During the past month, OSF staff (and a few non-OSF staff) have shared their insights with John Vollum, Jeremy Todd and Tina Falkner regarding their work, work processes and organization, as well as the qualities they seek in a new director, and OSF organizational culture. Staff have been candid, thoughtful, and open to thinking about doing work differently.
The information is being used to formulate the OSF director job description, set next steps for the organization (and ASR), and discover opportunities to improve the work culture and climate. It is anticipated that the job description will be finalized in the next few weeks, so recruitment can begin in earnest prior to the start of fall semester.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
GSSP integrating with One Stop student services
Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP) and One Stop Student Services have discussed ways to better align their work and responsibilities to best serve students. As a result, GSSP customer service staff will be integrated into the One Stop location at Bruininks Hall in order to better streamline service and processes for the University’s graduate students. Many logistical details are still being worked out, but the transition will begin in mid-October.
2016 eFAAN sent to 16,204 Twin Cities undergrads
Starting Monday, July 20th, the University began sending the electronic Financial Aid Award Notice (eFAAN) to undergrads. The eFAAN is sent to students to make them aware of their financial aid award offer. Students respond to their eFAAN through MyU.
U of M in fourth year of partnership with Pat Tillman Foundation
The University of Minnesota is in it's fourth year as a University Partner with the Pat Tillman Foundation. As one of 18 University Partners,the University of Minnesota is proud to announce our 2015 Tillman Scholar - Adam James. He was one of 60 Scholars selected amongst 2100 applicants. Having served on four separate deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom from 2006-2014, Adam has been involved in numerous combat operations. He credits his challenging childhood for his decision to join the U.S. Air Force and ultimately shaping him into the person he is today.
Read more about Adam »
Read more about Adam »
Tate Science and Teaching Renovation Update
Church Street and part of the Scholars Walk will be affected by the site fence surrounding the Tate renovation project. Staff are advised to look for signs directing them around the barriers in a safe manner. The sidewalk along the mall side of Tate will not have public access for the duration of the project, please plan accordingly.
Nolte Dining Room to remain closed
University Dining Services has decided, after careful consideration, to keep the Nolte Dining Room closed for the remaining academic year. This decision will be revisited in the future as UDS hopes to explore alternative dining options and find a viable solution. Staff are encouraged to visit other UDS locations: the Walter Library Wise Owl cafe, Lind Hall Starbucks or the MN Marketplace in Coffman Union.
Upcoming ASR summer picnic and fundraising event, August 20
On August 20, 2015 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. ASR will once again hold a fundraiser in conjunction with our annual summer picnic. Weather permitting, the picnic will take place behind Fraser Hall and the fundraiser will occur in Fraser Hall, Room 101. All staff are welcome to come for the picnic, the fundraiser or both. Look for the event on your Google calendar.
Similar to last year, all proceeds will be donated to the OSF general scholarship fund that is awarded to students in need. ASR staff are encouraged to donate a product or service towards the fundraiser. Examples of some items from last year are: hand-knit items, photography, jewelry, cooking lessons, garden weeding, luxurious hand lotion, sports tickets, and other useful items. If you have items you would like to donate, please contact Mara Schneider at john5941@umn.edu.
Similar to last year, all proceeds will be donated to the OSF general scholarship fund that is awarded to students in need. ASR staff are encouraged to donate a product or service towards the fundraiser. Examples of some items from last year are: hand-knit items, photography, jewelry, cooking lessons, garden weeding, luxurious hand lotion, sports tickets, and other useful items. If you have items you would like to donate, please contact Mara Schneider at john5941@umn.edu.
With Operating System Updates, patience is a virtue
Microsoft and Apple are both planning to release new versions of their operating systems in the coming weeks, and while the urge to upgrade is exciting, University IT asks that you wait to update your devices until they send the all-clear.
Help the U conserve energy
The University of Minnesota’s Facilities Management team is asking the University community to reduce the U’s monthly energy bill and carbon footprint by conserving energy as summer heats up. Their tips:
- Turn off unnecessary lights
- Close shades or blinds that allow direct sunlight (not a big problem in Williamson)
- Reduce the use of non-essential equipment, including: radios, fans, microwaves, cell phone chargers, etc.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
ASR staff listserve converted to Google group
The ASR staff listserve, ASRstaff@lists.umn.edu, was converted to a Google group on July 15, 2015. For most users, this change will not affect how they interact with and use the ASR staff list. Staff should send content to the ASRstaff@umn.edu email address or directly to Marit Gladem, glade022@umn.edu, who will remain the moderator of this list.
However, the switch will give staff the ability to share Google Drive files with all of ASR at once, making it easier to control permissions for internal documents. As an added benefit, the Google Group will track and archive content that has been sent to the group which will give staff a place to find past content and newly hired staff a place to catch-up on recently sent messages. If you have any questions about this change, please contact Kate Sophia, ksophia@umn.edu.
However, the switch will give staff the ability to share Google Drive files with all of ASR at once, making it easier to control permissions for internal documents. As an added benefit, the Google Group will track and archive content that has been sent to the group which will give staff a place to find past content and newly hired staff a place to catch-up on recently sent messages. If you have any questions about this change, please contact Kate Sophia, ksophia@umn.edu.
8xxxxxx ID numbers now being issued
In the past, University of Minnesota identification numbers have sequentially progressed as new numbers are needed and assigned staff, faculty and students. However, it is now the case that new ID numbers are being issued starting from 8xxxxxx for new employees. Colleges and staff may start seeing these number more frequently. These higher ID numbers can safely be trusted and treated the same as other U of M identification numbers.
Financial Wellness Counseling Progress in One Stop
One Stop has received many requests from U of M departments and offices to come and talk about their student financial wellness services. Interest ranges from athletics to OFYP to college offices. One Stop has had eight appointments with students since beginning this initiative last month, with more than that expressing interest when they come back for the fall term. The most commonly discussed topics include creating a spending plan, living like a student now, and issues related to graduation and loan repayment.
Recent phishing scams target U of M
Over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, phishing emails targeting the University community were sent to a number of staff, students, and faculty. The phishing emails had subjects: “School Mail Box Validation” “IDENTITY PROTECTION,” “IDENTITY RE-VALIDATE,” and “Easy Fast And Reliable.” They contained links to two login forms: one to validate your email address and one to validate IRS tax information.
Please read more about these threats and share with others »
Please read more about these threats and share with others »
Supervisors meeting with employees for feedback on merit pay
In the coming year, ASR supervisors will be discussing different ways to implement the mandatory merit pay program and are interested in hearing from staff on this topic. All feedback is welcome regarding how the process was implemented this year and will serve an important role as ASR continues to discuss how to implement it in the future. If you have ideas, please discuss with your supervisor.
One Stop implements Salesforce knowledge base FAQ software
One Stop launched it's new knowledge base FAQ software through Salesforce. The software will help counselors and other staff access and contribute important information in one shared resource for students, streamlining workflows and improving response. For a few weeks, the software will go through a soft launch while users watch for bugs and monitor student behavior. When all articles are published and things prove to be working well, One Stop will begin to bring more focus through their current home and contact us pages, eventually linking to the knowledge base in MyU.
Astra Schedule upgrade completed
The much anticipated Astra Schedule software upgrade was completed this week. This upgrade did not impact PeopleSoft/CCS. The UMN Astra system maintenance team has been working closely with Ad Astra developers to ensure a smooth upgrade and to ensure UMN business processes will be accommodated in the upgrade. One of the benefits of the upgrade is the improved performance speeds of the calendars.
U of M Board of Regents approves annual budget
A tuition increase of 1.5 percent ($150-$180 depending on campus) for resident undergraduate students was approved. For resident graduate/professional students, tuition increases range from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent. Non-resident undergraduate students on the Twin Cities campus will see an increase of 7 percent, or $1,350 annually, reflecting the U’s goal to move that rate to the middle of the Big Ten.
Read more at the ASR System Campus Update blog »
Read more at the ASR System Campus Update blog »
How does the University handle financial collections and loan repayment?
Submitted by Maggie O'Neil, Didi Nguyen, and Linda Olson
Sometimes the perception can be:
Sometimes the perception can be:
But, this is not remotely accurate. Yes, it’s true that in the Student Account Assistance (SAA) office, we are responsible for collecting dollars at the University of Minnesota. It’s not an easy task, but we would like to be understood as one part of a kinder, gentler U of M not only by students, but by parents, staff and the outside world. We begin by listening, really listening to the people we serve and, depending on the type of debt students have, SAA staff will help them understand their choices:
If they are concerned with student loans:
The SAA office is the main point of contact for all students who have student loans (Federal Perkins, University Trusts, Nursing, Health Professions, Primary Care, Minnesota Medical Foundation, and Social Work Grants to name a few). We work closely with students throughout the entire student loan process, from the point of disbursement to final repayment of their loans. Our knowledge of financial aid, student loans, and the University of Minnesota’s regulations have helped our students get back on track and navigate through the many complex rules and entitlements that they may not have known about when initially signing their promissory notes.
Our primary job is to keep borrowers current with their payments and work with students who have defaulted on their loans by helping them understand their rights, responsibilities and how to use the entitlements that are available to them. We also become their resource for Private and Direct Loans information. Although we do not service Direct Loans, we can guide students on how to find out who, what, where and when they owe during the repayment process.
We follow federal guidelines on due diligence for our collection process, and stay current on changes to regulations and temperaments. Decisions are made each and every day to see if the borrower meets the litmus test for certain entitlements. We strive to have our “A” game on at all times in order to be able to ask questions, assess student needs, and then come up with individualized solutions. No two days are alike and everyone’s crisis becomes our emergency.
If they are concerned about tuition and fees:
The SAA office also serves as the pivot for past due accounts. We assist students in a variety of ways pertaining to the balances they owe. If requested, we can define the charge(s) and help students resolve charge issues by either rectifying charge discrepancies or arranging for payment of the account balance. If it is determined that the balance cannot be satisfied in full, we are more than happy to work with students and establish a payment plan that help them pay over time with more manageable amounts. Unfortunately, this sometimes means it is our responsibility to help keep students from increasing their debt, particularly if it has already become unmanageable for them, by holding to U of M policy and not allowing them to do what they wish to do.
Serving as responsible stewards for the University of Minnesota, it is our goal to procure what is owed and carry out that service to students in a respectful and engaging way by maintaining the integrity of not only the Student Account Assistance office, but the University of Minnesota as a whole.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Salary Variances
You may have noticed differences between your salary letters from HR and the information in MyU. This is caused by a discrepancy in the way that that salary increases are calculated inside of and out of the PeopleSoft system that didn’t allow for the flexibility to enter flat amounts. If you notice a difference, please contact your manager to verify the correct information.
Reverse Transfer available July 1
The National Student Clearinghouse’s Reverse Transfer service is the first national automated solution for exchanging reverse transfer student data. Through reverse transfer, as many as two million eligible students could be awarded associate degrees. The new course credit exchange “highway” will facilitate the awarding of reverse transfer degrees by allowing institutions to exchange data in the same way with all of their partner degree granting institutions via the Clearinghouse. Find out more at the National Student Clearinghouse’s Reverse Transfer website...
MyU Archive being decommissioned
The University will decommission the archived version of the old myU portal on July 20, 2015, following the successful launch of the new MyU last April. Prior to the decommission date, users are advised to visit archive.myu.umn.edu if they would like to make note of their bookmarks or move any remaining content out of collaboration sites. Find out more from the Office of Technology...
Destiny One overview and next steps
Destiny One is a non-credit registration system that ASR signed the contract for in October 2014, officially kicking off implementation in the following November. This powerful tool will help program administrators manage curriculum and enrollment for non-credit events, workshops and courses; ensure PCI compliant financial transactions by consolidating all activity into a single merchant account; and improve the learner experience by automating many functions of the non-credit registration experience. Find out more about this tool, it’s on-boarding process and next steps...
ASR: After the Upgrade
After two-plus years of intense organizational focus on the Upgrade, it’s time for ASR to collect our thoughts about what’s next. There are lots of ideas, but our task will be looking in four primary directions and deciding how that information could impact ASR moving forward. John Vollum will be leading that effort for ASR; his past experience with organizational and collaborative efforts are a valuable resource while these topics are explored.
Looking Back - Where have we come from? What have we been good at and what have we accomplished?
John’s role: Help ASR learn from the Upgrade and apply it to future projects, large and small.
Looking Forward - Where are we going as an organization? What are the challenges and needs we’ll be addressing as a leading higher education department?
John’s role: Work with ASR managers to align work and staff ASR to meet those challenges.
Looking Out - How is higher education changing? What are the needed knowledge, skills and abilities.
John’s role: Looking across ASR to ensure that we are organizationally prepared for changes in higher education. One example would be helping OSF find and prepare for their next leader.
Looking In - Who are we? What makes us tick? What are the issues we need to address to be an organization that offers opportunity and challenge that engages and develops our staff?
John’s role: Assist ASR to actively work together on issues identified in our engagement survey.
Do you want to share an interesting aspect of the work you do? Or are you curious about the work happening in another ASR unit? Submit your ideas here.
Looking Back - Where have we come from? What have we been good at and what have we accomplished?
John’s role: Help ASR learn from the Upgrade and apply it to future projects, large and small.
Looking Forward - Where are we going as an organization? What are the challenges and needs we’ll be addressing as a leading higher education department?
John’s role: Work with ASR managers to align work and staff ASR to meet those challenges.
Looking Out - How is higher education changing? What are the needed knowledge, skills and abilities.
John’s role: Looking across ASR to ensure that we are organizationally prepared for changes in higher education. One example would be helping OSF find and prepare for their next leader.
Looking In - Who are we? What makes us tick? What are the issues we need to address to be an organization that offers opportunity and challenge that engages and develops our staff?
John’s role: Assist ASR to actively work together on issues identified in our engagement survey.
Do you want to share an interesting aspect of the work you do? Or are you curious about the work happening in another ASR unit? Submit your ideas here.
Internet password to be used for all Google Services
In order to streamline access to University Google Apps, users will no longer need to use a separate Google Desktop/Mobile Client password to access University Google Apps from a mobile device or email client such as Thunderbird, Outlook or Apple Mail. The change goes into effect beginning Tuesday, July 7, and applies only to University Google accounts. Find out more...
U of M Guest Wireless update
The Office of Information Technology finished making improvements to the UofM Guest wireless network on June 29, 2015. These improvements include:
Please feel free to send any feedback to IT@UMN, and note that it is still best to use the UofM Secure network -- it is faster and encrypted.
- Increased bandwidth
- Allowing more types of traffic, including Skype (other peer to peer traffic will still be blocked)
- Improved access process
Please feel free to send any feedback to IT@UMN, and note that it is still best to use the UofM Secure network -- it is faster and encrypted.
New Parent Program hire
The Parent Program has hired Meaghan Miller Thul as its new manager. She will join OSA on July 8. Meaghan has worked as the Assistant Director of Student Services in the College of Biological Sciences since 2012. Previously, she was in the College of Liberal Arts where she served as the Coordinator for Student Engagement and Student Services Coordinator.
Lock up your stuff!
Staff are encouraged to lock up their computers, equipment and valuables if they are going to be left unattended for any period of time. There have been reports of recent thefts and we’d like to protect personal and University belongings as best as possible.
Save the date for this year's staff picnic
The staff picnic is set for August 20, 2015. Save the date! Same as last year, ASR will be hosting a raffle/silent auction to help raise money for an ASR student scholarship fund. Staff are encouraged to begin brainstorming or crafting any items that they would like to donate to this year’s effort. Keep an eye on your inboxes as more details begin to unfold!
July 2: Four Square recap
As was said of King Henry IV, “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” And even William Shakespeare himself, the Bard of Avon, would be hard pressed to imagine a situation more true to his words than during this week’s ASR Four Square game. Each “King or Queen of the Squares” found their reign shortened by the quick hands and reflexes of the players who sought to claim the throne as their own. The game, by many accounts, was noted for being the most fiercely-friendly competition to date. Yet, despite the amazing displays of athleticism and grace, the competition will always be remembered for the adorable four-pawed visitor that truly conquered the day.
You can join in on the fun every Thursday at 12:00 PM in the parking lot behind Williamson Hall. Don’t be shy if you’re new to the game, current players are and have been extremely helpful in teaching new players the rules.
This is what you clicked through for, and, as promised, here are some photos of Amanda Miklik's dog Ruby:
You can join in on the fun every Thursday at 12:00 PM in the parking lot behind Williamson Hall. Don’t be shy if you’re new to the game, current players are and have been extremely helpful in teaching new players the rules.
This is what you clicked through for, and, as promised, here are some photos of Amanda Miklik's dog Ruby:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)