Tony's Tech Terms: Splunk

Splunk is an OIT-supported tool that helps us keep an eye on our applications by collecting and organizing the detailed "logs" our apps generate. When our applications run, they create a record of their activities, known as a log entry, which captures everything from normal operations to errors. 

Splunk gathers all these entries into one place, making it easier to track application performance and troubleshoot issues. By using Splunk, we don’t have to sift through logs manually to find problems—we can instead set up automated alerts that notify us whenever something unexpected happens.

With these alerts, we can quickly respond to issues. For example, if an application keeps erroring under certain conditions, Splunk can detect this recurring error and immediately alert us. This real-time notification system helps ensure that problems are identified and addressed right away, reducing downtime and keeping applications running smoothly.

ASR Staff Engagement October 31st Survey

This week’s ASR Engagement Survey continues our fall season theme. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

According to the last survey, 44.4% of respondents do not like scary movies, followed by 29.6% who sometimes like them and 25.9% who do like them. When asked about your favorite soups to have during the fall season, butternut squash soup, pho, and chicken wild rice soup were mentioned most frequently.

In addition, most staff are not planning to take a trip to see fall colors (60.7%) followed by 25% who are planning to take a trip. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

October 17th survey results

Do you enjoy scary movies?

·       Yes (25.9%)

·       No (44.4%)

·       Sometimes (29.6%)

What's your favorite type of soup to have during the Fall season?

·      Chicken Wild Rice

·      Red Thai Curry soup, or pho (but pho is literally the best soup any time of year)

·      Butternut squash

·      Matzo Ball

·      Beef Barley

Are you planning to take a trip somewhere to see the changing Fall colors?

·       Yes (25%)

·       No (60.7%)

·       I’m not sure (14.3%)

Upcoming project request deadlines

Now that prioritization for Q2 FY25 (November-January) is complete, we will begin reviewing project requests for Q3 FY25 (February-April) and beyond. Please submit project requests as early as possible to allow time for review. Full details of the project request process and additional resources are available on the ASR Staff Site.

Dates and deadlines for Q3 FY25:

1. Project request deadline: December 5, 2024

2. Project prioritization meeting: January 9, 2025

3. Start of quarterly planning period: February 2, 2025

Complete ASR Planning Calendar

Please feel free to reach out to osi-projects@umn.edu with any questions or concerns as you go through the project request process.

Digital Playground kickoff on 11/13

Join Pete Fleenor on Wednesday, November 13 from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. as we kick off the new monthly “Digital Playground” series. These optional professional development sessions will focus on growing your technology skills and knowledge. The first session will focus on Gmail and how to organize, maintain, and utilize some of the tools that are available. We will cover both basic and more advanced features of Gmail, so all levels of learners are welcome and encouraged to attend. Bring questions that you may already have about Gmail or feel free to message Pete ahead of time. 

Join the session via Zoom. The session will be recorded and shared with those that cannot attend. December’s session will be an Open Forum, and you can also schedule a 1:1 time to talk about tech-related questions that you have. 

To stay in the loop on Digital Playground, join the Google Group. If you have questions contact Pete at fleen010@umn.edu.

Open Enrollment for Benefits

Open enrollment for 2025 benefits begins tomorrow, November 1 and ends on December 2. There are resources available to help prepare you for making benefits selections that best meet your need:  

• The Open Enrollment webpage is where you can learn about changes for 2025, get a refresher on what benefits are available and where to research those options, determine whether or not you need to enroll this year, and read enrollment instructions.

• You can attend an Open Enrollment Webinar at noon on November 1 to learn more about how Open Enrollment works and what your benefit options are at the University. You can register using this link or find a link to the recording on the Open Enrollment webpage. 

When making your selections, make sure that you click “Submit” and then “Done” in the pop-up window to finalize your enrollment (otherwise they won’t be officially entered). Once submitted, you can check your choices by going back into the My Benefits section of MyU and clicking “Confirmation Statement.” You can make changes until the last day (December 2). 

If you experience difficulty enrolling or have questions, the OHR Contact Center is available to help. You can email benefits@umn.edu, or call 612-624-8647 or 1-800-756-2363 and select option 1.

Update from Stacey

 

Update from Stacey

Every other fall, the University conducts an Employee Engagement (E2) survey of all employees and provides results to supervisors. We are at roughly the mid-point between surveys, so it’s a useful time for ASR to reflect on our survey results and employee engagement efforts that have happened since fall 2023. Employee engagement work is important to our organizational health and making sure ASR is a high quality workplace. While imperfect, I think the survey provides us with important feedback and metrics, and a good incentive to stop and reflect also. 

Each unit in ASR has reviewed its E2 results and has plans in motion. The Office of the Registrar has conducted feedback sessions with staff and has a small working group making recommendations to its managers. Both One Stop and ASR-IT have done mini-surveys to get some more detail to inform particular efforts. Some units including Operations & Strategic Initiatives are using regular meetings to focus on DEI topics and other areas of note from the survey.

On an ASR-wide level, there have been a few initiatives related to E2, whether created specifically because of E2 or other needs in ASR. As always, we look at the alignment of our organization, teams, and processes in an effort to be efficient and support employees. What’s changed since fall 2023? The development of our project intake and prioritization process and implementation of ClickUp is directly related to feedback from the survey—I see these as key parts of our ability to say “no” to work or defer work that does not fit, creating transparency about what we are able to get done, and what teams across ASR are working on.

Another way we support employee engagement is by having effective supervisors—Natasha, Amber, and Carin have formed supervisory development cohorts to promote discussion and sharing of best practices on a variety of topics (e.g., hiring practices, coaching and giving feedback) across ASR units. As an organization it is important that we cultivate the knowledge and skills for success and develop our supervisors and future leaders.

Update from Stacey

October is the season of Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) meetings, where participants gather with their peers across member institutions to discuss pressing issues and learn from one another. In ASR, we participate in BTAA meetings for financial aid, bursars, privacy officers, and registrars (I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone!). Last week, I had the pleasure of traveling with a few OTR staff for the registrars meeting hosted on the Purdue campus. I always appreciate getting inspiration for some business improvements as well as the reminder that we are doing so many things right.

Sarah Kussow got a special tour of some classroom spaces, and we discussed alternative credentials and microcredentials. We also shared our wisdom with schools starting a one stop office for students, and discussed numerous detailed processes. If you would like to know what peer institutions are doing, talk to your unit director for ideas on how to connect through the BTAA or other professional organizations. I’ve found immense benefit from these opportunities.

Silent auction and potluck

On Wednesday, October 30, ASR and OUE are hosting a silent auction to raise money for Student Success Funds. The items for the auction are donated by our staff members—all of you! You will have the opportunity to bid for items either in person or remotely. More details on the bidding process will become available as we get closer to the auction date.

During the auction, we’ll also be hosting a potluck for staff. So you are welcome to stop by and eat some delicious food while perusing the items. If you would like to contribute food to the potluck, please do so, but you are not expected to! 

Date: Wednesday, October 30
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Auction location: Williamson Hall 130J

Potluck location: Williamson Hall 145F

Please donate!

You may donate items such as wall art, backyard games, gift baskets, IOUs for baked goods, handmade items, board games, tickets to sporting events, and more! If you’re interested in a group donation, you can also pool together items with your colleagues and donate a basket of goodies!

If you’re planning to donate, please print out a donation form and drop it off with your physical items in Williamson Hall with either Megan Wollner or Dani Rustad. If you do not have a physical item (like e-tickets or an IOU), please fill out the form and email it to Megan (woll0122@umn.edu) so it’s available for people to bid on.You may donate items until Monday, October 28.

Project prioritization results for next quarter

ASR has prioritized 8 projects for the quarterly planning period of Q2 2025 (November 2024-January 2025). These 8 projects are in addition to the 18 projects currently in the analysis or implementation phase. A comprehensive view is available on the ASR Project Plan Preview.

Any project requests not prioritized for the upcoming planning period will be held in the project backlog for reconsideration in either the mid-quarter review or the next quarterly planning period. If you would like to submit a project request for the next quarterly planning prioritization, Q3 2025 (February-April 2025), you can do so via the ASR Project Request form.

Indigenous People’s Day and Land Grant Institutions

Indigenous People’s Day, observed this year on Monday, October 14, is a day to recognize and honor the global contributions and legacy of Indigenous Peoples. According to the United Nations, there are an estimated 476 million Indigenous Peoples in the world. These communities represent thousands of cultures and languages across 90 countries, each retaining distinct characteristics from the dominant societies around them.

Throughout history, Indigenous Peoples’ livelihoods, cultural practices, and rights to their land have been violated through colonization and the destruction of natural resources. At the University of Minnesota, we have a unique place in this history as being a land-grant institution. Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, the Morrill Act distributed public lands to establish colleges and universities. While the Morrill Act was integral in the founding of the University of Minnesota, the land used to establish the University, and the wealth generated by designated state trust lands, was taken from Indigenous Peoples.

Groups and organizations at the University are working to bring awareness to this history and contribute to restorative justice for indigenous communities by doing more than land acknowledgements. Examples of such efforts include the University of Minnesota’s Ojibwe and Dakota Language Programs, which support the preservation and revitalization of these Indigenous languages, the Native American Promise Tuition Program, the TRUTH Project, and the Circle of Indigenous Nations (COIN), which we featured in a previous News & Notes article.

Community Fund Drive

The Community Fund Drive is an annual campaign where you can donate to charities, nonprofits, and on-campus fundraising events throughout the month of October. This year, the University is partnering with four federations and the University of Minnesota Foundation to help people in need:

• CHC: Creating Healthier Communities
• Greater Twin Cities United Way
• Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless
• UNCF
• University of Minnesota Foundation

You can also donate to any other nonprofit organization that is close to your heart. For more information, see the 2024 Community Fund Drive website.

March in the Homecoming Parade!

Join One Stop Student Services in the Homecoming parade. It’s a cherished ASR tradition! The parade will take place Friday, October 25, at 6:30 pm. No RSVP is necessary, but please email Richard Campo (campo035@umn.edu) ahead of time for details. GO GOPHERS!

Changes to the ASR staff site

Minor design and content changes have been made to the ASR staff site to make it easier to use. Changes to the site include the removal of outdated information, content reorganization, and font and layout edits. Feel free to contact asrux@umn.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

ASR Staff Engagement October 17 Survey

This week’s ASR Engagement Survey asks about the fall season. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

According to the last survey, most staff have someone to talk to at work when they are feeling stressed (80%). When asked about workload, most say that they are sometimes able to achieve a healthy work-life balance but not always (46.7%). In addition, a majority of respondents say that they feel their colleagues and managers care about their wellbeing (86.2%).

Finally, we asked about your favorite type of pies. Banana cream and French silk were mentioned most frequently, followed by apple and pecan pie. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

October 3 survey results

Do you have someone to talk to at work when you are feeling stressed?

• Yes (80%)
• No (13.3%)
• I’m not sure (6.7%)

Does the workload assigned to you allow you to achieve a healthy work-life balance?

• Yes (43.3%)
• No (10%)
• Sometimes, but not always (46.7%)

Do you feel that your colleagues and managers care about your wellbeing?

• Yes (86.2%)
• No (6.9%)
• I’m not sure (6.9%)

What is your favorite type of pie?

• French Silk
• Apple with a streusel topping!
• Pumpkin with masses of cool whip on top
• Strawberry rhubarb - sweet and tart!
• Banana cream

Tony's Tech Terms: Docker containers

Docker containers are like shipping containers for software. Just as a shipping container holds goods and ensures they can be transported safely across ships, trains, and trucks without being repacked, a Docker container packages up a piece of software with everything it needs to run—code, libraries, and settings—so it can move smoothly from one computer environment to another.

Whether the software is running on a developer's laptop, a company's server, or in the cloud, the Docker container ensures it will behave the same way everywhere, without the risk of it "breaking" due to differences in the environments.

In shipping, containers are standardized, so they can easily stack on cargo ships and be loaded onto trucks or trains without changing the contents. Similarly, Docker containers use a standard format, allowing software to be consistently deployed and run across various systems. This makes managing applications more efficient and predictable, as you can easily replicate and update them without worrying about compatibility issues between different machines. Docker simplifies the complexities of moving software around by ensuring it stays "packaged" exactly the same way, no matter where it's being delivered.

We’ve spent the last year moving our applications over to run on containers. We’re down to our last few applications now! We hope to have everything ported over by the end of 2024.

Update from Stacey

Did you know that October 16 is this year’s annual Financial Aid Day to recognize financial aid professionals? Say thank you to your financial aid colleagues! The rest of us can celebrate on Higher Education Day next summer, a thing I only learned about via some googling just now.

I thought I would also share some general updates about what I’m working on. My two biggest projects at the moment are the annual budget process and writing a report on federal compliance for the University’s re-accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission.

• OUE submits its annual budget compact materials in the fall. My project, with the directors’ support, is to write a document that outlines our highest priorities and major financial concerns. It also needs to demonstrate how we would implement a 1.4% reallocation. What does that mean? In our document, I need to explain how we would cut 1.4% of ASR’s budget, but I also have the opportunity to show the negative impacts to dissuade decision-makers from making a cut. Additionally, a budget cut could be offset by new money if new initiatives or significant financial concerns receive funding. We are a fortunate unit at the University that is recognized for our high quality work and importance to the mission, so I am optimistic about the process.
• Part of our re-accreditation process happening in 2025 is to assemble a number of reports. I am leading the federal compliance reporting, with help from staff in ASR and across the campus, to describe our FERPA compliance, instructional time policies, transfer credit practices, and other items. I don’t have a lot of dedicated writing projects these days, so I’m really enjoying this work.

ClickUp project update

We hope you all found the ClickUp project overview at last week’s ASR All Staff Assembly useful. You can review that presentation to learn more about the project’s vision, the basics of ClickUp, ASR’s implementation strategy, and how work can happen in ClickUp.

Currently, the ClickUp committee is updating project timelines to reflect what we’re learning with our first ASR teams. The current project plan, including tentative dates, is available for most units in ASR. Some highlights from recent work:

• The DORS team has concluded their configuration sessions, migrated over critical in-progress work, and begun using ClickUp as their work management tool! 🎉
• The Financial Aid and Admissions IT teams have begun working with L5, our external configuration partners, on their requirements and initial setup.

The FA-IT team found their demo and configuration session with L5 incredibly helpful and made a recording of that session available for those curious about how ClickUp can work for an actual ASR team.

MyU and PeopleSoft applications unavailable Oct. 19-20

October 19 - 20, 2024 (Saturday and Sunday), MyU and other PeopleSoft applications will be unavailable while the University upgrades PeopleSoft. The upgrade is planned to begin at noon Saturday and end at noon Sunday. This upgrade keeps our PeopleSoft systems current and secure and ensures we retain Oracle support.

The timing of the upgrade was set cooperatively to minimize disruption to the University. Please make note of this outage and plan accordingly.

Impact

• MyU and PeopleSoft applications, and some applications dependent on PeopleSoft, will be unavailable while the upgrade is in progress.
• Aside from downtime during the weekend, no significant impact is expected.
• Some who use PeopleSoft will notice some minor changes to the interface.
• Those who use PeopleSoft will need to clear the cache on their web browser following this upgrade.
• Business partners need to coordinate with integration partners for testing. If a system you manage integrates with PeopleSoft, someone from the business process area will reach out to you to coordinate testing.

During the upgrade weekend, updates will be available on the University’s System Status page.

New FERPA training requirement

If you have access to PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and/or APLUS, you will need to complete the new FERPA training course by October 31, 2024, regardless of any previous FERPA training recorded. If you do not complete the new training on time, you will lose your PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and/or APLUS access.

The new course should take 20-30 minutes to complete. If you are required to take the training, you will be automatically enrolled through Training Hub. You will receive additional information and reminders by email.

Moving forward, FERPA training will need to be completed on a regular basis to maintain access to PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and APLUS. This is to ensure that those with access to private student data remain informed of their responsibilities and to prevent FERPA violations. If you have questions, you can contact cctraining@umn.edu.

DEI Committee - New member spotlight - Angie Davis

Two new members joined the DEI committee last month, and we wanted to use this space to introduce them and highlight their interest in joining the committee. Please welcome Angie Davis!

“Hi everyone! I'm Angie (she/her), and I work in Classroom Technical Services (CTS) as the Production Coordinator. I started with CTS in June and have really been enjoying my time here so far. My favorite part of my work in CTS is getting to collaborate with such a great team!

I just recently joined the DEI committee this September! What made me interested in working with the DEI committee is my passion for making sure others feel a sense of belonging. It is important to me that the workplace is a welcoming and safe environment for everyone. My previous work with DEI comes from past employment where I focused on furthering DEI initiatives and fostering a more inclusive workplace culture within my department. I feel eager to continue this kind of work in a new capacity. I am looking forward to being on this committee and contributing to positive change in ASR and our community.”

Corporate card taxability reminder

The revised Using a University Corporate Card policy introduced a new provision that would make PCard and T&E Card (formerly TCard) transactions submitted 60+ days after the transaction date taxable to the cardholder (unless there are documented extenuating circumstances). Beginning October 15, 2024, transactions submitted after 60 days will be reviewed by the Tax Management Office to determine if they should be reported as taxable income.

In order to prevent a taxable scenario, the following best practices are recommended:

• Submit expenses as soon as possible after the transaction, including transactions that may be in error or fraudulent. Take the appropriate action with either the supplier or bank as early as possible to resolve the issue. Add as much information as possible to the original transaction outlining the circumstances at the time of submission.
• Always gather itemized receipts at the time of the transaction to avoid delays due to documentation requirements:
• PCard — all transactions require an itemized receipt/invoice
• T&E Card (non-travel/hospitality) — all transactions require an itemized receipt/invoice
• T&E Card (travel) — all lodging and any $25+ transactions (excluding meal per diems) require an itemized receipt/invoice
• Clearly explain the reason for the purchase and whether there were any unique circumstances that impacted the purchase.

ASR Staff Engagement October 3 Survey

This week’s ASR Engagement Survey examines workload management. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

The last survey tested your knowledge on ergonomics. For people without bifocals, the distance from your computer monitor should be approximately one arm’s length away (65.4% were correct). Your computer monitor should be set at eye level (46.2% were correct). You can do a virtual ergonomic evaluation through the University Ergonomic Program (92.3% were correct).

Finally, we asked about your office chair. Most are happy with their current office chair (74.1%), while 22.2% are not happy with theirs. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

September 19 survey results

For people without bifocals, the distance from your computer monitor should be approximately _______________.

• One arm’s length away (65.4%)
• One and a half arm's length away (30.8%)
• Two arm's length away (3.8%)

Your computer monitor should be set at...

• Slightly above eye level (38.5%)
• At eye level (46.2%)
• Slightly below eye level (15.4%)

True or False: It's possible to do a virtual ergonomic evaluation through the University Ergonomic Program.

• True (92.3%)
• False (7.7%)

Are you happy with the office chair you typically use at work?

• Yes (74.1%)
• No (22.2%)
• I’m not sure (3.7%)

Tony's Tech Terms: SSL certificates

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates are crucial for protecting the privacy of our students when they interact with University web applications. These certificates ensure that any sensitive information shared, such as student records, personal details, or login credentials, is encrypted and kept secure. This encryption makes it extremely difficult for unauthorized individuals to access or intercept the data. You can tell that our web applications are communicating over SSL by looking for the "https" in the URL and the padlock icon next to the website address, indicating that the site is using an SSL certificate.

Beyond protecting data, SSL certificates also help verify the authenticity of our web applications. This means students and staff can trust that they are interacting with official University systems, not a fraudulent or compromised site.

SSL certificates need to be updated periodically. The current standard is to renew them annually, but that standard may change to 90 days in the future. A while back we set up some automation so these certifications are updated automatically each year. We’re well positioned for when the renewal period drops down to 90 days.