By now, many of you have probably heard about Program Increment Planning (PI Planning), which refers to the quarterly planning meeting that is at the heart of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) methodology. OIT is undergoing a transformation to implement SAFe across its portfolio, which involves meeting every three months to better understand the business priorities across the university. ASR is also planning in three-month increments so our OIT partners can understand ASR priorities and coordinate work across Agile teams for the next quarter. This work is being led by the ASR Operations Group with Kristy Davis and ASR’s leadership team. Currently, we are wrapping up ASR’s quarterly priorities in preparation for OIT’s upcoming PI Planning events the week of January 10.
We recently had managers and leads from ASR IT and OTR attend Leading SAFe training. While we are not in the process of fully transforming into the SAFe methodology, there are pieces, like PI Planning, that we will focus on adopting in 2022. Planning out our work for a quarter will allow our teams to understand the work done across ASR, see the capacity for new initiatives, and communicate impacts when new initiatives are presented to us. There will be more training opportunities in 2022 and collaboration across our teams to implement the most impactful facets of the SAFe methodology. Please contact Jaime Wascalus (wascalus@umn.edu) if you have any questions. We will continue to share updates in N&N.
Thursday, December 16, 2021
Update from Stacey
Welcome to the last issue of News & Notes for 2021! So much of 2020 and 2021 have blurred together that I’m feeling surprised it is already mid-December. Right now I’m reflecting on how many good things have happened in this last year, even though the pandemic drags on. My kids have returned to in-person school, our University students had in-person classes, and so much good work has happened in support of our students.
One project that I’ve been particularly enjoying is related to Juneteenth. The Academic Calendar Task Force is moving a proposal forward to have Juneteenth be a No Classes Day. I continue to learn about the importance of this day and am grateful to be a part of the work. There should be a formal and final decision by mid-January. I hope each of you have projects that motivate and energize you too. Thank you for all of your support this fall 2021 semester!
One project that I’ve been particularly enjoying is related to Juneteenth. The Academic Calendar Task Force is moving a proposal forward to have Juneteenth be a No Classes Day. I continue to learn about the importance of this day and am grateful to be a part of the work. There should be a formal and final decision by mid-January. I hope each of you have projects that motivate and energize you too. Thank you for all of your support this fall 2021 semester!
Fraser Hall move and the ASR Suggestion Box
Thank you for all of the suggestions we’ve received so far regarding the Fraser Hall move. We are tracking your suggestions and using them for our planning. So keep ‘em coming! If you want to make a suggestion, please submit it to the ASR Suggestion Box.
Mental Wellness in the Workplace
Pandemic stress, work stress, and now holiday stress
As news stories continue to break about the pandemic, it's only normal to feel anxious, overwhelmed, or stressed, especially as we near the holiday season and think about connecting with family and friends. Consider taking breaks from watching, listening or reading news stories, including those on social media. It’s good to be informed, but hearing about the pandemic constantly can be upsetting. Consider limiting the news to just a couple times a day and disconnecting your phone, T.V., and computer screens for a while. To combat other kinds of stress, spend some time taking care of your body and engaging with activities you enjoy.
Take care of your body:
Make time to unwind and try to do other activities that you enjoy:
Wishing you a relaxing, joyful, holiday season!
As news stories continue to break about the pandemic, it's only normal to feel anxious, overwhelmed, or stressed, especially as we near the holiday season and think about connecting with family and friends. Consider taking breaks from watching, listening or reading news stories, including those on social media. It’s good to be informed, but hearing about the pandemic constantly can be upsetting. Consider limiting the news to just a couple times a day and disconnecting your phone, T.V., and computer screens for a while. To combat other kinds of stress, spend some time taking care of your body and engaging with activities you enjoy.
Take care of your body:
- Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate
- Try to eat healthy and well balanced meals
- Exercise regularly
- Get plenty of sleep
- Avoid excess alcohol, tobacco and drug use
Make time to unwind and try to do other activities that you enjoy:
- Contact with others, such as talking with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling
- Read a good book or listen to your favorite music
- Connect with your community or faith based organizations
- Celebrate with your friends and family
Wishing you a relaxing, joyful, holiday season!
ASR Staff Engagement December 16th Survey
This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey December 16, 2021 examines goal-setting. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!
According to the last survey, an equal number of respondents (32.3%) disagreed and agreed that they feel well-rested most mornings, followed by 22.6% who were somewhere in the middle. Most neither agreed nor disagreed on feeling overwhelmed with their workload (38.7%). When asked to rate how comfortable folks are with discussing stress at work with their unit, most agreed that they feel comfortable (42% scoring either a 4 or 5), followed by 29% who don’t feel comfortable (scoring either a 1 or 2), and 29% who are somewhere in the middle (scoring a 3).
Finally, coffee received the most votes for favorite hot drinks (48.4% of respondents), followed closely by tea (45.2%) and hot cocoa (38.7%). Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
December 2, 2021 survey results
I feel well-rested most mornings (1= Strongly disagree, 5 Strongly agree)
According to the last survey, an equal number of respondents (32.3%) disagreed and agreed that they feel well-rested most mornings, followed by 22.6% who were somewhere in the middle. Most neither agreed nor disagreed on feeling overwhelmed with their workload (38.7%). When asked to rate how comfortable folks are with discussing stress at work with their unit, most agreed that they feel comfortable (42% scoring either a 4 or 5), followed by 29% who don’t feel comfortable (scoring either a 1 or 2), and 29% who are somewhere in the middle (scoring a 3).
Finally, coffee received the most votes for favorite hot drinks (48.4% of respondents), followed closely by tea (45.2%) and hot cocoa (38.7%). Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
December 2, 2021 survey results
I feel well-rested most mornings (1= Strongly disagree, 5 Strongly agree)
- 1 - 3.2%
- 2 - 32.3%
- 3 - 22.6%
- 4 - 32.3%
- 5 - 9.7%
- 1 - 6.5%
- 2 - 19.4%
- 3 - 38.7%
- 4 - 32.3%
- 5 - 3.2%
- 1 - 16.1%
- 2 - 12.9%
- 3 - 29%
- 4 - 22.6%
- 5 - 19.4%
- Coffee
- Tea
- Hot Cocoa
- Latte
- Mocha
- Cappuccino
- Hot lemonade with whiskey, apple cider, hot water with lemon, iced drinks only, and Irish coffee
Thursday, December 2, 2021
Update from Stacey
I hope you found some time for rest and relaxation during the University holidays for Thanksgiving. I know I appreciated the time to cook and share a feast with family and friends.
As I returned to my emails after a break, I read an Educause article on burnout that I found helpful (if you can’t access the article, you may need to register, but the content is free). So often articles about burnout discourage me, but this one appealed to me with some practical and doable positive actions I can take. I won’t rehash the whole article here, but I encourage you to find a tip or two that will be meaningful for you. I’m focusing on the item about carving out time for reflection. Moving from Zoom meeting to Zoom meeting doesn’t leave a lot of time for reflection, so remembering to save some time in my day for this has been positive, and I hope to make a habit of it. Although it wasn’t part of the article, I’d also recommend a practice around gratitude. Check out the survey results in the ASR Staff Engagement article for some of the things we are grateful for.
As I returned to my emails after a break, I read an Educause article on burnout that I found helpful (if you can’t access the article, you may need to register, but the content is free). So often articles about burnout discourage me, but this one appealed to me with some practical and doable positive actions I can take. I won’t rehash the whole article here, but I encourage you to find a tip or two that will be meaningful for you. I’m focusing on the item about carving out time for reflection. Moving from Zoom meeting to Zoom meeting doesn’t leave a lot of time for reflection, so remembering to save some time in my day for this has been positive, and I hope to make a habit of it. Although it wasn’t part of the article, I’d also recommend a practice around gratitude. Check out the survey results in the ASR Staff Engagement article for some of the things we are grateful for.
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination
To ensure the University meets the federal executive order first noted in President Gabel’s October message, all staff must fill out the "Report a Vaccination or Exemption" form located in MyU in the My Info tab under Vaccination. The deadline to complete the form is Friday, December 3, 2021. More information about the requirement can be found on the Vaccine Certification page, and step-by-step instructions are also available.
Vision organizer
The directors have reviewed and updated the Vision Organizer with our current and most recently completed work.
ASR website update
The ASR UX & Content Strategy Team and OIT have migrated the ASR website from Drupal Lite 7 to Drupal Lite 9. There were a few issues with the URLs the day the updated site launched, but these errors have since been fixed.
You may notice some differences with the look and feel because of switching to the Folwell design theme, but the content has stayed the same. The Folwell design is used by many University websites and helps ensure accessibility, consistency, and usability. If you have any comments or issues with the website, please feel free to submit a website feedback form. Thank you!
You may notice some differences with the look and feel because of switching to the Folwell design theme, but the content has stayed the same. The Folwell design is used by many University websites and helps ensure accessibility, consistency, and usability. If you have any comments or issues with the website, please feel free to submit a website feedback form. Thank you!
ASR Staff Engagement December 2nd Survey
This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey December 2, 2021 takes a look at employee wellness as we move into a busy time of year. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!
According to the last survey, a whopping 80% of respondents support abolishing seasonal time changes. Stuffing/dressing won best side dish over the holidays with 50% of the vote. Mashed potatoes came in second with 16.7% and mac and cheese and sweet potato tied for third (10%). We had many thoughtful responses when asked what you are thankful for lately, such as family and friends, good health, supportive spouses, and the flexibility to work from home. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
November 18, 2021 survey results
Should seasonal time changes (i.e. Daylight Savings Time) be abolished?
According to the last survey, a whopping 80% of respondents support abolishing seasonal time changes. Stuffing/dressing won best side dish over the holidays with 50% of the vote. Mashed potatoes came in second with 16.7% and mac and cheese and sweet potato tied for third (10%). We had many thoughtful responses when asked what you are thankful for lately, such as family and friends, good health, supportive spouses, and the flexibility to work from home. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
November 18, 2021 survey results
Should seasonal time changes (i.e. Daylight Savings Time) be abolished?
- Yes 80%
- No 6.7%
- I’m not sure 13.3%
- Stuffing/dressing 50%
- Mashed potatoes 16.7%
- Mac and cheese 10%
- Sweet potato 10%
- Green bean casserole 6.7%
- Cloverleaf rolls 3.3%
- Lasagne 3.3%
- Having a wonderful husband that I get to just like, hang out with all the time for the rest of my life. It’s pretty neat.
- For having great families, friends, and colleagues.
- The flexibility to work from HOME!
- My health (and that of my family); and my awesome work team. We have continued to get better and improve our service to students (even in these last few, crazy, years).
- Still haven't contracted covid! (knock on all the wood)
- Iced coffee.
- Science!
- Spring is only four? five? months away....
- My job and the security it brings (esp health insurance)
- Thankful for supportive leadership in ASR who focus on health and wellbeing of staff.
- Being able to fill vacant positions, some of which have been open for a looooooong time
- Good books in cold weather!
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