Special Edition - COVID-19

In light of recent developments concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, the winter 2020 edition of the IPPS Quarterly will focus on organizational news and updates relevant to current events.

Package and Mail Delivery

In order to utilize resources in the most efficient manner as departments move to a remote work environment, and to implement social distancing, the following adjustments have been made to package and mail distribution.

• Labs and offices that will require continued package services can complete the IPPS Logistics Essential Operations form to select one of two options: Include your location as part of Receiving and Distribution's daily route OR schedule a pickup of packages at designated locations.
• Campus mail will be available for pickup at Campus Services Complex, Building A (map) on Greenhouse Lane between 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Mon-Fri). Mail distribution will be paused.
• Undergrad student packages will be available for pickup at Campus Services Complex, Building A (map) on Greenhouse Lane between 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Mon-Fri).
• Students who have moved off-campus and will not be returning can update their mailing address in TritonLink.

Travel

COVID-19 trip cancellations: Has your trip been canceled or postponed due to coronavirus? New resources are available to you on Blink. The IPPS Travel team has put together a comprehensive guide to assist grounded travelers with managing their bookings and reconciling non-refundable expenses. Visit UC Travel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information to learn more and stay up to date with the latest travel news.

Reminder: All non-essential business-related travel should be avoided. The Department of State is advising U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel and is encouraging those abroad to return as soon as possible.  

Marketplace punchouts provide real-time inventory status

As demand for certain supplies increases due to COVID-19, many items appearing in Marketplace search results are becoming unavailable before they can be removed.

To ensure you are accessing the most up to date search results when purchasing supplies that are in high demand, we recommend using Marketplace Punchouts. Punchouts allow you to search and shop directly on an agreement supplier's external website, with results that are populated with UC San Diego negotiated pricing. When you create a shopping cart in the Punchout it is exported back into your Marketplace Shopping Cart, where you can complete and submit the order.

Express Card

As department procurement needs adapt to the COVID-19 changes, please consider taking the following actions related to your department's Express Cards: 

• Request a credit limit increase and single purchase limit increase on specific Express Cards for a set period of time via ASK.
• Request a temporary allowance of purchases on certain Merchant Category Codes (MCC) that may be of benefit via ASK.
• Register your Express Card with U.S. Bank to closely monitor spend during this period via U.S. Bank Access Online.

Payment Services

Scrips, checks, and gift cards will be available for pickup between 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Mon-Fri).

Employees receiving payroll via paper checks are encouraged to enroll in Direct Deposit as soon as possible. As COVID-19 risk management rapidly evolves, we can no longer guarantee the timely distribution of paper checks.

Instructions to enroll in direct deposit can be located on Blink at: https://blink.ucsd.edu/finance/payroll/processes/enroll.html

Read the full Campus Notice issued by Payroll.

Logistics 

• Mailing Center: For the health and safety of both our clients and our staff, the Mailing Center is closed until further notice. Personal mailboxes will continue to be serviced and operational.
• Surplus Sales: Surplus Sales is closed to the public. It remains open to faculty and staff interested in purchasing supplies to support remote work. Email Steve VanDuine (svanduine@ucsd.edu) or David Gomez (d2gomez@ucsd.edu) to schedule an appointment.
• The following Logistics units are limited to Essential Services Only:
  • Moving Services
  • Messenger
  • Outbound Shipping 
  • Self-Store
  • STORE              

Student Financial Solutions 

• Closed office locations: Student Accounts Services, Campus Cards, and Central Cashier's Office.
• The Passport Offices (both walk-in and appointment-only) are also closed. If you require a Passport, please visit the U.S. State Department website to learn more about scheduling a Passport appointment.
• For assistance, please send questions and inquiries to studentbusiness@ucsd.edu.
• Visit https://sfs.ucsd.edu/ for SFS status updates.

UC San Diego Virtual…Together 

In an effort to support our University community given the current and uncertain COVID-19 situation, an IdeaWave campaign has launched: UC San Diego Virtual…Together. This campaign is sponsored by VC/CFO Pierre Ouillet and open to all staff, faculty, and student employees to share and collaborate over the next few weeks in an encouraging and safe place.

The UC San Diego Virtual…Together campaign’s goal is to share best practices on how employees are transitioning work in the current and unsteady environment. 

The IPPS Solutions Team is holding bi-weekly, online Help Desk Office Hours via Zoom

This is a great opportunity for you to ask any questions related to purchasing or payment in Marketplace, navigating Payment Compass or using MyTravel. Help Desk Office Hour events are a great opportunity to discuss complicated purchases through Marketplace, learn more about IPPS, or provide feedback on how we’re doing. We appreciate our clients and are eager to meet you virtually!

Time: 10:30 AM -12:00 PM
Dates: April 7, April 21, May 5, May 19, June 2, June 16, June 30
Sign up now through our Eventbrite page.

As part of an ongoing effort to assist campus with their Payment Compass questions and concerns, The IPPS Help Desk is hosting a series of UC Learning webinars centered around Payment Compass functions. Each webinar will be followed by a Q&A session to ensure participants have the opportunity to get all of their questions answered. 

Upcoming Payment Compass Webinars

Registration: UC Learning Center (SSO login)