Earlier this week, we learned that the provost will be leaving her position this summer. We will know more about the search process for a replacement in the coming days. Changes in leadership in higher education are very common, and the pace of that change has increased in the last few years. Some quick Googling and recent conversations with our Big Ten peers suggest that the average tenure for a provost is about three years.
However, as a particular colleague likes to remind me when the unexpected happens–the University has endured countless changes since 1851 and we will weather this next change together. I found that having a new vice provost for undergraduate education provided an opportunity to educate leaders about ASR’s work and generated new creative energy. I believe this next change presents a similar opportunity. If you have ideas about what a new provost needs to know about ASR, please drop me an email.
Thursday, December 12, 2024
ASR Work & Project Request form moved to ClickUp, UX team added
The ASR Work & Project Request form is now in ClickUp, and can be accessed at z.umn.edu/asr_work_and_project_request. This link has also been updated on the ASR project requests and the prioritization process webpage.
The UX and Content Strategy team has joined the Application Development, Data Engineering, Forms or workflows (Jadu), and Student Data and Analytics teams in using the form for work requests. You should complete this form if you need to request work from any of those teams or if you have a project request. Work and project requests are reviewed regularly and can be submitted at any time.
The UX and Content Strategy team has joined the Application Development, Data Engineering, Forms or workflows (Jadu), and Student Data and Analytics teams in using the form for work requests. You should complete this form if you need to request work from any of those teams or if you have a project request. Work and project requests are reviewed regularly and can be submitted at any time.
S: and H: drive migration
On Wednesday, December 11, OIT migrated the files on the S: or H: drives shared ASR storage space known as Administrative Data Storage (ADS) to a new server. If you added any files to the drive between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. that day, please verify that they are still available. It's possible that files added during this time were saved to the old server and missed during the migration. If you did not use these drives during this period, no action is needed.
University Minnesota - A History of Protest
Protests at the University of Minnesota date back to the early 20th century, with students organizing around labor issues and women’s suffrage. In the 1930s, students supported workers’ rights and opposed rising fascism globally. The 1960s brought a wave of activism as students across the country mobilized around civil rights, opposition to the Vietnam War, and demands for educational reform.
The Morrill Hall sit-in stands as a landmark moment in the history of the University of Minnesota. On January 14, 1969, a group of Black students, supported by the Afro-American Action Committee (AAAC), occupied Morrill Hall. Their primary demands included:
Staff at the University of Minnesota have historically supported protests and demonstrated solidarity with student and faculty activists. During the 1969 Morrill Hall takeover, staff members provided logistical support and helped amplify the voices of student activists fighting for the creation of the Afro-American Studies Department. This demonstrated a long-standing tradition of staff backing efforts for racial equity and justice at the U.
According to U policy, employees may organize or participate in demonstrations as private citizens during their non-working hours. This means employees can participate during the lunch break and other times when they are not scheduled to work. Employees interested in participating in demonstrations during scheduled work time must receive prior approval from their supervisor to use vacation time or their personal holiday. Employees cannot use sick or earned sick and safe time (ESST).
Resources and references
The Morrill Hall sit-in stands as a landmark moment in the history of the University of Minnesota. On January 14, 1969, a group of Black students, supported by the Afro-American Action Committee (AAAC), occupied Morrill Hall. Their primary demands included:
- Establishing a Black Studies department.
- Increasing recruitment and support for Black students.
- Hiring more Black faculty and staff.
- Improving financial aid and housing options for Black students.
Staff at the University of Minnesota have historically supported protests and demonstrated solidarity with student and faculty activists. During the 1969 Morrill Hall takeover, staff members provided logistical support and helped amplify the voices of student activists fighting for the creation of the Afro-American Studies Department. This demonstrated a long-standing tradition of staff backing efforts for racial equity and justice at the U.
According to U policy, employees may organize or participate in demonstrations as private citizens during their non-working hours. This means employees can participate during the lunch break and other times when they are not scheduled to work. Employees interested in participating in demonstrations during scheduled work time must receive prior approval from their supervisor to use vacation time or their personal holiday. Employees cannot use sick or earned sick and safe time (ESST).
Resources and references
- Eight Days in May, anti-war protests at the U
- 1970 Student Strike–50 Years Later
- Student Activism in the Post-War Era
- Chicano students Twin Cities administration building (now Morrill Hall)
- Doe, J. (2020). Contemporary Student Movements: The Role of Activism in Higher Education. Academic Press.
- Johnson, R. (1989). Divestment and Dissent: The University of Minnesota and the Anti-Apartheid Movement. Midwest Journal of Social Change.
- Smith, L., & Lee, A. (1995). A History of Civil Rights Activism at the University of Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Review.
- University of Minnesota. (2023). History of the Department of African American & African Studies.
- Williams, K. (1980). The 1969 Morrill Hall Takeover: A Turning Point for Equity in Higher Education. Minneapolis: Campus Press.
ASR Staff Engagement December 12 Survey
This week’s ASR Engagement Survey continues our seasonal theme. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.
According to the last survey, just over half of staff are not planning to travel out of state before the end of the year (54.8%). In addition, many are predicting that we will get another significant snowfall this month (68.8%).
Finally, we asked about your favorite holiday side dish. Stuffing was mentioned the most by far, followed by mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.
November 14 survey results
Are you planning to travel out of state before the end of the year?
According to the last survey, just over half of staff are not planning to travel out of state before the end of the year (54.8%). In addition, many are predicting that we will get another significant snowfall this month (68.8%).
Finally, we asked about your favorite holiday side dish. Stuffing was mentioned the most by far, followed by mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.
November 14 survey results
Are you planning to travel out of state before the end of the year?
- Yes (35.5%%)
- No (54.8%)
- I’m not sure (9.7%)
- November (21.9%)
- December (68.8%)
- Next year (9.4%)
- Cornbread stuffing
- Sweet potatoes with a crunchy oatmeal/walnut topping
- Wild rice casserole
- Turkey stuffing
- Lefse
- Stuffed peppers
Tony's Tech Terms: Structured Query Language
You have probably heard us use the acronym SQL (sometimes pronounced "sequel") from time to time, which stands for Structured Query Language. SQL is a language that is used to create, retrieve, update, and delete data in a relational database. It's a readable language with a specific structure.
If you learn "standard" SQL, you'll have a pretty good grasp of how to query tables in Oracle. However, Oracle has its own variant called PL/SQL (Procedural Language/Structured Query Language), so some standard queries will look a little different.
Let’s use this simple table named “campuses” as an example:
It's pretty easy to write some SQL to retrieve the Morris row. If we happen to know the ID (which is unique), we could query it with SELECT * FROM CAMPUSES WHERE ID = 3; (The "*" character says give me all the columns.) This query would return:
However, most of the time we don't have IDs memorized. We could get the same information with SELECT * FROM CAMPUSES WHERE NAME = 'Morris'; This is a much more intuitive query.
Note: I mentioned above that Oracle has its own version of SQL. I used single quotes around Morris in my query. My query would cause an error if I used double quotes. Other relational databases are not as opinionated about single vs. double quotes. This is just one example of the subtleties of working with Oracle.
If you learn "standard" SQL, you'll have a pretty good grasp of how to query tables in Oracle. However, Oracle has its own variant called PL/SQL (Procedural Language/Structured Query Language), so some standard queries will look a little different.
Let’s use this simple table named “campuses” as an example:
It's pretty easy to write some SQL to retrieve the Morris row. If we happen to know the ID (which is unique), we could query it with SELECT * FROM CAMPUSES WHERE ID = 3; (The "*" character says give me all the columns.) This query would return:
However, most of the time we don't have IDs memorized. We could get the same information with SELECT * FROM CAMPUSES WHERE NAME = 'Morris'; This is a much more intuitive query.
Note: I mentioned above that Oracle has its own version of SQL. I used single quotes around Morris in my query. My query would cause an error if I used double quotes. Other relational databases are not as opinionated about single vs. double quotes. This is just one example of the subtleties of working with Oracle.
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