Update from Sue

Thank you to everyone for attending the OUE Assembly this year. It is always informative to hear what is happening and what external units are doing. Bob Burgett and Tina did a nice job talking about the important work of the Foundation, and how it relates to what occurs in a student’s world. I appreciate learning about the interrelatedness of our work. It was also nice to hear from leadership who sincerely appreciate all of the work that you are doing for our community. Provost Crosen and Vice Provost McMaster are very appreciative of all that you are doing.

I noticed that the focus was on TC undergraduates, and we are much much more than this group of students. So I sent off a note to the Provost’s communications writer, and the person was very thankful and appreciative to hear the feedback. I mentioned our work in the areas of non-credit, graduate, professional, various technologies, facilities, financial, and campus support. It is important for all of ASR to feel part of the OUE organization as you all do great work. Thank you so much for making such a positive difference!

The OTR Director search is getting closer to being finalized. Currently, I am working through the approval process to offer the position to a candidate.

One Time Only Late Withdrawal update

The One Time Only Late Withdrawal form is now available for students online. This new workflow allows students to have their applications filled out, submitted, routed, and approved without having to meet in person. It also reduces the need for collecting signatures and imaging the documentations for our records. This separates the One Time Only Drop processes from the Academic Policy Petition into its own form.

Faculty Senate meeting

The Faculty Senate will be meeting this afternoon, where the Minnesota Student Association (MSA) will present a resolution as new business to request changes to grading.

ASR Staff Engagement Dec. 3 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement survey focuses on our risk tolerance with COVID-19. Visit the December 3, 2020 ASR Staff Engagement Survey to submit your feedback. We love hearing your thoughts.

The results are in! Our last survey showed that we were all more than ready to enjoy the holiday weekend with various game plans in place. In addition to being ready for a long weekend, we were also very appreciative of the several programs of support offered by the University during the pandemic. The flexibility for working remotely was ranked as the most beneficial overall. Staff also shared many ways to practice self care over the University Holiday, such as simply spending time with our family, friends, and pets. The specific results from the survey are available below.

November 19, 2020 survey results

Please rank the employer offered support by what has been most beneficial to you during the pandemic.

Responses in order from most beneficial to least beneficial:

1. Work From Home Decision through June 2021
2. Mental Health support offerings and messaging
3. University Emergency Paid Leave
4. Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
5. Other

Are you ready for a COVID19 Thanksgiving?

• Yes 94 %
• Maybe 6%

In what ways will you practice self care over the University Holiday?

• Time with family, friends, and pets: relaxing with my family, zoom with family, snuggles with spouse and pets, and focusing on family fun
• Indoor/Outdoor Recreation: board games, puzzles, binge watching TV, exercising, online shopping, peloton, football, being active, and walks in nature
• Relaxation: music, sleep, yoga, stretching, journaling, weighted blanket, chiropractic work, solo time, and unplug from screens
• Hobbies: reading, decorating for the holidays, baking, cooking, crafting, reupholster my work chair, and do artwork
• Food and beverages: eggnog, adult beverages, tea, and pizza

CARES and student emergency funds update

The final round of the $12.9 million in CARES Act funds were disbursed to students this fall. Emergency CARES funds are no longer available. In addition, ASR worked with the Asian Pacific American Resource Center (APARC) to disburse $106,690 of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) CARES funds to 113 students. Student emergency funds and other resources are available, and potential cases should be referred to One Stop, or to Richard Campo (campo035@umn.edu), with any questions.

Connect to VPN once a month

All University computers should connect to the VPN once a month. This helps to maintain a healthy connection and reduce vulnerability while working remotely. You should follow these steps at least once every 30 days:

1. Log into device at home
2. Connect to University's Split Tunnel VPN
3. Leave the VPN connected for most or all of a business day to ensure that each piece of software connects and updates

Veterans Day

We would like to wish a happy belated Veterans Day to those who have served or are currently serving in the military in ASR. We appreciate your service. Usually, University Veterans Services would host an in-person Veterans Appreciation event to honor University veterans who have served. However, due to the COVID-19 health emergency, they have decided to create a Veterans Appreciation slideshow instead.

Even in times of a national emergency, we feel it is important to honor the sacrifices of our veterans and service members. Thank you to those of you who have served.

Update from Sue

We are headed into the season of giving, and in my opinion, ASR has been giving all year long. The staff in ASR are serving our University community very well while still juggling many personal issues in our lives. We continue to give and give without much reward at times. However, there are many around the University and beyond that are very thankful for everything that we do.

Similarily, it was nice to hear from Jennifer Reckner today and her sincere acknowledgement and appreciation of the work that all of you are doing. Your work truly is noticed.

I know we are getting tired, but try to find a way to keep energizing yourselves. The University has many resources available for employees, so take advantage of them. We are still doing so many exciting things, and you all should be proud of all your accomplishments. Start to jot these down and look at them on a regular basis. Great job everyone!

ASR Staff Engagement Nov. 19 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement survey focuses on preparing for the holidays during COVID-19. Visit the November 19, 2020 ASR Engagement Survey/Quiz to submit your feedback. We’d love to hear from you!

The responses to the last survey showed overwhelmingly that responders are viewing remote work opportunities more positively than before our COVID-19 work experience. When asked about the ideal mix of remote and in-person work, the most popular answer was for three days remote and two days in-person. This information will be helpful to ASR in planning ahead for when Fraser Hall goes offline.

Finally, staff reported some very interesting favorite "home office equipment" with responses ranging from my new co-workers (pets) to the best window views, and of course, large monitors. The specific results of the survey are available below.

November 5, 2020 survey results

As a result of the COVID19 pandemic have you become more positive about remote work?

• 97% Yes
• 3% No

Post COVID-19 what is your optimum mix of remote and in person work?

• 0 days remote = 2%
• 1 day remote = 0%
• 2 days remote = 13%
• 3 days remote = 39%
• 4 days remote = 16%
• 5 days remote = 30%

What's your favorite home office piece of equipment?

• Various answers, such as pets, window(s), natural light, lamp, office chair, couch, ottoman, recliner, laptop, Macbook, large monitor(s), privacy, patio/deck/backyard, wireless mouse, blankets, yoga pants, Costco sit/stand desk, noise blocking airpods, essential oil diffuser, and music.

Update from Sue

The election is now over, and it is alright to reflect upon what you might be experiencing. I enjoy the uniqueness of ASR and its employees, so it is understandable everyone might be going through different emotional experiences right now. Remember to focus on what needs to get done and think about how to accomplish those tasks. We, in ASR, have been through a lot this year and continue to stay focused on our mission. I am so proud of the work all of you are doing. I am sharing a piece of the MOR article I read earlier this week that resonated with me. I have always said that I enjoy the openness of staff and the curiosity that has enabled our unit to perform at its best to help with student success.

Respect and Appreciate Alternative Views

“Lastly, to help us all move forward, put a focus on respecting and appreciating views different from our own. As leaders we need to create an inclusive environment. Despite a divisive backdrop, we want to have our teams adopt openness as a norm. When people have such contrasting views it is helpful to be curious. Seek to understand. We do not need to agree with every view on the team, but we do need to create the physiological safety where people are free to share them. The future is going to need a heavy dose of innovation; we will not get there with closed mindsets. Practicing this openness today with questions and curiosity will help model the behavior we would like to see become the norm.”

Congratulations ASR retirees

With the University’s Retirement Incentive Option, several people in ASR will be retiring over the next few months. While not everyone is ready to share their news publicly, we want to congratulate the following staff that are sharing the news:

• Jim Fisk, Infrastructure Analyst with Classroom Technical Services, is retiring this week after 14 years of service.
• Deb Pusari, Associate Director in the Office of Student Finance, is retiring November 13 after 30+ years of service.

We will miss you in ASR! Thank you all for your wonderful service to the University. Enjoy retirement!

Change to One Stop Student Services and Student Account Assistance in-person service

Beginning Monday, November 30, One Stop Student Services and Student Account Assistance (SAA) will temporarily suspend in-person services in Bruininks Hall until the week before the start of the spring term. However, students and staff can continue to contact One Stop or SAA. The drop boxes in Bruininks Hall will remain open and be checked by staff. SAA is developing a plan for any scholarship checks that remain unsigned when the closure begins.

University Veterans Services, Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP), the Helping U desk, and One Stop’s West Bank and St. Paul locations will remain closed for in-person service.

ASR conference room layouts

Conference room layouts have been made for spaces in Williamson and Fraser to accommodate 6’ physical distancing guidelines. The layouts for the rooms can be found in the 6’ distancing conference room folder for those of us currently on campus using conference rooms.

ASR Staff Engagement Nov. 5 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement survey is now available. Visit the November 5, 2020 ASR Engagement Survey/Quiz to submit your feedback.

The responses to the last survey show that staff is well informed. Staff recognized that remote work enables organizations to embrace diversity and inclusion by hiring people from different socioeconomic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds and with different perspectives. Additionally, staff also recognized that the major barrier organizations face with remote work is simple resistance to change. Lastly, while some staff have found ways to take breaks, others are still searching for ideas. The results from the last survey are available below.

October 22, 2020 survey results

Remote work creates a barrier for companies to embrace diversity and inclusion.

• 88% False
• 12% True

Number 4 in the “The Benefits of Working From Home: Why The Pandemic Isn’t the Only Reason to Work Remotely” shows that this is in fact false!

What do you think is the most cited barrier to remote working?

• 53% Changing an organization's long standing non-flex work culture
• 3% Privacy concerns
• 3% Data Security concerns
• 12% Lack of understanding of benefits to remote work
• 3% Technology requirements
• 26% Fear about impact to overall organization's culture/community

Check out “How People and Companies feel about working remotely” to learn about some of the different benefits and barriers to working from home.

What do you use to remind yourself to take a break, move, drink water, stretch, rest your eyes, etc.?

• 17% Calendar - I use it to schedule breaks
• 6% Phone - I use it to set an alarm
• 3% Buddy Breaks - schedule time with coworker
• 29% Fitbit or other fitness monitor
• 45% Other - haven't found something that really works yet...

If you haven’t found an effective way to take a break, or are searching for some alternative methods, check out “9 Creative Ways to make yourself take breaks at work.”

Update from Sue

Fall term is flying by, and we are busy preparing for spring term and beyond. Thank you everyone for all of your help on so many levels and items! I have reached out to so many of you for help, and you all have been fantastic, nimble, creative, and honest. ASR continues to function as a team that provides solutions, serves the community, and assists students successfully, which is being noticed and appreciated.

Below, I am sharing a handwritten note from Provost Croson that you all deserve, even more so than me. This is the first time in my life I have received a handwritten note from my supervisor's boss, and I owe it all to your dedication to our students. You should feel very proud of your accomplishments. Thank you very much.

Image description:

Dear Sue,

I just wanted to thank you for the extraordinary efforts you and your team have made to develop, implement, and communicate our fall plan. Your input has ben invaluable, and your insights have been extremely important in shaping our decision.

None of us expected the pandemic or the fast changes that it would require. You have risen to the challenge and gave above and beyond.

Thank you,

Rachel

Fraser Hall

Recently, Government and Community Relations announced that the legislature passed four bills, including a capital investment bonding bill that approves design development for the future replacement of Fraser Hall as the Undergraduate Chemistry Teaching Laboratories building. Construction is not yet funded, which will depend on passing a bonding bill in May 2021.

Meanwhile, ASR is working with Capital Project Management on early planning for how/whether to relocate Fraser Hall staff. No set plans have been made, but we want to be prepared in the event the bonding bill passes in May. We will continue to update staff as we learn more.

Google Workspace

Starting January 2021, Google will be rebranding the G Suite that the University uses for Gmail, Calendar, Drive, etc. as Google Workspace. This rebrand will continue to keep all of the apps that we use from G Suite, while better integrating them with new icons and interfaces. With Google Workspace, Google is simply moving to make work easier and more efficient. More information can be found on Google Workspace Updates.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee update

Thank you to all who attended the ASR DEI Quarterly Meeting on October 6th! Here’s a recap in case you missed the meeting. We updated attendees on what the ASR Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Committee has been working on recently, and we discussed communication methods for sharing information about work the committee is doing. We also asked for feedback on how best to engage ASR staff on DEI issues.

We appreciate all of the insight and suggestions that attendees provided during the meeting. If you are interested in joining (or continuing) the conversation, we welcome you to join the ASR DEI Community of Practice (CoP) and Google Group. In the Google Group, we will soon begin soliciting ideas for what to do with the remaining few hundred dollars of funding the ASR DEI Committee was awarded from our Campus Climate Micro Grant in January 2020. As always, feel free to reach out to your ASR unit representative if you want to learn more about the ASR DEI Committee.

ASR Staff Engagement Oct. 22 Survey

This week’s survey, developed to capture your thoughts as we continue to work remotely, is now available. Visit the October 22, 2020 ASR Engagement Survey/Quiz to submit your feedback.

October 8, 2020 survey results

What are the most Zoom meetings you've had in a single work day?

• 1-3 meetings (60%)
• 4-6 meetings (32%)
• 7 or more meetings (8%)

The most meetings in a day reported was 15, whew!

Which new collaboration tools /applications have you begun using since working remotely?

• Zoom breakout rooms
• Slack channels
• Chat

Working remotely costs employers less.

• True 55 %
• False 10%
• Maybe 34%

The article “Does working from home save companies money?” provides some interesting information. See if it changes your answer.

Working remotely costs employees less.

• True 50%
• False 13%
• Maybe 37%

According to the article “If you’re working from home, chances are you’ll save money,” the answer is true!

Update from Sue

I hope everyone is continuing to think about how to work effectively and productively as possible and taking time to stand and do a few of the exercises we learned from our ASR staff event. We have moved into the compact/budget cycle of the year, and we’ll be meeting with Vice Provost McMaster shortly to provide our thoughts to him. Keep in mind, we will not know anything about the budget until spring.

This week was our first open DEI meeting, welcoming anyone in ASR, and I heard many positive comments about the meeting. I do appreciate that we continue to think about how to serve our students, so thank you so much. Please continue to stay focused on our mission, vision, and values.

Coronavirus training

As a reminder, all staff are required to take the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Awareness training by October 26, 2020. This training is available to all faculty, staff, and student workers to communicate information on exposure routes, personal hygiene, exposure controls, and University policies and resources related to COVID-19. If you have any questions regarding the technical aspects of the training, contact training@umn.edu.

Spring break changes

For the spring 2021 semester, the Faculty Senate has voted to keep a five-day Spring Break as it is much needed by students, faculty, and staff. However, the dates have been moved to April 5-9. A decision on whether to change the post-Spring Break instructional modality has not been made yet, but will be discussed at a later date based on the progression of the pandemic.

UMN Community Fund Drive

Each year the University holds a Community Fund Drive to support important efforts that matter to us. There are many ways to give, including donating to charities, nonprofits, and on-campus fundraising events. Last year ASR participated in the fund by raising money for the Twin Cities Student Success Fund. If you would like to donate this year, more information about the fund and how to donate are available on the ASR website. Additional ways to give are also available on the 2020 Community Fund Drive page.

Academic Alerts project

Academic Alerts, which is replacing the mid-term grades process for undergraduate classes, recently went live for all instructors teaching an undergraduate class. The new process, part of the APLUS system, allows instructors to send feedback to each student and their advisor any time and as often as they need throughout the semester. Additionally, APLUS will support advisors by providing a broader view of how students are doing in their courses, at earlier points during the term.

ASR Staff Engagement Oct. 8 Survey

The next short survey, developed to capture your feedback as we continue our remote working arrangements, is available. Visit the October 8, 2020 ASR Engagement Survey/Quiz to submit your feedback.

September 24, 2020 survey results (top 3 results)

What's your biggest challenge for working from home?

1. 25% Unplugging after work (work life balance)
2. 17% Collaboration
3. 14% Taking your vacation

What do you think are managers' top 3 concerns regarding employee work from home?

1. Reduced Team cohesiveness
2. Employees overworking
3. Three way tie: Reduced employee focus, Reduced employee productivity, and Maintaining organizational culture

What do you miss most about not being on campus?

1. Each other: My colleagues, especially my team, co-workers and students, the variety and general connections, and interacting with folks personally
2. Places: Starbucks, Canes, and Surdyk's
3. Social Connections: Hallway conversations, going out to lunch, quick in-person collaboration, walk breaks on campus, and the campus vibe

If you are interested in more detail on how to overcome some of these identified challenges, check out the short article “The 7 biggest remote work challenges (and how to overcome them).”

Update from Sue

I must say ASR staff continues to impress me and others around campus as we are asked to solve issues and provide options and solutions. As the fall term continues, I feel we are doing very well serving our students, faculty, and staff. This is all because of the preparation and the work that you are doing. Vice Provost McMaster continues to mention the terrific work ASR is doing, so your work doesn't go unnoticed by others. I will be honest with you that the work isn’t going to slow down for a while and trying to get answers will take longer due to a new administration. However, I will keep trying my best to push for answers.

For those that were able to attend Neil Carlson’s presentation today, his quote “Making people’s lives less miserable one person at a time,” really resonated with me. This reminded me of our mission and focus. I have great respect for Neil, and I hope you enjoyed his presentation. He provided some terrific tips that will help us. I know I need to stand more, think about SCARF, and make an effort to follow through. I stood during his presentation and practiced along with him. Please be aware of your work environment and make some simple changes for your own wellbeing.

Upcoming changes for Mac users

OIT has two upcoming changes for Mac users that will keep University devices more secure, stable, and compliant with University Information Security policy:

• Centrally-managed University Mac users will be required to enable disk FileVault encryption software as of September 21, 2020. This software helps to prevent unauthorized access to files and user data. Users will receive a prompt regarding this change when they sign out or restart their device. More information is available in our knowledge base (TDX login req’d).
• Mac devices running Microsoft Office 2016 must be upgraded to Office 365 Pro Plus before October 14, 2020 so the devices remain stable and secure. This is because Microsoft Office 2016 will no longer be supported.
• OIT’s Computer and Device Management Services (CDS) will begin emailing users whose Mac devices are centrally managed and run MS Office 2016. This message will ask users to upgrade on their own. If users do not upgrade on their own, CDS will auto-update all centrally-managed Mac devices starting October 12, 2020.
• If OIT does not manage the devices, users must upgrade to Office 365 Pro Plus on their own before October 14, 2020.
• To learn how to make this update, visit the instructions to download and install Office 365 Pro Plus.

If you have any questions about any of these changes or need assistance, please contact Technology Help.

G Suite updates: Sharing folders in shared drives

Users with a manager role can now share folders in shared drives. This will allow teams to more easily store, access, and collaborate on files. With this update, users will be able to share a specific folder with other users. They will also be able to upgrade member access to provide users with additional permissions on specific folders within shared drives. Additionally, the ‘commenter role’ will be available for folders in My Drive as well. This feature will be available for all domains and users with shared drives. For more information about this particular update, check out the official statement from the G Suite team.

Mental Wellness Q&A

This section is devoted to answering general questions related to mental wellness in the workplace. Please continue to submit questions using this form.

Q: I think I’d like to talk to someone. How do I actually go about finding a therapist?

A: Hello! This is Amanda, the C&C rep on the Mental Wellness group. This is a great question! I’ve provided a few, researched tips below regarding how to find a therapist.

Note: If you are in crisis, please call 911, the MN crisis line **CRISIS (**274747), or reach out to the crisis text line (text “MN” to 741741).

Tip 1: Ask a friend. Since we’re all friends here, I thought I’d personalize this answer and tell you how I found my therapist. I was not sure where to start, so I started with my insurance. On the back of my insurance card was a phone number for behavioral health, which I called. The person on the other end of the line looked up a few therapists near me, who were covered by my insurance, and gave me three numbers. I called all of them. The therapist who returned my call first seemed good during our conversation so we set up an appointment. We meshed so well I stayed with her for the long haul.

Similarly, if you have a friend in therapy, consider asking them how they found their therapist or ask them about their therapist to see if they may be a good fit for you. If your friend has shared they are in therapy, most likely they’d be willing to talk to you about their therapist.

Tip 2: Try your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). When my husband and I got married we used our EAP to do a handful of premarital counseling sessions, which I was convinced was a must do - and it was great! We celebrate 10 years of marriage next month! I was very glad for the EAP because our individual insurance only covered individual counseling. Find info on the University’s EAP, Sand Creek, on the HR web site.

Tip 3: If you’re the type who likes to do research, WebMD has a short article about how to find a therapist, which may help you decide what kind of therapy you want to do and what kind of therapist you want to see. There are also good questions to help you figure out what you want from therapy, such as:

• Do you want talk therapy only?
• Someone who can prescribe medication?
• A mixture of both?

There are also good resources to figure out what type of therapist/counselor might be a good match for you, such as:

• Psychiatrists
• Psychologist
• Licensed professional counselors

Tip 4: If you emailed the University benefits folks and asked this question (which I did), they would tell you to refer to your Insurance Company’s web site where you can find a provider based on your coverage.

Tip 5: Finally, I asked a counselor in my family for a tip from a professional’s perspective, and they said, “Psychology Today is undoubtedly the best access point for finding a therapist. Reach out to multiple therapists who have profiles that resonate with you because many will have no or limited availability right now. Keep meeting/looking until you find one that fits because relationship is the number one factor that decides progress. You will know intuitively after one or two meetings.”

The Dream Fund

The Immigration Response Team is currently accepting applications for The Dream Fund, which was created to provide emergency grants to University of Minnesota students who are enrolled in a degree-seeking program and:

• Are authorized under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program;
• Had Temporary Protected Status that was terminated;
• Are undocumented;
• Face a gap in immigration status that affects their work authorization.

This donor-supported fund is meant to ensure that unexpected emergencies and recent immigration changes will not derail students’ academic dreams. Eligible students may apply for a grant to help with educational expenses, unexpected medical or dental bills, housing needs, food insecurity, or other extenuating circumstances like DACA renewal fees. International students generally do not qualify.

You can learn more about The Dream Fund and how students apply at The Dream Fund Application. If you have any questions, please contact the Immigration Response Team at immigration@umn.edu.

Zoom to enforce security requirement

Starting September 27, 2020, Zoom will enforce the "Passcode or Waiting Room" security requirement for all meetings. These security measures will ensure that your online meetings are protected while still maintaining its simplicity for all participants.

Prepare for this Change

1. Identify meetings that need updating. To find meetings that you have scheduled without a Passcode or Waiting Rooms generate a report.
2. Update your meetings. Before September 27, you can update your already scheduled meetings by adding a Passcode or enabling a Waiting Room.
1. Learn how to add a passcode to an existing meeting.
2. Learn how to enable a waiting room.

After September 27, Zoom will automatically enable waiting rooms for any scheduled meetings that have not been updated.

Waiting Rooms

The Waiting Room feature allows the host to control when a participant joins the meeting. When an attendee has entered the waiting room, the host will receive both a visual and auditory notification. As the meeting host, you can then admit attendees one by one, or hold all attendees in the Waiting Room and admit them all at once.

You can also customize the Waiting Room experience so individuals or users on an approved list of domains can bypass the Waiting Room and directly join the meeting.

If you have any questions regarding this change, please review the FAQ document from Zoom or reach out to Technology Help.

Production batch reminder

If your working schedule ends up needing some flexibility, please remember that between the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the production batch is running. Be careful of the kinds of actions you are taking (comment entry, awarding, etc) that have the potential to possibly impact various aspects of production. Updates to the database should be avoided as there is the potential for conflict and unintended consequences.

Update from Sue

I believe ASR and other University members have created a solid fall reopening plan for students, staff, and faculty. All of you played a significant part in this, and I am proud of the work we have done in collaboration with many others across the University system. However, I also understand the concern leadership has, and so we will pivot for the first two weeks of the term. I want to thank all of you for keeping your stamina even when it is tough.

You are juggling so many items at the moment in your work, personal lives, and what continues to occur in our communities. Many of you are trying to understand how to stay safe, prepare for educating your children, and continue to learn of disturbing racial injustice. I was so disappointed to learn one of our students was involved in the defacing of the George Floyd mural, and now to see the situation in Kenosha, Wisconsin is truly disheartening. I am saddened by the recent shooting of Jacob Blake. We grieve with his family and the community.

We also continue to call for police reform and accountability and to denounce systemic racism. We encourage you to speak to your family, friends, coworkers, and community about ways we can continue to heal our system, so it can support all of its citizens and keep them safe. The newly formed ASR DEI Community of Practice is available to anyone in ASR, and we encourage you to share your thoughts and feelings during this time in that space.

ASR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion updates

ASR DEI Community of Practice

ASR has formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Community of Practice (ASR DEI CoP). This is open to all ASR staff who want to be more engaged and contribute to DEI topics, activities, and conversations. If you are interested, please join our ASR DEI CoP Google Group!

Members of this group are expected to collaborate with their unit DEI committee representative, participate in discussion and idea generation, volunteer as needed for DEI initiatives and calls for action, and keep informed about the latest DEI events and updates in ASR. More information about membership responsibilities can be found in the ASR DEI Committee charter. You can opt in and out of this Google Group at any time.

Quarterly ASR DEI meetings

The ASR DEI Committee will host open meetings once a quarter that anyone in ASR is welcome to attend. These meetings will include reports of what the committee is working on as well as an open forum for ASR staff to provide feedback. Our first quarterly meeting is planned for Tuesday, October 6, 2020. We will communicate more about this closer to the date.

New ASR DEI C&C unit member

The ASR DEI committee would like to welcome Stacia Madsen as the new unit representative for Continuity & Compliance! Stacia will be transitioning onto the committee in place of Christina Yoong. We are all looking forward to Stacia’s insights and contributions in this new role! We’d also like to take a moment to thank all past committee members for their hard work and dedication during the times they served on the DEI committee.

Vision Organizer update

ASR’s Vision Organizer has been updated for the current year. ASR leadership collaboratively updated this strategic visioning document that sets targets in three areas of focus for 10 years into the future, along with incremental steps to reach those targets. The document also lists key current work as well as items recently completed (these items are updated quarterly, so be sure to check back). Individuals and departments can use this document to set quarterly goals (called “rocks") related to the long-term vision. Talk with your supervisor if you have any questions about the Vision Organizer.

Student Data Inquiry (SDI) training course update

The Office of the Registrar Training & Support and Continuity & Compliance training recently reviewed and reformatted the Student Data Inquiry (SDI) training course content in order to make it more efficient for learners and easier to keep up to date. The new version of the course, which now takes about 30 minutes to complete, is available in Training Hub. Only new PeopleSoft Campus Solutions users are required to take the course. One notable change is that the FERPA compliance training course will be a prerequisite to SDI for new users.

Update from Sue

The start of fall term is approaching very soon. Morris starts on Wednesday, so here we go! As I look to provide the leadership all of you may be seeking from me, I want to continue to improve and guide us toward our goals. However, I realize we may encounter some side steps that could hinder us from moving forward. Now more than ever, we need to think of our “rocks" as we look to meet our goals and remember to keep a good perspective on our tasks.

Along with our goals, I want us to realize that we still have inequities in our country and in our community. We need to continue to stay committed to our mission, vision, and values, as I truly believe these are spot on to help the University continue to move forward by supporting each other and helping all of our students.

I am still very committed to our mission, vision, and values, and I believe this is helping ASR as we continue to keep forging ahead and doing terrific work. I have a few people who are looking at how we can keep planning. They may also provide a 30 day guide for us, which will help us all keep focused.

I want to also thank all of you for continuing to help the administration by providing guidance, information, and input. It is important to provide our leaders with information, so they know the impact of their decisions, and how we will support those decisions. Terrific work everyone!

One Stop launching Zoom drop-in service and limited in-person appointments

One Stop Student Services is planning to resume limited in-person services on August 24 at their East Bank (Bruininks Hall) location. During the fall term, One Stop’s internal staff line (612-625-9050) will not be in service.

• Launching virtual drop-ins via Zoom
• Offering limited 15-minute, in-person appointments (scheduling will be available on the One Stop website)
• Providing a drop box for form and scholarship check submissions

The St. Paul and West Bank locations, University Veteran Services, Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP), and the Helping U desk will remain closed for in-person services. Because of the limited availability and staffing for in-person appointments, students are encouraged to contact One Stop by email, phone, Zoom drop-in, or web chat.

Parking enforcement

Parking Enforcement will return to campus on Monday, August 17. Warning citations will be issued the first week of enforcement (Aug 17 - Aug 21). Following Monday August 24, citations that carry a fine/penalty will then be issued, so make sure you are parking in a location you have a valid permit for, or you are parking within the allotted time limit.

Pets and Mental Wellness

Did you know nearly 70% Of U.S. households (84.6 Million) own a pet? Of those:

• 80% believe their pets bring them happiness and emotional support;
• 55% believe their pets reduce anxiety and depression; and
• 66% believe their pets relieve stress.

Research has shown that these beliefs are correct! As several studies have demonstrated that there are numerous health benefits to owning pets, such as reduced stress, anger, anxiety, depression, and aggression. Moreover, studies have also shown that owning pets help us build healthy habits that are beneficial to our mental and physical health.

Early research on pets and mental health

The first research on pets and mental health was published 30 years ago. Psychologist Alan Beck of Purdue University and psychiatrist Aaron Katcher of the University of Pennsylvania conducted the study by measuring what happens to the body when a person pets a friendly dog. They found that the following health benefits:

• Blood pressure went down
• Heart rate slowed
• Breathing became more regular
• Muscle tension relaxed

These are all signs of reduced stress. Therefore, the researchers had discovered physical evidence of pets improving mental health.

Animals help people with mental and physical health conditions

Further research from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) found that in people with cancer, animal-assisted interventions (i.e. therapy, education, activities) play a role in reducing anxiety, depression, and aggression during treatment.

For people receiving treatment for mental illnesses, animal-assisted interventions also reduce anger, anxiety, depression, and general distress, while improving the ability to socialize. Studies have further found that animal interactions have the ability to help people who are critically ill by reducing stress, anxiety, and boredom; improving mood; and reducing heart rate and blood pressure.

Interacting with pets lowers our stress hormones

Studies around pets and mental health have also shown that petting and playing with animals reduces stress-related hormones, such as cortisol, and raises our levels of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin—a chemical in the body that reduces stress naturally. These hormones calm and relax the nervous system. When we smile and laugh at our pets’ cute behavior, that helps stimulate the release of these “happiness hormones.” These benefits can occur after just five minutes of interacting with a pet, which is very helpful for those with anxiety, and why animal-assisted therapy is so powerful.

Pets help us build healthy habits

Since pets need to be taken care of every day, they help us build healthy habits and routines:

• Physical activity: Dog owners need to take their pets for walks, runs, and hikes regularly. Therefore, owners receive the benefits of exercise. Studies show that dog owners are far more likely to meet recommended daily exercise requirements.
• Time in nature: Walking a dog or riding a horse gets us outside. As a result, we experience the many mental benefits of being outdoors.
• Getting up in the morning: Dogs and cats need to be fed on a regular schedule. As a result, pet owners need to get up and take care of them—no matter what mood they are in. Hence, pets give people a reason to get up and start their day.
• Pet care supports self-care: Caring for a dog, horse, or cat reminds us to care for ourselves as well. For example, teens that groom horses in Equine Assisted Therapy remember the importance of caring for their own health.

Update from Sue

I am sharing some text from the excellent work of Leon Prieto and Simone Phipps in their recent book, African American Management History: Insights on Gaining a Cooperative Advantage, which I read from my Tuesday Reading by David Sweetman, MOR Associates Leadership Coach and Consultant.

Deep and meaningful connections: This is about focusing on organization values and creating and articulating meaningfulness in work with each employee, so they feel a strong sense of significance and purpose in their work. For many of us, this meaningfulness is inherent in the purposes of higher education in the creation and dissemination of knowledge. How do we help those we lead more fully see the connection between their work and these purposeful missions?

Additionally, how do we create an environment that enables each person to thrive by best developing and using their knowledge and skills? Especially under increased budget and time pressures, how can we provide some meaningful forms of growth and recognition for each of our team members?

These words really resonated with me as ASR is doing tremendous work, sometimes with little thanks from the community. I believe we are doing such terrific work because all of you are focused on student success, and we all understand our organizational values, which allow us to focus on meaningful work as a team.

As we all continue to be leaders in our positions, go back and look at our mission, vision, and values if you haven't done so in a while, as doing this has reenergized me. You should all be proud of the work you are doing from fall reopening planning, normal operations, and continued enhancements to help students, faculty, and staff.

Thank you.

ASR Operations Project Committee (ASROPC) updates

• Several new Jadu workflows are in progress.
• One Time Drop, Academic Policy Petition, Financial Aid Accommodation Request, and Return to the University
• New Professional Experience and Resource Request (PERR) form is being piloted with ASR-IT and will eventually replace the existing PDR form. We anticipate rolling it out to all of ASR in early fall.
• The Independent Status Appeal process went live in Jadu last month.
• Fall 2020 planning
• Emails were sent regarding instruction modes to all Undergraduate students on Tuesday, and Professional/Graduate students will receive them today.
• July 23, 2020 Email from Office of Undergraduate Education (Reviewed by the Provost and the President)
• July 28, 2020 Email from One Stop to all Twin Cities undergraduate students
• This went to all students with enrollment for fall 2020 (including NAS, NHS, & UIT).
• OCM is working with faculty to finalize classes that still need classrooms. There are roughly 2 dozen classes they are working to place. 
• We worked with the Provost’s office to create talking points about tuition and fees for fall 2020, and we are now working on guidance for instructors.
• Multiple areas of ASR will collaborate on the “Start of Term” email, which is sent to all students right before classes begin. Typically, this email covers how to view class schedules, information about bills, and financial aid. We anticipate multiple changes to this typical email format to fit the needs of fall 2020.

COVID-19 awareness training

If you’re interested in learning more about the Coronavirus, a new COVID-19 awareness course is available in the Training Hub. The course covers the symptoms of the virus, how the virus spreads, and how you can protect yourself and others from the virus.

Academic Support Resources Operations Project Committee (ASROPC) project update

ASROPC is a new group created to facilitate and align project work within ASR. The committee has representatives from all seven ASR Units. The group is working to coordinate ASR operational work and procedures, integrations, custom web development, and central OIT technology projects across units to ensure the appropriate staff and resources are included and available in alignment with priorities.

In collaboration with ASR Leadership, the group has identified these two forms as Jadu project priorities for late September through December.

• Academic Policy Petition
• One Time Drop

The One Time Drop will be removed from the Academic Policy Petition and become its own form. Work to automate both forms will be done concurrently. Advisors have provided feedback that COVID-19 has presented challenges to the current process of using a pdf form, particularly in getting necessary signatures or routing the form. Electronically routed forms will streamline the process for students and staff. The project is co-led by Chris Smith from ASR and Katie Russell from OUE. A working group is being formed to include representation from the undergraduate colleges. As the work gets underway, look for future updates.

PM101 Series update

The ASR Project Management Series provided an understanding of the basic principles of project management in order to help staff effectively contribute to project teams. We previously offered six in-person courses at various times throughout the year. In January, the committee, which is a group of staff who were instructors for various courses in the series, started evaluating options to review the course content and make enhancements, and then Covid happened.

Going forward, we will be relying on Project Management Foundations, a course available through LinkedIn Learning that combines content from several of our in person offerings. The lessons are broken into short chapters with quizzes to test your knowledge.

Basic project management knowledge is an important competency in our work and we encourage those new to ASR or any staff looking to expand their skills and knowledge to enroll in this self-paced course. It is a great way to take a pause from your day to day work tasks and engage your mind in different ways. For more information, please see the Academic Support Resources Project Page: Short Courses.

Additionally, if you decide to complete the final course quiz, you can earn a certificate for 3.25 professional development units recognized by the Project Management Institute (PMI). The certificate step is completely optional, but we encourage you to speak with your supervisor to evaluate the alignment of job needs and your individual development plans. We will also be providing a coaching guide to department supervisors to help guide one on one conversations.

The committee will be looking to gather feedback from those who complete the course in order to understand the value and impact it has on your professional work. All feedback can be sent to pwf-team@umn.edu. In addition, we intend to offer an in-person component in the future that highlights the nuances of projects in ASR. We will also be evaluating additional course topic areas like Effective Project Teams, Conflict and Change Management, and Business Analysis.

Fee adjustments for fall

All RRC managers throughout the system have been asked to review all collegiate, term, course, class, and other fees to determine if students will receive the full benefit of the fee when courses transition to fully online after Thanksgiving. If the college/department determines they will not, the RRC managers will adjust the fee in the Tuition and Fee Management System (TFMS). This action will hopefully avoid the refunds and adjustments that occurred in spring 2020. The RRC’s fee review and any adjustments are due by Friday, July 17.

Students on the Twin Cities campus who live in University housing will be asked to indicate if they intend to live in the residence halls only through Thanksgiving or to the end of term, and there will be two separate rates. Students who choose to come back to the residence hall after break, but who did not indicate that before, will be charged the appropriate housing and dining charges.

Academic Fees – Campus/College/Durable Goods

The expectation for academic fees is that services will continue to be delivered, possibly in alternative formats, and these rates will not be adjusted. (This is consistent with how these fees were treated during the refund review for spring semester for almost all campuses.)

Miscellaneous Fees – Term Fees

This category of fees includes application fees, confirmation fees, health plans, stadium fees, transportation fees, and others. Most of these do not require adjustment for the updated fall schedule. However, fees related to rental of space or equipment may require adjustments due to limitations for being on campus after Thanksgiving.

Student Service Fees

These fees support student government, student organizations, student wellness, and media organizations amongst other things. There is no expectation that these fees will be adjusted.

Course/Class Fees

By far the largest category of fees, course/class fees are the most directly affected by the change in the academic calendar and changes in course delivery for fall 2020.

Foreign Gifts and Contracts Reporting changes

Section 117 of the Higher Education Act requires schools to submit reports about gifts and contracts that are $250,000 or greater from any foreign source. In the recent past, this was done through OSF and the E-App two times a year (January and July), with information collected by Accounting Services. Recent congressional concerns about foreign influence in schools has resulted in a new reporting tool that requires significantly more information reported, including student tuition paid for by embassies and foreign quasi-government agencies.

In addition, copies of the contracts and donations must be supplied as supporting documentation. You can imagine the volume this represents for an institution of our size and diversity. The new reporting tool appears to have been designed without end user input. For example, thousands of data elements cannot be uploaded in a spreadsheet, but rather, it must be uploaded individually. The Controller's Office has taken the lead on the data and its submission. To our knowledge, there is no pending legal action by school(s) to address this significant expansion of federal oversight or the administrative burden this new tool represents.

Unfortunately, data entry in the new reporting tool will be frustrating as it was poorly designed. The tool requires more data elements but has no ability for multiple uploads. To better understand how this system works, see the grocery store analogy below.

You’ve been given a shopping list with various items, such as meat, baked goods, dairy products, and beverages. Typically, you’d go through the aisles at your grocery store to get all of your meat, all of your bakery, and so on, until you can check out with a full cart.

However, with this system, there is institutional information that has four categories, just like the shopping list. But first, you can only go to the meat department and take one item, then you can go to the bakery and take one item, and so on, until you have to check out with no more than four items total in your cart.

Then, in order to get the rest of your items, you have to go back to the store with a new shopping cat, and like the first time, get no more than one item from each department. Even when you have nothing left on your list from a department, you still have to go through that aisle in order to get the last item on your list.

For a small college with one or two gifts, this system is perfectly designed since they would only need to check out once or twice. However, for a large school with hundreds, if not thousands of discrete entries, due to different transaction dates, etc., this process is a lot more complicated and tedious.

Update from Sue

ASR staff are the best! As many of you have heard, one of our staff members is out on an unexpected leave, and in response, staff have offered their assistance and are making adjustments to their schedules for this unit, even with looming deadlines. This is just overwhelming and heartfelt for the directors and me. We truly have staff that care about each other and our University community.

As I mention in your new employee orientation, I want everyone to be a leader in their position, and I can see this over and over again as we prepare for the fall opening. All of you play an important role, and I appreciate the help and support. We continue working towards making ASR and the University even better for our students, faculty, and staff.

Thank you.

Fall communications planning

The ASR Communication team is working with many stakeholders on the fall 2020 communication plan. We have already updated the OCM website and sent messages to schedulers.

We are currently working on the following items:

• Update language on both the One Stop and ASR websites
• Send a message to advisors
• Update MyU to help students understand schedule changes
• Create a slide deck as a placeholder for staff who are presenting externally on fall planning
• Share a fall planning 2020 talking points document with advisors and other stakeholders

If you have any questions, contact Carin Thoms (ande8670@umn.edu).

Mental Wellness Q&A

This section is devoted to answering general questions related to mental wellness in the workplace. Please continue to submit questions using this form.

This insightful Q&A related to Minority Mental Health Awareness comes from Magellan Health Insights with Diane J. Felder, M.D., the medical director for Magellan Healthcare of Texas. Below is one of the questions asked of Dr. Felder surrounding barriers that minorities face when it comes to mental health.

Q: What are the barriers to minorities receiving high quality mental health treatment?

A: “Members of minorities are less likely to seek treatment, both for their physical and mental health. However, when minorities do reach out for assistance, they are less likely to receive consistent, high-quality treatment.

There are many contributing factors to these barriers. The high costs of care can be a deterrent. Most minority groups in the U.S. have higher than average rates of poverty. Members of minorities are more likely to lack insurance coverage, and may only seek emergency care, which costs more and is less effective than sustained treatment. Medications or diagnostic procedures may be viewed as too expensive. Or, reliable transportation for follow up care may not be available.

There are also what are called the social determinants of health (SDOH). These include factors such as consistent transportation, the availability of healthy food and safe and affordable housing, access to education, public safety and environmentally safe living and working conditions. Minority populations are more frequently negatively impacted by the SDoH. For example, these members are more likely to be homeless or move frequently, which interferes with maintaining consistent treatment. They may lack adequate nutrition and are at greater risk for having associated medical conditions like hypertension or diabetes.

Further, the stigma around mental illness, while improving, is still a deterrent to seeking treatment – for everyone. Some cultures may see it as taboo to request help or to be seen as someone who needs help.

When minority patients do seek treatment, there may be no one available who speaks their language. In some clinical settings I’ve been in, it might take a week to arrange for an interpreter or a therapist who was proficient in the patient’s language. They may not have a primary care physician to help with screening for mental health conditions or provide follow-up care. In addition, the community clinics where minority members are more likely to receive care may be understaffed, overcrowded and have long wait times. Understaffing may lead to inadequate screening or even misdiagnosis. And, frankly, the clinic also may not be in a place where the member feels safe traveling so they may hesitate to go in the first place or return for continued treatment.”

Update from Sue

With the Regents meeting last week and the messages from the President and Provost, we are able to turn our attention to implementing plans for the fall term. While we won’t need to change the campus calendar for Twin Cities/Rochester, the work is wide-ranging for fall. ASR staff are updating the calendars for Morris and Crookston in PeopleSoft, analyzing how fees might work for students in fall term, and undertaking a huge project to create a class schedule that accommodates 6 foot social distancing where feasible on the Twin Cities campus.

Although we are working primarily on fall term plans, it’s important that we start planning ahead for spring term as early as we can. I’m talking to executives about spring now and ideally students will know more about what to expect for spring when registration opens this November.

I’m so grateful for all that you are doing, especially when we are facing furloughs and other challenges. I wish we could gather in person to celebrate you all.

Please take some time tomorrow to learn or reflect on Juneteenth.

Thank you!

HR updates

The Board of Regents has approved a temporary pay reduction and furlough program for most University employees. Labor Represented and Civil Service employees will receive unpaid furloughs with a bank of hours, which will occur in two six-month segments starting on July 1, so the hours can be taken in both the first and second half of the fiscal year. Faculty and P&A staff will have a temporary pay cut and receive an equivalent number of days off, which are only available during the pay-reduction period.

Employees who earn less than $60,000, graduate students, professionals in training (including postdoctoral associates and residents), H-1B and E-3 visa holders, faculty with a phased retirement agreement, and faculty on a sabbatical will be exempt from this program. In addition, the $2 extra per hour for essential staff on campus will end on June 21.

Further guidance, training materials, and additional resources for supervisors and employees will be made available from OHR in the near future. Additionally, MHSST-HR (Morrill Hall Shared Services Team) will share more details in the coming days.

If you have any questions about the temporary pay reduction and furlough program, you are welcome to contact Mary Stein (stein094@umn.edu).

ASR Operations Team

At the direction of the ASR Directors, a new committee was created in spring 2020. The Academic Support Resources Operations Project Committee (ASROPC) was formed to:

• Facilitate effective planning of projects in consideration of operational activities across ASR
• Promote operational effectiveness and efficiency in project execution
• Share responsibility for the decisions made together
• Provide guidance pertaining to our processes, applications, and technology
• Keep compliance at the forefront of decisions and prioritization
• Provide transparency around project work

ASROPC will focus its efforts on coordinating ASR operational work, procedures, integrations, custom web development, and central OIT technology projects across units to ensure the appropriate staff and resources are included and available. Members of the committee include one or more representatives from each unit. To propose a project or idea, please contact asropc@umn.edu.

The focus this summer is on re-opening for fall and the many changes ASR will be making in PeopleSoft to make this happen. Members of the group may be reaching out to you to support the re-opening efforts.

Update from Sue

The University is entering a time that is unique, and I do not think this has ever occurred across our country before. There are going to be many difficult, exciting, and challenging times. Staff in ASR and across our University in the coming days may be overwhelmed at times by all the events that have impacted them. I want everyone to be understanding and supportive of your colleagues. As I mentioned in my note earlier this week, we will continue to embrace our mission, to make a positive difference in students’ lives, and continue to work towards a better future.

Pillsbury Drive construction update

If you have been away from campus like many of us, you might be surprised to see some changes when you return. Construction on Pillsbury Drive started on May 4, 2020. The pedestrian thoroughfare between Pillsbury Hall and the Williamson Hall portal entrance has been blocked off. Additionally, the Williamson tunnel is closed until early to mid-June. In the meantime, pedestrian traffic will be directed west to the area between Williamson Hall portal and Nicholson Hall.

New Preliminary Oral Exam form

Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP) and the Office of the Registrar created a new electronic form for the doctoral Preliminary Oral Exam. This form will be available June 22, 2020. The new form will replace the paper version of the doctoral Preliminary Oral Exam form. For questions, contact gssp@umn.edu.

CARES Act

The process for students to receive CARES Act funding was announced on Tuesday morning. Within the first hour, One Stop Student Services received over 1500 requests from students. More requests have continued to come in, and ASR staff are busy supporting students with this work.

Update from Sue

All I can say is that ASR staff rock! We have students as our focus, and we continue to put them first. I realize a lot of our staff are working over the holiday weekend, and I have told others about this in all of my meetings, so they know we are more than swamped and continue to serve the students. I also realize we cannot keep up this pace much longer, and I still encourage you to take the 10 minute trip outside to get some fresh air.

I can also share with you that Provost Croson, while still learning, is very astute and already realizes the importance of the work we, ASR, do for the University system, and she is very appreciative. I am very impressed with her and enjoy working with her already. I will miss Provost Hanson as she was also a wonderful advocate. However, we are very lucky to have Provost Croson stepping into this position. Hang in there, it's going to be rocky.

Zoom updates

Password protection

Since Saturday, May 16, all newly created Zoom meetings and webinars will now be password-protected. Meetings or webinars created before May 16 will not be password-protected at this time. This change only impacts participants who join by telephone.

Participants who join by telephone will be required to enter a 6-digit password before entering a Zoom meeting or webinar. This password will be included in the auto-generated Zoom invitation. Participants who use Zoom's desktop client or web browser will not need to do anything differently because the password will be automatically embedded in the meeting link. Participants will only have to click the link to join the meeting as usual.

Zoom 5

An update to Zoom, Zoom 5, has been pushed out to all University devices, and includes important security updates. This update must be installed on your devices by May 30 for you to be able to continue to attend and host Zoom meetings. If you see this update when you open Zoom but haven’t installed it yet, please install it now.

Share screen settings

Additionally, a Zoom update went out last week that changed the Share Screen settings. The update defaulted so only the meeting host can share their screen. If you wish to change this so anyone in your meeting can share their screen, see updated instructions in our Virtual Meeting Resources guide.

Phishing scams

Be on the alert for phishing scams related to Zoom; there have been many cases recently of marketing companies and other groups sending messages under Zoom-like names (Zoominfo.com, Zoomprivacy.com). For more information, please visit the UIS blog post on Phishing and Zoom.

Update from Sue

One question on my mind, and perhaps many of yours, is what will fall term look like at the University? A “Sunrise Fall 2020” committee is meeting to look at scenarios for fall term that embody our University’s mission, values, and commitment to excellence.

Subcommittees will look at these specific issues:

• Events, engagement
• Facilities
• Classrooms, study space, libraries

ASR is helping with modeling many different scenarios for classrooms (social distancing, on-campus or alternative instruction, etc.) We are actively planning for a range of possibilities, including on-campus instruction, alternative instruction, or a combination of both—in addition to remaining open to other options depending on how public health conditions evolve.

The key here is preparedness so that we can move quickly once additional evidence and more certain facts allow for informed decisions. No decisions will be made for a while, and the University will need to be nimble.

Thank you to everyone in ASR that is supporting these efforts, and the many other important projects that continue to move forward.

TeamDynamix training available

Starting May 5, 2020 self-paced training for TeamDynamix (TDX) will be available. Licensed ServiceNow users have already been enrolled in the training, which is accessible on the TeamDynamix Technician Training course site.

You can work through the online activities in the Canvas course site at your own pace. The training will cover how to log in, practice common tasks, and how to use core and common processes for Incident, Major Incident, Problem, Knowledge, Request, and Asset.

If you would like in-person support while you complete the training, a live online consultation appointment with a trainer is available. More details are on the TDX training course site home page.

TDX transition: Communications Team requests

Since we are transitioning from ServiceNow to TDX, there will be a slight change in how the ASR Comm Team handles tickets regarding any requests. While the Comm Team is maintaining a presence in TDX to accept tickets from other groups, they will also be transitioning to Google Groups for the intake of most requests. The goals of this change are to streamline the flow of work for the team and better facilitate communication between you and the team.

The process for emailing asrcomm@umn.edu will remain the same. However, instead of receiving an automatic ticket number, you will receive a generic automatic response with follow up directly from a team member. If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please contact Carin Anderson-Thoms (ande8670@umn.edu).

Diplomas and transcripts for end of term

The Office of the Registrar is continuing to produce digital diplomas on their weekly production schedule, but paper diploma production has been delayed due to the State of Minnesota stay at home order.

The Office of the Registrar will resume paper diploma production starting the week of May 4, which will capture the backlog of paper and duplicate diplomas for degrees awarded from March 23 through April 28. Diplomas will continue to be ordered on a weekly schedule, and students can expect to receive them within 2-3 weeks of their degree being posted. Duplicate diploma ordering will be available in Parchment starting on May 15.

The Office of the Registrar will also resume paper transcript processing, and this option will be available in Parchment starting May 15.

Update from Sue

Thank you to everyone who supported the PeopleTools 8.57 upgrade this past weekend! We continue to do great work across ASR, from upgrades to regular operations to special projects related to COVID-19. I appreciate your efforts, and I hope you are staying well.

At the ASR all staff assembly this morning, we heard about the signs of stress and mental health challenges. We also learned about the many resources available if you or those around you are in distress. I encourage you to read the article below with more details, take care of yourselves, and take advantage of any resources that would be helpful.

Vice Provost McMaster mentioned the great work all of his staff in OUE are doing during this time and appreciates everyone’s efforts. He realizes there are many unknowns and staff are working very hard to keep the University operational. He says, “thank you.”

Thank you again for your work. I look forward to when we are able to safely return to campus and see each other regularly.

Pillsbury Drive construction

Starting May 4, 2020, the south exit of Williamson (pictured below) will be closed, as well as the Williamson loading dock and parking area.

Secure your Zoom meetings

As we continue to use Zoom during COVID-19, we wanted to share some tips for hosting a more secure Zoom meeting. The University’s default settings for Zoom enable easy collaboration and communication for the University community and its partners. However, some Zoom sessions require more restrictive controls. As a meeting host, you can change the default settings before and/or during a meeting.

Access Security Settings

On April 8, Zoom released a new way to access existing security settings during a meeting. After updating your Zoom client, a shield icon, labeled Security will appear in the dock at the bottom of the meeting screen when you are the host or co-host (participants will not have access to this feature).

Instructions: Securing Your Zoom Meeting

You can either read the instructions on how to secure your Zoom meeting or watch a brief demonstration.

• Read instructions on how to Secure Your Zoom Meeting before it occurs, while you are meeting, and after it is over.
• Note: the “only authenticated users can join” feature disables anyone that is outside of the University of Minnesota from joining the meeting. This will not impact access to system campus attendees.
• Watch a brief demonstration of In-Meeting Tools to Secure your Zoom Meetings.

Address Disruptions

As a result of the increased use of Zoom meetings globally, they have become a target for meeting hijackers. In many cases, they seek to cause disruption by posting or sharing inappropriate comments, images, or videos. In the event that an unwanted guest joins your Zoom meeting, you can take immediate action:

• Lock your meeting. The Zoom host settings allow the host or co-host to lock the meeting after all the expected participants have joined. Click the Security icon and select Lock meeting.
• Note: If one of your participants leaves the meeting (e.g., their internet connection fails) after you have locked the meeting, they will not be able to rejoin unless you unlock the meeting.
• Remove a participant or put on hold. If someone is disrupting your meeting, remove them from the session. Click on the Participant icon. From the participant pane, hover over the name of the disruptive participant. When the menu appears, select Remove. Another option is to put them on hold, during which time the attendee cannot see, hear, or share anything.
• Restrict screen sharing. Click the Security icon to uncheck screen sharing permissions.
• Disable chat. Click the Security icon and click the checkmark next to chat to disable participants’ ability to use the chat function.

If you found this information helpful and would like to receive emails regarding enhancements to Zoom, join the Zoom-News Google Group. Additionally, if you are a frequent Zoom user, you may want to bookmark the Zoom Help Center for help documentation. Remember, ASR also has its own Virtual Meetings Guide, which includes instructions for setting up Zoom and other helpful resources.

CARES Act

The Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was approved approximately two weeks ago. The act has outlined some regulatory relief for the financial aid community, but we are still waiting on official guidance to be issued so we can more clearly define the relief.

One of the most talked about portions of the Act is the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). This established funds for higher education institutions so students could request emergency financial aid grants for expenses related to COVID-19 disruptions. The federal Department of Education (ED) used a formula based on the number of Pell students to determine the allocation for each institution. At least 50% of the funds received must be given directly to students.

The University is completing the paperwork to access this money and establishing criteria and processes for students to request these funds. The rules around using this money are still in flux from ED. As more information is available, it will be included in News & Notes.

DEI News: Workshop opportunity: Microaggressions

The ASR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee is excited to invite all ASR staff to an online workshop entitled “Microaggressions: Implicit Bias in Everyday Life” on Friday, May 15 from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m via Zoom. This is the second workshop in the “Wake up and smell the coffee!” series the ASR DEI committee is hosting in 2020. We initially intended to host this workshop in March, but due to working from home, we’ve had to reschedule to accommodate using Zoom and adjusting to all the changes happening online.

The workshop will be led by Ian Macomber from the One Stop Student Services and is only open to ASR staff members.

Workshop description

Microaggressions: Implicit Bias in Everyday Life
You may have heard of the term "Implicit Bias" before. It is a broad term that, generally, describes behaviors or beliefs that are deeply ingrained into our subconscious mind. These "implicit biases" color our perception of the world around us and of each other. They often seem small and insignificant, but can often communicate harmful stereotypes and behaviors that can negatively impact those around us. These small acts of (often unintentional) biased behavior are called "microaggressions."

This workshop will teach you to identify the root cause of microaggressions, gain a better understanding of how they can negatively impact the world and people around you, and help you to respond whenever they appear in your daily life. There will be group discussions as part of this virtual workshop, so come prepared to learn and share!

Please RSVP if you plan on attending!

RSVP >>

If you are unable to attend this workshop session, we hope you will be able to join us for future ones!

Wellbeing Program and working remotely

The ASR Wellbeing Champions wanted to remind you all of a few things points-related while you are working remotely. Our group has resources from the Wellbeing Program, so if you have any questions or concerns about your points, let us know at asr_wellness@umn.edu. We're happy to help!

• Face-to-face Health Coaching is now available virtually and employees may still earn 25 points for each session (they have up to 250 points).
• Four Cornerstones of Financial Literacy is being translated into a new online version called Foundations of Financial Wellness via Zoom worth 100 points (4 1-hour sessions).
• Anyone who enrolled in the in-person sessions will be able to take the course via zoom at the original dates/times they had registered for.
• There is a plan to offer more sessions in the future.
• RedBrick Track is an online program where people can log their activity/movement in place of Fit Choices. If they work out in their homes or go for walks, they can track 1 point per day (up to 150 days/points).
• We also have a free resource on our website called Wellbeats, and it is a fitness on-demand app that also includes recipes and meditation sessions. The UMN has free access until April 30th. The access code is available on our website.
• The Wellbeing My Way pledge is an additional area where employees can log 25 points up to 5 times (125 points total) for any activities or personal wellbeing activities they are participating at home.
• For example, if someone participates in facetime workouts with their friends/colleagues 3-4x a week, this would be considered a personal challenge someone can pledge. If you are meditating, going to webinars, or digging post holes like Santiago, those all count!
• The Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing is providing their Mindfulness at Work online course during this time for only $50 (usually it costs $199), using the code 50work at registration. This class is worth 150 wellbeing points.
• RedBrick Journeys are online and self-directed topics (75+ of them), where a person can earn 2 points per step they complete, and a bonus of 25 points for every journey they complete (up to 200 points).
• The Bike Commuter Program is also available. If you typically participate in this program and prefer to bike for exercise within their communities, you will be allowed to fill out a bike commuter form, and submit it via the instructions on the form.

Message from Sue

With the governor’s announcement that the Stay at Home order is extended until May 4th, we know that we are facing more time relying on Zoom and missing our regular interactions on campus. However, it’s great to see ASR continuing to support students even in these unusual times.

I remind myself to look for the positives. I’m enjoying my short commute to my in-home office and getting outside when I can. I look forward to being back on campus and seeing you all again once it is safe for us to return. Hang in there, stay safe, and stay healthy!

OIT Storage Portfolio update

The deadline for moving files from the H: and S: drives has been extended past June 2020. However, we would still like to be proactive in moving our files to one of the newly-launched services (Systems Backup Storage, High Performance Storage, or Application Storage) or to a cloud solution like Google Drive or Shared Drive depending on the amount and type of data your unit stores.

Beginning this May, OIT anticipates reaching out to work with units one-on-one to evaluate their data and create a migration plan together. Meanwhile, we encourage you to begin evaluating your own data, particularly moving items from your H: drive (if you have one) into a preferred storage option like Google Drive.

ASR Spring 2020 Development Event cancelled

In light of the continued situation regarding COVID-19, we have decided to cancel the ASR Spring Development Event on May 21. We want to ensure the continued safety of our employees. This decision was not made lightly, as we know this event is important to many.

The ASR Development Event is an important time for us in ASR to connect and learn from each other, so we encourage everyone to join your colleagues in the ASR Slack Workspace to keep in touch during this unique time.

Performance appraisals

Due to COVID-19, performance appraisals will be handled electronically using the google drive folder. Consequently, we will not be collecting physical signatures from staff since we are working remotely. Meetings will also be happening virtually this year. So remember to schedule a meeting with your supervisor some time in April to review your performance appraisal.

PeopleTools Upgrade

MyU, PeopleSoft applications, and other related online services, such as APAS and Grad Planner, will be unavailable due to system updates on Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19. Service is expected to be restored on Sunday afternoon, April 19.

During the outage, you can get information about the system update on the Service Status website. Since MyU will be unavailable for the duration of the system update, you can access Canvas courses at canvas.umn.edu and University email at mail.umn.edu.

If you have questions about this system update, please contact Technology Help.

Conference and flight cancellations

With all of the conference cancellations due to Covid-19, there have been questions about how to handle flight credits, conference refunds, and hotels, or if they need to be reconciled in ChromeRiver. We have provided some guidance below.

Flight credits
Most airlines provide only a flight credit for cancellations and not a full refund back to your credit card. These credits are non-transferable and have to be used for business travel. They also have to be used within a year, or the credit will be lost (some airlines are extending this to two years). However, this only means that the flight has to be booked within the year, not necessarily that the flight has to happen within the year.

For employees who rarely travel, and who worry that these credits will not be used in time, work with your supervisor, as there may be another conference you could go to where you could use that flight credit.

Conference refunds
If you purchased registration with a travel card, these refunds will be hitting accounts soon, if they have not already. These need to be reconciled in ChromeRiver like any normal expense. Once it has appeared in your eWallet, process like normal. Please include the expense report number of the original charge (find this on your ChromeRiver home page in the "submitted" tab).

If registration was purchased with a PCard, please forward the cancellation to the PCard holder. Contact asrcentral@umn.edu with questions, or to have a ChromeRiver report reviewed before submission.

Hotels
Most hotels should have reached out with a cancellation confirmation, but if they have not, please call them to cancel.

One Stop connects food insecure students to resources

Last fall, One Stop became the go-to resource for students to understand and confirm their eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) federal nutrition assistance benefits. Trained One Stop professionals have assisted students who may be experiencing food insecurity by giving guidance, sharing resource information, and connecting students with the program.

One semester later and this transition has shown to be effective, especially over the last few weeks as numerous referrals have been made. Many One Stop Counselors have been hearing stories from students in need over the last three weeks, and many of these students, about 80% of those referred so far, are considered eligible upon completion of the screening survey.

Message from Sue

I want to thank you all for the great work you have been doing in these challenging circumstances. ASR is doing so much to support students right now, such as implementing a chat feature on the One Stop website, making S-N grading work for students, creating processes for refunds for housing and dining hall costs, and more. I’m proud to work with all of you!

As you read the rest of News & Notes, pay attention to all of the ways we can remain connected to each other, continue to have fun, and support our students. Stay safe, stay healthy, and I look forward to when we can all see each other in person again.

Equipment for working at home

If you need to take or have taken University-issued equipment home with you during this COVID-19 work from home period, please complete this google form. This does not need to be completed for your laptop, but it does for other accessories or equipment (keyboard, monitor, etc.). If you have any questions, contact asrcentral@umn.edu.

Performance appraisal meetings in April

The last component of the performance appraisal process is supervisor and employee meetings to review and discuss each completed performance appraisal form. Please schedule a meeting with your supervisor in April. Given our work from home advisement, these meetings will need to happen virtually this year.

Your Google Calendar: No need to state working from home

As the University is now under extended reduced operations, and there is a work from home advisement in place, these special circumstances negate previous calendar expectations for publishing work from home time.

Please remove any “work from home” daily messaging from your calendar to improve ease of scheduling. As a part of this work from home advisement, it is expected that you are available virtually. Consult with your supervisor on any team-specific needs.

ASR virtual meetings resources

As we continue to work and meet together from home, it might be nice to remind everyone of the ASR Virtual Meetings guide. The resource contains instructions for setting up both Google Hangouts and Zoom meetings, including a comparison chart, additional resources, and an alternative set-up method for zoom.

If you have any questions or need additional assistance with virtual meeting set up, please email asrcentral@umn.edu.

Join ASR-wide Slack workspace

We’ve had a big shift in how we’ve had to work due to COVID-19, and we wanted a way for all of ASR to come together online to support each other. While there is no perfect method for communication, we’ve turned to Slack for an additional way to help us connect.

What is Slack?
Slack is a communication tool that allows for organizations and teams to collaborate and message each other in one place.

Do I need to join?
Participation in this ASR-wide Slack workspace is completely optional, but highly encouraged. It is intended to provide a space for ASR staff to connect, collaborate, and ask questions across the department. All need-to-know information in ASR will still be provided as usual through emails, meetings, and News & Notes will continue to be published bi-weekly.

How do I get started?

• Create an account with this ASR Slack Workspace link.
• Check out the getting started with Slack guide.
• Review the ASR Slack content guidelines and tips and browse the linked Slack how-to guides.

Because this workspace is a new communication tool for us as a whole, we expect it will evolve and change to suit our needs. Your participation and suggestions will help make this beneficial for everyone! As always, please be respectful, welcoming, and professional to all. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, contact Jaime Wascalus (wascalus@umn.edu) or Stacey Tidball (tidball@umn.edu). See you in Slack!