Update from Stacey

Thursday was definitely exciting with the Canvas outage! I’m very relieved the system was back up and running by noon on Friday, and impacts to the end of the term were minimal. I haven’t had that kind of fire drill in a long time, and hopefully, we won’t have another one for quite a while. Moments like this are a good reminder of how connected ASR is to the rest of the University, and how we can serve the institution in a time of crisis. Through connecting with team members in multiple units of ASR, I was able to quickly join a leadership meeting and share potential impacts to students and faculty and data on final exam scheduling, explain grade entry deadlines by campus and what it might take to move them, and connect dots between multiple offices. Thank you to everyone that jumped in and offered their help and expertise!

Guidelines for professional conduct with our offices

In response to an increase in unprofessional conduct from students, families, faculty and staff, a group of ASR Supervisors (Mina Mosher, Noah Holm, Tony Thomas, and Angie Opel) created Guidelines for professional conduct with our offices to help ASR units frame communication expectations with our campus/community partners. These guidelines can be found on One Stop’s Terms and conditions page and in the footers of the OCM and ASR websites.

Please expect this topic to appear in future ASR All Staff Assemblies, staff meetings, or check-ins with your supervisor. We plan to share the guidelines with larger audiences in the near future, such as the Academic Advising Network (AAN), the Graduation Program Coordinator Network (GPCN), and other lists at the University.

You can direct questions about this initiative to Julie Selander (goode021@umn.edu) or Nate Peterson (pete2787@umn.edu).

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 10, at 6:30 p.m. No RSVP is necessary, but please email Richard Campo (campo035@umn.edu) ahead of time for details. GO GOPHERS!

Student Degree Progress team

Last month, the Student Degree Progress (SDP) team, Rachel McKessock and Tracy Fischer, moved from ASR to the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) and began reporting to Jennifer Reckner. This change aligns with OUE’s strategic needs and broader initiatives, and offers a closer relationship to the vice provost.

Many of Rachel and Tracy’s primary job responsibilities will remain the same, and there will continue to be strong ties between the SDP team and ASR. Their work in student degree progress is crucial to our shared commitment to student success across OUE and ASR.

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.

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.

ASR Staff Engagement May 30 Survey

This week’s ASR Engagement Survey asks about your summer plans. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!

According to the last survey on balancing/managing workload, many mentioned that new hires should not take on too much at once, develop a relationship with your manager/unit, and ask for help when needed regarding their workload. In addition, a majority say highlighting university-related resources and bringing an associated speaker to an ASR all-staff would be beneficial regarding balancing workload. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

Save the date: ASR in-person staff assembly and picnic

This year’s in-person all staff assembly and picnic will be held Thursday, July 25. Employees who live outside of a typical commuting distance are not required to attend. More details will be given closer to the day of the assembly.

ASR wellness half-day

To recognize the hard work and resilience of staff, ASR will have a staff wellness day for the second half of the work day on Friday, May 24. All Civil Service, labor-represented, and P&A staff in ASR who are regularly scheduled to work May 24 may pursue wellness activities of their choice for the second half of their work day. There is an FAQ available, but please feel free to contact your supervisor if you have any additional questions.

ASR Staff Engagement May 16 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey continues our collaboration with the ASR Mental Wellness group focusing on stress and burnout. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!

According to the last survey, most respondents take a break when they realize they are burned out or are approaching burnout, followed by those that continue on and address the stress at the same time. In addition, a majority say highlighting University-related resources and bringing an associated speaker to an ASR all-staff would be beneficial regarding stress and burnout. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

Update from Stacey

This week, supervisors received reports from the most recent Employee Engagement Survey, sometimes called E2. I’ve taken a preliminary look at the results for ASR and had the following takeaways:

• ASR had a great response rate (93%).
• We continue to do well in several areas such as professional development, respect and recognition, and supporting wellbeing.
• A few areas for improvement include increasing cross-departmental communication and developing/communicating a clear department-wide strategy for the future.

We will need time to go over the results and form plans together, but I am looking forward to digging deeper and ultimately deciding where we can make improvements for ASR as a whole. I appreciate all of the feedback that we received from the survey. Thank you!

2022-23 ASR Annual Report now available

The ASR annual report covering the period of September 2022 to August 2023 is complete and available on the ASR website homepage. This document highlights key metrics and accomplishments from each unit. It may be especially useful for new staff or for those we partner with outside of ASR as it provides a comprehensive overview of all we do for the University. Feel free to share with anybody you think would be interested!

ASR Staff Engagement January 25 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey examines communication and collaboration. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!

According to the last survey, most respondents made it to midnight on New Year’s Eve this year (73.1%). When asked about what you are looking forward to in 2024, the new FAFSA simplification or planned travel for this year were mentioned most frequently.

Coca-Cola/Diet Coke was voted your favorite soda/sparkling water (24%) followed by Dr. Pepper (12%). Finally, when asked about your favorite local pizza places, Pizza Luce and Pizzeria Lola were mentioned most frequently by a large margin. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.

January 11 survey results

Did you make it to midnight on New Year's Eve?

• Yes (73.1%)
• No (26.9%)

What are you looking forward to in 2024?

• FAFSA Simplification successful completion!
• Traveling to Dublin to visit my son
• The Olympics
• Finishing up some house projects
• Seeing Madonna in concert!

What's your favorite soda/sparkling water?

• Coca-Cola/Diet Coke (24%)
• Dr. Pepper (12%)
• Sprite (8%)
• LaCroix (8%)
• Bubly (8%)

What's your favorite local pizza place (if any)?

• Specialty pizza: pizzeria Lola, pizza Luce
• Donatelli's in White Bear Lake
• Pizza Luce reigns supreme!
• El Mar's pizza or Jet's pizza
• Pizza Man in Columbia Heights!

ASR Staff Engagement October 19 Survey

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

Last survey, Honeycrisp apples received the most votes when asked for your favorite type of apple (48.3%) with Pink Lady following behind (10.3%). Most say that they like pumpkin spice but only in moderation (48.3%). When asked about your fall decorating plans, there was a fairly even split between those who are not planning to decorate (44.8%), and those that already have decorated (37.9%).

Finally, we asked about your favorite establishment to buy a hot drink. Caribou and Dunn Brothers were mentioned most along with several local establishments highlighted below. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

October 5, 2023 survey results

What is your favorite type of apple?

• Honeycrisp (48.3%)
• Pink Lady (10.3%)
• Haralson (6.9%)
• Granny Smith (3.4%)
• Golden Delicious (3.4%)

How do you feel about pumpkin spice?

• I love it! (24.1%)
• I like it, but only in moderation (48.3%)
• I don’t like it (24.1%)
• I’m not sure (3.4%)

Are you planning to decorate with Fall and/or Halloween décor this year?

• Yes, I already have! (37.9%)
• Yes, I plan to decorate (6.9%)
• I’m not sure (10.3%)
• No, I’m not planning to decorate (44.8%)

What’s your favorite establishment to buy a hot drink?

• Oliver’s
• Corner Coffee! Locations in NE Mpls, North Loop, North Mpls, & Uptown
• Claddagh Coffee (St. Paul)
• The Finnish Bistro - cafe/coffee shop on Como
• Caydence Records & Coffee
• My own home
• Scooters!

Meet the ASR Data Engineering team

Although the ASR Data Engineering team has been up and running for a while, we haven’t taken the time to introduce ourselves, tell people what we’ve been working on, or how to connect with us for work requests. The ASR Data Engineering team finds, gathers, and monitors data from our various data sources for use by ASR staff, applications, and vendors.

Team Members:

• Ian Whitney— dedicated team member
• David Norman— informal team member splitting time with SR-IT

Examples of recent projects:

• For the Classroom Scheduling and Distribution Summary report, we worked with Student Data Analytics to deliver the report data.
• With the launch of Coursedog we wrote a pipeline that extracts new Course, Program, and Proposal data every 10 minutes to support all existing integrations with the now-retired PCAS and ECAS systems.
• For the uAchieve encoding staff, we delivered an automated, weekly report that uses Coursedog data to tell them what needs to be updated in uAchieve.
• For the Application Development team, we created a tool that lets them automatically monitor the health of their databases and creates TDX tickets when a problem needs to be fixed.

Stay Connected
To help folks learn about what we’ve accomplished and what work is planned, we will be emailing a monthly Data Engineering Status Update to directors and stakeholders.

Do you have data that you currently have to retrieve manually? A report that you need to generate by hand? Need to get data from one system to another? Would you like to receive the monthly status updates? Contact us or submit a work request by emailing asr-data-eng@umn.edu.

ASR Staff Engagement September 7 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey tests your knowledge about stress. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences. 

According to the last survey, most do not save their passwords on their web browser (48.4%). The vast majority of respondents have received a suspected phishing email (83.9%). Most also have automatic updates enabled on their computer (74.2%).

Finally, we asked whether you would travel to space or deep into the ocean (or neither) if you could without harm. Most say they would rather travel to space between the two (45.2%). Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.

August 24, 2023 survey results

• Do you save passwords on your web browser?
• Yes (29%)
• Sometimes (22.6%)
• No (48.4%)

Have you ever received an email that you suspected was a phishing attempt?

• Yes (83.9%)
• No (6.5%)
• I’m not sure (9.7%)

Do you have automatic updates enabled on your computer?

• Yes (74.2%)
• No (16.1%)
• I’m not sure (9.7%)

If you could travel to space or deep in the ocean without harm, which would you choose?

• Space (45.2%)
• Ocean (32.3%)
• Neither please! (22.6%)

ASR Staff Engagement August 24th Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey is related to data security. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

According to the last survey, most are feeling pretty good as fall semester approaches (38.4%). We received lots of great feedback when asked what advice you would give to new staff going into the start of the semester. Taking breaks when needed and taking things one day at a time were mentioned frequently. All responses will be included in the N&N blog.

When asked about favorite places to get food on or around campus, Wally’s and Bahn Appetit received the most responses. Finally, most are planning to attend the State Fair this year (53.8%). Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

 August 10th, 2023 survey results

As Fall semester approaches, how are you feeling (1= I’m feeling stressed to 5=I’m feeling good!)?

• 1 (19.2%)
• 2 (7.7%)
• 3 (34.6%)
• 4 (19.2%)
• 5 (19.2%)

What advice would you give to new staff going into the start of the semester?

• Get up and take a break from the screen from time to time.
• Buy your favorite stress snack in bulk.
• Don't stress! One step at a time and all will go well.
• Do not do a minute of work above your normal hours unless you'll be compensated for it.
• Just assume you will just be helping students all day.
• Take things step by step, and remember to breathe.
• It's a whirlwind! But remember to leave work at work - it will be there tomorrow!
• All hands on deck.
• Things will calm down.
• It is just one more stop on the cycle.
• It gets a bit crazy, so make sure to take time for yourself as well and take breaks when needed.
• Take part in all the fun events on campus. 
• Remember, that even if you've answered a particular question 1000 times, it's the first time for THIS student.
• Keep your head up and prioritize.
• Buckle up. 
• Take it one day at a time.
• Ask lots of questions. 

What are your favorite places to get food on or around campus?

• Banh Appetit, Wally's, Frank and Andrea's
• Banh Appetit, The Cove, Potbelly
• Raising Canes, Schwang Chen, Crisp and Green
• DP Dough - To Each His Zone
• Wally's!!!!!

Are you planning to attend the State Fair this year?

• Yes (53.8%)
• I’m not sure (19.2%)
• No (26.9%)

ASR Staff Engagement August 10 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement survey examines our thoughts and feelings as we near fall semester. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

We had a wide array of responses when asked what movies you have seen the most. Disney movies were mentioned most frequently, including the Little Mermaid, Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. When asked what movies remind you most of summer, we again had a wide array of responses with many folks mentioning movies featuring baseball, such as The Sandlot and Field of Dreams.

When asked about favorite movie snacks, popcorn was the overwhelming favorite along with Junior mints. Finally, most plan to see either Barbie or Oppenheimer in theaters (41.7%), while 33.3% are waiting to see one or both digitally. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. Results from the last survey are available below.

July 27, 2023 survey results

In your estimation, what movie have you seen the most times?

• The Land Before Time
• Wizard of Oz
• Parent Trap (with Lindsey Lohan)
• Clue
• The animated Little Mermaid or the first Pirates of the Caribbean

What movie(s) most remind you of Summer?

• Stand By Me
• Top Gun and Dazed and Confused
• Aquamarine, Jumanji
• Grease
• My Girl

What are your favorite movie snacks?

• Popcorn and Junior Mints
• Popcorn and Raisinets (I obviously have not been to a movie in 20 years)
• Buttered Popcorn & Twizzlers
• Skittles and popcorn!
• Popcorn and nachos

Are you planning to see Barbie and/or Oppenheimer?

• Yes, I’ve already seen one or both! (16.7%)
• Yes, I’m planning to see one of those in theaters (41.7%)
• Yes, but I’m waiting until they are available digitally (33.3%)
• No, I’m not planning to watch either (8.3%)

ASR Staff Engagement July 27 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey is summer movie themed. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

According to the last survey, most feel proficient at using Google products, including 25.8% who are expertly proficient. When asked about which Google product you feel most adept at using, 51.5% say Google Calendar followed by 36.4% who say Google Docs. Most respondents (48.5%) feel that further training and resources on Google products would have a positive impact on their daily work.

Finally, we asked about the last movie you watched in a movie theater. The most frequent responses were The Little Mermaid, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.

July 13, 2023 survey results

In general, on a scale from 1 (amateur) - 5 (expert), how proficient are you at using Google products (such as Google Docs, Sheets, etc.)?

• 1 (3.2%)
• 2 (3.2%)
• 3 (25.8%)
• 4 (41.9%)
• 5 (25.8%)

Which Google product do you feel most adept at using?

• Google Docs (36.4%)
• Google Sheets (9.1%)
• Google Forms (3%)
• Google Calendar (51.5%)

Do you feel that further training, resources, and/or tips on using Google Products would have a positive impact on your daily work?

• Yes (48.5%)
• No (27.3%)
• I’m not sure. (24.2%)

What's the last movie you watched in a movie theater?

• Top Gun: Maverick
• Probably one of the Avengers movies. It's been a while!
• Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse 😍😍😍
• Everything Everywhere All At Once
• The new Little Mermaid!
• No Hard Feelings
• Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

ASR Staff Engagement July 13 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey asks about your proficiency with Google products. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

According to the last survey, most respondents did not travel over the 4th of July (67.6%). There were mixed opinions when asked about fireworks: 29.4% love them, 32.4% like them (but only on the 4th of July), 20.6% tolerate them, and 17.6% dislike them. When asked about your preference between snakes and sparklers, sparklers were the runaway favorite (70.6%).

Finally, we asked about your favorite foods to have cooked on a grill (or outdoors). Burgers and steak were tied with the most responses, followed by corn on the cob and pineapple. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The last survey results are available below.

June 29, 2023 survey results

Are you planning to travel anywhere over the 4th of July?

• Yes (32.4%)
• No (67.6%)

How do you feel about fireworks?

• I love them! (29.4%)
• I like them, but typically only on the 4th (32.4%)
• I tolerate them, but not a big fan (20.6%)
• I do not like fireworks (17.6%)

Which do you prefer: snakes or sparklers?

• Snakes (5.9%)
• Sparklers (70.6%)
• Neither! (11.8%)
• I don’t know what those are. (11.8%)

What is your favorite food to have cooked on a grill (or outdoors)?

• Grilled cheese on the grill aka grilled, grilled cheese
• Burgers! Or any veggies
• Corn on the cob
• The grilled Caesar salad from the pop up grilling station that used to be in front of Bruininks Hall by the bridge!
• Grilled halloumi
• Fresh pineapple