open until 4 p.m. today.

Virtual Support Zoom Link
Zoom Meeting ID: 584 697 3433​

Date	Time	Zoom Link
TODAY	10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Faculty Support Zoom Link​ Meeting ID: 870 3301 5131 Passcode: 309670

Ongoing Training and Assistance

Our Institutional Research team is holding LionsLink Institutional Research: Query and Reporting Support Info Sessions through March 15.

Day	Time	Zoom Link
Monday-Friday through March 15	1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.	IR Reporting and Information Support Zoom Room
Thursday and Friday through March 15	9 a.m. to11 a.m.	IR Reporting and Information Support Zoom Room

Security Permissions

The ability to do most things within LionsLink require specific security permissions and navigation access.

• If you are unable to complete a task you should be able to, please connect with your supervisor or pillar lead.
• If you are unable to resolve the issue, please visit our LionsLink Account Activation and General Issues Virtual Support Room (see above schedule under Post Go-Live Training) OR submit an ITS help desk ticket.

LionsLink Tip of the Day

Today’s Tip of the Day comes from eLearning: Employees who are also students should reach out to the team in eLearning if they are having issues logging into Canvas. With the implementation of LionsLink, and the integration of Canvas and LionsLink, ITS had to choose which email address to use (employee or student) for each user. If you are experiencing issues, this could be why. It’s a super quick fix. Click on the link above and email the team in eLearning, they’ll help you out.

Final Thoughts…

Finally, we’re at the weekend and we’ve all been working so hard for it! I hope you’re able to get some rest this weekend, play some games, take a walk, watch a movie, or nap for a really long time!

Have a great weekend! I’ll continue to send updates, as needed, as will department leads.

Go Lions!

Take care,

~Leslie

Hello again from the Lair!

It’s been a busy week in LionsLink. We received our Record Conversion and System Set-Up Report from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) yesterday, and we have 99.9% to 100% conversion accuracy. This is AMAZING! The years of training and mock go-live activities have paid off. Thank you to our Project Management and Pillar Leads, and their teams!

Day three in LionsLink went well. Below is the latest news from the Lair:

Reminders…

1. As we are getting closer to the end of the week, don’t forget that we’re running training sessions through tomorrow, if you need assistance. We’re here if you need us!
2. Our Institutional Research team is holding LionsLink Institutional Research: Query and Reporting Support Info Sessions through March 15.
   • IR Reporting and Information Support Zoom Room (Zoom link)
   • Monday-Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
   • Thursday, Friday, 9 a.m. to11 a.m.
3. If you haven’t yet, please make sure you go into the Employee Self-Service area of your account and confirm that you’ve set your preferred email address to your LWTech email. All system notifications will go to this email. If you are an adjunct faculty member, there is flexibility in setting up your email notifications to your most used email. There’s a Quick Reference Guide on how to add and update email addresses called ctcLink Employee Self Service.

This Week’s Key Dates and Activities

This Week’s Training and Assistance

LionsLink Account Activation and General Issues Virtual Support Room for all employees. Drop-in hours are available through tomorrow.

Virtual Support Zoom Link
Zoom Meeting ID: 584 697 3433​

Date	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
TODAY	9 a.m. to 12 p.m.	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.	None
March 3	9 a.m. to 12 p.m.	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.	None

Virtual Faculty Support Room

The schedule for the Virtual Faculty Room for support, account activation, and initial navigation is as follows:

Date	Time	Zoom Link
TODAY	9 a.m. to 10 a.m. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Faculty Support Zoom Link​ Meeting ID: 870 3301 5131 Passcode: 309670
March 4	10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Faculty Support Zoom Link​ Meeting ID: 870 3301 5131 Passcode: 309670

Security Permissions

The ability to do most things within LionsLink require specific security permissions and navigation access.

• If you are unable to complete a task you should be able to, please connect with your supervisor or Pillar Lead.
• If you are unable to resolve the issue, please visit our LionsLink Account Activation and General Issues Virtual Support Room (see above schedule under Post Go-Live Training) OR submit an ITS help desk ticket.

LionsLink Tip of the Day

Today’s Tip of the Day comes from the LionsLink Project and Business Applications team: When you are done working in LionsLink, please fully sign out of your account before closing the web browser window. This will help reduce user login issues for future LionsLink sessions.

Final Thoughts…

Like Marvin and Tammi said, “There Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Change isn’t easy, and LWTech is embracing LionsLink. You are remarkable!

I’ll continue to send updates, as needed, as will department leads.

Go Lions!

Take care, 

~Leslie

Hello again from the Lair!

Thank you to all of you who have activated your LionsLink accounts. As of today, every employee group at the college has received information on how to do this. There are training sessions through the end of the week if you need assistance. We’re here if you need us!

Day two in LionsLink went well. Below is the latest news from the Lair:

Reminders…

1. After you activate your account, please fill out your Time and Absence. Timesheets will be locked at 10 a.m. this morning. You will no longer be able to submit a timesheet for this pay period after this time.
2. If you haven’t yet, please make sure you go into the Employee Self-Service area of your account and confirm that you’ve set your preferred email address to your LWTech email. All system notifications will go to this email. If you are an adjunct faculty member, there is flexibility in setting up your email notifications to your most used email. There’s a Quick Reference Guide on how to add and update email addresses called ctcLink Employee Self Service.

This Week’s Key Dates and Activities

This Week’s Training and Assistance

LionsLink Account Activation and General Issues Virtual Support Room for all employees. Drop-in hours are available all week.

Virtual Support Zoom Link
Zoom Meeting ID: 584 697 3433​

Date	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
TODAY	9 a.m. to 12 p.m.	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.	5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
March 3	9 a.m. to 12 p.m.	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.	None
March 4	9 a.m. to 12 p.m.	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.	None

Time and Absence Reporting

Remember, if time and/or absence requests are not submitted and approved by the deadline, paychecks will not be processed which means a delay of at least two weeks.

March 2 - TIme	Zoom Link
8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	LionsLink Time and Absence Training
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.	LionsLink Time and Absence Training

Virtual Faculty Support Room

The schedule for the Virtual Faculty Room for support, account activation, and initial navigation is as follows:

Date	Time	Zoom Link
March 2	8 a.m. to 9 a.m. 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.	Faculty Support Zoom Link​ Meeting ID: 870 3301 5131 Passcode: 309670
March 3	9 a.m. to 10 a.m. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Faculty Support Zoom Link​ Meeting ID: 870 3301 5131 Passcode: 309670
March 4	10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Faculty Support Zoom Link​ Meeting ID: 870 3301 5131 Passcode: 309670

Security Permissions

The ability to do most things within LionsLink require specific security permissions and navigation access.

• If you are unable to complete a task you should be able to, please connect with your supervisor or pillar lead.
• If you are unable to resolve the issue, please visit our LionsLink Account Activation and General Issues Virtual Support Room (see above schedule under Post Go-Live Training) OR submit an ITS help desk ticket.

LionsLink Tip of the Day

There is a lag time from when employees submit Time requests to when supervisors will see the request. Reports run overnight, so supervisors won’t be notified until the following day. Tip of the day: Be great and don’t be late. Submit your Time and Absence earlier rather than later!

Final Thoughts…

Please remember that it’s not business as usual at the college right now. Please do NOT go into LionsLink EXCEPT to activate your account, and to fill out your Time and Absence reporting. I know there’s curiosity to see what it looks like, but please stay out of LionsLink unless you are directed otherwise by your supervisor.

It’s another beautiful day in LionsLink! I’ll continue to send updates, as needed, as will department leads.

Go Lions!

Take care,

~Leslie

Hello again from the Lair!

We had a lot of folks activate their accounts yesterday, thank you! If you haven’t done that yet, please do so ASAP. Faculty you have not missed anything, today is your day to activate your account.

There are a few important details we need you to be aware of:

1. Please make sure you go into the Employee Self-Service area of your account and confirm that you’ve set your preferred email address to your LWTech email. All system notifications will go to this email. If you are an adjunct faculty member, there is flexibility in setting up your email notifications to your most used email. Here’s a Quick Reference Guide on how to add and update email addresses called ctcLink Employee Self Service.
2. It is not business as usual at the college right now. Please do NOT go into LionsLink EXCEPT to activate your account, and to fill out your Time and Absence reporting. I know there’s curiosity to see what it looks like, but please stay out of LionsLink unless you are directed otherwise by your supervisor.

This Week’s Key Dates and Activities

TODAY 

Approximate Activation Notification	Who should activate their LionsLink account?	Who will you receive an email from?
03/01/22 - 8 a.m.	All Faculty	Jeff Steffens

This Week’s Training and Assistance

LionsLink Account Activation and General Issues Virtual Support Room for all employees. Drop-in hours are available all week.

Virtual Support Zoom Link  
Zoom Meeting ID: 584 697 3433​

Date	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
March 1	9 a.m. to 12 p.m.	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.	5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
March 2	9 a.m. to 12 p.m.	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.	5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
March 3	9 a.m. to 12 p.m.	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.	None
March 3	9 a.m. to 12 p.m.	1 p.m. to 4 p.m.	None

Time and Absence Reporting

Remember, if time and/or absence requests are not submitted and approved by the deadline, paychecks will not be processed which means a delay of at least two weeks.

TIME AND ABSENCE submissions are due on 3/1. Employees will be locked out and unable to submit after 3/1.

March 1st Sessions

 

Time	Zoom Link
8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	LionsLink Time and Absence Training
12 p.m. to 1 p.m.	LionsLink Time and Absence Training
3 p.m. to 4 p.m.	LionsLink Time and Absence Training
5 p.m. to 6 p.m.	LionsLink Time and Absence Training

March 2 Sessions (Time and Absence Approvers ONLY)

Time	Zoom Link
8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	LionsLink Time and Absence Training
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.	LionsLink Time and Absence Training

Virtual Faculty Support Room

The schedule for the Virtual Faculty Room for support, account activation, and initial navigation is as follows:

Date	Time	Zoom Link
March 1	9 a.m. to 10 a.m. 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.	Faculty Support Zoom Link​ Meeting ID: 870 3301 5131 Passcode: 309670​
March 2	8 a.m. to 9 a.m. 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.	Faculty Support Zoom Link​ Meeting ID: 870 3301 5131 Passcode: 309670
March 3	9 a.m. to 10 a.m. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Faculty Support Zoom Link​ Meeting ID: 870 3301 5131 Passcode: 309670
March 4	10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Faculty Support Zoom Link​ Meeting ID: 870 3301 5131 Passcode: 309670

Security Permissions

The ability to do most things within LionsLink require specific security permissions and navigation access.

• If you are unable to complete a task you should be able to, please connect with your supervisor or pillar lead.
• If you are unable to resolve the issue, please visit our LionsLink Account Activation and General Issues Virtual Support Room (see above schedule under Post Go-Live Training) OR submit an ITS help desk ticket.

LionsLink Tip of the Day

• For the best user experience, the LionsLink project management team recommends you use Firefox as your web browser.

Final Thoughts…

Thank you all for being amazing! I’ll continue to send updates, as needed, as will department leads.

Go Lions!

Take care,

~Leslie

Hello from the Lair!

Goodbye Legacy, hello LionsLink powered by ctcLink!

Today at noon we bid farewell to our Legacy system for good and move our way over to LionsLink. Thank you for the patience and grace that you’re showing each other. Below is the latest information on upcoming deadlines, training, and post Go-Live activities:

This Week’s Key Dates and Activities

TODAY

• All Legacy Systems will be offline at 12 p.m. SMS, PPMS, FAM, FMS, and Degree Audit users must be logged out of their accounts. You should have received an email from Jeff Steffens earlier this morning.

TODAY

• If you need a copy of your 2021 W-2, please reach out to Payroll by the end of the day. W-2’s will not be available from February 25 – March 11.

Next Week’s Key Dates and Activities

Monday

• LionsLink goes LIVE at 8 a.m. for employees. Wednesday afternoon you received an email with your Employee ID. You will need that to activate your LionsLink account. Please note the activation schedule below and who will be emailing you:

Hello from the Lair!

Happy Tuesday! Or Monday/Tuesday as some of us call it when we have a short week. We’ve made it to Pre-Deployment Week! There are a ton of activities taking place. Below is the latest information on LionsLink powered by ctcLink upcoming deadlines, training, and post Go-Live activities:

This Week’s Key Dates and Activities

NOW

February 21 - March 16

• Limited operations all Student Services departments.

By Thursday

• If you need a copy of your 2021 W-2, please reach out to Payroll by February 24, 2022. W-2’s will not be available from February 25 – March 11.

Thursday

February 24

• All Legacy Systems will be offline at 12 p.m. SMS, PPMS, FAM, FMS, and Degree Audit users must be logged out of their accounts. Please keep a lookout for emails from Jeff Steffens.

Next Week’s Key Dates and Activities

Monday

• LionsLink goes LIVE at 8:00 a.m. for employees. Please note that you will receive an email on Monday from Jeff Steffens that will provide step by step instructions for how to activate your LionsLink account. It is very importantthat you do not activate your account until you receive this email.

Pre Go-Live Training Activities

Beginning Tomorrow

• This week’s pre Go-Live training activities are available on the website for Classified, Exempt, Faculty, and Student and Hourly Employees.

Post Go-Live Training

Beginning Next Monday

• Drop-in hours will be available during the week of Go-Live. The schedule is provided on the website.

Post Go-Live Office Hours and Support

• As a reminder, although some college offices will be open normal operations hours, team members could be working on LionsLink activities and may be delayed getting back to you. Visit the website to see hours and coverage.

LionsLink is on Twitter

• Don’t forget to follow the LionsLink Twitter account for quick updates on our transition over to LionsLink.

Final Thoughts…

We’re close. Really close. Keep on going. You’ve got this. We’ve got this! Thanks for all you’re doing!

Go Lions!

Take care,

Hello from the Lair!

I hope you’ve had a good week so far! Lots of LionsLink powered by ctcLink activities going on. Below is the latest information on upcoming deadlines, training, and post Go-Live activities:

This Week’s Key Dates and Activities

Tomorrow

February 18

Last day to request official transcripts electronically. Official transcripts requests only available via mail. 

Next Week’s Key Dates and Activities

Monday

February 21 - March 16

Limited operations all Student Services departments.

Thursday

February 24

• All Legacy Systems will be offline at 12 p.m. SMS, PPMS, FAM, FMS, and Degree Audit users must be logged out of their accounts. Please keep a lookout for emails from Jeff Steffens.

Training Information

We have updated training information on the website for pre- and post-Go-Live training. Please check for the latest information. You must attend the training sessions that apply to you. For detailed training activities that begin on February 22, please visit the website for the latest information.

Post Go-Live Office Hours and Support

Below are the post Go-Live office hours for the Business Office, Instruction, the Foundation, HR, Institutional Research, Instruction, IT, Marketing and Communications, the President’s Office, and Student Services. Although some of the offices listed below will be open normal operations hours, team members could be working on LionsLink activities and may be delayed getting back to you. We’ll keep you posted on any changes to office hours through News from the Lair and on the website.

Business Office:

The Business Office will have limited to no services until March 21^.

EDI Office:

Open normal operations hours.

Foundation:

Open normal operations hours.

HR:

Weeks of February 28 and March 7

HR and Payroll teams will be available virtually Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. There may be delays during these weeks while the team is busy with stabilization. HR will provide drop in sessions where they will answer questions about payroll and Time and Absence reporting.

Week of March 14

There will be one dedicated HR team member in the office Monday-Thursday, 7:30-4:30, and remote support on Fridays. The team will hold open Zoom sessions for the March 1 through March 15 pay period for submitting Time and Absence.

Week of March 21, and Beyond

There will be one dedicated HR team member in the office Monday-Thursday, 7:30-4:30, and remote support on Fridays. HR anticipates being back to normal service.

Institutional Research:

March 1 through March 15

The Reporting and Information Support Zoom Room will be open Thursday and Friday mornings from 9am-11am, and daily from 1:30 p.m. through 3:30 p.m. Additional ctcLink-related support will be available through an open Zoom room to help users locate reports and information as LionsLink launches. Drop-in hours may be updated or added after Go-Live.

Instruction:

February 28 through March 31, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Instruction admins will go into producing the annual class schedule. One administrative assistant will be the go-to person for in-person and email requests. All other administrative assistants will direct their out-of-office message to that person. There will always be someone available in Instruction either in-person or electronically Monday-Thursday. The office will remain closed on Fridays for LionsLink work.

IT:

Open normal operations hours.

Marketing and Communications:

Open normal operations hours.

President’s Office:

Open normal operations hours.

Student Services:

February 15 through February 27

Most offices will have delayed responses to requests given the need to prioritize LionsLink work

February 28 through March 6

All student services offices in person and virtually closed to students, college employees, and external community. Exceptions, Monday through Thursday:

• Learning Lab, TRIO one-on-one tutoring
• Assessment Center only for guided self-placement and accommodated testing for students with disabilities
• The Information Desk

March 7 through March 15

Enrollment Services and Financial Aid will continue to be closed to the public; other student services offices will be open virtually on Monday and Thursday, and in person Tuesday and Wednesday. All offices closed on Fridays.

March 16 through April 3

We anticipate all student services offices to be open virtually on Monday and Thursday, and in person Tuesday and Wednesday. All offices remain closed on Fridays. Special LionsLink support Zoom room for students open as listed online: LWTech.edu/LionsLinkStudents

April 4 and beyond

We anticipate all student services offices to be open in person Monday through Thursday (with virtual options). All offices closed on Fridays.

LionsLink is on Twitter

Don’t forget to follow the LionsLink Twitter account for quick updates on our transition over to LionsLink.

Final Thoughts…

Tuesday afternoon we received final readiness approval from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ (SBCTC) ctcLink Steering Committee to proceed to Go-Live! This was an incredible hurdle (years in the making) to clear. Thank you to Lauren Heller, who did an absolutely stellar job presenting on behalf of the college. Although I wasn’t in the meeting, I heard Lauren’s presentation was the most detailed and professional presentation seen over the past several years. Thank you Lauren for being our amazing LionsLink champion and project lead. Your star shines bright!

Finally, we’re close. Really close. Keep on going. You’ve got this. We’ve got this! Thanks for all you’re doing!

Go Lions!

Take care,

~Leslie

 

TODAY, we have several student-facing services that will go offline at 5 p.m. until March 15:

This Week’s Key Dates and Activities

Monday:

February 14 – March 11

• Limited Services Human Resources, Payroll and Cashier’s Office.

February 14 – March 15

Registration:

• Students cannot register, add, or drop for Spring quarter classes.

Payments:

• Payments for classes or bills are not accepted after this date. This includes online and in-person. Any mailed payment will be returned to the sender.
• Students will not be dropped for non-payment.
• Payments can be made starting March 16, 2022. 
• All payments are due March 31, 2022.

Financial Aid:

• No financial aid disbursements.
• Students can still apply for financial aid at the federal level.
• Students can still receive emergency grants. 

Contact Information:

• Students cannot update contact information including change of address, preferred name, etc.

Tax Forms:

• Students cannot access 1098 form for taxes from the college website.
• Students are encouraged to download the form early.
• A hardcopy will be mailed to the student's address by January 31, 2022.

Class Withdrawals:

• Students can request a withdrawal for Winter quarter via email but it will not be processed until March 16, 2022.

Transcripts:

• Official transcripts are only available via mail delivery until further notice (no electronic versions are available).

Other Online Services:

• Please note that students can still use Canvas and Legend!

Tuesday:

 February 15 – 16

• Last time to submit and approve timesheets in TLR.

Wednesday:

February 16, 2022

• Last day for approved grade changes to be applied. No grade changes until March 16, 2022.

Friday:

February 18, 2022

• Last day electronic request of official transcripts is available. Official transcripts requests only available via mail.

Next Week’s Key Dates and Activities

February 24, 2022

• 12 p.m. - All HP (SMS, PPMS, FMS), FAM, Degree Audit users must be logged out of their accounts. Please keep a lookout for emails from Jeff Steffens.
• LWTech LionsLink system conversion begins.

Training Information

There are several upcoming training sessions for employees. You must attend the training sessions that apply to you. For detailed training activities that begin on February 22, please visit the website.

LionsLink is on Twitter

Please follow the LionsLink Twitter account for quick updates on our transition over to LionsLink.

Tweets by LWTechLionsLink

Final Thoughts…

The Spotify playlist keeps growing. Feel free to send me songs you’d like to see added.

Keep on going. You’ve got this. We’ve got this! Thanks for all you’re doing!

Go Lions!

Take care,

~Leslie

Hello from the Lair!

Welcome to News from the Lair your go-to place for latest news and information about our conversion over to LionsLink powered by ctcLink on February 28. Please read the important training and timeline information below. Without wasting another second, here’s the latest!

Training Information

I want to share once again the important information that Meena Park shared with the college community in her email yesterday. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of your collaboration and attention to the following information so we have a smooth and successful LionsLink launch. With that, we know that there will be hiccups along the way, and these are expected. The more we all engage now in training activities, the smoother this transition will be for all of us.

Time and Absence Reporting (formerly known as TLR)

Our first priority is ensuring that our employees are paid on-time and accurately. To accomplish this, your first priority must be activating your LionsLink account and submitting Time and Absence requests. We have an incredibly short turnaround for you to submit your Time and Absence requests once we go live. Pre and post go-live information is below so you have the information you need to successfully complete this task. With your cooperation, we are confident that our first payroll run in LionsLink will be a success!

Pre Go-Live: Time and Absence Training

Training materials for employees will be added to the LionsLink Training webpage. Please read below so you know what to expect on the following subjects: 

Classified Employees

• How to submit time
• How to submit absence requests

Faculty

• How to submit absence requests

Exempt Employees

• How to submit absence requests

Hourly & Student Employees (Tutors, ASL Interpreters, Dentists, Models, Project Specialists, On-Call)

• How to submit time
• How to submit absence requests

Time and Absence Approvers

• How to approve/deny time
• How to approve/deny absence requests

HR will send invites for employees to attend this optional Pre Go-Live training. Sessions have been tentatively scheduled as follows:

Employee Group	Date	Time	Zoom Link	Time	Zoom Link
Classified *	February 23	2-3pm	Classified Training
Exempt *	February 22	1-2pm	Exempt Training
Faculty *	February 22	9-10am	Faculty Training	12-1pm	Faculty Training
Student & Hourly Employees	February 23	9-10am	Student/Hourly Employee Training	3-4pm	Student/Hourly Employee Training

*Will include session on training for Time and Absence Approvers

Getting Your New Employee ID (known as EMPL ID)

IT will provide your individual Employee ID to your LWTech email address the week of February 21, 2022.

IMPORTANT: Please save this information as you will need it to active your LionsLink account.

On February 23 employees will get an email from No Reply tech.support@lwtech.edu with your NEW Employee ID Number. Employees will also get an email on February 28 and March 1 indicating that it is time to activate their account. Please do not activate your account until you receive this email. In this email will be step by step instructions with screenshots for how to activate your LionsLink powered by ctcLink account.

Post Go-Live: Time and Absence Training March 1 and March 2

Post Go-Live training will take place on the following days:

• March 1: All Employees will receive email request to complete the account activation and to submit their time and/or leave requests in LionsLink by 4:30 p.m.
• March 2: All Time and Leave approvers must approve time and/or leave in LionsLink by 12:00 p.m.

IMPORTANT: If time and/or absence requests are not submitted and approved by the deadline, paychecks will not be processed which means a delay of at least two weeks.

Post Go-Live help sessions have been scheduled as follows:

Date	Time	Zoom Link	Time	Zoom Link	Time	Zoom Link
March 1	8-9am	LionsLink Help Session	12-1pm	LionsLink Help Session	5-6pm	LionsLink Help Session
March 2	8-9am	LionsLink Help Session	10:30-11:30am	LionsLink Help Session

Post Go-Live: Other Topics

We will be posting additional topics on the LionsLink Training webpage. Zoom training sessions will be scheduled (TBD)

The LionsLink Training webpage is still in progress. Our training landing page is LWTech.edu/LionsLinkEmployees. Continue to check this page for any updates.

Project Timeline

We are continuing to update the project timeline on the website. Please be sure to check back each week to see what activities are taking place, currently. Please note that this Friday and next Monday have major impacts to employees and students.

Timeline at-a-Glance

• Friday, February 11, 2022 is the last day that HR/Payroll will make employee record changes, e.g., direct deposit, W4, etc.
• February 14, 2022 is when online student facing services will freeze. This includes:
  • Registration (add/drop) for Spring quarter, payments (note that students will NOT be dropped for non-payment during this time), payments for classes or bills are not accepted after this date. This includes online and in-person. Any mailed payment will be returned to the sender. Payments can be made starting March 16, 2022, and all payments are due March 31, 2022.
  • Students will be unable to check financial aid online, and there will be no financial aid disbursements. Students can still apply for financial aid at the federal level, and students can still receive emergency grants.
  • Students will not be able to update contact information including change of address, preferred name, etc.
  • Students will not be able to access 1098 form for taxes from the college website.
  • Students can request a withdrawal for Winter quarter via email but it will not be processed until March 16, 2022.
  • Official transcripts are only available via mail delivery until further notice (no electronic versions are available).
  • Students will still be able to still use Canvas and Legend!

Drop-In Hours for Questions and Assistance

Several departments will have drop-in hours leading up to February 28^th and two weeks following Go-Live where you’ll be able to ask questions of our subject matter experts. More information on these dates/times coming soon.

Tip of the Day: How to View LionsLink

LionsLink will have two view modes with each view mode:

Approximate Activation Notification​	Who should activate their LionsLink account?​	Who will you receive an email from?​
February 28
8 a.m. ​	Pillar Leads & Project Management Office​	LionsLink Project Management Office​
9 a.m. ​	Go-Live Sunday SMEs ONLY and ITS Help Desk Staff ​	LionsLink Project Management Office​
12:00 p.m. ​	All Other Classified & Exempt Staff and Work Studies​	Jeff Steffens​
2 p.m.​	All Other Classified & Exempt Staff and Work Studies​	E-cab – Bruce Riveland, Suzy Ames, Ruby Hayden, Meena Park, Leslie Shattuck, Chris McLain, Cathy Copeland​
March 1
8 a.m.	All Faculty​	Jeff Steffens

Paws-Up – High-Five!

The LionsLink Project Team would like to recognize the following colleagues for their outstanding dedication and support of the LionsLink implementation during January.

Elise Michelle

Elise’s nominator noted: “Elise started in WorkForce Development in December. Elise has a positive attitude and has been willing to jump right in and help with LionsLink department trainings. She has been an invaluable member of the LionsLink team, and her experience working within the training environment will help others have a smooth transition. Elise is a great addition to LWTech!”

Laura Drake

Laura’s nominator noted: “Laura has brought a great ability to stay focused and press on as members of the team have been participating in training activities outside of the LionsLink environment, in preparation to begin using LionsLink. Her willingness to share her experience with the team has been incredibly helpful as we prepare to do more robust trainings within the LionsLink environment. Laura is a great addition to this college!”

Rhonda DeWitt, Amber Wyman and Marah Selves

Rhonda, Amber and Marah’s nominator noted, “Rhonda, Amber, and Marah are doing a great job planning trainings and communication for faculty. They have a solid plan developed and faculty will be able to get the trainings they need in multiple formats when they need it.”

Elsa Gossett

Elsa Gossett’s nominator noted: “Elsa has been a wonderful teammate for those needing an extra hand!! She has supported the LionsLink testing & snack lab, making sure staff are well fed during project activities. She has also been willing to step in to help the Administrative Services division coordinate and deliver local business support activities. We are thankful for Elsa's support and coordination! She has been so kind to lend her skills & expertise during this busy project and business transition! Thank you!!!”

Workforce Development Team

The Workforce Development Team’s nominator noted: “The Workforce Development team have been working incredibly hard to prepare for LionsLink. They have extra training sessions as a staff to learn the system and ask great questions. I know all their hard work will pay off for their students!”

Send a Big, Positive Roar to a Colleague

If you’d like to nominate one of your colleagues for doing a roaring great job on the LionsLink project, fill out the nomination form and we’ll recognize them as a LionsLink Superstar in an upcoming issue of Amy’s Update.

LionsLink Playlist

The LionsLink playlist growing! If you have songs to add, please email me any time. I’ll continue to update the playlist! The playlist will be up until March 1, 2022. Please note that LWTech does not advertise with or spend money to create the LionsLink playlist on Spotify.

Final Thoughts…

Today’s music connection comes from Kermit the Frog. This song always makes me smile. Hope it does the same for you, today.

Keep on going. You’ve got this. We’ve got this! Thanks for all you’re doing and will do as we move closer to when LionsLink goes live later this month!

Go Lions!

Take care,

~Leslie

Hello from the Lair!

Welcome to February! We’re finally in our LionsLink powered by ctcLink Go-Live month!! Over the next several weeks you will see News from the Lair appear more frequently in your inbox. Please be sure to take the time to read this information. You’ll also begin to see important updates from various department leads. Please read through these emails so you stay informed about important dates for training, when we will shut down our legacy system, and information about potential service disruptions and delays after we go live on February 28^th.

Training Information

The LionsLink Training webpage is still in progress. Our training landing page is LWTech.edu/LionsLinkEmployees. Continue to check this page for any updates.

As a reminder, LWTech Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the Business Office/Institutional Grants, Students Services, Instruction, Information Technology Services, and HR/Payroll will be participating in LionsLink software and business transition activities this month through our Go-Live date February 28^th.

Many initial training documents will be up on the training page next week. In the meantime, below is an update on current college-wide training activities that may impact you or your teams:

Faculty Training

• Faculty have been sent calendar holds for the following sessions. You only need to attend one, and they should only be 30-45 minutes each:
• LionsLink Faculty Center Demo – Feb 8 at 9 a.m. (you only need to attend one of the demos). Join Zoom Meeting | Meeting ID: 816 4129 4156 |Passcode: 621869
• LionsLink Faculty Center Demo – Feb 9 at 3 p.m. (you only need to attend one of the demos). Join Zoom Meeting | Meeting ID: 864 7725 9155 | Passcode: 000080 

General Employee Training:

• The week of go-live (February 28) the HR team will host drop-in sessions (times to be shared soon) for all employees to come and get hands-on help with submitting timesheets. We will have a very tight payroll turnaround after we go live (only 2 days!). HR will have a PDF to walk you through these steps, but these extra sessions will be available if you need additional help or have questions.
• The LionsLink Training teams are actively developing training materials for business processes across campus including: Employee Self Service, Manager Self Service, Purchase Requisitions, Travel Expense Reports, Student Self Service and more! LionsLink Training for LWTech will be delivered in a variety of formats including how to-guides, SBCTC and LWTech Help Sessions, and Canvas Courses.
• Please be aware of the timeline of events that will likely impact you. Listed below is a high-level schedule of events for your awareness and planning purposes. In the coming days we’ll be sharing a more detailed training schedule with you, so look for that information in your inbox soon!

Travel, Purchasing, Other Business Office Training 

• The Business Office is working on some crosswalk documents to help us all adjust to the new system. This includes a crosswalk from our budget numbers as we currently know them – new numbers, and new approval processes as well. 
• Sessions will be planned after go-live (dates/times to be determined)
• Some individual trainings may happen after Go-Live based on specific job duties.

Students

• The date for students to access LionsLink does not happen until mid-March. We have a wonderful Student Communications team working on materials and advertising to get out to students beginning in March. If you have students asking about training, assure them it is coming and direct them to the student training webpage. This is where we will house the most up-to-date materials and timelines!

Project Timeline

We are continuing to update the project timeline on the website. Please be sure to check back each week to see what activities are taking place, currently.

Timeline at-a-Glance

• February 4, 2022 is the last day to enter new hires, status changes, separations, address changes.
• February 7, 2022 is the last day to submit travel expense reports and any reimbursement requests (A19). Please do not use your own funds to purchase items. You will not be reimbursed until after go live. Additionally, the reimbursement limit is $50.
• Friday, February 11, 2022 is the last day that HR/Payroll will make employee record changes, e.g., direct deposit, W4, etc.
• February 14, 2022 is when online student facing services will freeze. This includes:
• Registration (add/drop) for Spring quarter, payments (note that students will NOT be dropped for non-payment during this time), payments for classes or bills are not accepted after this date. This includes online and in-person. Any mailed payment will be returned to the sender. Payments can be made starting March 16, 2022, and all payments are due March 31, 2022.
• Students will be unable to check financial aid online, and there will be no financial aid disbursements. Students can still apply for financial aid at the federal level, and students can still receive emergency grants.
• Students will not be able to update contact information including change of address, preferred name, etc.
• Students will not be able to access 1098 form for taxes from the college website.
• Students can request a withdrawal for Winter quarter via email but it will not be processed until March 16, 2022.
• Official transcripts are only available via mail delivery until further notice (no electronic versions are available).
• Students will still be able to still use Canvas and Legend!

Drop-In Hours for Questions and Assistance

Several departments will have drop-in hours leading up to February 28^th and two weeks following Go-Live where you’ll be able to ask questions of our subject matter experts. More information on these dates/times coming soon.

New LionsLink Project Management Office Team Member

Please join us in welcoming our new Business Applications Coordinator Krystal Blair, who many of you already know! Krystal is working with our Business Applications Manager, Kaytlyn Hoch, in supporting our numerous supplemental systems at LWTech, and helping with LionsLink security issues and access. Welcome Krystal!

Send a Big, Positive Roar to a Colleague

If you’d like to nominate one of your colleagues for doing a roaring great job on the LionsLink project, fill out the nomination form and we’ll recognize them as a LionsLink Superstar in an upcoming issue of Amy’s Update.

LionsLink Playlist is Live

The LionsLink playlist is live. If you have songs to add, please email me any time. I’ll continue to update the playlist! The playlist will be up until March 1, 2022. Please note that LWTech does not advertise with or spend money to create the LionsLink playlist on Spotify.

To quote one of my favorite musicians/groups, Bob Marley and the Wailers:

“Don't worry about a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be all right

Singin': "Don't worry about a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

Keep on going. You’ve got this. We’ve got this! Thanks for all you’re doing and will do as we move closer to when LionsLink goes live later this month!

Go Lions!

Take care,

~Leslie

 

Hello from the Lair!

We are 41 days away from our LionsLink powered by ctcLink Go-Live date of February 28^th!

I’m always so impressed by how folks at this college are so supportive of each other. It’s almost like we have an innate sense to know when our team members need that extra boost to press on.

Please don’t let up. Continue to be patient and support each other as activities increase as we get closer to Go-Live. Many of our colleagues are experiencing a very heavy workload in addition to their daily job duties as they prepare for testing and configuration before February 28^th. Honestly, I can’t think of one area of the college that isn’t being impacted by our conversion to LionsLink. Together, all of us will learn how to navigate within the new system, and we’ll thrive and our students will thrive!

Over the coming weeks, there will be many project-related activities, so you’ll be seeing me stop by your Inbox more frequently with News from the Lair. I promise to keep the information as concise as possible, and hopefully, the bits of fun I interject will provide some levity for you.

Know that Dr. Morrison and Executive Cabinet see the work you’re doing, whether it’s supporting other team members as they work on transition activities, or you’re actively working on the pre-launch projects. We see you and we appreciate everything you’re doing to ensure our college has a smooth transition over to LionsLink. We know there will be hiccups along the way, and that’s expected. All any one of us can do is our best, and we know you’re all doing the best you can!

Active Project Activities

• A huge thank you to our project Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for accomplishing our system set up, training, and business process change. As of today they have completed Sprint One Testing and are gearing up for Sprint Two Testing! A little background, Sprints provide the college with opportunities for us to do User Acceptance Testing. Sprints One and Two take place in two separate periods, each being four weeks long. During the Sprints and testing period, the SMEs test various critical college processes within the LionsLink system, using different data scenarios to confirm system accuracy and functionality. Each completed Sprint gets the college closer to Go-Live! Way to go team!
• SMEs are working on the final System set-up over the next couple weeks.
• The Business Office, Student Services, HR, and Payroll offices are ramping up for our system shutdown. They will start their System “Cutover” activities in mid-February. This is why we have the stoppage in services so they can prepare for this. You can tell we’re getting closer to Go-Live when this happens!
• I know there are a lot of questions about training materials and what you’ll need to know before and after February 28^th. I’m happy to share that the LionsLink training team is developing materials as I write this. Information will be posted to the LionsLink training page on the website by Monday, January 24^th. Follow-up information will be sent out starting the week of January 31^st.

Important Dates to Remember

The following is a snapshot of important dates that may impact your daily activities between now and February 28^th. For a more detailed list, please visit the LionsLink timeline on the website.

January:

• News from the Lair: The next edition of News from the Lair will be out the week of January 31^st.

February:

• Human Resources: Last Date to make Employee record changes, e.g., Direct Deposit, W4, etc., Friday, February 11, 2022
• Human Resources: Final timesheet submissions/TLR submissions Tuesday, February 15, 2022
• Student Services: Last Date to make changes to student records before Go-Live, Sunday, February 13, 2022
• Student Services, Human Resources/Payroll, and the Business Office: Limited services in transition to Go-Live, Monday, February 14, 2022 through Friday, February 18, 2022
• Student Services, Human Resources/Payroll, and the Business Office: Closed to transition to Go-Live, Monday, February 22, 2022 through Monday, March 11, 2022
• Employees Activate ctcLink Account: Monday, February 28, 2022

March:

• Employee Timesheets: Employees do Timesheets in LionsLink, March 1, 2022
• Managers Approve Timesheets in LionsLink: March 2, 2022
• Students Activate ctcLink Account: Wednesday, March 16, 2022
• Students Can Register Again for Spring Quarter: Wednesday, March 16, 2022

All of these dates and more are can be found on the LionsLink website.

Service Delays and Closures Winter Quarter

As a reminder, students and staff will experience delays in Student Services, HR, and the Business (Finance) Office. These delays will continue through Spring quarter as we move to LionsLink. During this time there will be full stoppage in various types of services. You can find the full list of key service delay and closure dates for Winter quarter on the LionsLink webpage.

Music to Keep You Motivated, LionsLink Spotify Playlist

Well, it seems that I’m not the only one who’s motivated by music. Thank you to all of you who emailed me your motivational songs for our LionsLink Spotify playlist. Keep ‘em coming! I’ll continue to update the playlist!

So, I’ll end today by quoting what Dory says so beautifully in Finding Nemo, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” My friends, just keep swimming. You’ve got this. We’ve got this! Thanks for all you’re doing and will do as we move closer to when LionsLink goes live on February 28, 2022.

Go Lions!

Take care,

~Leslie

Hello from the Lair!

Welcome to the third edition of News from the Lair, the official all-college communication for LionsLink powered by ctcLink.

You know that feeling when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you’re still holding your breath trying to make it there? Well, that’s where we are on the LionsLink project. We’re so close we can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

We’re getting closer to our go-live with LionsLink on February 28, 2022. With that, there’s a ton of activity taking place around the college in preparation for go-live. Below is an overview of key dates and next steps over the next two months.

Key Dates to Remember

Please be aware of the timeline of events that will likely impact you. Listed below is a high-level schedule of events for your awareness and planning purposes.

In the coming days we’ll be sharing the training schedule out, so look for that information in your inbox soon!

The LionsLink Training teams are actively developing training materials for business processes across campus including: Employee Self Service, Manager Self Service, Purchase Requisitions, Travel Expense Reports, Student Self Service and more! LionsLink Training for LWTech will be delivered in a variety of formats including how to-guides, SBCTC and LWTech Help Sessions, and Canvas Courses.

The LionsLink training team will start to release task specific training information and plans on Monday, January 24^th. Between now and then, please check back for updates on the LionsLink Training page.

As a reminder, LWTech Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the Business Office/Institutional Grants, Students Services, Instruction, Information Technology Services, and HR/Payroll will be participating in LionsLink software and business transition activities this month through our Go-Live date February 28^th.

January:

• Business Office: Last Date to Make Purchases, Today, Friday, January 7, 2022

February:

• Human Resources: Last Date to make Employee record changes, e.g., Direct Deposit, W4, etc., Friday, February 11, 2022
• Human Resources: Final timesheet submissions/TLR submissions Tuesday, February 15, 2022
• Student Services: Last Date to make changes to student records before Go-Live, Sunday, February 13, 2022
• Student Services, Human Resources/Payroll, and the Business Office: Limited services in transition to Go-Live, Monday, February 14, 2022 through Friday, February 18, 2022
• Student Services, Human Resources/Payroll, and the Business Office: Closed to transition to Go-Live, Monday, February 22, 2022 through Monday, March 11, 2022
• Employees Activate ctcLink Account: Monday, February 28, 2022

March:

• Employee Timesheets: Employees do Timesheets in LionsLink, March 1, 2022
• Managers Approve Timesheets in LionsLink: March 2, 2022
• Students Activate ctcLink Account: Wednesday, March 16, 2022
• Students Can register Again for Spring Quarter: Wednesday, March 16, 2022

All of these dates and more are can be found on the LionsLink website.

Service Delays and Closures Begin Winter Quarter

As a reminder, students and staff will experience delays in Student Services, HR, and the Business (Finance) Office. These delays will continue through Spring quarter as we move to LionsLink. During this time there will be full stoppage in various types of services. You can find the full list of key service delay and closure dates for Winter quarter on the LionsLink webpage.

Paws-Up – High-Five!

The LionsLink Project Team would like to recognize the following colleagues for their outstanding dedication and support of the LionsLink implementation during November and December 2021.

November:

Tim Gracie

Tim’s 1st nominator noted: “He has been doing so much testing and feel he will lead this ES group through the CTC tribulations. Tim is awesome and brings in a wealth of information and insight to the workings of CTC.”

Tim’s 2nd nominator noted: “I would like to nominate Tim Gracie for the LionsLink Superstar of the Month. My interactions with this individual have been minimal until recent activities. During testing, this individual has gone above and beyond while working with the limited access we have. The work he has done so far with this task is greatly appreciated.”

Yan Li

Yan’s nominator noted: “Yan has been a tremendous asset to LWTech with her go live experience in CTC Link. She has helped with answering questions, provided documentation, and assisted our CTC Link project team. Yan provides the support for the Finance pillar that the Business Office is lacking.”

Xieng Lim

Xieng’s nominator noted: “I would like to nominate Xieng Lim for the LionsLink Superstar of the Month. There is not much that can be added to what is already known of the hard work and dedication this individual gives to this institution. This individual has been hands-on with project tasks and shows a willingness to tackle difficult situations with an open mind.”

Alisa Shtromberg

Alisa’s nominator noted: “Alisa has done a fantastic job of identifying how LionsLink will interface with the college website. She has spent significant time looking at the larger usability picture and user experience. This approach will help ensure students, faculty, and staff are able to easily access information once LionsLink goes live.”

Christie Silva

Christie’s nominator noted: “Christie has devoted tons of time to understanding the unique ways that High School Programs students and staff will be impacted by the LionsLink conversion. We will all be much better prepared as a result.”

December:

Kimberly Goddard

Kim’s nominator noted: “I’d like to nominate Kim Goddard for LionsLink Superstar! Kim is our standout graphic designer who literally brought the LionsLink brand to life on paper, online and all places in-between. Thank you Kim for your creative time and effort!”

Katie Peacock

Katie’s nominator noted: “Katie has been a fantastic LionsLink Pillar Lead during the LionsLink software implementation. Through her leadership & guidance she has supported Student Services and distributed advising teams through the ctcLink software & business transition. Katie started an Advising Change Management group to help Student Success Navigators across LWTech have a smooth transition to LionsLink. This past December, Katie provided her expertise and support during the ctcLink Academic Advisement Report (AAR) Production workshop. She jumped right in to help support this very involved and complex Degree Audit build activity. Thanks, Katie, for all that you have done to help LWTech departments transition to ctcLink!!”

Congratulations to all of these LionsLink Superstars!

Send a Big, Positive Roar to a Colleague

If you’d like to nominate one of your colleagues for doing a roaring great job on the LionsLink project, fill out the nomination form and we’ll recognize them as a LionsLink Superstar in an upcoming issue of Amy’s Update.

Finally, you may know by now that music motivates me. I thought I’d share what Google lists as the top seven most inspirational songs.

• Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson
• Don't Stop Believing – Journey
• Ain't No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
• Save the World – Swedish House Mafia
• Skyscraper – Demi Lovato
• Get up Stand up – Bob Marley
• You're Beautiful – James Blunt

I think we need a motivational/inspirational LionsLink Spotify playlist to get us through Go-Live! Email the songs you’d like to see on the playlist and we’ll create it and share it out in our next News from the Lair!

Keep on going. You’ve got this. We’ve got this! Thanks for all you’re doing and will do as we move closer to when LionsLink goes live on February 28, 2022.

Go Lions!

Take care,

~Leslie

Hello from the Lair!

Welcome to the second edition of News from the Lair, the official all-college communication for LionsLink powered by ctcLink.

Not that you’ll forget this, but as a reminder, our legacy system will be taken offline on February 14, 2022, and we’ll go live with LionsLink on February 28, 2022. This Sunday, November 20^th, will mark exactly 100 days from LionsLink going live! While we’re a few months out from when we go live with LionsLink, we are feeling the significant impacts of this conversion.

You know that proverbial saying, “It’s a marathon not a sprint?” Well, I’d say we’re at about mile 20 of the marathon. We’re keeping pace, breathing, and keeping our eye on the finish line, which is going to be a beautiful (yes I said a software management system is beautiful), easily navigable system for all of us and our students. Deployment Group 5 (DG5) colleges have just gone online with ctcLink and have had smooth sailing with their conversions.

I want you to know that our college has done an excellent job of preparing for when we go live, thanks to so many of you. In particular, I’d like to thank LWTech’s awesome project management and steering teams: April Ake, Larisa Akselrud, Sarah Chandler, Vicki Chew, Cathy Copeland, Robin Desilet, Sam El Sayed, Kim Geer, Dr. Ruby Hayden, Sally Heilstedt, Lauren Heller, Kaytlyn Hoch, Xieng Lim, Chris McLain, Colby Meehan, Meena Park, Katie Peacock, Bruce Riveland, Marah Selves, Jeff Steffens, and Dexter Smith.

In Case You Were Wondering, Here’s Where We Are in the Project

There has been a lot of work taking place and about to take place around the college. Below us a brief overview of what’s next. You can also check the LionsLink page on the website for the latest project timeline information.

• LWTech Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the Business Office, Institutional Research and Grants, Students Services, Office of Instruction, ITS, HR and Payroll will be participating in LionsLink (ctcLink) testing this winter (December through February 28) this will impact college wide services. Testing will provide us with an opportunity for LWTech system users to explore LionsLink’s features and determine how best to use those features after we go-live in February.
• We are working on creating training workgroups in HR, the Business Office, the office of Instruction, Student Communications and other departments and areas throughout the college. Currently, we are developing LWTech-specific training materials and activities for all LWTech users to begin the training process in January.

Important Student Dates

• Registration for Winter and Spring quarters is OPEN. Please remind students that they will need to register for both quarters this year due to the LionsLink conversion.

Important Employee Dates

• Friday Department Closures: Don’t forget that Student Services, the Office of Instruction, Human Resources, Payroll and Cashiering are closed on Fridays each week for LionsLink trainings. This will continue during Winter quarter.
• System Offline Dates: The legacy system will be taken offline on February 14, 2022, and we’ll go live on February 28, 2022. Even though LionsLink will go live on February 28th, the following items won’t be available to you until after March 16, 2022.
• Timesheets: All timesheets must be submitted in TLR prior to February 15. Hourly employees that don’t submit by the February 15 deadline will not receive pay until after LionsLink is in place. Please note that supervisors will need to approve TLR on February 16 by 12:00pm. We’ll have more information as we get closer to February.
• Tax forms: We will have access to tax forms (W2). W-4 forms are available through the IRS website.
• Pay stubs: We will not have current data for the pay cycles that will happen during the SMS shutdown starting February 14, 2022. So those pay periods will not be available until after we go live in LionsLink. You will need to access your pay stubs on the Webapps server that hosts the Employee Earnings website before February 14.
• Specific Benefits Information: We will be able to access HealthCare directly through the website for benefit information if needed.
• New Employee Hiring: During the time that we are converting to LionsLink HR will have limited capacity for hiring new employees; however, they will still be accepting applications, but they will be processed at a slower pace.
• Purchasing Cut Off Date: Due to State Board requirements, you will need to do any purchasing of office supplies and equipment for Winter and Spring quarters by January 7, 2022. Please plan accordingly. We’re working on what we can do if an emergency purchase becomes necessary.
• Upcoming Travel: If you have upcoming travel during Winter quarter, please submit your travel forms before the end of December.

Service Delays and Closures Begin Winter Quarter

As a reminder beginning Winter quarter, students and staff will experience delays in Student Services, HR, and the Business (Finance) Office. These delays will continue through Spring quarter as we move to LionsLink. During this time there will be full stoppage in various types of services. You can find the full list of key service delay and closure dates for Winter quarter on the LionsLink webpage.

Glossary of Terms

There were several questions after the last All-Staff meeting about some of the terms that are being used within the project. We have a Glossary of Terms available on the LionsLink page on the website. We will continue to add to this list.

Paws-Up – High-Five!

The LionsLink Project Team would like to recognize the following colleagues for their outstanding dedication and support of the LionsLink implementation during October 2021.

Alexandra Wallace

Alex’s nominator noted: “Alex agreed to come back full time to help the project with security roles. She jumped right in and is already super helpful” and “We love Alex!”

Vicki Chew

Vicki’s nominator noted: “Vicki is putting in an enormous amount of time and effort and supporting Instruction Admins a great deal! Vicki is a great support to the whole department and her as well as the Instruction Admins made an enormous lift at the busiest time when they built 2 quarters of schedule during the first week of fall quarter!”

Yelena Tsuber

Yelena’s nominator noted: “I am glad to nominate this individual because of her positive attitude and willingness to get the job done with this project.”

Send a Big, Positive Roar to a Colleague

If you’d like to nominate one of your colleagues for doing a roaring great job on the LionsLink project, fill out the nomination form and we’ll recognize them as a LionsLink Superstar in an upcoming issue of Amy’s Update.

Finally, I want to share some lyrics from one of my favorite songs “I Can See Clearly Now” from the great Johnny Nash:

I can see clearly now the rain is gone

I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It's gonna be a bright (bright)

Bright (bright) sunshiny day

It's gonna be a bright (bright)

Bright (bright) sunshiny day

It is going to be a bright day with LionsLink. We will make it through the difficult hours of this project together, and then we’ll get to the bright, bright sunshiny day of successfully launching LionsLink!

We will continue to keep you up to date on the latest project information. Thanks for all you’re doing and will do as we move closer to when LionsLink goes live on February 28, 2022.

Go Lions!

Take care,

~Leslie

Executive Director | Executive Communications Officer

October 13, 2021

Welcome to the first issue of News from the Lair, the official all-college communication for LionsLink powered by ctcLink.

What is ctcLink, you ask?

“ctcLink is a single, centralized system of online functions to give students, faculty and staff ‘anytime, anywhere’ access to a modern, efficient way of doing their college business.”

What is LionsLink powered by ctcLink, you’re thinking?

LionsLink powered by ctcLink is LWTech’s branded version of ctcLink. It reflects our college community, our spirit, and incorporates our mascot and being LWTech Lions. Think of it as ctcLink with LWTech colors, flare and a little roar.

Can we hurry up already?

Some of you have been hearing about ctcLink for years, and some of you may be new to the college and have no idea what I’m even talking about. Let me try and create a little perspective about why we’re converting to ctcLink as a college. First and foremost, all of the 34 community and technical colleges are converting to ctcLink (PeopleSoft). LWTech is actually in the last deployment group. Most colleges have already gone through the conversion process to PeopleSoft. This is a good thing! Having other colleges go through this process before us has made it a lot easier for our project team, and the different departments who have been heavily involved in training and preparing for the conversion.

You know the saying, “Good things come to those who wait”? Well, we know that there will be so many good things that will come out of our move to LionsLink. For those of you who have been hearing about this project for years: it’s happening. It’s really happening, and once it does it will make things more succinct and easier for folks. While we move toward our go-live date, there will be a lot of work and hours put in by your colleagues in areas most impacted by the conversion: Student Services, Financial Aid, HR, and the Business (Finance) Office. These amazing team members have been working so hard. If you see one of these folks, be sure to thank them for all they’re doing!

So, why is it so important that LWTech moves to a centralized system?

Well, imagine working on a big DOS computer, using a dial-up modem, and signing on to your AOL account to get information. That’s our current legacy system. Now, LWTech is moving to Oracle’s PeopleSoft products (Campus Solutions, Finance, and Human Capital Management). Think of it as going from a rotary phone (with no call waiting or voicemail) to a smartphone—or from MySpace to TikTok.

LionsLink is about people, not just software!

Even though we’re talking about software, we’re really talking about people, and making life easier for our students and for us. Over the past year, many of our colleagues have been reviewing every core business process, and practicing in preparation for this move to LionsLink during Winter quarter.

When does LWTech convert to LionsLink?

LWTech will go live with LionsLink in just a few short months on February 28, 2022! So, with that, below are some key points to keep in mind as we get closer to Winter quarter.

Important Student Dates

Now is the time to begin reminding students that they will be able to register for Winter and Spring quarters in November. Please note that we’ll be adding key dates to the LionsLink timeline on a regular basis, so please check back often.

Upcoming Key Dates for Students:

• November 1-5 - Winter and Spring Quarter Registration Starts
• November 1 - Winter and Spring 2022 Priority Registration
• November 2 --Winter and Spring 2022 Advising Day/Continuing Student Registration
• November 4 - Winter and Spring 2022 New Student Registration
• November 5 - Winter and Spring 2022 Open Registration
• November 5 - Winter and Spring 2022 Open Registration
• February 14 to March 16 - Registration Not Available
• March 16 - LionsLink will be LIVE for students, Spring 2022 Registration Resumes
• March 23 - Winter Quarter Grades Available to View in LionsLink
• April 4 - Spring Quarter Classes Begin

Faculty and Staff Impacts

Friday Department Closures During Fall Quarter:

Student Services, Human Resources, Payroll and Cashiering are closed on Fridays each week for LionsLink trainings.

Service Delays and Closures Begin Winter Quarter:

Beginning Winter quarter, students and staff will experience delays in HR, and the Business (Finance) Office. Student Services like Advising, Assessment Center, Cashiering, Enrollment Services, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, TRIO and Workforce Development will be closed on Fridays. These delays will continue through Spring quarter as we move to LionsLink. During this time there will be full stoppage in various types of services. You can find the full list of key service delay and closure dates for Winter quarter on the LionsLink webpage.

What can you do now?

For those of you who weren’t able to attend the All-Staff meeting yesterday, please make the time to view the recording and/or the slides. It would also be really helpful if you could please take a couple of minutes to fill out the five-question survey which will help us understand the needs of the college community as we move closer to our go-live date of February 28, 2022. The survey will be open for two weeks.

The biggest thing you can do to help your coworkers and our students now is to make sure everyone has the correct and most up-to-date information. Keep talking about LionsLink, and help each other understand what we can expect. Direct students and your coworkers to the website where they can see key information and the project timeline. The website will be updated on a regular basis, so keep checking back. The other thing you can do is read News from the Lair. These communications will have important information relating to our move to LionsLink.

Paws-Up!

Send a Big, Positive Roar to a Colleague:

If you’d like to nominate one of your colleagues for doing a roaring great job on the LionsLink project, fill out the nomination form and we’ll recognize them as a LionsLink Superstar in an upcoming issue of Amy’s Update.

We will continue to keep you up-to-date on the latest project information. Thanks for all you’re doing and will do as we move closer to when LionsLink goes live on February 28, 2022.

Go Lions!

Take care,

Leslie Shattuck
Executive Director/Executive Communications Officer, Marketing and Communications

 

August 12, 2021 - Summer Quarter LionsLink Update

On Tuesday, July 27^th, 2021 the State Board for Community & Technical Colleges (SBCTC) ctcLink Steering Committee approved Deployment Group 6 Go-Live dates: A new edition of ctcLink CONNECT, the ctcLink Project blog has been posted: DG6 Go-Live Dates and Important ctcLink System Downtimes

This SBCTC governance approval included LWTech’s LionsLink deployment approval for February, 28^th, 2022. Which means in six and a half months, LWTech will be live & online with our new Student, Employee, & Financial Management System, LionsLink! The LWTech Project Team has a lot of work to do between now and our deployment in February 2022. We also have a great bunch of staff who have been incredibly diligent in the process to get us online and functioning this coming Winter.

Now, here’s the latest news from the Lair.

Student Impacts

Office Closures

The Student Services Division will be closed on Fridays, starting September 2021 to support LionsLink project activities. This excludes the Early Learning Center (ELC).

Faculty and Staff News & Impacts

Join LionsLink Office Hours

Do you have a question about the LionsLink Software system and its impacts to your role at LWTech?

Join the LionsLink Project Team on Tuesdays in August 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Email Lauren.Heller@lwtech.edu for a calendar invite.

Training Activities

Currently, LWTech staff members who are supporting project activities this summer and fall are receiving SBCTC’s ctcLink System training. As we move closer to our go-live date, February 28, 2022, more populations of LionsLink End Users will receive local training plans, depending on their various roles at the college. It is anticipated that all LWTech staff will have a LionsLink Training plan in some capacity Late Fall and Winter of 2022.

General Project Updates

Welcome 4 New LWTech Staff Members: LionsLink Business Analysts

The LionsLink Project Management Office welcomes 4 new staff members to support current implementation activities. These staff members are System & Business Analysts with expertise in business areas around the college. LWTech’s Business Analysts (BAs) will assist departments around campus with project activities during our software implementation. Following our deployment of LionsLink, the BAs will help LWTech with system and college business process optimization.

Human Capital Management (HCM) Business Analyst: Sam El Sayed – Sam joins LWTech most recently from WA DSHS as a Public Benefits Specialist. Sam has experience in supporting colleges in ctcLink implementations as an HCM Functional Analyst with the SBCTC ctcLink project team. As well as experience in HR & Payroll teams at Edmonds Community College and other industries.

Campus Solutions (CS) Business Analyst: Robin Desilet – Robin joins LWTech most recently from Edmonds Community College where she was an advisor for High School Completion Programs and served as Interim Director for Pre-College programs. Robin has experience with Edmond's ctcLink implementation, deployment, & stabilization.

Student Financials & Financial Aid (SF & FA) Business Analyst: Dexter Smith – Dexter joins LWTech from Prince George Community College in Maryland, serving as their Coordinator for Default Management and Client Services. Dexter has prior PeopleSoft experience in Financial Aid roles on the East coast and recently earned his Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland.

Finance (FIN) Business Analyst: Colby Meehan – Colby joins LWTech From the Eye Clinic of Bellevue where he was an intern providing administrative and consulting support. Colby is a recent graduate from the University of Washington’s Michael G. Fosters School of Business with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Finance.

An additional new member will be joining the LionsLink project team in Fall 2021. Welcome to the new LWTech LionsLink project staff and we look forward to welcoming 1 more in September! Stay tuned…

Acknowledgments

Thank you to the LWTech Communications and Marketing Team

Thank you to Leslie Shattuck, Alisa Shtromberg, and Kimberly Goddard for supporting LWTech’s LionsLink project activities including LWTech’s Mobile Application Configuration and LionsLink system & project branding.

LionsLink Super Stars of the Month: July

The LionsLink Project Team would like to recognize the following individuals for their outstanding dedication and support of the LionsLink implementation during July 2021. The successful implementation of LionsLink at LWTech would not be possible without these amazing LionsLink Superstars! July Super Stars include staff from HR/Payroll, Business Office, Instruction, Assessment, and Enrollment Services: Katie Stewart, Tish Evora, Vera Davidyuk, Andrea Breen, Xieng Lim, Lynn Bedford, Kalia Castro, Ali Zeng, Alexandra Wallace, Brad Malloy, Emi Eve, Krystal Blair, Noah DuPont, and Tim Gracie.

Thank you for keeping up to date on LionsLink Project activities and LWTech college wide impacts anticipated by our software transition! 

- The LionsLink Project Team

September 22, 2020 - Fall Quarter LionsLink Update 

The LionsLink project team is gearing up for SBCTC implementation activities this coming winter and spring! Throughout the summer, over 65 Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from business departments across campus have completed PeopleSoft Fundamentals, an SBCTC prerequisite training for the following activities.

Late Fall/Winter Activities - Global Design Adoption (GDA)

Global = Community and Technical College System Wide

Local = Lake Washington Institute of Technology

GDA courses will help LWTech staff understand Global Design, both software configurations and business processes. Approximately 40% of the LionsLink software has Global configuration. Knowing what parts of the LionsLink system that are Global will help staff understand what cannot change in the system. This will also prepare LionsLink SMEs for learning about the local configurations that LWTech can control that are covered in the Business Process Fit/Gap sessions. Global Design Adoption (GDA) is a prerequisite to Business Process/ Fit Gap sessions.

Spring Activities - Business Process Fit/Gap Sessions (BPFG)

Following GDA courses, work sessions with SBCTC’s ctcLink project team will help LWTech SMEs configure the remaining 60% of local software and local business processes. These are known as Business Process Fit/Gap sessions (BPFGs). Through these sessions LWTech SMEs will have a better understanding of the differences between our Legacy business processes and the new business processes in PeopleSoft (fit gap). LWTech SMEs will complete configuration “homework” assignments which will be used for local LionsLink software configuration. This will help LWTech SMEs understand the change that will be coming to their work and support change management strategies for departments across campus.

If you have any questions regarding the LionsLink Project, please reach out to LionsLink Project Manager, Lauren Heller.

Summer Quarter LionsLink Update 

July 17, 2020

LWTech has hit a milestone by participating in SBCTC’s ctcLink Deployment Group 6 (DG6) Peer Review. July 13 - July 16, LWTech’s ctcLink Project Manager, Lauren Heller, shared status updates on various LWTech LionsLink readiness activities with Peer DG6 schools (Bates TC, Clover Park TC, Columbia Basin College, Renton TC, Shoreline CC, South Puget Sound CC, Walla Walla CC, and Yakima Valley College).

Over the past several months LWTech staff have been actively participating in readiness activities to prepare for LWTech’s transition to LionsLink. Project Readiness activities and deliverables are:

• LionsLink Project Planning and Documentation ( Charter, Budget and Resourcing, Training, etc.)
• Project Team Identification and Creation
• Legacy Documentation Kick-Off and Training with MC² Consulting
• Nearly completing Legacy Business Process Documentation (Over 300 maps!)
  • The remaining 30% are planned for completion by July 31^st, 2020.
• Institutional Change Analysis and Management
  • This will be ongoing throughout the project lifecycle as the project is a huge institutional change and this transition needs to be managed accordingly.
• Data “Cleansing” to ensure current data is formatted correctly and can be migrated to LionsLink without issue
• LWTech Supplemental Systems Inventory and Analysis

LWTech received 100% completion score by our peer DG6 schools in the peer review process! These results will be taken to SBCTC’s ctcLink Steering Committee who will vote to approve that LWTech is prepared to move on to the next project phase and gate. This means LWTech will be moving onto the Implementation Phase’s Structure Gate this coming November. There are so many to thank for getting LWTech to this point.

Thank you to all of you who have been involved in any LionsLink project activities thus far, thank you for assisting the college in surmounting LionsLink readiness work during a global pandemic!

This does not mean LWTech is done with preparing for the transition to LionsLink. Over the next several months LWTech staff will start Structure activities, to be ready this November for the Implementation Phase’s Structure Gate.

Whether that is LionsLink training or business process Change Impact Analysis (CIA), there is still a need for project engagement from business departments around campus. The continued preparation work now will help alleviate project demand in the future. What is to come of the next project stage in November is going to be very demanding of time for LWTech staff who work intensively as front-end users of the legacy administrative applications (SMS, FMS, FAM, PPMS).

ctcLink Project Manager, Lauren Heller, will continue to keep you updated on LionsLink progress. Please keep checking back to the landing page for the most current information.