Thank you for all of the effort that went into performance appraisals. It is always a big lift to complete all of the self-appraisals, responses, and appraisal meetings. I heard from many supervisors and directors how good it is to be reminded of everything we accomplish in a year. I am especially grateful for folks taking the time to really think about our Diversity Equity & Inclusion Vision Statements; I saw goals spanning each of the statements and am looking forward to the year ahead.
On March 28, I will be giving an ASR update at the virtual All Staff Assembly. If there is something you would like me to cover in that update or in a News & Notes column, send me an email. I’d love to hear from you!
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
All Staff Assembly March 28
As a reminder, the in-person All Staff Assembly for March 28 was postponed due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict. The required safety training will be completed at a future date. We will continue to hold our regular, online All Staff Assembly on March 28 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. over Zoom.
The Birth Justice Collaborative
The United States healthcare system is one of the most expensive in the world. Yet, preterm birth rates among Black women are 50% higher than Hispanic or White women. American Indian women are 7.8 times more likely to die during birth than white women, while Black women are 3 times as high. These are horrifying statistics, especially in a highly-developed country like the United States. What these numbers reflect is systemic racism in the medical industry.
The Black and American Indian-led Birth Justice Collaborative launched in 2022 to improve community birth outcomes in response to these alarming statistics. The Collaborative’s partners include the University of Minnesota Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), Hennepin County, Collective Action Lab, and more.
The Collaborative operates with five key strategies. These strategies have formed the Collaborative’s two-year priorities, which include “creating a trusted cultural provider network for mothers with financial incentives, creating an advocate training program to provide quality, culturally-centered advocacy, and prioritizing anti-bias report card programs that call out culturally-insensitive practices and encourage accountability,” amongst others. Want to get involved or learn more? Reach out to the Collaborative at info@birthjusticecollaborative.com.
Interested in learning more about birth justice organizations? Check out these local birth resources within Minneapolis:
The Black and American Indian-led Birth Justice Collaborative launched in 2022 to improve community birth outcomes in response to these alarming statistics. The Collaborative’s partners include the University of Minnesota Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), Hennepin County, Collective Action Lab, and more.
The Collaborative operates with five key strategies. These strategies have formed the Collaborative’s two-year priorities, which include “creating a trusted cultural provider network for mothers with financial incentives, creating an advocate training program to provide quality, culturally-centered advocacy, and prioritizing anti-bias report card programs that call out culturally-insensitive practices and encourage accountability,” amongst others. Want to get involved or learn more? Reach out to the Collaborative at info@birthjusticecollaborative.com.
Interested in learning more about birth justice organizations? Check out these local birth resources within Minneapolis:
ASR Staff Engagement March 21 Survey
This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey examines how we structure our workdays. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.
According to the last survey, about half of respondents are planning to travel during the spring season (51.6%). Similarly, 50% say that they currently garden or have an interest in gardening. When asked about what you’re looking forward to in spring, many mentioned the warmer weather, opening the windows, gardening, and just being outside.
Finally we asked about your go-to dessert. The vast majority of responses mentioned ice cream, followed by cheesecake and chocolate. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
March 7 survey results
Are you planning to travel during the spring season?
According to the last survey, about half of respondents are planning to travel during the spring season (51.6%). Similarly, 50% say that they currently garden or have an interest in gardening. When asked about what you’re looking forward to in spring, many mentioned the warmer weather, opening the windows, gardening, and just being outside.
Finally we asked about your go-to dessert. The vast majority of responses mentioned ice cream, followed by cheesecake and chocolate. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
March 7 survey results
Are you planning to travel during the spring season?
- Yes (51.6%)
- No (48.4%)
- The sun and hopefully rain
- Golf and baseball
- Camping
- Green grass and tulips.
- Warmer weather and patios!
- Gardening!
- More hours of daylight & no chance of shoveling.
- Yes (50%)
- No (43.3%)
- I’m not sure (6.7%)
- Ice cream with fresh fruit
- Cookies! I like to keep frozen cookie dough in my freezer for when the mood strikes.
- Custard tart or some sort of crumb/streusel topped cake.
- Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
- Root beer floats
Tony’s tech terms: Front-end vs. Back-end
On the AppDev team, we often refer to front-end code or back-end code. But what on earth does that all mean? I’ve mentioned in the past that we write code in the Ruby programming language. That code is back-end code. That means that it runs on a server and sends some information back in the form of a web page or data from an API.
When you click on a link or enter a URL into a browser, that sends a request to a server that’s at the address of the URL. The back-end code interprets that request and sends something back as a response. There’s often some processing that happens before the response is sent. For example, the code on the server may connect to a database to retrieve some information and send a web page back with the contents of that information. All of this happens on the back end.
But we also write front-end code. Front-end code is code that is executed on your computer in the web browser. The interactive parts of a web page are often front-end code, written in a language called JavaScript (not to be confused with Java). Take the Room Search site, for example. When you open the “Location” menu and check a checkbox there, what you see on the page changes. That interaction happens using JavaScript that your browser runs. Neither the server, nor Ruby are involved at all.
So, as a team, we need to know how both of those languages work. Fortunately, the concepts between them are often similar even though the syntax is different. It’s similar to learning Spanish after you’ve already learned French. Familiarity with one makes learning and understanding the other easier.
When you click on a link or enter a URL into a browser, that sends a request to a server that’s at the address of the URL. The back-end code interprets that request and sends something back as a response. There’s often some processing that happens before the response is sent. For example, the code on the server may connect to a database to retrieve some information and send a web page back with the contents of that information. All of this happens on the back end.
But we also write front-end code. Front-end code is code that is executed on your computer in the web browser. The interactive parts of a web page are often front-end code, written in a language called JavaScript (not to be confused with Java). Take the Room Search site, for example. When you open the “Location” menu and check a checkbox there, what you see on the page changes. That interaction happens using JavaScript that your browser runs. Neither the server, nor Ruby are involved at all.
So, as a team, we need to know how both of those languages work. Fortunately, the concepts between them are often similar even though the syntax is different. It’s similar to learning Spanish after you’ve already learned French. Familiarity with one makes learning and understanding the other easier.
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Update from Stacey
I recently traveled to the Association of American Universities (AAU) Registrar Meeting, and as usual, I came back with many ideas. It takes me a bit to sift through the ideas to find the true takeaways. But the experience definitely motivates and energizes me.
It is immediately obvious that ASR has many strengths, as does our University. Several institutions are feeling the growing pains of just starting a One Stop or hiring their first communications person. Many institutions don’t have the campus-wide policies that we have, and instead, every college makes their own. I also hear from peers how much they envy the cooperation inherent in our structure. It’s a good reminder to acknowledge the things that are going well and be grateful for them. Thank you to all of you!
It is immediately obvious that ASR has many strengths, as does our University. Several institutions are feeling the growing pains of just starting a One Stop or hiring their first communications person. Many institutions don’t have the campus-wide policies that we have, and instead, every college makes their own. I also hear from peers how much they envy the cooperation inherent in our structure. It’s a good reminder to acknowledge the things that are going well and be grateful for them. Thank you to all of you!
Federal Tax Information (FTI) changes
Due to the passage of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Act, the University must now follow new data security standards regarding who can access federal tax information (FTI) as reported on the 2024-2025 FAFSA. FTI data will no longer leave PeopleSoft and feed into other University systems. Only individuals involved in the administration and awarding of financial aid are allowed to access FTI pages in PeopleSoft.
ASR will be hosting a training on Thursday, March 14 for staff that are retaining access to pages in PeopleSoft that contain FTI information, or for staff that are retaining query access that may pull in FTI data. Please check your calendars to see if you have been invited to this mandatory training.
ASR will be hosting a training on Thursday, March 14 for staff that are retaining access to pages in PeopleSoft that contain FTI information, or for staff that are retaining query access that may pull in FTI data. Please check your calendars to see if you have been invited to this mandatory training.
International Women’s Day & Intersectionality
Tomorrow, March 8, is International Women’s Day (IWD), a day to recognize and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. It’s about accelerating equality and highlighting the work that still needs to be done. This year’s theme focuses on “Inspiring Inclusion,” or in other words, it emphasizes intersectionality when recognizing women’s contributions and issues, including those from marginalized communities.
According to American Civil Rights Advocate, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw who coined the term in 1989, “intersectionality is the study of overlapping or intersecting social identities and related systems of oppression, domination, or discrimination.” Our different social identities all intersect and engage with power structures. So when discussing feminist issues, such as pay inequality or access to equitable medical care, the framework of intersectionality is crucial because not all inequality is equal. When looking at the pay gap, for example, Black and Hispanic women earn even less than white women. Race is just one of the many examples. Gender, class, ability, sexuality, religion, immigrant status—among others—all play a vital role in the fight for women’s equality.
If you’re interested in learning more about International Women’s Day and its theme of “Inspire Inclusion,” check out the talks featured in the 2024 UMN International Women's Day Event Series:
According to American Civil Rights Advocate, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw who coined the term in 1989, “intersectionality is the study of overlapping or intersecting social identities and related systems of oppression, domination, or discrimination.” Our different social identities all intersect and engage with power structures. So when discussing feminist issues, such as pay inequality or access to equitable medical care, the framework of intersectionality is crucial because not all inequality is equal. When looking at the pay gap, for example, Black and Hispanic women earn even less than white women. Race is just one of the many examples. Gender, class, ability, sexuality, religion, immigrant status—among others—all play a vital role in the fight for women’s equality.
If you’re interested in learning more about International Women’s Day and its theme of “Inspire Inclusion,” check out the talks featured in the 2024 UMN International Women's Day Event Series:
- Development-Induced Displacement and Women and Children's Well-Being: Evidence from the Brazilian Amazon
- BIRCWH Visiting Scholar Seminar: Breast Cancer Disparities in Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals
- IWD 2024 | Empowering Women, Transforming Lives: A Global Celebration of Safe Motherhood
- The Rights of Nature vs. Human Rights?
Supporting coworkers during Ramadan
During the holy month of Ramadan, many Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, devote themselves to prayer, focus on charitable giving and community service, and spend more time with family and other members of their place of worship. As we approach the beginning of Ramadan on March 11, we wanted to highlight last year’s DEI article “Supporting coworkers during Ramadan,” and encourage you to revisit it. The article includes a lot of helpful information, such as acknowledging the month’s significance, encouraging coworkers to take off Eid-al-Fitr, and to take fasting into account when scheduling business-related luncheons or office parties.
ASR Staff Engagement March 7 Survey
With spring just a few weeks away, this week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey is spring themed! Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.
According to the last survey, most say that they generally feel confident at work (95%). When asked how often you encounter a situation where you don’t feel confident in how to move forward, most said monthly (40%), followed by very rarely (30%), and then yearly and weekly (15% each). We received many great responses when we asked what success means to you. Many mentioned that success means feeling happy with their work at the end of the day and being part of an effective team.
Finally, we asked for your recommendations on movies, shows, books, and games that you’ve experienced this year. Many responses included games such as Wingspan, Camel Up, and Disney Lorcana. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
February 22 survey results
In general, do you feel confident at work?
According to the last survey, most say that they generally feel confident at work (95%). When asked how often you encounter a situation where you don’t feel confident in how to move forward, most said monthly (40%), followed by very rarely (30%), and then yearly and weekly (15% each). We received many great responses when we asked what success means to you. Many mentioned that success means feeling happy with their work at the end of the day and being part of an effective team.
Finally, we asked for your recommendations on movies, shows, books, and games that you’ve experienced this year. Many responses included games such as Wingspan, Camel Up, and Disney Lorcana. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.
February 22 survey results
In general, do you feel confident at work?
- Yes (95%)
- No (5%)
- Weekly (15%)
- Monthly (40%)
- Yearly (15%)
- Very Rarely (30%)
- Being able to look in the mirror at the end of the day and telling yourself today you did your best!
- Growth and development as a team.
- Feeling like I'm making progress in my work, being able to close tasks.
- Progress in the right direction.
- A flourishing team.
- Yellowstone, Costco Monopoly, Sequence
- Currently reading Inclusify by Stefanie K. Johnson
- Empire of Pain by Patrick Keefe (book), True Detective - Night Country (TV series)
- Disney Lorcana as it's definitely family friendly compare to other tcg
- I realize I'm late to the party, but I recently placed Wingspan, and it is a lot of fun! I played the board game version (I know they have a Switch version too).
Tony's tech terms: DevOps
In AppDev, we deploy our application code in two kinds of environments. Either to a server that runs a Linux operating system, or using a container to our Traefik service. The term for automating server and container configuration is called DevOps.
The application code is the development, or “Dev” part of DevOps. Managing the server or container configuration is the “Ops”, or operations part. Those two responsibilities are sometimes managed by separate teams. That can make the work of troubleshooting slow and frustrating.
We can move much faster if we have the level of access we need to configure things for ourselves. However, we’re not Linux administrators. That’s why we rely on OIT to set the servers up for us and handle things like operating system updates. We also rely on the development community so we can use tools that provide Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
Infrastructure as Code means that we encode our server or container configuration in a human-readable way that is automated and repeatable. That way, when we need to move to a new server or create a new container, we can repeat it as often as we need.
Since the configuration is readable, we can also review our configuration changes like we review our application code. Any configuration change we make gets reviewed by at least one person on the team.
The work to transform our infrastructure to use containers is DevOps work. In fact, last year we hired a DevOps Engineer to assist us with this transformation.
What's next after the move to containers? We deal with a lot of secrets, like API keys and Oracle database passwords. Our processes for updating those are only semi-automated. Once the University decides on a secret management solution, we want to fully automate those processes.
The application code is the development, or “Dev” part of DevOps. Managing the server or container configuration is the “Ops”, or operations part. Those two responsibilities are sometimes managed by separate teams. That can make the work of troubleshooting slow and frustrating.
We can move much faster if we have the level of access we need to configure things for ourselves. However, we’re not Linux administrators. That’s why we rely on OIT to set the servers up for us and handle things like operating system updates. We also rely on the development community so we can use tools that provide Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
Infrastructure as Code means that we encode our server or container configuration in a human-readable way that is automated and repeatable. That way, when we need to move to a new server or create a new container, we can repeat it as often as we need.
Since the configuration is readable, we can also review our configuration changes like we review our application code. Any configuration change we make gets reviewed by at least one person on the team.
The work to transform our infrastructure to use containers is DevOps work. In fact, last year we hired a DevOps Engineer to assist us with this transformation.
What's next after the move to containers? We deal with a lot of secrets, like API keys and Oracle database passwords. Our processes for updating those are only semi-automated. Once the University decides on a secret management solution, we want to fully automate those processes.
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