RCUH COVID-19 Advisory #10 – Update on Returning to the Workplace

For Principal Investigators & RCUH Employees regarding Return to the Workplace and Telework

This advisory, the tenth in the series of RCUH advisories providing guidance to PIs and RCUH employees as the University of Hawai‘i prepares to re-open for the 2021 Fall Semester. 

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Share your project photos

We are seeking visually captivating photos that exemplify your project’s mission and day-to-day operations for use in various RCUH publications, communications, videos, etc. If you’ve sent us photos in the past, feel free to share any new images you may have!

  • Ideal photos should be clear
  • Action or staged activities are preferred (no headshots)
  • Minimum size: 600 x 600 pixels. Resolution: 300 dpi.

Please complete the photo information form and send your photos to [email protected] by Friday, September 3, 2021. Photos may be sent as attachments or via UH File Drop.

Should you have any questions, please contact RCUH Corporate Services at [email protected] or call (808) 988-8314.

Mahalo for sharing your work with us!

Photo by Mark Sullivan (Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program)

Legal Professional Services Awards – Fiscal Year 2022

*NOTE: This posting was edited on July 8, 2021 to add the award to provide legal services related to employment, to the RCUH Corporate Office.
Project TitleTo provide legal services related to maritime/admiralty, to the RCUH Corporate Office.
Selected ConsultantMichael J. Nakano, Esq. (Cox Wootton Lerner Griffin & Hansen)
Contract Amount$20,000.00
Date of AwardJune 30, 2021
Consultants Considered (ranked candidates only)No other submissions.
Appointing OfficerLeonard R. Gouveia, Jr.
Project TitleTo provide legal services related to immigration, to the RCUH Corporate Office.
Selected ConsultantNewton J. Chu, Esq. (Torkildson Katz Hetherington Harris & Knorek)
Contract Amount$15,000.00
Date of AwardJune 30, 2021
Consultants Considered (ranked candidates only)Vaughn G.T. Cook (Torkildson Katz Hetherington Harris & Knorek)
Appointing OfficerLeonard R. Gouveia, Jr.
Project TitleTo provide legal services related to employee benefits/taxes, to the RCUH Corporate Office.
Selected ConsultantJoseph D’Amato, Esq. (D’Amato & Maloney)
Contract Amount$40,000.00
Date of AwardJuly 6, 2021
Consultants Considered (ranked candidates only)No other applicants in the specialty area of employee benefits.  Other applicants in the general employment field included:  Barry W. Marr, Esq. (Marr Jones & Wang); Andrew L. Pepper (Jackson Lewis); Richard M. Rand (Marr Jones & Wang); Sarah O. Wang (Marr Jones & Wang); Christopher J. Cole (Marr Jones & Wang); Patrick H. Jones (Marr Jones & Wang); Kristi O’Heron (Marr Jones & Wang); Newton J. Chu (Torkildson Katz Hetherington Harris & Knorek); Christopher S.Y. Yeh (Marr Jones & Wang); Eileen C. Zorc (Marr Jones & Wang); Megumi Sakae (Marr Jones & Wang); Cecily D.M. Kaya (Marr Jones & Wang); Andrea L. Miyashita (Marr Jones & Wang); Ronald Tang (Marr Jones & Wang).
Appointing OfficerLeonard R. Gouveia, Jr.
Project TitleTo provide legal services related to taxes and payroll, to the RCUH Corporate Office.
Selected ConsultantVaughn G.T. Cook (Torkildson Katz Hetherington Harris & Knorek)
Contract Amount$15,000.00
Date of AwardJuly 6, 2021
Consultants Considered (ranked candidates only)John J. D’Amato (D’Amato & Maloney) (employee benefits tax only)
Appointing OfficerLeonard R. Gouveia, Jr.
Project TitleTo provide legal services related to employment, to the RCUH Corporate Office.
Selected Consultant Barry W. Marr, Esq. (Marr Jones & Wang)
Contract Amount$50,000.00
Date of AwardJuly 8, 2021
Consultants Considered (ranked candidates only) Andrew L. Pepper (Jackson Lewis); Richard M. Rand (Marr Jones & Wang); Sarah O. Wang (Marr Jones & Wang); Christopher J. Cole (Marr Jones & Wang); Patrick H. Jones (Marr Jones & Wang); Kristi O’Heron (Marr Jones & Wang); Newton J. Chu (Torkildson Katz Hetherington Harris & Knorek); Christopher S.Y. Yeh (Marr Jones & Wang); Eileen C. Zorc (Marr Jones & Wang); Megumi Sakae (Marr Jones & Wang); Cecily D.M. Kaya (Marr Jones & Wang); Andrea L. Miyashita (Marr Jones & Wang); Ronald Tang (Marr Jones & Wang).
Appointing OfficerLeonard R. Gouveia, Jr.

FINANCIAL SYSTEM PROCESSING NOW AVAILABLE

The RCUH fiscal year-end processing has been completed. Fiscal Administrators may now approve online purchasing, payment, and travel transactions in the Financial Portal. The first check run for Fiscal Year 2022 will be on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 4:00 PM.

UH Project Fiscal Reports may reflect incorrect amounts and balances until KFS is opened for FY 2022.  Until KFS is opened for FY 2022, please use the Mass Printing Reports to access the UH Project Fiscal Reports as of June 2021 and earlier.

Reminder: Service dates are required for all payment transactions approved through August 31, 2021. For payments approved after July 30, 2021, $100,000 or greater, and with service dates of June 30 or earlier, please complete the attached RCUH AP Worksheet. Please include estimates or projections for invoices that have not been received as of July 30. Please email your worksheet to Staci Saito at [email protected] by Monday, August 2, 2021.  

Please refer to the Tuesday, June 8, 2021 General Announcement on Service Dates for more information.

More than 100 new, updated online courses in the RCUH Training Portal

The RCUH Training Portal now includes more than 400 general interest courses. In the July 2021 catalog, you’ll find new courses such as:

  • Active Listening
  • Best Email Practices
  • Interview Preparation
  • Realize Your Team is Your Customer
  • Tap into Their Passion, Unleash the Energy

Click here to view a complete list of courses (new/updated courses are listed in blue). If you need access to the RCUH Training Portal, please complete the online request form. You may also email [email protected] if you have any questions.


Nominations Open for 2021 Outstanding Employees of the Year Awards

Supporting each Principal Investigator is a team of researchers, project managers, professionals, and support staff. One (or more) of them could be our next outstanding employee awardee!

The RCUH Outstanding Employees of the Year Awards encourage, recognize, and reward RCUH employees who have made demonstrable, significant, and exemplary contributions to their project during the past fiscal year (July 2020–June 2021) or years.

RECOGNITIONS

Three award categories are available:

  1. Researcher/Project Manager/Professional (exempt status position)
  2. Project Support Staff (non-exempt status position)
  3. Team (2-5 staff in exempt and/or non-exempt Regular-status positions)

AWARDS

  • $1,000 to the first place awardee in each category
  • $500 to the second place awardee in each category
  • Team awards for first and second place will be shared equally among team members

All nominees and awardees will be announced in the fall.

NOMINATION

A Principal Investigator may submit one nomination. PIs may re-nominate an employee who did not place first or second in a previous year. Team nominations are limited to no more than five individuals. Click here for the nomination form.

DEADLINE

The deadline to submit a nomination is Tuesday, August 31, 2021.Email your nomination to RCUH Corporate Services at [email protected]

For more information, please refer to policy 3.450 Outstanding Employee of the Year or contact RCUH Corporate Services at [email protected] or 808-988-8314.

RCUH offices at MIC will reopen to visitors on July 6, 2021

Beginning July 6, 2021, RCUH’s offices at the Mānoa Innovation Center (MIC) will reopen to visitors for deposits (checks and cash) and notary services*. Project mail (including vendor checks) will continue to be routed via campus mail.

RCUH’s office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding state holidays). In accordance with the City and County of Honolulu’s Emergency Order No. 2021-08, a face covering will be required when entering RCUH’s offices at MIC.

Visitor access continues to be restricted at the East-West Center’s Burns Hall until further notice. Please contact the RCUH Human Resources Department if access is required. Email: [email protected]. Phone: (808) 956-3100.

*Notary services are by appointment only.

Purchase Order Reminder

The University of Hawai‘i’s FY2020 Internal Control and Business Issues Report included a comment/observation related to the untimely execution of purchase orders (POs). Specifically, eight (8) POs were found to have been executed and approved subsequent to the receipt of goods or services from the vendor. 

An executed and approved PO serves as an indication that a formal agreement between the vendor and RCUH (for the benefit of UH), has been reached.  Failure to complete a PO prior to the receipt of goods or commencement of services from a vendor exposes RCUH/UH to undue risk related to the misuse of federal funds. 

This comment/observation has been identified previously, and efforts must be made to comply with the applicable RCUH and UH policies and procedures.  Please ensure that a PO is properly executed and approved prior to the receipt of goods or services from a vendor.

Should you have any questions, please contact Erin Yoda at [email protected].