Benefits Spotlight Series – Flexible Spending Accounts: Did You Know…

In this series, we will explore the benefits of enrolling in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

An FSA lets you use pretax money set aside for the year to pay for health or dependent care expenses. This could be one of the simplest solutions in saving money on everyday items you may already be purchasing. Perhaps the biggest benefit is saving money on taxes!

If you are interested in learning how you could potentially increase your take-home pay, want to know more information about FSAs, or if you are wondering if an FSA is right for you, RCUH Human Resources will be holding 45-minute virtual workshops in March.

You may register to attend a virtual workshop via the RCUH Training Portal under “Live Sessions.” Click on “Via Content Library” under “Assignment Type” and click “Apply” to view the available workshops. If you need assistance with your RCUH Training Portal login and/or password, please contact [email protected].

PIs/Admin may also request virtual workshops for their project, so that project staff may attend a session together. Please contact [email protected] or call (808) 956-6979 / (808) 956-2326.

If you are planning to enroll for an FSA this upcoming plan year (2023-2024), RCUH’s Open Enrollment will be held April 26 – May 17, 2023.

Click here to check out our Benefits Spotlight on Flexible Spending Accounts.

UPDATE — RCUH Vendor Payments for February 9, 2023

The RCUH Financial Portal is back in operation and users may resume approving transactions.

On Thursday, February 9, 2023, we encountered a system error that affected our end-of-day business processing.  Vendor payments for transactions approved on February 9 will be processed in accordance with our normal processing schedule.

RCUH transactions approved on February 9 for UH Extramural accounts will be transmitted and posted to the UH Kuali Financial System on February 10.

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

RCUH Vendor Payments for February 9, 2023

On Wednesday, February 9, 2023, we encountered a system error that affected our end-of-day business processing.  Vendor payments for transactions approved on February 9 will be processed when the issue is resolved.

At this time, online purchasing, payment, and travel transactions cannot be approved in the Financial Portal until the issue is resolved.  We are working to resolve the issue and will post an updated announcement when the Financial Portal is back in operation.

RCUH transactions approved on February 9 for UH Extramural accounts will NOT be transmitted or posted to the UH Kuali Financial System, and UH Project Fiscal Reports may reflect incorrect amounts and balances until the issue is resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

Updated Access to Burns Hall

East-West Center has implemented security enhancements at Burns Hall effective February 2, 2023. Elevators and the internal center stairwell are now locked to visitors.

  • Visitors who need to meet with RCUH staff: Please sign in using one of the iPads in the lobby. You will need to input your name, email address or mobile number, and the name of who you are meeting (please type in “RCUH” if you are unsure). Call your RCUH contact and wait to be escorted from the lobby to the 4th Floor. Upon departure, visitors must sign out using the iPad or by clicking the link “View guest instructions” in their text message/email from Verkada Guest.
  • Visitors who need to make a pick up or drop off: Schedule a meet-up in advance. We recommend that visitors have the phone number of a RCUH contact to alert them of their arrival. RCUH will then meet the visitor in the lobby or outside the front doors.

These security measures are in accordance with the East-West Center’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification requirements. We thank you for your cooperation to keep everyone safe.

RCUH Moving MIC Offices To East-West Center’s Burns Hall in February 2023

RCUH’s Executive Office, Corporate Services, and Finance departments will be relocating from the Mānoa Innovation Center to East-West Center’s Burns Hall (4th Floor Makai Wing) in early February 2023. We appreciate your patience during this time of transition, especially the latter half of the month, as we bring together all of RCUH under one roof for the first time in more than 25 years! 

Effective February 6, 2023, please route all RCUH correspondence to:

1601 East-West Road, Burns Hall 4th Floor, Makai Wing
Honolulu, HI 96848

RCUH’s phone numbers will also be updated during this transition. The main phone line for Accounting & Project Administration will change to (808) 956-0500. Please monitor the staff directories in the RCUH Financial Portal and HR Portal/Employee Self-Service for updated staff contact information. If you have any questions regarding the move, please contact [email protected]

RCUH Vendor Payments for December 19, 2022 – UPDATE

The RCUH Financial Portal is back in operation and you may resume approving transactions in the Financial Portal.

On Monday, December 19, 2022, we encountered a system error that affected our end-of-day business processing.  Vendor payments (Checks and ePayments) for transactions approved on Monday, December 19 will be processed in accordance with our normal processing schedule.

RCUH transactions approved on December 19 for UH Extramural accounts will be transmitted and posted to the UH Kuali Financial System on December 20.

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

RCUH Vendor Payments for November 15, 16, and 17, 2022 – UPDATE

On Tuesday, November 15, 2022, we encountered a system error that affected our end-of-day business processing.  We are continuing to work on resolving this issue.  Vendor payments for transactions approved on Tuesday, November 15, Wednesday, November 16, and Thursday, November 17 will be processed when the issue is resolved.

The Financial Portal will remain open and online purchasing, payment, and travel transactions can be created and approved. However, RCUH transactions approved on November 15, 16, and 17 for UH Extramural accounts will NOT be transmitted or posted to the UH Kuali Financial System, and UH Project Fiscal Reports may reflect incorrect amounts and balances until the issue is resolved.

Manual checks can be issued during this period on an emergency basis. Fiscal Administrators should contact RCUH Disbursing at [email protected].

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

2022 RCUH Outstanding Employees of the Year


On October 27, 2022, a gathering of nearly 100 celebrated the accomplishments of 16 exemplary RCUH employees at the newly renovated University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom.

A selection committee comprised of Ken Hayashida, Marie Kumabe, and Clyde Shiigi selected the awardees based on the nominees’:

  • Initiative, leadership, and resourcefulness in carrying out their achievements,
  • Impact of their achievements on the project, professional field, and/or larger community, and
  • Other variables such as the significance or quality of their achievements.

RCUH proudly announces this year’s awardees:

TEAM CATEGORY

First Place: Telecommunications and Social Informatics (TASI), UH Social Science Research Institute
Ginger Porter, Umerang Imetengel, and Alyssa Shimizu

Second Place: Cyberinfrastructure, UH Information Technology Services
Michelle Choe, Sean Cleveland, Maria Dumanlang, Jennifer Geis, and Jared McLean

Honorable Mention: Shepherd Research Lab, UH Cancer Center
Nisa Kelly and En Liu


PROJECT SUPPORT STAFF CATEGORY

First Place: Kelsey McBeain, Department of Oceanography, UH School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology

Second Place: Naomi Moran, Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Honorable Mention: Joanna Norton, Cassava Improvement Project, UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources


RESEARCHER/PROJECT MANAGER CATEGORY

First Place: Cris Milne, Hawaiʻi Center for AIDS, UH John A. Burns School of Medicine

Second Place: Hank Oppenheimer, Plant Extinction and Prevention Program, Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, UH College of Natural Sciences

Honorable Mention: Jesse Abdul, Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, UH School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology

Each individual received a certificate and cash award. Additionally, first-place awardees received $1000 (shared equally by team members), while second-place awardees received $500 (shared equally by team members).

We wish to acknowledge and thank the following principal investigators who submitted nominations: Dominic Chow, Kyle Edwards, Jeffrey Hare & Douglas Luther, Christina Higa & Norman H. Okamura, Shaya Honarvar,  Gwen Jacobs, Satoshi Miyazaki, John Shepherd, and Sharon Wages. Congratulations to all!

UPDATE – Problem with Payments – October 7, 2022

The RCUH Financial Portal is back in operation and users may resume approving transactions in the Financial Portal.

On Friday, October 7, 2022, we encountered a system error that affected our end-of-day business processing and consequently, checks could not be printed.  Checks for vendor payments approved on Friday, October 7, 2022, will be processed in accordance with our regular processing schedule.  However, ePayments for vendor payments approved on Friday, October 7, 2022, may experience a one-day delay due to the Columbus Day Federal holiday on Monday, October 10, 2022.

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.