Appalachian
State University will replace the house payroll system with a series
of banner products supported by the University of North Carolina
system, Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Jane P. Helm said.
“The existing system doesn’t work in today’s world,”
Helm said.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Gregory M. Lovins
said the current system, University Personnel Payroll System (U.P.P.S.),
was created by Appalachian State University employees specifically
for this university.
“[U.P.P.S.] has served us very well for a long time,”
Lovins said.
Lovins said new information and technologies, as well as increased
student and employee numbers, have affected U.P.P.S.
Lovins said the U.P.P.S. system has been tweaked over the years
to provide for these changes and is now less flexible.
The new system is a SCT banner system, a relational database. Lovins
said using a popular system will aid the university in the long
run.
“If there are problems, we can now reach out for banner support,”
Lovins said.
Lovins said finding help for the current system became difficult
since the creators of the system have left Appalachian State.
Other new capabilities of the banner system include easier access
for employees’ time benefits such as sick leave and vacation
earned, retirement plans and medical plans.
“Employees will easily be able to look at leave earned,”
Lovins said.
Lovins said the new system will also involve new time sheets for
Appalachian staff.
The new time sheets and system are both “complex and easier
to use” with some components online, but training with the
sheets has gone well so far, Lovins said.
“The staff has been great in training on using the new time
sheet,” Lovins said.
“There will be a learning curve, but I feel the staff will
be happy with the new system,” Lovins said.
Lovins said the roles of those working in the payroll department
will change as well. “Because the new system is bigger, roles
of payroll employees will change,” Lovins said. “[Payroll
employees] will have different roles in virtue of change from old
to new.” “Everyone is responding to it very well,”
said Kay Wood, administrative officer two in the payroll department.
Wood said the online time reporting system will give departments
increased control.
“Most departments feel it is a good switch,” Wood said.
Wood said the roles of the payroll employees have not changed at
this point. The department will maintain the same number of employees
after the new system is implemented.
“We will take care of everyone,” Wood said.
