Minimizing Recertifications

Every effort should be made to ensure that the original certified FEC is correct. Recertified FECs are often the focus of auditors and can become an audit concern.

To minimize the need to recertify, the original FEC should be carefully reviewed before it is certified by the faculty member. If the salary distribution presented on the FEC does not reasonably reflect actual effort, changes should be made in MyFD, FIN, Payroll or OPUS and/or the eFECS Cost Share Module. These changes may be made up to the day prior to when the FEC is certified.

For changes made in MyFD or the Cost Share Module, the department should process the appropriate change(s) and wait overnight for the change(s) to process and post. The following day eFECS will produce an updated FEC reflecting the changes. Changes in OPUS will be displayed in eFECS after the payroll has posted for the next pay period.

Recertification Process

At this time, eFECS does not accommodate recertifications and therefore departments will not be able to generate an updated FEC from the eFECS system. If salary or cost share changes occur after the original certification, the FEC will need to be printed from eFECS, manually corrected and recertified by the faculty member. FEC Coordinators with "View and Print FEC" ASTRA permissions may print a certified summary FEC from eFECS in order to process a recertification.

Departments will not be able to generated an updated FEC from the eFECS system. Once certified, only the certified Summary FEC will be able to be viewed in eFECS. Updates documented on the paper recertification will not be displayed.

Recertification Steps for FECs Electronically Certified within eFECS:

Recertification steps for FECs electronically certified within eFECS (FEC cycles beginning with 7/1/11-12/31/11 for calendar reporters and 9/16/11-3/15/12 for academic reporters):

1. FEC Coordinator with the "Print" authorization in ASTRA log into eFECS and navigate to the FEC that needs to be recertified.
2. Select the "Change Status" button on the FEC and select "Change Status to Pending Recertification" and "Save."  
3. Select the "Print" button to print the previously certified FEC. The printed copy will have the date the FEC was originally certified and the NetID of the person who certified.
4. Make the required change(s) in MyFD, FIN, OPUS and/or the Cost Share Module.
5. Attach appropriate documentation supporting the recertification (e.g. a posted salary transfer, OPUS or HEPPS screen shots, signed overpayment/repayment option forms with the accompanying spreadsheet, etc.). For more information on appropriate documentation see Supporting Documentation for Recertification.
6. Make the changes on the FEC in ink. Be sure to adjust all totals and subtotals as well as the budget line for each budget affected. If the change is retro pay, also adjust the Average Paid FTEⁱ.
7. Hand write an explanation in the "Comments" section on the previously certified (printed) FEC describing why the faculty member originally confirmed the effort was correct and is now changing the effort.
8. Route the paper copy of the revised FEC to the faculty member.
9. The faculty member reviews, certifies (signs in ink) and dates the printed FEC and returns the revised FEC to the departent FEC Coordinator.
10. Make a photocopy of the recertified FEC for the department files and return the original recertified FEC to MAAⁱ via interoffice mail. MAA must receive the copy with the original in ink signature. Scanned copies or digital signatures are not acceptable.
11. Upon receipt, MAA reviews the recertified FEC.  
    1. If no errors are found, MAA will change the status of the FEC in eFECS to "Certified outside the eFECS system." The status displayed on the FEC and the MyFaculty List will automatically update to "R" (recertified).
    2. If errors are found or improper and/or inadequate justification given, MAA will return the FEC to the department FEC Coordinator for correction or additional documentation.

Recertifications for FECs Created Prior to Online Certification

Recertification of FECs prior to the 9/16/11-3/15/12 cycle for academic reporters and 7/1/11-12/31/11 cycle for the calendar reporters is a manual process using departmental copies of previously certified FECs. You can NOT print a corrected FEC from the eFECS system.

1. Make the required change(s) in MyFD, FIN, OPUS and/or the Cost Share Module.
2. Write "Revised" on the previously certified FEC.
3. Attach appropriate documentation supporting the recertification (e.g. a posted salary transfer, OPUS or HEPPS screen shots, signed overpayment/repayment option forms with the accompanying spreadsheet, etc.)
4. Hand write an explanation in the "Comments" section on the previously certified FEC describing why the faculty member originally confirmed the effort was correct and is now changing the effort.
5. Make the changes on the FEC in ink. Be sure to adjust all totals and subtotals as well as the budget line for each budget impacted. If the change is retro pay, also adjust the Average Paid FTE.
6. Hand write an explanation in the "Comments" section on the previously certified (printed) FEC describing why the faculty member originally confirmed the effort was correct and is now changing the effort.
7. Route the paper copy of the revised FEC to the faculty member.
8. The faculty member reviews, certifies (signs in ink) and dates the printed FEC and returns the revised FEC to the departent FEC Coordinator.
9. Make a photocopy of the recertified FEC for the department files and return the original recertified FEC to MAA via interoffice mail. MAA must receive the copy with the original in ink signature. Scanned copies or digital signatures are not acceptable.
10. Upon receipt, MAA reviews the recertified FEC.
    1. If no errors are found, MAA will change the status of the FEC in eFECS to "Certified outside the eFECS system." The status displayed on the FEC and the MyFaculty List will automatically update to "R" (recertified).
    2. If errors are found or improper and/or inadequate justification given, MAA will return the FEC to the department FEC Coordinator for correction or additional documentation.

Other System Used in the Recertification Process

eFECS Effort Reporting

MyFinancial.desktop

eFECS Cost Share Module

OPUS