(Editor's note: On 10/30/24, this CALMessage was sent by Vice Chancellor Administration and Vice Chancellor for Finance to announce winter curtailment details for the two divisions.)
During the months of November, December, and January 2024-25, Berkeley Regional Services (BRS) is planning to operate on a modified schedule and/or be closed to campus as this will allow staff the opportunity to take accrued vacation time, rest and rejuvenate, and to ramp up for 2025. Here are the details:
Thanksgiving week - campus holidays: Thursday 11/28 - Friday 11/29
Regions will be participating in an optional closure period from November 25-27 and will not be available to participate in meetings or respond to general emails until after December 2, 2024. Due to these increased vacations, there will be delayed response times. For specific details or help with an urgent request, please reach out to the Regional Director in the ERSO, BEST, ProS, SHARE, or BEARS regions who will ensure assistance is provided.
Winter Curtailment: Monday, 12/23/24 - Wednesday, 1/1/25
Regions will be observing the upcoming annual campus winter curtailment period which will occur between Monday, 12/23/24 and Wednesday, 1/1/25. These dates have been finalized with UCOP and were communicated to campus on 10/3/24 by People and Culture. Below are details and BRS deadlines to help departments in their efforts to submit service requests by year end.
Regions will also be participating in an optional closure period from January 2-3, 2025 and will not be available to participate in meetings or respond to general emails until after January 6, 2025. For urgent requests those days, contact the respective Regional Director.
| Team | Details/Deadlines |
|---|---|
|
Human Resources / Academic Personnel Support (HR/APS) |
To ensure requests are processed by calendar year end, campus clients will again experience earlier-than-usual deadlines for HR-based transactions. The deadline for HR-based requests is: Monday, 12/2/2024. These requests could include:
* Note: See the usual BRS payroll deadlines on the Timekeeping/CalTime page. Also refer to the bi-weekly or monthly paid CalTime Timecard Approval Deadlines. Go to the CalTime website to find complete details. |
| Regional Onboarding Services |
Onboarding services offered to new Berkeley employees by BRS regions will be suspended during the December holiday and curtailment period. The regional HR teams will have limited coverage during curtailment. Look on the ASE/GSR and Lecturer Hires webpages for additional details and applicable deadlines for Spring ‘25 hiring. Note: If your recruitment requires a Background Check, we encourage you to select a candidate by 12/2/24 for a start date during the beginning of January 2025. **Remember that employees must now pass their background check before starting employment. |
|
Purchasing & Reimbursements (P&R) |
As they are received, BRS regional P&R teams will strive to complete transactions as quickly as possible, given the current staffing levels. For an estimate on the timeframes of requests the teams are currently working on, contact your respective regional P&R team. As a reminder: The Direct Enter process introduced by the Controller’s Office must be used for all non-complex travel reimbursement requests. |
|
Research Administration (RA) |
Research Administration & Compliance (RAC) / Sponsored Projects Office (SPO) has published their ‘24-’25 deadlines on their website and will process proposals due in December 2024 and January 2025 according to the VCR’s four-day proposal submission policy. Below are the corresponding BRS deadlines. Reminder: Those that will be submitting a proposal with a due date just prior to, or during, or just after the curtailment period should inform their regional BRS RA contact. |
| Sponsor's Proposal Due Date (by 5PM) | Notify BRS RA's (by 8AM) | Draft due to SPO (by 8AM) | Final Proposal due to SPO (by 8AM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri. 12/20/2024 – Fri. 1/3/2025 | Mon. 12/2/2024 | Tues. 12/17/2024 | Fri. 12/20/2024 |
| Mon. 1/6/2025 | Tues. 12/3/2024 | Wed. 12/18/2024 | Mon. 1/6/2025 |
| Tues. 1/7/2025 | Wed. 12/4/2024 | Thurs. 12/19/2024 | Tues., 1/7/2025 |
| Wed. 1/8/2025 | Thurs. 12/5/2024 | Fri. 12/20/2024 | Wed. 1/8/2025 |
As a courtesy, here are additional curtailment details for some of our other campus partners:
Controller’s Office
Check out the Controller’s Office website for their winter curtailment details this year.
Berkeley Technology (IT)
The IT Client Services (ITCS) Service Desk will be operating with reduced staff on curtailment dates between 9 AM to Noon and 1PM to 4 PM and is available to provide emergency support via email or online. Requests will be prioritized by urgency. Updates to system outages and maintenance will be available on the System Status page.
Supply Chain Management (SCM)
SCM typically features their holiday/curtailment details on their website.