I can feel the energy and intensity increasing with the start of fall term just around the corner. Diploma work is settling down, and the beginning of term work is picking up. In addition to our regular work, we are figuring out what we will do remotely, in-person, at a shared desk, or maybe even from a cabin as we savor the remainder of summer.
Read on in the newsletter to learn about celebrating ASR with donuts next week, getting our spaces ready for Work. With Flexibility, and ways to take care of our mental health.
Thursday, July 29, 2021
Cleaning bins
As a reminder, we will have cleaning bins in our spaces until Friday, August 20, 2021. The recycling bins are available in Fraser, Williamson, and Bruininks Hall. Please coordinate with your supervisor to find time to go in and clean out your desk before they are gone.
The bins are currently located in the following locations in Fraser:
The bins are currently located in the following locations in Fraser:
- 133
- In the hallway outside of M133
- 200 near the front desk
- 345
Part-Time Parking Program
Parking & Transportation Services is now offering a Part-Time Parking Program for those who need campus parking on an occasional basis. If you need to park two or fewer times per week, you may want to consider the new program as it provides a fixed number of parking days at a reduced rate at select facilities. More information is available on the PTS website.
ASR remote work and guiding principles
We have designed a set of work principles and practices to guide us as we shift from a primarily in-person workplace to a hybrid workplace that balances the benefits of working on campus and working remotely. Please see the ASR Remote Work and Guiding Principles document for more information.
Mental Wellness in the Workplace
It’s okay to not be okay
It’s time for the Olympics! It’s the world stage where the best of the best get to show off the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. This week, the spotlight on the impacts of mental health for elite athletes shone bright with the withdrawal of Simone Biles (US women’s gymnastics) from the team competition. Our work in ASR may not be directly comparable to elite, Olympic competition, but the demands of our work—the ongoing stressors resulting from the pandemic, multiple pivots, etc.—can sometimes be too much.
It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to put your mental health and wellbeing first. It’s okay to step back. It’s okay to ask for help. The women’s team supported and encouraged one another, persevered, and (spoiler alert) won the silver medal. Don’t hesitate to lean on your supervisor or your teammates for support.
If you find yourself edging into burnout territory or needing a way to get beyond burnout, consider the following.
It’s time for the Olympics! It’s the world stage where the best of the best get to show off the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. This week, the spotlight on the impacts of mental health for elite athletes shone bright with the withdrawal of Simone Biles (US women’s gymnastics) from the team competition. Our work in ASR may not be directly comparable to elite, Olympic competition, but the demands of our work—the ongoing stressors resulting from the pandemic, multiple pivots, etc.—can sometimes be too much.
It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to put your mental health and wellbeing first. It’s okay to step back. It’s okay to ask for help. The women’s team supported and encouraged one another, persevered, and (spoiler alert) won the silver medal. Don’t hesitate to lean on your supervisor or your teammates for support.
If you find yourself edging into burnout territory or needing a way to get beyond burnout, consider the following.
- Restoring your surge capacity
- Dial back your expectations
- Practice radical acceptance - where are you putting your energy and why
- Reality test your negative thoughts
- Build and reinforce important relationships
- Find a way to build work stress resilience
- Recognize your stressors
- Be intentional about creating time to relax and recharge
- Understand what is in your locus of control
- Build your general resilience bank account
- Gradually focus on areas that can regularly promote resilience, such as sleep, nutrition, exercise, and gratitude
- Remain connected and reach out for help
ASR Staff Engagement July 29th Survey
This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey July 29th, 2021 explores public speaking and giving presentations. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!
According to the results of the last survey, most prefer to be trained by a colleague when learning new software/technology (38.9%) followed by practicing on your own (30.6%). Most feel comfortable with using the various aspects of Zoom with 55.6% indicating that they are ‘very comfortable’ with Zoom and 44.4% indicating they are comfortable and know the basics of Zoom. When asked ‘how quickly do you update your computer when prompted’, most wait until the end of day or a convenient time to install an update (52.8%), followed by 25% who will get to it eventually and 22.2% who install updates immediately.
Finally, when asked about who you would have a conversation with if you could have a conversation with anyone, many responses included family members such as great grandparents, grandparents, and parents. Other responses included Michelle Obama, Alexander Hamilton, and Harriet Tubman just to name a few.
Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
July 15, 2021 survey results
How do you prefer to learn new software/technology?
How quickly do you update your computer when prompted?
According to the results of the last survey, most prefer to be trained by a colleague when learning new software/technology (38.9%) followed by practicing on your own (30.6%). Most feel comfortable with using the various aspects of Zoom with 55.6% indicating that they are ‘very comfortable’ with Zoom and 44.4% indicating they are comfortable and know the basics of Zoom. When asked ‘how quickly do you update your computer when prompted’, most wait until the end of day or a convenient time to install an update (52.8%), followed by 25% who will get to it eventually and 22.2% who install updates immediately.
Finally, when asked about who you would have a conversation with if you could have a conversation with anyone, many responses included family members such as great grandparents, grandparents, and parents. Other responses included Michelle Obama, Alexander Hamilton, and Harriet Tubman just to name a few.
Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
July 15, 2021 survey results
How do you prefer to learn new software/technology?
- 38.9% Trained by a colleague familiar with the technology
- 30.6% Practicing on my own
- 11.1% Taking a self-paced course
- I use all three when learning software technology
- I learn best by doing, but I like to fit in some observing and talking about it
- Practicing on my own but having someone near I can call on
- I like all three! I like to take a course online first, then train with someone, then practice on my own
- 55.6% Very comfortable
- 44.4% Comfortable
How quickly do you update your computer when prompted?
- 52.8% Wait until there is a convenient time or until end of day
- 25% Not very quickly, but it happens eventually
- 22.2% As soon as I see an update available
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- My mom
- My grandma and grandpa
- James Beard
- Kermit the Frog
- My Great Grandfather
- All my grandparents
Thursday, July 15, 2021
ASR shared parking
In our June all-staff assembly, some people expressed an interest in sharing parking contracts with fellow ASR staff members. There is a new slack channel in the ASR-wide Slack called ASR Parking Partners where you can arrange on-campus parking with other ASR staff members. Please keep in mind that these arrangements are made between ASR staff and are not official contracts or agreements brokered between Parking and Transportation Services (PTS).
To join the channel, click this ASR-wide Slack link or click the + button next to ‘Channels’ in Slack, then click ‘Browse Channels’. Scroll through the list of available channels until you come across the one you are looking for, then click ‘join’.
To share a parking contract with another staff member:
For more information on parking contracts and monthly rates, please visit the PTS site.
To join the channel, click this ASR-wide Slack link or click the + button next to ‘Channels’ in Slack, then click ‘Browse Channels’. Scroll through the list of available channels until you come across the one you are looking for, then click ‘join’.
To share a parking contract with another staff member:
- One person is the contract parking holder, pays the full pay-roll deduction, and then receives funds from another employee.
- PTS will not be the broker for the transactions.
- Individuals can add license plates to gain entrance into facilities.
- Individuals can purchase a PTS Parking Card (PPC) to mimic UCard functionality for the additional staff.
For more information on parking contracts and monthly rates, please visit the PTS site.
Update from Stacey
Working on campus is at the top of my mind as we enter the last couple of weeks of July. We met on campus yesterday for our Wednesday morning directors meeting, and it was such a joy to see people in person. I have a few reflections based on this experience, in no particular order:
- I hope many of you have the opportunity to reconnect with campus soon if you haven’t been there recently. Seeing colleagues in person, grabbing lunch at a favorite spot, and enjoying the outdoor spaces on campus made the commute worth it.
- Be patient with yourself. If you are starting back in person after a long absence, it might be challenging. Remember to bring your laptop, UCard, any keys you might need (thank you Jeremy for helping me when I forgot my office key), and other items.
- Switching between in-person meetings and zooms was harder than I remembered. I think this will all get more routine with practice, but be kind to yourself and your colleagues as we transition to more in-person interactions.
Positive Coronavirus response procedure
As we return to campus, University Health and Safety has issued a response procedure in the event of a positive coronavirus case. If a workspace is affected, it should be left unoccupied for 7 days. After 7 days, the virus is no longer viable, and regular cleaning should easily disinfect the space.
If the workspace must be occupied within 7 days, it should be left undisturbed for at least 1 day. Afterwards, all potentially affected and high-touch surfaces and equipment should be cleaned with soap and water and then disinfected with an EPA-approved disinfectant. For more information on how to respond to a positive coronavirus case on campus, visit Cleaning Work Areas Occupied by a COVID-19 Case.
If the workspace must be occupied within 7 days, it should be left undisturbed for at least 1 day. Afterwards, all potentially affected and high-touch surfaces and equipment should be cleaned with soap and water and then disinfected with an EPA-approved disinfectant. For more information on how to respond to a positive coronavirus case on campus, visit Cleaning Work Areas Occupied by a COVID-19 Case.
New alphabetic split for accounts receivable
Student Account Assistance has adjusted the account split for accounts receivable, so please contact these people for student accounts from A-H (Lydia Self), I-P (Melissa Gaspaer), and Q-Z (Penny Levine).
Packaging underway
As of the week of July 12, 2021, financial aid notifications for undergraduates will begin being sent to students. These will be sent nightly in chunks of 5,000. Starting the following week, packaging will be put on the batch schedule and will run nightly.
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) spending update
As of June 30, 2021, the Twin Cities campus has provided students with $11,329,711.40 of the roughly $12.4M the campus has received. Currently, we are still processing emergency grant requests, with One Stop serving as the intake for these requests. The Twin Cities quarterly report can be found on CRRSAA Reporting document.
New lower interest rates for University Trust Fund Loans
Starting in July 2021, the nearly 200 University Trust Fund Loans (UTFL) will have the interest rate reduced from 7% to 5%. This new interest rate only applies to new loans.
Mental Wellness in the Workplace
Stress, anxiety, and you
As we migrate toward our “new normal,” feelings of uncertainty may be bubbling up for many of us. Learning more about anxiety and stress can help build awareness in your abilities to recognize it in both yourself and others around you. Understanding the symptoms and learning to cope can help you learn to process in healthy ways. The University’s Extension office encourages you to find the path to self-care that works best for you. Rather than focusing on the “right” way to process and take care of yourself, just start. They have many resources for taking care of yourself in times of stress.
As we migrate toward our “new normal,” feelings of uncertainty may be bubbling up for many of us. Learning more about anxiety and stress can help build awareness in your abilities to recognize it in both yourself and others around you. Understanding the symptoms and learning to cope can help you learn to process in healthy ways. The University’s Extension office encourages you to find the path to self-care that works best for you. Rather than focusing on the “right” way to process and take care of yourself, just start. They have many resources for taking care of yourself in times of stress.
@letstalk.mentalhealth
ASR Staff Engagement July 15th Survey
This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey July 15, 2021 explores our comfort with technology. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!
According to the results of the last survey, most are feeling optimistic about their flexible work plan (72.4%) and feel that they have the resources needed to be successful going forward (75.9%). We received lots of thoughtful responses when asked about anything that folks were excited or nervous about moving beyond August 2. Several respondents mentioned campus safety and security, the on-going pandemic, and general uncertainty as particular areas of concern. Many also mentioned excitement about not having to commute and excitement about seeing people on campus again. Thank you to all that shared their thoughts on this topic!
Finally, we received several interesting responses when asked about your dream job as a kid. Some examples included being a Nascar driver, circus performer, SNL cast member, golf caddy, marine biologist, lawyer, professional soccer player, and teacher. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
July 1, 2021 survey results
Which of the following best describes your feelings on your flexible work plan?
According to the results of the last survey, most are feeling optimistic about their flexible work plan (72.4%) and feel that they have the resources needed to be successful going forward (75.9%). We received lots of thoughtful responses when asked about anything that folks were excited or nervous about moving beyond August 2. Several respondents mentioned campus safety and security, the on-going pandemic, and general uncertainty as particular areas of concern. Many also mentioned excitement about not having to commute and excitement about seeing people on campus again. Thank you to all that shared their thoughts on this topic!
Finally, we received several interesting responses when asked about your dream job as a kid. Some examples included being a Nascar driver, circus performer, SNL cast member, golf caddy, marine biologist, lawyer, professional soccer player, and teacher. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
July 1, 2021 survey results
Which of the following best describes your feelings on your flexible work plan?
- 72.4% Optimistic
- 20.7% Mixed Feelings
- 6.9% Too early to say
- 75.9% Yes
- 20.7% Unsure
- 3.4% No
- Campus safety and security
- Taking breaks in the garden
- Excited to not deal with traffic on a daily basis
- Winter coming too soon
- Excited to feel the energy from the students
- The loss of Fraser and personal workspace
- Lawyer
- Work at NASA
- Professor of British History
- Flight Attendant
- Comedian
- Art teacher
- Ballerina
Thursday, July 1, 2021
Update from Stacey
We watch a lot of baseball in my family, and I’ve been reading an old book about the economics of baseball, Moneyball: the Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis. (The 2011 film is worth a watch too.) A central theme of the book is that the Oakland A’s routinely found undervalued baseball players by paying careful attention to players’ performance, and dismissing criticism of those players that was rooted in a bias that they didn’t fit the “look” of a successful player. Lewis, paraphrasing the General Manager’s advice, wrote “When you rule out an entire class of people from doing a job simply by their appearance, you are less likely to find the best person for the job.”
I love when I find unexpected connections like this; I didn’t expect anything from Moneyball to relate to work, and yet this idea speaks to how we select people to join our organization or join projects as ASR staff. We can, and should, think about the qualities that make someone a successful ASR employee and work to ensure we remove bias from our processes. On that note, please check out the article below about joining ASR’s DEI Community of Practice and the many other informative items in this edition. Take care, and enjoy the holiday weekend.
I love when I find unexpected connections like this; I didn’t expect anything from Moneyball to relate to work, and yet this idea speaks to how we select people to join our organization or join projects as ASR staff. We can, and should, think about the qualities that make someone a successful ASR employee and work to ensure we remove bias from our processes. On that note, please check out the article below about joining ASR’s DEI Community of Practice and the many other informative items in this edition. Take care, and enjoy the holiday weekend.
New PERR form
Over the past year, we have been working on a new and improved process to replace the PDR form as it hasn’t been covering our needs. The new ASR Professional Experience & Resource Request (PERR) form encompasses requests for both professional development experiences (webinars, conferences, classes, etc) and resources (computer hardware and software, books/magazines, membership dues, licenses, office furniture, equipment, etc.). You can find the new JADU form linked on the Staff Intranet page.
For questions about the PERR process, contact Megan at asrcentral@umn.edu. If you have any technical issues with the workflow, email asrprojectsupport@umn.edu to open a ticket with the PWF team. Please reference the PERR FAQs document for further information.
For questions about the PERR process, contact Megan at asrcentral@umn.edu. If you have any technical issues with the workflow, email asrprojectsupport@umn.edu to open a ticket with the PWF team. Please reference the PERR FAQs document for further information.
ASR Hierarchy Group: OTR & C&C
The team reviewing opportunities for organizational alignment between the Office of the Registrar (OTR) and Continuity & Compliance (C&C) had their kick-off on June 21 and hit the ground running, scheduling weekly meetings, identifying key questions for sponsors, reviewing position descriptions, discussing the current structures of OTR and C&C, and exploring different organizational models at other institutions. This team may engage other ASR colleagues as their work ramps up. For more information about the work this group is exploring and the team make-up, visit the N&N blog.
Twin Cities department directory update
In response to the overwhelming feedback, the Twin Cities department directory was decommissioned on June 18, 2021. This update does not affect the people or general search functions on umn.edu. Contact information for services, such as Human Resources, Printing Services, or other units, can be found on the contact page for each of their websites.
ASR Slack
If you haven’t already, remember to check out the ASR-wide Slack! Everyone in ASR is encouraged to join, especially as we continue to work from home and move into flexible work. There are several communication channels available, ranging from good news to pets! You can also use the ASR-wide Slack to connect with others and coordinate future work decisions, such as finding a parking buddy as we navigate new parking contracts, or you can simply use it as a way to catch up and chat with your coworkers.
Cleaning bins
We received an extension on our cleaning bins, so we will now have them in our spaces until Friday, August 20, 2021. The recycling bins are available in Fraser, Williamson, and Bruininks Hall. Please coordinate with your supervisor to find time to go in and clean out your desk.
The bins are currently located in the following locations in Fraser:
The bins are currently located in the following locations in Fraser:
- 133
- In the hallway outside of M133
- 200 near the front desk
- 345
ASR Staff Engagement July 1st Survey
This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey 7/1/2021 looks at our return to campus. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!
According to the results of the last survey, a significant majority are typically most productive in the morning (76.5%), followed by the afternoon/evening (14.7%) and midday (8.8%). For the first time in News & Notes survey history, we had an even split! 50% of respondents reported that they normally listen to something while working and 50% do not.
In another close result, most prefer to work with a pet (or pets) nearby (47.1%), closely followed by working alone in your own space (41.2%). Finally, we had lots of fun responses when asked where you would go if you could travel anywhere for a day. Going to the beach and the North Shore were the most frequent responses. Tuscany, Cuba, Florence, Australia, and Zurich were also mentioned, among others.
Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
June 17, 2021 survey results
I am typically most productive in…
According to the results of the last survey, a significant majority are typically most productive in the morning (76.5%), followed by the afternoon/evening (14.7%) and midday (8.8%). For the first time in News & Notes survey history, we had an even split! 50% of respondents reported that they normally listen to something while working and 50% do not.
In another close result, most prefer to work with a pet (or pets) nearby (47.1%), closely followed by working alone in your own space (41.2%). Finally, we had lots of fun responses when asked where you would go if you could travel anywhere for a day. Going to the beach and the North Shore were the most frequent responses. Tuscany, Cuba, Florence, Australia, and Zurich were also mentioned, among others.
Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
June 17, 2021 survey results
I am typically most productive in…
- 76.5% The morning
- 14.7% The afternoon/evening
- 8.8% Midday
- 50% Yes
- 50% No
- 47.1% I prefer to work with a pet (or pets) nearby
- 41.2% I prefer to work alone in my own space
- 11.8% I prefer to work with others nearby
- Feywild
- The woods
- St. Maarten
- Machu Picchu
- The Shetland Islands
- Maui
- Fushimi Inari Shrine
- Grand Marais
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