ASCENDER Business Release Notes
ASCENDER Release 5.0
ASCENDER
Release Date: 8/25/21 ASCENDER Update: 5.0.0223
Finance > Maintenance > Postings > Purchase Order
❏ Corrected the program to prevent requisition item accounts from being created when a purchase order is changed and the requisition number is not populated.
Payroll > Payroll Processing > EOY Payroll Accruals > Create General Journal
❏ Corrected the issue that prevented the Clearing Fund drop-down from being populated when the general ledger File ID was not set to C.
Prior Release Notes for ASCENDER 5.0
ASCENDER
Release Date: 08/16/2021 ASCENDER Update: 5.0.0222
Phase 2: WorkJournal
Payroll > Next Year > Copy CYR Tables to NYR > Copy Current Year Tables
❏ Added the Use ST OT and Use WrkJl columns to the Extra Duty Pay table. Also, added these columns to the report previews.
❏ Added the Time Opt, Pay Type 2 Dock, and Auto Lunch columns to the Job Code table. Also, added these columns to the report previews.
Payroll > Next Year > Copy NYR Tables to CYR > Copy Next Year Tables
❏ Added the Use ST OT and Use WrkJl columns to the Extra Duty Pay table. Also, added these columns to the report previews.
❏ Added the Time Opt, Pay Type 2 Dock, and Auto Lunch columns to the Job Code table. Also, added these columns to the report previews.
❏ Changed the report preview PDF and CSV icons to improve readability.
Finance > Tables > District Finance Options 2
❏ Modified the program to disable the Mileage (Start, Stop, and Map) fields, Point of Origin, and Destination fields on the EmployeePortal > Travel Reimbursement > Travel Requests page when the Location Locking check box is selected.
Finance > Tables > Travel
❏ Corrected various issues to improve the user experience.
Finance > Maintenance > Check Processing > Void Check
❏ Modified the program to allow district check transactions from the Grants and Projects application to be voided.
Finance > Maintenance > EFT Processing
❏ Modified the program to perform EFT processing in the logged-on file ID instead of only file ID C.
Finance > Utilities > Fiscal Year Close
❏ Modified the program to properly manage the new travel columns (Travel Accounting Period & Trip Number).
❏ Modified the program to ensure that the account code components (function, org, pgm, ed span, and project detail) are zero when creating opening entries for 3600 or 3700 object codes.
Finance > Reports > Finance Reports > Journals, Checks, Detail Ledgers > FIN1250 - Check Register & FIN1800 - Year to Date Check Register List
❏ Modified the program to include transactions processed in the Grants and Projects application.
Grants and Projects > Tables > Manage Users
❏ Modified the program to set the change password date to 01/01/2000 when creating a new user or resetting a user's password, which requires the user to change their password upon logging on to MemberPortal.
Grants and Projects > Tables > SSA Grants > Grant Types
❏ Corrected the delete functionality to prevent users from having to click the trashcan twice to select and highlight the row for deletion.
❏ Corrected various user interface issues to improve the user experience.
❏ Corrected the program to display an unsaved data warning message when applicable.
Grants and Projects > Maintenance > Member Grants > Grant Maintenance
❏ Added the Budget Adjustment button to allow budget adjustment requests to be created and submitted. A budget adjustment is used to add or subtract balances from a grant year and grant type.
❏ Added the Reimbursement button to allow reimbursement requests to be created and submitted. A reimbursement request is used to request a reimbursement payment of grant funds from a grant year and grant type.
❏ Added the Budget Revision button to allow budget revision requests to be submitted. A budget revision is used to move amounts between object classes for a grant year and grant type.
❏ Added the following fields to the Transactions section:
- Check Nbr - Displays the check or EFT number for a processed reimbursement payment.
- Final Report - Indicates that the final reimbursement transaction is paid for a Year and Grant ID. Once the final transaction is processed, the Budget Adjustment, Budget Revision, and Reimbursement buttons are disabled and no other transactions can be submitted.
❏ Corrected various user interface issues to improve the user experience.
Grants and Projects > Maintenance > Approval Dashboard
❏ Renamed the Budget Revisions option to Budget Adj & Rev in the request type drop-down to accommodate the addition of budget adjustment requests.
❏ Corrected various user interface issues to improve the user experience.
Grants and Projects > Reports > SSA Grant Reports > GP1000 - Grant Summary Status Report
❏ Corrected various user interface issues to improve the user experience.
Grants and Projects > Reports > SSA Grant Reports > GP1100 - Grant Payment Transaction Report
❏ Added this report to provide a list of grant payment transactions.
Grants and Projects > Reports > SSA Grant Reports > GP1200 - Past Final Date Without Final Report
❏ Added this report to provide a list of grant years and IDs that have a Final Report Due Date without a reimbursement transaction designated as the final reimbursement for the grant year and grant ID before the date entered in the Effective Date report parameter.
Payroll > Tables > District EP Options
❏ Added the Travel Reimbursement Request check box under Enable and Messages. This option allows users to access the Travel Reimbursement Request feature in EmployeePortal.
Payroll & Personnel > Tables > District HR Options
❏ Corrected the issues that caused an error to occur when trying to save HR options to a new database.
Payroll > Tables > Leave > Leave Type
❏ Modified the Max Balance field to allow a three decimal value for all leave types.
Payroll > Maintenance > Leave Account Transaction > Leave Adjustment
❏ Modified the Leave Used and Leave Earned fields to allow a three decimal value for all leave types.
Payroll > Payroll Processing > Run Payroll
❏ Modified the Incr Amt field to allow a three decimal value for all leave types.
Payroll > Utilities > Mass Update > Leave
❏ Modified the Increment field to allow a three decimal value for all leave types.
Payroll > Next Year
❏ Modified next year payroll calculations to include 403B FICA calculations and include the amounts in the Annuities columns.
Payroll > Utilities > Payroll Accrual Variance Extract
❏ Modified the program to calculate and interface employer accrual variance 403B FICA Alternative Annuity amounts.
EmployeePortal
Release Date: 08/16/2021 ASCENDER Update: 5.0.0222
EmployeePortal > Calendar
❏ Corrected the program to only display one entry for each travel mileage request.
EmployeePortal > Travel Reimbursement
❏ Corrected various Document Attachment issues.
EmployeePortal > Travel Reimbursement > Travel Requests
❏ Modified the program to disable the Mileage (Start, Stop, and Map) fields, Point of Origin, and Destination fields when the Location Locking check box is selected on the Finance > Tables > District Finance Options 2 page.
❏ Corrected the Copy from Previous Day functionality to override any existing data on the copy to day and replace it with copy from day details. If selecting this check box on the last travel day and the day from which you are copying has a dinner amount, the Dinner field will not be populated if the return time is not later than the Dinner Eligible Return Time as defined in Finance.
❏ Modified the program to allow the user to select their applicable pay campus from the Campus drop down when creating a travel request.
❏ Corrected the mileage rate to adjust accordingly based on the New Mileage Reimbursement Date and New Mileage Reimbursement Rate fields in Finance.
❏ Changed the message that is displayed in the Account Code and account code component pop-windows when there is no account information from “No data available in table” to “No Results Found”.
❏ Corrected the program to allow rows to be added using the plus sign (+). Also, corrected the calendar icon functionality to work with one click.
❏ Corrected the travel reimbursement workflow rules to flow properly.
EmployeePortal > Travel Reimbursement > Approve Travel Requests
❏ Corrected various issues that occurred when clicking the Detail spyglass icon.
MemberPortal
Release Date: 08/16/2021 ASCENDER Update: 5.0.0222
MemberPortal > Login
❏ Added the Forgot User Name? link allowing users to recover their user name if they forgot it.
❏ Added the Forgot Password? link allowing users to reset their password.
❏ Modified the user authentication to include CareerPortal access. If the same user has access to both CareerPortal and MemberPortal and is deleted from CareerPortal, the user will continue to have access to MemberPortal but will no longer have access to CareerPortal.
MemberPortal > Help
❏ Corrected the program to properly connect to the MemberPortal online Help. Previously, an “Oops” message was displayed.
MemberPortal > Grant List
❏ Corrected the program to restrict users with Enter and Save Data accessibility to only update budget revision and reimbursement requests that they created.
MemberPortal > Budget Revision Request & Reimbursement Request
❏ Corrected the functionality of the Grant ID ellipsis.
❏ Corrected various user interface issues to improve the user experience.
❏ Modified the program to include the budget adjustment request details in the Transactions section. The details are display only and cannot be edited.
MemberPortal > Reimbursement Request
❏ Added the following fields to the Transactions section:
- Check Nbr - Displays the check or EFT number for a processed reimbursement payment.
- Final Report - Indicates that the final reimbursement transaction is paid for a Year and Grant ID. Once the final transaction is processed, no other transactions can be submitted.
MemberPortal > Manage Users
❏ Modified the program to set the change password date to 01/01/2000 when creating a new user or resetting a user's password, which requires the user to change their password upon logging on to MemberPortal.
ASCENDER
Release Date: 7/27/2021 ASCENDER Update: 5.0.0220
Payroll > Tables > District EP Options
❏ Added the Travel Reimbursement Request check box under Enable and Messages. This option allows users to access the Travel Reimbursement Request feature in EmployeePortal.
EmployeePortal
Release Date: 7/27/2021 ASCENDER Update: 5.0.0220
NEW: Travel Reimbursement Requests
Travel Reimbursement Requests
The new Travel Reimbursement Requests feature allows employees to request reimbursement of mileage, lodging, meals, and incidentals stemming from official business travel. This features offers a summary/detailed view of travel reimbursement requests and allows for a customized approval path to ensure timely approvals and reimbursement payments.
EmployeePortal > Homepage Calendar
❏ Added the Add Request Type pop-window to allow users to select the type of request to be entered such as Leave or Travel. Users can only add requests for features that are enabled by their LEA.
EmployeePortal > Travel Reimbursement Requests > Travel Requests
❏ Added this page to allow employees to create and submit travel requests.
EmployeePortal > Travel Reimbursement Requests > Approve Travel Requests
❏ Added this page to allow approvers to review and approve/return travel requests.
EmployeePortal > Language
❏ Corrected the issue that prevented the language from converting back and forth between English and Spanish. Previously, if the user selected Spanish and tried to change the language back to English, the labels remained in Spanish.
EmployeePortal > Help
❏ Corrected the program to properly connect to the EmployeePortal online Help. Previously, an “Oops” message was displayed.
EmployeePortal > Self-Service
❏ Corrected the issue that prevented approvers assigned on the Payroll > Tables > EP Self-Service Assignments Payroll and Personnel > Tables > EP Self-Service Assignments Demographic pages from receiving pending approval email notifications.
EmployeePortal > Inquiry > Earnings
❏ Corrected the issue that prevented the Pay Date, Period Begin, and Period End fields from being displayed on the Earnings page and the Employee Wage and Earnings Statement.
EmployeePortal > Supervisor
❏ Corrected the issue that prevented supervisors from receiving pending approval email notifications after a leave request is edited and resubmitted for approval.
Previous ASCENDER Release 5.0 | TxEIS Release 3.5 Business Release Notes can be found here: https://help.ascendertx.com/releasenotes/doku.php/business/release_3_5_archive