OCM received Access Achievement Award

The Office of Classroom Management (OCM) was recently presented an Access Achievement Award by the Disability Resource center. Here's what the Disability Resource Center had to say about OCM's efforts to ensure that the University's classrooms serve all students:

"We want to recognize the Office of Classroom Management for their attitude toward and pursuit of access. On numerous occasions I've had reason to interact with Classroom Management staff and they have always been ready and willing to help. Even more than being willing, they recognize the importance of access and it shows in their sense of urgency when an accessibility need is raised. I've seen OCM staff drop what they're doing to run and fix a piece of technology in a classroom, and separately, despite the unimaginably complex domino effect, OCM staff have happily and efficiently, rearranged classroom assignments to accommodate accessibility needs. OCM's recognition of the importance and urgency of access are worthy reasons for them to receive this Access Achievement Award."

Better Know a Unit: Graduate and Professional Unit

The Graduate and Professional unit in the Office of Student Finance (OSF) is involved with the financial aid packaging and record adjustments of most graduate and professional students, and even some undergraduate students.

"We work on a yearly cycle since graduate and professional programs admit students year round. But there is always a new challenge," said Liz Holm, manager of the unit. "There are only four of us and we are all involved with different programs."

The unit of four works with all professional and graduate careers, except the Medical School. They also work with undergraduate students in the nursing, dental hygiene, dental therapy, and Evans Scholar programs. They have divided this large workload among the four staff members.

Liz works primarily with students in the health professions programs, including dentistry, dental therapy, pharmacy, occupational therapy, and nursing. Mark Larson works with veterinary medicine and Carlson (MBA) students. Jim Parker works with law students and joint degree programs. And Brian Olson works with all students in the master of education programs.

Their busiest time is between April and October, especially when new tuition and fee budgets come out in June for the upcoming aid year. The next process the team is working on is the May/summer aid packaging, which starts in April.

"We work start to finish with the financial aid process every aid year," Mark said. "We make sure the budgets are set up with the correct program and that the students are packaged with their correct aid."

Although most of their work is done automatically through PeopleSoft, they also complete some of their work manually. An example is the several reports and queries processed daily by Brian to be sure the student's financial aid record is in compliance with federal regulations. Brian also reviews the Cost of Attendance appeals from students who may have allowable expenses that are higher than what is in the standard budget.

Jim and Mark also run numerous queries to catch other issues requiring human intervention, such as one term or joint degree students who need manual packaging, or students who were assigned to an incorrect budget.

"You sometimes have to be a detective to figure out what the issue is with these students' financial aid package," Jim said. "Joint degree students are active in two different graduate programs. The system is not capable of determining which budget to assign or which program the student is pursuing during a particular semester or year, so it's my job to figure that out."

The borrower-based programs - dental, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine students - are packaged just once a year in batch. Students who submit a FAFSA after the initial round of packaging in July are identified by query and are then packaged manually. The general graduate populations are packaged automatically twice weekly in batch.

In addition to all this, the team responds to emails and phone calls from departments, colleges, and students. They answer about 800 emails a year.

"We receive a lot of phone calls, especially from prospective students and new admits," Jim said. "They have a lot of questions and concerns about finances for their program and have questions about loan repayment. We do a lot of individual counseling."

The unit also provides new student orientations during late summer for about ten different programs. Some programs can be complicated, such as the health professional and education programs, and the orientation is helpful for students to understand their financial aid options.

The team agrees that the most challenging aspects of their job is managing the volume and keeping up with changes to federal regulations or policies. But all of this can be overlooked with the satisfaction that comes from helping students.

"It's amazing the number of students who thank us for our help," Mark said. "The students we work with are great."

Graduate and Professional Unit
Liz Holm, manager
Jim Parker, financial aid counselor
Mark Larson, financial aid counselor
Brian Olson, financial aid counselor

Better Know a Unit--Student Records Training and Support Team

When PeopleSoft is giving you trouble, who you gonna call? Why, the Student Records Training and Support Team, of course.

A fount of knowledge, Gary Andersen, Nancy Killian, and Heather Micek make up the Training Team. They provide comprehensive training, production support, and documentation for PeopleSoft Student Records and related web applications for all University of Minnesota campuses.



The Training Team provides support for One Stop, ASR Business Analysts (BA), and OCM staff on a regular basis. But their work doesn't stop there.

"We provide training and support for all departments on system campuses," Gary said. "We're basically the public-facing service team to colleges and departments, just like One Stop is for students."

The Training Team also supports many different applications and processes, including PeopleSoft Student Records, PeopleSoft UM ECS, Grading, ECAS, PCAS, and Management/UM Reports.

University staff and faculty can receive help from the team by phone, email, or in-person. The team also offers training through workshops or staff meetings (by request).

"I think people would be surprised by the volume and variety of calls we get," Heather said. "We average over 400 phone calls and 200 ServiceNow tickets per month. We handle 95 percent of our tickets and phone calls on our own."

The team considers themselves the helpline for instructors so they are very busy at the start and end of semesters and during registration time. Because they are the helpline for the U, they say that it is often hard to hold their tongue when people call and are frustrated.

"People aren't calling to say PeopleSoft is working great," Heather said. "They are calling to report a system issue so they are frustrated and that makes it difficult to talk to them sometimes."

The team also strives to put a positive spin on the University systems. They say they are the PR arm for the system. Nancy has learned that the best way to deal with people who are frustrated is to get them laughing. "When someone calls and is frustrated with how the system is working (or not working), I'll say, 'Well the gremlins are having a good day in the system," Nancy said.

Despite this, everyone on the team loves providing customer support. "I like talking to someone and helping people learn things," Nancy said. "We'll hear from people a lot at first and then they call back just to say hi after they have figured everything out. We've worked really hard to make personal connections with our customers."

The team says one of their strengths is the connections they have to people in all departments and campuses. "We train people and talk to people on the phone. We help people by documenting training and production support," Heather said. "We're kind of popular."

In fact, the team has even been recognized outside of the University setting. "I've been on vacation and had people come up to me and say, 'Hey, you're the PeopleSoft guy.'" Gary said.

Other than phone and email support, a big part of their job is providing training to the system campuses. There are PeopleSoft and PCAS training sessions available to all campuses. Student Data Inquiry is the most popular class.

There are also various workshops that people can attend every month. The topics vary, but by far the most successful workshop was the Big Picture workshop, which helps people understand how all the systems work together. When it was held two years ago, the workshop had more than 100 attendees.

The team has recently finished up quite a few projects. They went live with the transition of maintaining training records in PeopleSoft enterprise learning management system to a new system called ULearn.

They also completed a project set to provide PCAS for graduate programs. Originally only available for undergraduate departments, the team provided training to different Graduate School units to ensure a smooth transition. They have also been training the same units on adding a Leave of Absence to a student record.

The one major project underway is the Enterprise System Upgrade Program (ESUP). Heather is the representative from the Training Team for ESUP. The team will potentially be providing training on the new PeopleSoft, depending on how different it is from the older version.

"We are not sure if everyone will have to be retrained, but there will be some sort of training system in place with the new system," Heather said.

The Student Records Training and Support Team
Heather Micek, trainer/analyst
Gary Andersen, trainer/analyst
Nancy Killian, trainer/analyst

Better Know a Unit--Scheduling Unit

Under the umbrella of the Office of Classroom Management (OCM), lives the Scheduling Unit, resulting in a departmental structure that makes the unit unique amongst their peers.

"Other universities have their scheduling units nested under the registrar's office," said Nate Meath, reporting analyst. "We have a unique advantage being tied to OCM because we work closely with the people who design the space we schedule."

In fact, the Scheduling Unit is revered among higher education institutions. "We are well known for having a handle on scheduling and being cutting edge in scheduling technology," said Bob Quinney, scheduling system administrator. "People from other universities often ask us how we do things and how our office is set up."

But the unit didn't always operate this efficiently. Sandie Carlson, lead scheduler, will be in Scheduling for 20 years this December. "When I first started, we were scheduling rooms for classes on index cards and coordinating with people on the phone," she said.

Some of the Scheduling Unit's job duties include maintaining the integrity of the course data in PeopleSoft for the class schedule, course guide, and course catalog. They also manage the scheduling process and software for scheduling classes and finals each semester.

The Scheduling Unit is responsible for a multitude of processes and systems, serving staff, faculty, departments, and all campuses. The diversity of their work is challenging, but it's what makes it interesting as well.

"We go through the same processes every semester, but it's always changing and challenging. The sheer volume of our work is impressive," said Sarah Kussow, course and scheduling manager. "In each semester, we schedule more than 3,000 final exams, manage roughly 16,000 course sections, and schedule more than 3,500 events for the Twin Cities campus."

One major project that the team just completed is the acquisition of the newest scheduling software, Astra Schedule. The implementation process is underway currently, and it will affect the work of the entire unit, as well as all University campuses.

"This new software will have a positive impact on our work," said Bob. "It is all web based, so delivering the necessary information to people will be much easier. There is more functionality available with this software as well, including the ability to customize calendars and automate final exam scheduling. Currently, this is done manually for more than 3,000 final exams each semester."

Other benefits to this new software include an efficiency in all of the Scheduling Unit's processes, a decrease in the current workarounds they utilize, and the ability to have one scheduling software licence for all University campuses.

The training for Astra Schedule will begin in February. The Scheduling Unit and people they have
identified as "major academic power users on campus" will be trained on how to use the new system. "We are taking a train the trainer approach and expect most users to be trained throughout the spring and summer," Sarah said.

Another major part of the Scheduling Unit's job is to collect space utilization data for all campus spaces. They monitor how efficiently they use space and provide data to ASR managers and University administration.

Nate also conducts scenario planning each semester to determine workaround solutions to problems that may arise. For example, if a building is suddenly unavailable for a period of time, the Scheduling Unit is responsible for figuring out where to reschedule and place those classes.

"It's hard getting people to understand what we do," Bob said. "People have a really simple view of scheduling, but don't realize how complex it truly is. We try to optimize by providing more services for the University while using fewer resources. We do more, with less."

Scheduling Unit:
Sarah Kussow, course and scheduling manager
Kurt Neiswanger, events scheduler
Bob Quinney, scheduling system administrator
Sandie Carlson, lead scheduler
Nate Meath, reporting analyst
Christine Mounts, reports coordinator
Robert Wilson, finals/ECAS specialist

Better Know a Unit: Communications team

If you're in need of a few word and design savvy folks to help get your message out, look no further than ASR's communications team. They're responsible for facilitating and supporting the communication needs of all ASR units. "We treat communications like its own product," Communications Manager, Ingrid Nuttall, said.

She's not kidding. The team of six adeptly adheres to a rigorous list of clients, which includes all ASR units.

While much of the work the team handles is ongoing, they've recently completed several big projects. Graphic Designer, Sarah Hollerich, finished a series of colorful magnets depicting imaginative "monsters" that illustrate different StrengthsQuest talents. She also collaborated with Communications Coordinator, Elyse Paxton, to design flyers and brochures for the 2012 Student Veterans Appreciation Day that took place on Nov. 15.

Writer/Editor, Mandee Kuglin, developed a new ASR intranet, in conjunction with the web team, and she worked with Elyse to edit and communicate the release of the University's new scheduling tool Schedule Builder. Mandee and Sarah also launched and manage the new Live Like a Student Facebook page, which provides money-saving tips for college students. Meanwhile, Communications Coordinator, Kate Sophia, established the ESUP student project work stream website.

Juggling each client can be a challenge. "It's difficult to keep all the plates spinning," Kate said. Adapting to other units' business processes and often working under tight time constraints is also demanding for the team, as each project requires an exemplary level of creativity and attention to detail. The intricate and often complex details of financial aid are also a continuous learning experience for the Communications staff.

One of the biggest misconceptions of the team is not what you may think. "It isn't just writing well," Ingrid said. The ability to work collaboratively--often with little direction--and produce a high quality product requires innovation, imagination, and resourcefulness. The writing and/or designing is the byproduct. "We're constantly learning new ways of doing things," Kate said.

The team's diversity is ample, both in terms of personalities and approaches to work. But somehow it all works out. "We're all very different, but we all gel," Ingrid said.

Communications/OE Coordinator, Matt Tveter, agrees. "There's a genuine desire to get along and a mutual feeling of respect. No one says that something is a bad idea."

For Sarah, this type of collaborative team environment is a first. "I've never had a job like this before," she said.

Communications staff:
Ingrid Nuttall, Communications Manager
Matt Tveter, Communications/OE Coordinator
Kate Sophia, Communications Coordinator
Elyse Paxton, Communications Coordinator
Mandee Kuglin, Writer/Editor
Sarah Hollerich, Graphic Designer

Get to know the Williamson Hall Cluster HR team

The HR team that is part of the Williamson Hall Cluster may be small in number, but they do much to serve ASR. The unit's three staff members make up Cluster 5 of the 40+ clusters that provide finance/accounting and HR services across the University. They serve several different departments, which include Admissions, McNamara Academic Center, University Counseling and Consulting Services, University Honors Program, and ASR.

The HR team is a local partner to the central Office of Human Resources and provides services on a local level to the ASR staff and managers.

Team members Marit Gladem, HR specialist, and Olga Kavun-Wozniak, HR/Payroll cluster lead, are responsible for many tasks. "We post open positions, provide consultation during the search process, perform background checks, and meet with new employees to review policies and benefits," Marit said. They also appoint staff, maintain and update employees records in PeopleSoft, manage different types of leaves, and assist managers with performance management issues. Melissa DeWees, principal office & administrative specialist, is responsible for posting student job openings, student hiring, entering the biweekly payroll, and processing employee absence requests.

The Williamson Hall Cluster was created in 2007. Prior to that, Marit and Olga had different roles within ASR; Marit worked in the Office of Student Finance as the department's HR contact, and Olga worked in Continuity and Compliance. Melissa joined the cluster in 2008, shortly after the cluster was formed. "The purpose of the cluster was to support one or two large departments, as well as a few smaller ones, to help provide more adequate HR staffing." Olga said. In addition to HR, the Williamson Hall Cluster also provides finance/accounting services and has four accounting employees.

The team is most busy with recruiting efforts and the hiring of student workers in April for summer employment. The month before school starts in the fall is also hectic. Fortunately, their work is mostly steady rather than having the peaks and valleys that other positions may experience.

Keeping track of changing policies, procedures, and benefits is the biggest challenge the team faces. That, and helping employees understand that the HR staff are not the rule makers. "We're just the enforcers," Marit said.

And sometimes being the enforcer is a delicate matter. "It's hard because we act as employee advocates, but we also support management," Olga said. "We really have our feet in both worlds."

Each of the five departments that the unit serves has its own set of policies and procedures, which the team must continuously be aware of. For example, ASR places a strong emphasis on professional development. As such, after six months of employment, ASR employees are allowed four hours per week to use to attend a class on campus. This is harder for smaller departments to do, however, because of coverage loss.

But, at the end of the day, it's all about making life as easy as possible for employees. "The best part of my job," Marit said, "is knowing that you helped someone, and that person didn't have to go to five different places to find the answer."

HR staff:
Marit Gladem, HR Specialist
Olga Kavun-Wozniak, HR/Payroll Cluster Lead
Melissa DeWees, Principal Office & Administrative Specialist

Get to know Graduate Student Services & Progress

In July, the Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP) staff joined ASR's Office of the Registrar, and they've been as busy as ever. A team of three, their main responsibility is upholding the integrity of graduate and professional students' records. This is done by processing forms that mark student degree progress, such as filing masters theses and keeping track of doctoral oral and written exams.

Unlike undergraduate studies, graduate programs are not completely coursework-based, but rather self-designed with the guidance of an advisor to meet individual research needs. In addition to verifying that graduate students have completed the necessary steps for their degree, the GSSP staff also collaborates with the graduate education transition team to ensure a smoother flow of policies and processes, as responsibilities once housed in the Graduate School continue to shift to the colleges and ASR.

The team currently serves 10,000 students and over 150 graduate programs. Each year, they process 3,000 graduate degree plans. Stacia Madsen, coordinator of doctoral degree services, reviews roughly 700 doctoral dissertations for formatting consistency per year; Amber Cellotti, coordinator of master's and certificate degree services, handles the paperwork for 1,700 master's degree students that graduate each year; and Renae Faunce, coordinator, Graduate Student Services, reviews Graduate Degree Plans, manages committee workflows, and answers graduate education policy and procedure questions.

Recently, the team worked with members of the graduation education transition team to complete the committee and adviser assignment workflows. These new workflows replaced processes for initiating and updating graduate and professional students' committee information and graduate students' adviser assignments. In addition to creating new workflows, the GSSP team also worked on the redesign of the Graduate School website.

Right now, the GSSP staff is meeting with different colleges on campus to review graduate education policies to clarify roles and responsibilities as they relate to policy and procedure. Based on feedback they receive, the team will determine how to best support colleges and programs as they transition into their new roles now and in the future.

In addition to their day-to-day responsibilities, settling into their new space in Williamson Hall has sometimes been a challenge. "We're getting used to the new office environment and how we allocate tasks," Amber said.

But they've taken the changes in stride. To accomplish so much, the team supports each other and is very collaborative, adopting an integrative approach to different tasks.

Having a passion for what they do also makes the job easier and more rewarding. "We're supporting students who are going to make a major impact on the world," Renae said. "They're doing groundbreaking work, and we make it easier for them to focus on that and not have to worry about administrative stuff."

GSSP staff:
Amber Cellotti, coordinator, Master's and Certificate Degree Services
Stacia Madsen, coordinator, Doctoral Degree Services
Renae Faunce, coordinator, Graduate Student Services

Get to know Third Party Billing

The Third Party Billing unit of ASR has the important and weighty responsibility of billing and collecting millions in tuition and fees each year. In 2011, the team's three members managed $45 million on behalf of roughly 12,000 students. Their work is aptly described by the unit's name: they bill and collect student tuition that is paid by a third party. A third party at the University is considered an organization (not owned by the student or a family member) that makes a commitment to pay the student's educational expenses and requires direct billing. A single individual is rarely a third party sponsor. The unit also processes tuition payments for departments on campus that would like to charge one of their accounts.

The largest third party sponsor for the University is Target. Each term, the company pays up to $2 million in tuition for its employees. Most are students in the Carlson School of Management pursuing advanced business degrees. Other big sponsors are the Evans Scholars Foundation in Evanston, Illinois, and the Embassy of Malaysia.

One of the most difficult tasks the team handles is billing several locations of the Armed Forces. Students that are part of ROTC, active duty, the reserves, or the National Guard often have part or all of their tuition paid for, but it's not always easy for Third Party Billing. "It is very difficult to comply with University, Armed Forces, and Department of Defense policies," Accounts Supervisor Sheila Rhody said. "Billing is entered into several systems, and payment is always delinquent." In addition to slow payments, the Armed Forces prefers to pay with a credit card, which the University does not accept due to the additional fees assessed by the credit card companies.

To help document retention and organization, the team plans to join the University's imaging system soon. Right now, it's a huge task to keep track of everything. With so many sponsors and money at stake, the unit is anxious for a more efficient and easier way of managing their work.

The team has a wide range of experience. Sheila has been working for the Third Party Billing unit for 13 years; Doreen Knuston, Office Support Assistant, for 20 years; and Dawn Demaske, Principal Accounts Specialist, for three years. Sheila considers the variety a positive for the team. "It has given us fresh perspective on how to improve processes and assess how we're doing, in addition to experience," she said. They handle the workflow as it comes, working closely as a team and addressing each situation as it occurs. They also meet monthly with Associate director Tom Schmidt to discuss agenda items and any unit concerns.

It can be a demanding job, but the staff keeps it all in perspective. "The best part is helping a student obtain his or her third party funding and knowing you made it easier for them." Sheila said.

Third Party Billing staff:

Sheila Rhody, Accounts Supervisor
Doreen Knutson, Office Support Assistant
Dawn Demaske, Principal Accounts Specialist

Better know the Web Team

The Academic Support Resources (ASR) Web Team juggles many different tasks and projects, but they do it so seamlessly that you would never guess the amount of work they actually do. They are responsible for supporting a wide variety of business processes across ASR, from helping students search for scholarships and approving graduate committees, to consulting with One Stop on how to expand their queue management.

From left to right: Erik Eklund, Joe Goggins, Chris Dinger, Santiago Fernandez-Gimenez (now part of the Project Management & Coordination unit), Kim Doberstein. Matt Nuttall is the creepy guy on the monitor.

The Web Team focuses on tasks that are unique to ASR or that cannot be addressed as an enterprise solution by the Office of Information Technology (OIT). They look for ways to provide programming solutions that will help support access to important information. They've been working to decrease the time it takes to gather fresh data (e.g., student APAS information), which makes it easier and faster to share critical information with other departments such as Student Records, Classroom Management, and Student Finance.

To keep up with so many projects, the team started scheduling daily check-ins. Every morning around 9:00 a.m., the staff meets in the hallway to go over the day's agenda. Web Team Manager, Matt Nuttall, said they address the following three questions: "What have you accomplished since yesterday? What will you accomplish by this time tomorrow? And what barriers stand in your way?" These morning meetings help the team to assess where they're at among their different tasks and to prioritize the day ahead.

ASR has hundreds of processes, and the Web Team constantly searches for ways to help simplify and automate them. For example, right now the team is finishing their work on the Tuition and Fee Management System. As they work with the Office of Student Finance (OSF), they will re-engineer how the University proposes and approves class fees and tuition; by the time their work is complete, they will have made it easier and more efficient to manage the allocation and collection of hundreds of millions of dollars.

As web developers, it's easy to assume that coding is a major part of the their work. But, in fact, it's really a last resort. Since code is very expensive to re-write if security issues arise, the team only codes when absolutely necessary. "We focus on using resources that are already available," Matt said.

Though the workload can be demanding, the team is dedicated to providing the best service they can. "We're all passionate about what we do and the mission of ASR," Web Developer Chris Dinger said. Co-worker Joe Goggins agrees, saying that this is the first place he has worked at where he truly understands and stands behind the organization's mission.

At the end of the day, it's all about making the lives of students and staff easier. "There's nothing more satisfying," Joe said, "than someone saying, 'You changed how I do what I do.'"

Better know the Project Management & Coordination unit

On April 27, a new unit joined the ASR family--the Project Management and Coordination unit. The unit was created to aid ASR staff members in completing projects effectively and efficiently.

Right now, this unit consists of Santiago Fernandez-Gimenez, unit leader, and Christa Nicols, administrative assistant. Both report to Grant Clavelle, director of ASR-IT.




Previously a member of the ASR Web Team, Santiago's years at the U and in ASR have prepared him to manage projects where it is often difficult to plan ahead. He has a master's degree in strategic communication, has been the chair of the Project and Change Management Collaborators network, and is a certified Scrum Master, a practice for managing software projects. This summer, Santiago is working on a certification from the Project Management Institute.

Christa has been in ASR since January 2011. She works partially in Imaging and ASR-IT as an administrative assistant. "Right now, I am managing my first project," Christa said. "I am working to redesign the way ASR tracks and monitors project progress."

In order to determine if the direction of this unit is going where staff want, Santiago and Christa have monthly round table discussions with current project managers (PM) to create a community of practice. The round tables are show, share, and learn sessions with staff tasked with PM duties.

"We have captured what we learned and will fold that into our coaching on future projects," Santiago said. "We are hoping to better match techniques, methods, and resources to the actual business needs of the individual projects."

When a project reaches a size and scope where it has an ASR manager as a sponsor, or will take over 2-3 months to complete, Santiago and Christa want to know about it. They can help facilitate and coach PMs to complete a project efficiently.

A standard tool kit will be provided for PMs to track, monitor, and communicate project progress. "Having the Communications Team involved early in projects is a predictor of success and keeps us user-focused," said Santiago. "The practice of regular communication of project status makes staff feel more informed and connected to ASR projects."

Christa is working to make the project tracking and monitoring process more efficient. "We want to help PMs have a standard way to report what is being worked on so there is increased visibility on project progress," said Christa. "The goal is to put better data in front of decision-makers, and increase transparency in ASR."

This standard tool kit will be done through Google Docs and will allow for PMs to fill out status reports that will update a main dashboard for ASR managers and other staff too look at. Ideally, this tool kit will automate the project tracking for PMs.

Overall, the goal is to aid staff in project management techniques. "Project management isn't rocket science, but we aren't getting things done as efficiently as we could," Santiago said. "By learning from each other, we want to facilitate excellent projects in ASR."

If you are currently acting as a PM and would like to participate in the round table, or want help facilitating and managing a project, you can email Santiago.

Better know the Development Team

For the past six years, a Development Team has assembled with a representative from each department and one director to plan what we all know and love--the ASR all-staff events.

The past two years, co-chairs have been appointed to the teams. The 2010-2011 co-chairs were Tara Fricke and Shelley Parker. The 2011-2012 co-chairs were Kim Doberstein and Paula Seeger. Ingrid Nuttall in Continuity and Compliance also serves on the team annually as an administrative resource.

Each year, a fall event (scheduled in December) and a spring event (scheduled in May) are held. Typically, the fall event is short and informative, often including a talk from Sue Van Voorhis, director of ASR. Recently, the spring event has resembled a half-day "micro-conference," incorporating multiple sessions that pertain to the interests of ASR staff.

"Planning the fall event was much harder than spring, even though it took longer to plan the spring event," Tara said. "It takes time to 'gel' together as a group. Once you begin planning the spring event, you've already been working together for quite awhile and have a better understanding of how to plan a successful event."

To plan the ASR staff events, post-event feedback from participants is taken into account. A "lessons learned" document is created from the previous year's Development Team and surveys are sent out to ASR staff for feedback after each event.

"Once we had some things planned, we put out a feeler survey to see if what we had planned was in line with what ASR staff wanted," Kim said. "Utilizing News and Notes and surveys were huge communication tools."

Shelley and Tara said they also utilized News and Notes, but also made general announcements at various meetings, including the ASR-IT all staff meeting, to receive input from staff.

The planning of the events differs with each group. Tara and Shelley's team first met in August, but didn't start planning until October for the fall event. They planned both the fall and spring events at the same time and even had so much content that they planned summer brown bag events. Kim and Paula's team began planning in August, but they created more content for fall and, if it wasn't used, they moved it to spring.

"Each committee is made up of the same areas, but the events are always different because you bring in different people with new ideas and interesting perspectives," said Shelley Parker, co-chair of the 2010-2011 Development Team.

Paula added that not only is it a different staff compilation, but the focus and goals change with each team. "We spent considerable time developing a team charter and goals for the year. This was where we could really put thought into how to align ASR mission, vision, and values with the development demands and requests of staff members."

Both teams found it challenging to balance their everyday workload and the planning of the events. Most team members also have little event planning experience.

Members of the team plan two events, but also inadvertently develop working relationships with new people.

"I had never really worked with anyone on the Development Team before, but I found professional reasons to interact with my fellow team members that I would not have known about previously," Shelley said. "You learn about everyone's unique contributions to ASR and how you can utilize their skills in the future."

All four former co-chairs said they would join the Development Team again. "It was a chance for me to branch out and show my leadership skills," Tara said. "It got me involved and helped me to learn what other people do in ASR."

Though there are co-chairs on each team, Shelley, Tara, Kim, and Paula stress the importance of the team as a whole. "We were co-chairs, but we put a tremendous amount of effort to make sure everyone was heard on the team," Shelley said. "The entire team and their unique contributions are incredibly important to the success of these events."

Do you want to join the next Development Team? To become a member of the Development Team, speak with your supervisor and submit a Professional Development Request. A representative from each department and one director is selected. If you have specific questions about what it's like being involved with the team, feel free to speak with a co-chair or member from a previous year, or Ingrid Nuttall.

"Being on the Development Team gives everyone an opportunity to have a true professional development experience," Shelley said.

2011-2012 Development Team:
Melissa DeWees, The Cluster
Kim Doberstein, ASR-IT, Web Team
Nastassia Leigh, One Stop Student Services
Sue Johnson, OTR, Academic Records
Ruth Newman, OSF, Fiscal
Ingrid Nuttall, ASR, Continuity and Compliance
Paula Seeger, OCM, Classroom Support
Julie Selander, One Stop Student Services (representing ASR directors)

Better know a Gus Donhowe

We've been learning a lot about ASR units. Now, let's take a more in-depth look at a former University staff member and how he contributed to the institution.

For two short but productive years, a caramel-roll-loving, bow-tie-aficionado financial manager was the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations at the University. The late Gus Donhowe, born Gordon Melburn Donhowe, served in both the private and public sector, but he preferred to use his skills for the greater good of the public.

Gus Donhowe with bow tie, sans caramel roll.

Donhowe received his bachelor of arts in history from St. Olaf college in Northfield, Minnesota in 1951. Afterward, he attended the University and received his master's in economics. Aside from academics, Donhowe also spent two years in the Army (1953-55) as a corporal.

After his military service, he joined Pillsbury Company for 27 years, ending his tenure as the Vice President of Finance. Under former Governor Rudy Perpich, Donhowe became the Minnesota State Commissioner of Finance from 1983-85. In 1985, he became Chief Executive Officer of the Fairview Hospital system.

During President Nils Hasselmo's tenure as president, Donhowe was named senior VP in January 1989 for a temporary one-year appointment. This caused some campus controversy, because he was not one of the finalists recommended for the position by a University search committee. In fact, he was a member of the search committee itself, charged with finding a candidate for the position for which he was hired. Some thought President Hasselmo's decision was politically charged, because Perpich (Donhowe's friend and adviser) threatened to withhold funding until the University addressed financial management problems.

In reply to this, President Hasselmo was quoted in the Minnesota Daily on February 8, 1989 saying, "It became clear to me that this assignment requires a person who comes down sprinting--not just running."

After a national search, Donhowe was named the senior VP in May of 1990. By all accounts, Donhowe was a humble, intelligent, efficient businessman, and one that people respected and liked. A Minnesota Monthly article from April 1989 said, "Donhowe dismisses much of the praise he's gotten, saying he will not be able to simply 'wave a wand' and make the University's fiscal credibility problems disappear."

After only two years as senior VP, Donhowe passed away in January of 1991 from a brain aneurysm while skiing with his family in Wisconsin. A Daily article from January 23, 1991 said, "'The University of Minnesota has lost a tough leader and a devoted friend,' President Hasselmo said. 'Donhowe was key in the U's restructuring and reallocation efforts,' Hasselmo said, 'and the best way to honor him is to 'get on with the unfinished agenda he has left us.'"

In his two year tenure, Donhowe accomplished the following:
- Played a large part in helping the University redirect its resources as part of an overall restructuring of programs
- Guided the revamping of the University's budgeting processes
- Begun an investigation into alternative sources of steam to heat and cool University buildings
- Appointed a task force to examine University health insurance
- Led implementation of a computerized financial system
- Helped lead work toward a renovation and construction of new athletic facilities at the University (new arena and improve Williams Arena without relying on state money)
- Led the most successful charity donation program in the University's history in 1990

A "Bow Tie Club" was formed by those who reported directly to Donhowe. Assistant Vice President Neil Bakkenist presented bow ties to President Hasselmo and Regent Chuck Casey in honor of Donhowe. Also in memory of Donhowe, his love of bowties and caramel rolls was commemorated at the University when the "Bowtie Bakery" was named after him in October 1991.

Before Donhowe ever came to the University, though, he had ties to it. He met his wife Ruth at the University's Northrop Auditorium. The two of them both enjoyed living near the St. Paul campus in St. Anthony Park, of which Donhowe was a resident for more than 30 years. In his honor, there is an annual Gus Donhowe Memorial Concert held in St. Anthony Park.

At the time of his death, Donhowe had two daughters, Margit Shippee and Lis Christenson, a son Michael, and one grandson.

Get to know the Academic Records unit

The academic records unit in the Office of the Registrar (OTR) on the St. Paul campus is a busy team. They provide oversight of all student academic records, including change of college, special exams, dual degree, degree application and clearance, and degree verification. The department also manages the ordering and processing of transcripts and diplomas for the entire University. It's a big job. A staggering 69,000 transcripts and 15,500 diplomas are processed each year.

The team's aim is to simplify and facilitate critical academic and business processes. "One project we're working on is streamlining the degree clearance process for graduate and professional programs by using the PeopleSoft degree clearance pages," said Emily Holt, business analyst. "This will eliminate the need for paper clearances to be routed from the program to OTR and will expedite posting of a student's degree."

The unit recently launched a new electronic transcript ordering and delivery system, Avow. The system, which went live February 8, 2012, allows students to order transcripts more quickly and provides an official electronic copy as a certified PDF. "The system is available for all students, former or current, from all University of Minnesota campuses," Emily said. "It does not require an Internet ID and password to create an order, and it has allowed the University to centralize transcript orders from all campuses to the Twin Cities."

In the coming months, the unit will tackle ways to streamline the Change of College process for students. Since the current application is on paper, the goal is to automate it. This will benefit both students and staff.

The department is also part of the ongoing university-wide Graduate School restructuring initiative, as well as a redesign project related to the setup of courses and classes in PeopleSoft. "The outcome is to improve the quality of data to ensure that end users have clear definitions and intuitive codes when adding information in ECAS and ECS," Emily said.

The office also works closely with the National Student Clearinghouse to verify degree awards. Because many prospective employers now verify a student's educational information, it is critical that the office provide accurate and timely information to the Clearinghouse.

The office has been involved in verifying records of students that are sometimes less than honest. "The weirdest situation was when we were asked to verify a transcript that a prospective employee had provided as proof of earning a bachelor's degree in nursing," Emily said. "Every single course subject on the transcript was nursing, but the best part was the master's and PhD courses they included."

Though the workload can be demanding, the team takes time to relax and have fun, too. "The environment is really a community atmosphere; we're like a family," said Director of Academic Records Frank Blalark. "We meet for breakfast once a term and have potlucks."

Pam Dutchin, executive operations/student services specialist, said people struggle to grasp the scope of work that the team performs. "People would be surprised to know what we actually do, and the amount of what we do," she said.

And there's no room for error. "The biggest challenge for the office is the pressure of accuracy, because we're responsible for the student's record," Emily said.

But, Emily, who has been at the University for nearly 27 years, said the unique interactions she has daily with students, faculty, and staff make the job worthwhile. "I enjoy being part of the University community and working with a wide variety of people," she said. "It's more than just the paycheck and benefits."

Academic Records Staff:

Frank Blalark, Director of Academic Records
Robert Bode, Business Process Analyst
Emily Holt, Business Analyst
Sue Johnson, Functional Analyst
Heather McLaughlin, Business Process Analyst
Brenda Stutelberg, Info Tech Specialist
Colleen Brooks, Executive Oper/Stud Svs Spec
Pam Dutchin, Executive Oper/Stud Svs Spec
Kathleen Georges, Executive Oper/Stud Svs Spec
Bill Jabas, Executive Oper/Stud Svs Spec
Robbie Levine, Executive Oper/Stud Svs Spec
Deborah Pommer, Executive Oper/Stud Svs Spec
Barbara Yungers, Executive Oper/Stud Svs Spec
Sarah Johnson, Student Support Services Asst
Janet Powell, Student Support Services Asst

Get to know the ASR Directors

Every Wednesday, the seven Academic Support Resources (ASR) directors meet to update each other on pending issues and collaborate on upcoming and ongoing projects.



The ASR Manager's Meeting is meant to keep each director from the six units and Sue Van Voorhis, director of ASR and University registrar, informed of what is happening in ASR. They meet for two hours every week, except for the last week of the quarter when they meet for four hours to strategize a plan of action on upcoming projects or talk more in-depth about the strategic direction of ASR.

When examining current and upcoming projects, the Directors keep in mind ASR's mission of making a positive difference in students' lives.

"This helps focus resources on those initiatives or changes that have the greatest impact on our students," said Tina Falkner, director of Continuity and Compliance. "For example, the changes in the Graduate School have afforded us the opportunity to focus more energy on articulating how proposed projects and process changes have an impact on graduate and professional students."

Much of the discussion in their meetings revolves around shared projects that affect multiple, if not all, units in ASR. The projects may be mandated, recurring, or simply a way to make a process more efficient and up-to-date.

"A lot of projects are given to us and we find solutions, like the PeopleSoft 9.0 upgrade or the Graduate School Transition," said Kris Wright, director of the Office of Student Finance (OSF).

Grant Clavelle, director of ASR's information technology unit, (ASR-IT) also cites the information technology job family study and policy effectiveness discussions as mandated projects.

Some projects are recurring. For example, each quarter the directors review and prioritize the pending technology projects that require central resources from the Office of Information Technology (OIT).

Each director has a long list of projects he or she would like completed for their unit. Oftentimes, they have more than 70 projects in the hopper. To determine which one to start on, the directors focus on the potential impact each project has on students, staff, and faculty.

"We look at how to help students and make our processes more efficient for all that are affected," Julie Selander said, interim director of One Stop Student Services.

One of the primary challenges the directors face in collaborating on current projects is fairly universal throughout ASR: limited resources, especially staffing and time. Because there are so many projects, prioritization becomes a critical aspect of these meetings.

The projects that have the greatest impact across ASR and provide the greatest benefit to students get the most attention. Solutions to the projects are reached through constructive conversation. As the leader of ASR, Sue is in the tough position to make the final decision if there is no consensus, though an agreement is almost always reached.

"We almost always come to an agreement by using ASR's mission, vision, and values to guide our decision making," said Sue. "These were created in collaboration with staff. We think about how to best benefit students, faculty, and staff."

In addition to using the mission, vision, and values, employee surveys are done frequently to get more direct feedback and ensure staff input on future ASR directions.

"We're not just sitting in a room making these decisions. We want staff's input," said Jeremy Todd, director of the Office of Classroom Management.

Fun facts about the ASR Directors

Sue Van Voorhis, ASR
As a higher education professional who has spent 25 years in the sector, Sue possesses leadership skills utilized in various practices: as a processor, an information technology practitioner, and a university director.

Sue's leadership skills have been prominent since the first grade. She ran for class president and was elected on the platform that on Friday afternoons, students should be allowed to sit wherever they want in class. Sue's leadership skills may also stem from some political genetics; her mother was a state senator, her third cousin, David Durenberger, is a former U.S. Senator from Minnesota, and her cousin, Collin Peterson, is the U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 7th congressional district. Sue enjoys a challenge and always wants people to feel gratified in their work.

Jeremy Todd, Office of Classroom Management (OCM)
Jeremy received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University. He joined ASR in 2002, coming from an engineering position in Facilities Management (FM). He believes we have made great strides as an institution and firmly believes in our mission to make a positive difference in students' lives.

Jeremy's favorite experience working at the University happened in 2007 when the pilot Active Learning Classrooms (ALC) were installed. He visited the Keller Hall ALC during a two-hour break between scheduled courses. Expecting the room to be empty, Jeremy was surprised to find the room near capacity with groups of students collaborating together while using the technology and room features.

A fun fact about Jeremy: he doesn't drink coffee, but has a slight addiction to Coca-Cola.

Kris Wright, OSF
Kris is an experienced operations manager and project manager with more than 25 years of experience managing and improving automated and manual accounting processes and financial systems. Previously, she worked for the United States Postal Service in accounting and operations. Kris joined ASR in 2001 as an Associate Director in OSF. She became the Director in 2002.

She has two dogs: an 8-year-old golden retriever, Sparky, and a 2-year-old chocolate lab, Moose. She enjoys a broad range of books from science fiction to musical instruments. She is also an avid gardener and was a master gardener for five years. Kris has been to every continent except Antarctica, but hopes to go there one day.


Grant Clavelle, ASR-OIT
Grant has been the director of ASR-OIT since 2006. Previously, Grant worked in FM, assisting with selecting, implementing, and supporting their major business system, COMPASS. Grant has always worked in the computer industry since his first job out of school selling computers.

Grant was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He moved to the U.S. in 1984 and became a U.S. citizen in 1999. He is a dual American/Canadian citizen. He enjoys sports, walking, reading, vegetable gardening, and traveling. He currently lives in Champlin with his wife as an empty nester. He has two sons, one working in Phoenix and the other attending school at St. John's University.

Julie Selander, One Stop Student Services
Julie received her bachelor's and master's degree from the University. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the higher education policy and administration program. She passed her preliminary oral exam last year and now needs to research/write her dissertation.

Julie has worked at the University for 12 years and has been the interim director for One Stop Student Services since May 2011. Previously, she was the Senior Associate Director for One Stop and the Associate Director for Student Accounts Receivable. Julie has also been an adjunct faculty member in the College of Education and Human Development for two years where she teaches customer service training for business and marketing education students.

Other than work, Julie and her husband, Steven, have two kids: Spencer, 10, and Emma, 8. Julie enjoys scrapbooking, playing tennis, and traveling.

Tina Falkner, Continuity and Compliance
Tina has her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University. She received her master's and Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Administration from the University. Tina and her husband live in a house built in 1906 and, as an avid "do-it-yourselfer," there is no end to her house projects. When not working inside the house, she works in her gardens or plays golf. Her earliest memory of television is the Muppet Show, which she is still known to watch on occasion.

Frank Blalark, Office of the Registrar (OTR)
Frank grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and was active in football, track, and wrestling. His dad was an all-American wrestler. With a football scholarship, he attended college in South Dakota and obtained a degree in history and education. Frank is also a doctoral student in the educational policy and administration program in the College of Education and Human Development.

Get to know Classroom Technical Services

When general purpose classrooms in Carlson School of Management needed renovation, the updated equipment and maintenance was provided by Classroom Technical Services (CTS). When the Science Teaching & Student Services (STSS) building was in development, CTS created the technology design and installed the Active Learning Classrooms (ALC), featuring student-centered, integrated, active-learning spaces. When thousands of hoodie-wearing marchers rallied in support of Trayvon Martin through Northrop Plaza on March 29, the microphones and other equipment used to make the event a success were provided by CTS.



If you've ever requested audio visual and classroom technology services, chances are one of the 19 employees in CTS has helped you. Shortly after the Office of Classroom Management (OCM) was formed in 2000, CTS (formerly called Media Resources Engineering) made the move to Academic Support Resources.

Though other universities and colleges have similar departments, CTS has one of the largest in the United States. Their work has been highlighted in various national magazines, including AVTechnology in 2008 and Architecture Minnesota in 2011.

CTS provides classroom technology for departments and colleges on the Twin Cities and coordinate campuses. They also install, design, and program presentation technology and produce digital signage for all campuses. The CTS Event Services unit also provides technician support and rents equipment for events on the Twin Cities campus and surrounding areas.

CTS is a unique unit amongst ASR units because it functions as an Internal Service Organization (ISO) that charges fees for its services and receives no funding from the University. As a result, all their costs must be covered by revenue produced through the technical services they provide.

"It's a challenge maintaining the budget and keeping up with current technology," said Larry Gilbertson, production manager. "We feel intense pressure to generate sales. If there are no sales, it leads to layoffs."

As a result of its ISO status, Engineering Manager Ray Troyer says the close-knit staff are very interdependent on each other as their workload continues to expand. "We have maintained the same amount of staff we had when we were doing half of our current workload," Ray said.

There is no other organization on campus that provides similar services as CTS, but there is competition with external vendors. "We have a leg-up on external vendors because we can respond faster since we're on campus already," Larry said. "Customer service is critical for our survival."

CTS works with individual customer departments and University project managers on a regular basis to implement presentation technology, spreading into all locations on campus from large lecture halls to small conference rooms and even the Regents Boardroom. Providing faculty and staff with a reliable system that is easy to use and maintain is paramount to CTS success.

CTS provides technology to all OCM classrooms, as well as other instructional spaces, video conference, and meeting rooms, totaling around 750 spaces. OCM is the biggest client as well as their parent department.

"I'm proud of the fact that what we do enhances learning for students," Ray said.

Once the equipment is provided to the client, CTS also offers preventative maintenance on the system. OCM monitors the condition of classroom technology using the Classroom Automated Monitoring System (CAMS). These connect to a monitoring station in 160 Williamson Hall that are viewed throughout the day in case an error occurs with any system. This monitoring system also prevents theft of equipment. In 2011, most of the general purpose classrooms were monitored by CAMS.

Classroom Technical Services Staff:
Larry Gilbertson, production manager
Ray Troyer, engineering manager
Wanda Marsolek, audiovisual operations manager
Zak Manuszak, business manager
Mike Leech, senior engineer
Charles Bottemiller, senior engineer
Jim Fisk, engineer
Jason Knutson, associate engineer
David Silvernale, inventory control specialist
Joel Westacott, events technician
Darren Tolson, presentation technology installer
Chris Bray, presentation technology installer
David Swanson, presentation technology installer
Diego Garcia, presentation technology installer
Jade Woltman, IT support tech
Eric Topping, technical services representative
June Ursel, accountant
Regan Mock-Nelson, purchasing agent
Rita Rocheford, delivery service driver

Interview questions:

Tell me more about some of your more memorable installations or clients.

Some of the larger projects that we have done include:

Audiovisual systems in Science Teaching & Student Services
- General purpose classrooms in Hanson Hall
- General purpose classroom renovations in Carlson School of Management
- Audiovisual systems in the Nicholson Hall renovation
- The additions to the McNamara Alumni Center (including remodeling some of the original spaces)
- The ITV systems installed in the old Sostanza area of Moos Tower for Academic Health Center
- The Dentistry Simulation Lab on the 4th floor of Moos Tower

How do you enhance the learning environment for students?
The simplest answer is to make the systems easy to use. In general, if you know how to operate any given classroom, you can easily learn to operate them all. This lessens the burden on the instructor. System reliability (in the design and in the method of installation) and the way the classrooms are monitored (which helps reduce downtime), mean the systems are ready for use.

Get to know a business analyst

The title of Business Analyst is shared among nearly 30 employees in ASR, but what does a Business Analyst do? In sum, he or she clarifies the needs of a group of stakeholders and recommends methods for making a business process more efficient. A business process is a collection of tasks that produce a specific service, serving a particular goal, for our customers (e.g., students, faculty, staff, support units, or coordinate campuses).

Business Analysts provide maintenance support on existing systems and project support on new systems or business process improvements. They also complete upgrade and testing on new software and existing software, including testing new functionality and fixes to functionality in various systems.

Employees in this position often act as a liaison between the two sides of the business process: the functional user/customer (e.g., a college or department, including ASR departments) and the technical developer (e.g., Office of Information Technology). They offer support on implementing a new business process or a change to a process. Business Analysts translate the business requirements gathered from the user into system and/or technical requirements for the developer. Once this process is done, the system is tested and user training begins.

Though they all share the title of Business Analyst and many job duties, the specific job tasks differ depending on the unit.

Deb Edwards, business analyst, Office of Student Finance, Undergraduate Services

Deb Edwards has a background as a financial aid counselor at the University. She became a business analyst because she enjoys the daily challenges the job brings.

"I imagine a lot of people think my job sounds boring, but I enjoy helping people with problems that come up during the day," Deb said. "I love anything that takes me down a new road."

As a Business Analyst, Deb works on all systems related to financial aid for undergraduates. Deb also provides support to One Stop Student Services and the coordinate campuses with any issues related to financial aid.

Each year, Deb analyzes the Verification process of student's financial aid forms. In the verification process, the information provided on the verification form and the student's most recent tax returns are compared to the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If the information on the FAFSA differs from the information on the provided financial documents, the application data is corrected and the financial aid award amounts reflect those changes. Deb helps determine the criteria to set for selecting students in the upcoming year based on federal financial aid regulations. Much of her work is driven by federal regulation changes to the financial aid process.

She is also working on the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards for financial aid recipients, which is used to define a student's successful completion of coursework to maintain eligibility for student financial aid. For Deb's next project, she will begin working on estimating costs of the incoming freshmen financial aid packages.

Jack Kimmes, business analyst, ASR-IT, Student Financials

Jack Kimmes has a degree in accounting and came to the University with a knowledge of PeopleSoft. He enjoys looking for solutions to problems and thinking of new ways to do things.

"I really enjoy working with One Stop and the coordinate campuses with any problems they have. They are all great to work with," Jack said. "We are problem solvers for the University."

As a Business Analyst, Jack provides support to One Stop and the coordinate campuses with issues that arise during the day regarding calculating tuition, generating bills, and processing and making payments.

Jack is a member of the team working on the new version of the Tuition and Fee Management system (TFMS). Jack and others in ASR are meeting to define the requirements needed to upgrade the system. The new system is planned for an October 2012 release. In the meantime, Jack and others in ASR are in the process of evaluating preliminary user experience of the new system and solidifying the design to develop the most user-friendly interface. You can view details of the project at the TFMS project site.

The summer tuition set up will be completed by mid-March so he is currently working on configuring PeopleSoft so the fees are calculated correctly. Jack is also working on the upgrade to PeopleSoft 9.0.

Aileen Lively, business analyst, ASR-IT, Student Records

Aileen Lively has worked at the University for 32 years, much of it in the Office of the Registrar. She is a team lead in Student Records and is essentially the go-to person on campus about student record data. As a Business Analyst, Aileen provides support to all coordinate campuses on student records systems and system-wide tools such as Graduation Planner.

"With this job, you have to understand data: to know how it gets into the system and what it looks like," Aileen said. "You need to have a good understanding of the interrelationship of the user and the technical developer for each system."

A main part of Aileen's job is providing maintenance support on existing systems and upgrade support on new systems. Aileen is currently working on implementing the new PeopleSoft 9.0 upgrade as well as a technical upgrade to Oracle that focuses on the database behind many of our systems, including PeopleSoft.

Currently, she is working on a system that will send out emails to instructors, informing them of when a student has withdrawn from their class. She is also involved in the transition of over 10,000 student records from the Graduate School to the individual colleges and adding graduate program information to the Program and Curriculum Approval System (PCAS).

"This job has a lot of variety to it. It's not the same job every week and there are always different tasks and problems," Aileen said. "I focus on what benefits the students most because that is our highest priority."

Aileen's next project will be cleaning up the old PeopleSoft system and eliminating parts that are not needed after the upgrade. Aileen is also eager to begin work on business analytics and reporting to coincide with the Business Intelligence initiative.


Interview Questions

How do you determine when a business process needs streamlining?

Jack: Generally, the functional users are aware that a process needs streamlining. They can tell that it is taking them longer than it has in the past, the results are not what they should be, or they are being asked to put through a higher volume. Sometimes the computer processes reach a point where they negatively impact the business process.


When acting as the liaison between all stakeholders of a business process, what strategies do you employ to make sure everyone is satisfied with the outcome?

Jack: The approach to acting as a liaison is twofold. First, you need to be able to communicate clearly with each side - the functional user and the technical developer. You also need to convey the importance of the business process to the technical developer and technical challenges back to the functional user. Secondly, you need to make sure the focus is on solving the business problem and not on buying the latest gadget, using the coolest technology, or maintaining the status quo just because we've always done it that way.

Deb: I think communication is vital. Usually, we can find an outcome that completely satisfies the stakeholders or at least improves a business process. But sometimes what stakeholders want simply can't be done or won't be done due to the amount of work that would be required to implement the desired change. I've found ASR staff to be very accepting of even these negative outcomes, as long as they understand the reasons behind the decision and what the other people involved are thinking.


What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Jack: Not to sound too corny, but it truly is making a positive difference in students' lives. When we are able to improve a system or implement a solution to a problem, we create a better student experience. This might be on a system with direct student impact (tuition calculation, billing, or UMPay) or one with indirect impact (Tuition and Fee Management System). Either way, it improves the overall University.

Deb: I most enjoy the problem-solving aspect of my job--finding out that a student has a mistake with his or her financial aid, for example--then writing queries to determine if other students are affected by the same problem, figuring out what caused the problem, and planning how to fix the problem and prevent it from happening again. It's very satisfying to know that a problem has been resolved and that students have been helped as a result.

University Veterans Services

University Veterans Services is part of One Stop Student Services and is a holistic service environment for military members, veterans, and their families on campus. The unit consists of Carin Anderson, manager, four One Stop counselors: Jenni Hoffman, Amanda Erdmann, Josh Martin, and Bob Phaneuf, and five student workers.

The University Veterans Services team just before the 2011 Veterans Appreciation Day event.

In 2006, management recognized an increase in veteran students and the need to provide services for these individuals, so University Veterans Services was created. They partnered with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and the Higher Education Veterans Program Office to offer a comprehensive resource center to veterans.

The Veterans Services staff assists student veterans, military members, and their families with applying for education benefits, answering questions about benefits, and submitting enrollment information to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Student workers assist with answering calls, working with students, and printing paperwork needed for certifications. All student workers in the office are paid with Veterans Affairs Work Study funds.

The Veterans Services staff is a valuable resource to student veterans. Carin, Amanda, Bob, and Josh are veterans whose knowledge and experience in the military provides them the ability to help veterans through unique challenges. Though Jenni is not a veteran, her experience and expertise as a One Stop counselor proves invaluable to the office.

They also provide training for advisers and new faculty about military policies and to ensure that veterans are getting career advice that best match their skills. There is a Veterans Advisory Committee on campus composed of members from the Office for Student Affairs, Office of Admissions, Career Services, Boynton Health Services, Disability Services, the Student Veterans Association, and One Stop Student Services. This group meets to create and enhance campus initiatives and engagement opportunities for student veterans such as resume workshops to help veterans translate military experience to a working resume.

In Fall 2011, it was reported that approximately 750 veterans were using the GI Bill at the University. Annually, the unit hosts the Veterans Orientation Program, where veterans can learn about receiving benefits through the GI Bill and other resources available, and an annual Veterans Appreciation Event to honor student veterans on Veterans Day.

The University was recently announced as a Tillman Military Scholar University Partner with the Pat Tillman foundation recognized the unit and its staff for its support services of student veterans. The University of Minnesota is one of 14 institutions selected as a partner. Each University partner helps identify and select final candidates during the screening process and, upon selection of Tillman Military Scholars on their campus, supports the building of communities regionally throughout the U.S.

The University of Minnesota stands out as a leader in veteran services with staff that works hard to keep up with the complexities in the University Veterans Services office.

University Veterans Services Staff:
Carin Anderson, manager
Jenni Hoffman, senior One Stop counselor/veterans coordinator
Amanda Erdmann, One Stop counselor/veterans coordinator
Josh Martin, One Stop counselor/veterans coordinator
Bob Phaneuf, One Stop counselor/veterans coordinator

Questions:

What is the most challenging part of your job?

The most challenging part of working in University Veterans Services is the complexity of the benefits. Every student has a different situation that could impact the benefits and sometimes this can be difficult when working with the Veterans Affairs (VA) to make sure the benefits are correct. The staff in our office can only do so much before we have to refer students to the VA, which can be a frustrating process for students. We try to assist them with this process the best we can.

You mentioned that you provide services to help veterans transition from a military setting to a university setting. What tools do you implement to ease this process?

University Veterans Services hosts Veterans Orientation at the beginning of each semester to help incoming student veterans understand their benefits, submit paperwork, and meet the staff. They learn about the benefits process which helps them through their career at the University of Minnesota. We have also held staff and faculty training so they understand what student veterans are going through.

What methods do you use to train faculty and staff on the military policies?

In the past, University Veterans Services has hosted workshops and training sessions for University staff and faculty. We have also created a training document for new faculty that is added to the new faculty flash drive so they have the information about the policies and benefits and have better knowledge about working with student veterans.

Discuss the impact the Pat Tillman Scholarship will have on the University Veterans Services.

We were recently notified about this are learning about the process. It's exciting to be recognized nationally and it has the potential to provide great opportunities for University of Minnesota students who apply.