Get to know: Donna Cochran

Donna Cochran may be the shyest extrovert you’ll ever meet. Having graduated from UNC Charlotte in 1997, Cochran is now the Kronos WFR System Administrator. Get to know Cochran, what she’s learned from her job and her unexpected choice for a favorite animal. How long have you been a member of Niner Nation? I’ve been a member of Niner Nation since freshman year 1997. I am an alumna who graduated in 2001 from Belk College of Business. How would you describe your role and responsibilities as Kronos WFR System administrator? My main responsibility is to make sure that the Kronos system runs smoothly and functions properly. It is also my responsibility to provide effective guidance to all users so that they understand the system and have all of the resources they need to effectively complete their daily tasks. Have you always worked in OneIT Financial Systems Support? No, I started working at Charlotte in 2012 in Advancement Operations. I came to Financial Systems Support in 2016. Why is KRONOS important for University employees? Kronos is important for employees because it is the official system of record for their timekeeping and leave accruals. So it’s important that it functions properly and users understand how to use it. What is the most challenging part of your job? All of the many moving parts and contingencies on certain functionalities. What is the most rewarding part of your job? When I hear or “read” (in email) the excitement from a user that I’ve helped and they understand or “learned something new”. What’s something people might not know about your job? That it has taught me a lot of patience. Being that we don’t host Kronos, it can be frustrating when we don’t have the ability to fully customize the system so that it would work best for OUR entity. Between the unpredictableness of technology in general and the varied level of system knowledge by users, you have to be ready to change gears and adapt to any situation at any given time. What is something that many people don’t know about you? I’m the shyest extrovert you’ll probably meet. Is there anything else you want people to know about you? As mean as they are, I really like alpacas!