One thing at a time

At last spring's all staff event, Rosanne Bane spoke to us about "The Myth of Multitasking." Her message was not that multitasking should be completely avoided, but that focusing on one task and making a conscious effort to "task switch" should be worked into daily routines. This article on "The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time" reinforces Ms. Bane's message and provides some useful tips for making the most out of your time. (And, if you're a manager, helping your team make the most out of their time.)

The move

Since the Eddy Hall renovation has been delayed, our move to Donhowe will also (likely) be delayed for some time. However, we want to be prepared. Therefore, I have convened a group to determine the space and equipment needs for all ASR staff not located in STSS so when the time to move arrives, we are ready to proceed as quickly as possible.

Light rail construction and its affect on your commute

Spring and summer means construction season. Just so we're all on the same page, you should check out the traffic impacts for this spring, summer, and beyond in this presentation. Make sure you look through the whole PowerPoint; there's a lot of important information, right up to the end.

Academic calendar change?

At the recent state of the University address, President Kaler stated his vision of using summer term more strategically. There are a lot of details yet to be ironed out, but ASR will be involved in this project. Last year, ASR staff provided information to a University Senate committee that was tasked with writing a report about the utility of summer semester.

P&A staff can take personal holiday earlier

Previously, P&A staff were only allowed to take their personal holiday during a few specified weeks in December and January. Beginning July 2012, that will change; P&A staff may take their holiday any time before the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2013).

Transcripts across the world

Since the February 8, 2012 launch of the new online official transcript ordering system, over 6,000 transcripts have been processed. A quarter of these were sent via electronic PDF and opened on 6 of the 7 continents.

Exadata upgrade complete

The transition to Exadata servers was successfully completed in early March. This effort resulted in faster run times for some jobs and queries.

More meeting space in Williamson

Have a meeting in Williamson Hall? You can now schedule a new conference room in 160 Williamson when you're in that neck of the woods. The resource is named "WmsonH-160C OCM" and includes a whiteboard, monitor, laptop connection, and seats 3-4. The room is available between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. and is otherwise locked (similar to the hours of 160B Williamson). This space has a sliding "barn door" with WmsonH-160B (the Demo Room). No barn dancing, though; the rooms are not acoustically separated.

"Live Like a Student" featured in Star Tribune

ASR's very own financial literacy campaign was recently highlighted in the StarTribune. "Live Like a Student Now So You Don't Have To Later" is an effort through One Stop Student Services to help students manage their financial life on a student budget.

"To send a fax, press nothing...because that option is going away."

The IT Leadership Alliance has approved the removal of the default setting in Gopher Messaging that asks callers if they wish to send a fax with or without voice annotations (among other options). Users will still be able to opt-in to use the setting, but it will no longer be the default. Perhaps more people will now pick up the telephone.

The A Team: There is No Plan B

The Development Team is pleased to announce the line-up for the spring 2012 all staff event. Karen Kaler, wife of President Eric Kaler, will provide our keynote for the day. There will be two rounds of concurrent sessions: the first will focus on topics related to our Career Families; the second round of sessions are aimed at improving our wellness in a variety of areas, including physical, financial, and even wellness related to your commute. You will receive a brief survey closer to the event asking you to indicate which sessions you might like to attend, as well as indicate any special dietary needs. A formal invitation will be sent at the end of April. Details subject to change.

Help add it up

Make saving energy a competitive sport! See how many of the energy-saving tips you can work into your daily routines. Our buildings provide unique obstacle courses for some of these suggestions; see what's possible and try to help add up the energy savings.

University catalogs will transition to ASR

In the near future, ASR will assume responsibility for the maintenance and production of the University catalogs. Tasks will include review and editing of course and curriculum information in central systems (i.e., ECAS and PCAS) and the creation of a bi-yearly printable version. This work will be done by the communications team in ASR's Continuity and Compliance unit. Questions about this transition can be directed to Tina Falkner or Ingrid Nuttall.

Flexible Spending Account expenditures

The final date to submit claims for Plan Year 2011 is March 31, 2012. For a 2011 Flexible Spending Account, you may file claims for expenses incurred beginning January 1, 2011, or your effective date if you enrolled mid-year, and ending March 15, 2012. This means you cannot incur expenses after March 15 and be reimbursed.

Introducing ASR 411

The News & Notes blog now features a new category: ASR 411. These entries are intended to be a quick way to categorize and store the appropriate points-of-contact for some general, frequently asked questions that may come your way. Simply select the category "ASR 411" to see what's there, select a tag, or search for keywords.

This section is in its infancy, and it needs you to help it grow. Send frequently asked questions (and the proper points-of-contact, if you know them) to ingridn@umn.edu.

Club sports eligibility

If you receive a contact from a Club Sports athlete or Student Activities group requesting an eligibility form, here's what you do:

- In-person: Refer the student to 160 Williamson Hall to speak with the athletic eligibility team
- Email or phone: Tell the student to email the request to asrathl@umn.edu.

Simple as that.