Pushing out pessimism

When work becomes overwhelming, it's easy to detour down a path of pessimism. The ABC Technique, however, is an approach to help think more optimistically. It's based on how we explain difficult or stressful situations to ourselves across dimensions of permanence, pervasiveness, and personalization. The ABC Technique pushes you to analyze three aspects of a situation: adversity, beliefs, and consequences. When you encounter adversity, you develop thoughts and beliefs about the situation. This, in turn, leads to consequences. To be optimistic, you must change what you believe about yourself, and the situation, when you encounter adversity. Positive beliefs will lead to more positive consequences and a more positive outlook. (Thanks to Kristy Davis and Christa Nicols for submitting this tip!)

Watch before you walk

Just a reminder to be careful when crossing the street on and around campus. Be sure to cross at crosswalks and when the "Walk" sign is flashing. It's been reported that several people have received citations from the police for jaywalking. (Thanks to Tina Falkner for sharing this tip!)

Google Apps for beginners

Interested in learning more about Google Apps but not quite sure where to start? Check out the Google Apps documentation and support site. You can explore the different apps or learn by each individual one. You can also view a short video about using Google Apps for business purposes.

Professional development opportunities

The University offers many professional development opportunities, and ASR staff are encouraged to take advantage of the workshops and training through the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED) and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action. You can view current offerings by visiting the OED website.

Have you discovered your top talents yet?

If you haven't already, be sure to take the online StrengthsQuest assessment to identify your top five talents. ASR is once again covering the cost for staff to participate. You can use your results to help you understand how you can continue to grow and develop personally and professionally. Contact Tina Falkner if interested.

Got stress?

Feeling a bit stressed this month? Take an hour on Thursday, March 27 to stop by a "Control Your Stress!" presentation by Dr. Patricia Frazier from the Department of Psychology. She'll share information about her research on stress and how you can regain a sense of control. The event will take place in 402 Walter Library. For more information, see the Department of Psychology Spring Colloquium Series.

Learn your top five talents!

Curious what your greatest strengths are? Take the online StrengthsQuest assessment to identify your top five talents. ASR is once again covering the cost for staff to participate. You can use your results to help you understand how you can continue to grow and develop personally and professionally. Contact Tina Falkner if you're interested in taking the StrengthsQuest assessment.

Become a more engaged employee

Want to know how to become a more fully engaged employee and market your value? Plan to attend a meeting hosted by HR's Organizational Effectiveness Lea Bittner-Eddy to learn about employee engagement tools and resources available to staff. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 19 from noon-1 p.m. in 312 STSS. For more information and to RSVP, email Bonnie Marten.

New ASR onboarding video

The Academic Support Resources onboarding video is now available on the ASR intranet site. A link to the video can also be found in the professional development resources page. The video will help new employees understand how ASR departments function individually and as a whole.

Secure your home network

Not sure if your home network is secure? The January issue of "OUCH" offers tips and tricks for ensuring your security is up to par. You can also check out a video on encryption. It's a great way to secure your data, yet many people don't understand what it is or how it works.

Holiday shopping online

Are you planning to avoid the crowds this holiday season and shop online instead? The November issue of "OUCH!" has a few tips for doing so securely. Take a minute to also download and share "OUCH!" to share with your family, friends, and other would-be online shoppers.

Guidelines for mobile apps

In response to recent inquiries from University groups on the topic of mobile application development and branding, University Relations has created guidelines and requirements for branding University-related mobile apps. For more information, check out the mobile app guidelines.

Watch list in ServiceNow

Ever assign a ticket to another group and wonder what happens to it? Maybe it never comes back to you and you have no idea how, or if, it was resolved? Consider using the Watch List--it's located on the bottom right of the initial fields. By clicking on the little 'person' icon, you can add yourself (or someone else) to the Watch List and will be notified of all updates to the ticket. This is also a good way to keep certain people in the loop about the project.
*Upcoming issues of News & Notes will feature additional ServiceNow tips and tricks.

Upcoming Astra Schedule user groups

A series of Astra Schedule user groups is scheduled for this fall. Session topics will address issues that schedulers experience in their day-to-day use of Astra Schedule. They also serve as an opportunity for users to share ideas with each other and receive help solving specific problems.

No registration is required to attend. Locations and times for each session are as follows:

Thursday, September 26, 9-10:30 a.m., Nolte Center 140
Friday, October 25, 1:30-3 p.m., STSS 512B
Tuesday, November 19, 9-10:30 a.m., Nicholson Hall 110
Tuesday, December 17, 9-10:30 a.m., STSS 512B

Professional skills building

As an ASR employee, you may request to attend professional development activities that help you become more successful in your current position or to advance to the next level in your career. You can view the professional development policy by employment group in the ASR Employee Handbook. ASR employees are also eligible for the Regents Scholarship, which covers 100% of the tuition for a first bachelor's degree and 75% for graduate and professional degrees, if you decide to go back to school. Nice!

Hairy hyphens

When do you hyphenate words such as full time, off campus, part time, etc.? Well, it depends upon how you're using the word in a sentence. Use a hyphen only when modifying a noun. Here's an example: Alex is a full-time employee. (Full-time modifies employee.) But he works full time. Here's another example: She lives off campus. It's an off-campus house. (Off-campus modifies house.) With a little practice, you'll start to get the hang of it!

Food for thought

Wise words: "The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today."
-- Elbert Hubbard

More than vs. over

This is a tough grammar rule, because, well, folks are on both sides of the fence about it. When do you use "more than" instead of "over" to mean "in excess of"? For a long time, American journalists argued that "more than" should always be used before a numeral. For example, "There are more than 100 people in line." The consent now is to use whichever sounds better in the sentence. Here's an obvious example: "There was over one suggestion for how to fix the problem." That sounds sort of silly, doesn't it? "There was more than one suggestion for how to fix the problem" sounds a lot better. So, though "more than" is typically used in front of a number, when in doubt, choose whichever you prefer. How's that for rule bending?

Professional skills courses

Looking to enhance a few professional skills? Check out a variety of courses offered on campus that cover topics ranging from communicating across cultures and conflict fluency to engaging in change and discovering your strengths at work.

Then or than?

When do you use "then" rather than (no pun intended) "than"? Here's the trick: Then is used with "if then" combinations. For example, "If you drive too fast, then you may get a ticket." Than is used in "rather than" combinations, such as, "Rather than waiting to the last minute, I'll go today."