EPAF OVERVIEW

Marshall University's Human Resources Information System (HRIS), SCT Corporation's Banner HR, provides a process for submitting typical personnel actions such as hires, terminations, changes in fund distribution, leaves of absence, etc., from the Banner HR desktop.  The Electronic Personnel Action Form (EPAF) largely replaces the University's former typewritten Personnel Action Request (PAR).  The University begins implementation of the EPAF on September 4, 2001.  For information on the implementation process, click HERE.

While the EPAF is the successor to the PAR, it is a different process with different requirements that HRIS users will need to become familiar with.  Preparing and submitting an EPAF will typically require more specific information in the hands of the preparer than may have been the case with the PAR.  For example, the EPAF process will not process actions with position numbers "To Be Determined" (TBA).  Therefore, the EPAF originator must know exactly which position number will be the subject of the pending action.  In certain circumstances, the position number can be changed if it is later determined that another position number is more appropriate for the individual or action being processed.

Also, with the University's adoption of the companion application, Banner Finance, it is generally necessary to know the funding source that applies to a particular action.  This is expressed through the Banner acronym FOAPAL, which stands for Fund, Organization, Account, Project, Activity, and Location.  Marshall University is presently actively using the first three components of the FOAPAL - Fund, Organization, and Account.  The person originating an EPAF or one reviewing an EPAF for potential approval will need to be knowledgeable about which fund combination is appropriate for the action being processed.

The EPAF does not support all the changes and revisions to records that were formerly possible with the PAR.  For example, for changes of name all persons with an employment relationship with the University must have their pay rendered to the individual exactly as named on the recipient's Social Security card.  A payee name can only be changed, therefore, with evidence that a new Social Security card with the revised name has been received by the payee.  The Payroll Office will support the name change process.  Also, the EPAF does not support changes of address.  The HRIS sponsoring offices - Human Resource Services, the Payroll Office, and the Budget Office - provide a process to handle changes of address after the EPAF goes on line.

There is, however,  a rich assortment of actions that the EPAF will support, and so we look forward to transitioning into its usage during the fiscal year 2001-2001.  The level of usage of the typewritten PAR will go down and the level of usage of the EPAF will go up through the end of the fiscal year.  While the exact date on which PARs can be eliminated is not determined, we hope to be largely on the EPAF by June 30, 2002.  If you were only preserving a typewriter for PARs, we hope you can safely toss it by then!

Key concepts in the EPAF process that are explained in more detail on other pages include Categories and Approval Types. Categories refer to the fundamental reason for which the EPAF is processed.  Typical Categories would include a hire, a resignation, a change in funding source, or a transfer from one position to another.  Bundled together under Categories are the appropriate Approval Types.  For example, an EPAF to transfer an employee might include an Approval Type to stop one job on a certain date and another Approval Type to start the individual on the new job.  

The Approval Types are basically transparent to the EPAF user.  However, information on the set of Approval Types in the Banner can always be obtained by contacting Human Resource Services.  The Categories are quite important to EPAF users, so a listing of currently available EPAF Categories and their intended purposes is displayed on the HRIS web site.

Navigate to the EPAF Process Top Page from the link at the bottom of the page to and connect to pages on EPAF Categories and Approval Types.

A key characteristic of the EPAF process is that a particular Category is associated with a particular set of reviewers/approvers.  For example, a Category to hire an employee below the Director level might require review and approval by the responsible Director and his/her Vice President.  A Category to hire a person at the Director level, on the other hand, will not require approval of a Director but rather will be reviewed and approved by the responsible Vice President.  Since the approval paths are set according to EPAF Category, there is a separate Category to hire an individual below the Director level and another one to hire an individual at the Director level.   The EPAF Categories are listed both ways on the HRIS web site - both by Category name and by Purpose/Usage.  An EPAF user can, therefore, read the list both ways and select the EPAF Category that is most appropriate for the action contemplated.  Help is always available from Human Resource Services to select the right EPAF Category.

Participation in the EPAF process is also discussed in more detail on another page in this site.  Basically participation will require (1) valid MUInfo username and password; (2) approval of request to participate in a specific HRIS process; (3) participation in general Banner HR training and specific training devoted to the EPAF; (4) extension of form privileges; and (5) the similar registration of all the designated FYIs/approvers for that Category according to the originator's organization.