Operations updates

ASR has held an in-person all staff meeting and picnic in July over the past few years. A number of factors have made that difficult to organize this year, so it will be postponed. There is not yet a plan, but we wanted to make sure everyone had advance notice as teams often schedule around this time. Details with the new plan will be shared after the start of the term.

Additionally, the monthly ASR all staff meetings will be taking a break over the summer. During the break, we will use the ASR Staff Google group to share any updates. When the meetings start back up again in September it will be with a new quarterly schedule. This will be automatically updated on calendars.

Update from Stacey

It was delightful to see so many of you at the ASR Picnic and staff event! I wish I had been able to speak with every single one of you, which brings me to one of the items I discussed during my update: How can I better connect with ASR staff?

We don’t have all of the logistics pinned down quite yet, but I will soon be hosting regular “office hours” and time slots for coffee/tea chats. Our amazing ASR Central folks are going to help with a schedule that provides both Zoom and in-person formats. The time slots will also rotate, so it won’t conflict with the same recurring meetings for folks. I am looking forward to trying something new!

ASR in-person all-staff and picnic reminder

The picnic is coming up on Thursday, July 24! We’ll be meeting in Tate Hall B50 at 9 a.m. for the all-staff assembly, where Raj Singh, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education will be speaking. Name tags will be provided for everyone to wear. Individual team time will follow the assembly, and the picnic will begin at 11:30 a.m. We will have food set up in Williamson Hall.

Agenda

• 9 a.m. (Tate Hall, room B50) - Brief introduction from Stacey
• 9-10 a.m. (Tate Hall, room B50) - Updates from Raj Singh
• 10-11:30 a.m. (various locations, rooms reserved in Williamson) - Team time
• 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (Williamson Hall, enter 145 by the Gold Finch room and exit back into the main area of 130) - Lunch
• 1 p.m. - Wellness afternoon

One Stop availability during the ASR picnic

One Stop Student Services will be closed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 24 for staff to attend the ASR Picnic. During this time, phone, email, and in-person services will be unavailable at all One Stop Student Services locations. Offices impacted are One Stop, University Veterans Services, Graduate Student Services & Progress, Student Account Assistance, and Third-Party Billing.

The East Bank One Stop location, Graduate Student Services & Progress, and Student Account Assistance will reopen at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 24. All other locations and offices will be closed the remainder of the day. Full service will resume at 9 a.m. on Friday, July 25. This closure is being communicated to staff and students through multiple channels. Please share this information as needed.

ASR in-persona all-staff and picnic

The picnic is coming up on Thursday, July 24! We’ll be meeting in Tate Hall B50 at 9 a.m. for the all-staff assembly, where Raj Singh, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education, will be speaking. Individual team time will follow the assembly, and the picnic will begin at 11:30 a.m. Please don’t forget to fill out the food order form by the end of day Wednesday, July 9. We will share more details as we get closer to the picnic.

Agenda

• 9:00 am - Brief introduction from Stacey
• 9:00 - 10:00 am - Updates from Raj Singh
• 10:00 - 11:30 am - Team time
• 11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Lunch
• 1:00 pm - Wellness afternoon

Update from Stacey

Thank you for participating in the ASR picnic! It is such a pleasure to bring ASR together and create new relationships and refresh existing relationships.

ASR Staff Engagement July 25 Survey

Coinciding with the all-staff picnic, this week’s ASR Engagement Survey is picnic themed. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!

According to the last survey, there was a fairly even split between those who take notes on physical paper (34.3%) and those who take notes with a Google Doc or Sheet (37.1%) with several other note taking methods mentioned as well. Most respondents make reminders using a virtual calendar (77.1%).

When asked about your confidence in your ability to take comprehensive meeting notes, most say they are somewhat confident (51.4%), followed by very confident (34.3%), and not confident (14.3%). Finally we asked about your ideal temperature outdoors. Most said in the 70s (57.1%), followed by the 60s (28.6%), and the 80s (11.4%). Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. Results from the last survey are available below.

July 11 survey results

Where do you typically take notes for yourself?

• Google Doc or Sheet (37.1%)
• Physical sticky note, notebook, or paper (34.3%)
• Virtual post-it/sticky note app (5.7%)
• Microsoft Word or Excel (5.7%)
• Combination of the above (11.6%)

Where do you typically make reminders of events, due dates, etc. for yourself?

• Virtual calendar (77.1%)
• Physical calendar (5.7%)
• Physical sticky note, notebook, or paper (5.7%)
• Asana (5.7%)

How confident are you in your ability to take comprehensive meeting notes?

• Very confident (34.3%)
• Somewhat confident (51.4%)
• Not confident (14.3%)

Imagine you are planning a day outdoors. What would be your ideal temperature outside?

• In the 90s (0%)
• In the 80s (11.4%)
• In the 70s (57.1%)
• In the 60s (28.6%)
• In the 50s (2.9%)

ASR in-person all-staff and picnic

As a reminder, the ASR picnic is on Thursday, July 25! We’ll be meeting in Bruininks Hall 230 at 9 a.m. for the all-staff assembly. Individual team time will follow the assembly and the picnic will begin at 11:45 a.m. Afterwards, ASR will have a staff wellness day, where you can pursue wellness activities of your choice.

Agenda

• 9 - 9:05 - Intro from Stacey
• 9:05 - 10:45 - Director showcase - 15 minutes each
• 10:45 - 11:45 - Team time
• 11:45 - 1:00 - Lunch
• 1:00 - Wellness afternoon (mark calendar as focus time)

One Stop availability during the ASR picnic

One Stop Student Services, University Veterans Services, Graduate Student Services & Progress, Student Account Assistance, and Third-Party Billing will be closed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 25 for the ASR Picnic. The East Bank One Stop location, Student Account Assistance, and Graduate Student Services & Progress will reopen at 1 p.m. All other locations and offices will remain closed the entire day. Please share this information with others as needed.

Update from Stacey

Do you have a summer reading list? Do you read different things during the summer? I’ve found that I read without much regard to the season and read my usual mix of fiction and nonfiction. I just finished After Annie by Anna Quindlen and Inheritance by Dani Shapiro. I started Deacon King Kong by James McBride this week, and I’m also reading High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard at the recommendation of my spouse. Please share any recommendations you have for great reads this summer!

On a slightly more work-related note, I’m looking forward to seeing folks at the ASR picnic in a few weeks to celebrate all of the great work you’ve done in the last year and enjoy each other’s company.

ASR in-person all-staff and picnic

The picnic is coming up on Thursday, July 25! We’ll be meeting in Bruininks Hall 230 at 9 a.m. for the all-staff assembly, where we’ll be highlighting and celebrating each ASR unit and their successes. Individual team time will follow the assembly and the picnic will begin at 11:45 a.m. Please don’t forget to fill out the food order form by end of day Friday, June 28. If you haven’t already, please share the food form with your student workers as well. We’d love for them to join us!

Agenda

• 9 - 9:05 - Intro from Stacey
• 9:05 - 10:45 - Director showcase - 15 minutes each
• 10:45 - 11:45 - Team time
• 11:45 - 1:00 - Lunch
• 1:00 - Wellness afternoon (mark calendar as focus time)

Update from Stacey

I had the wonderful opportunity to see most of you in person and give an update face-to-face at the picnic, so I’m keeping this message short. I am grateful for the work you do in ASR, and I was happy to celebrate you with our staff picnic and wellness time!

Update from Stacey

Since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling against race-conscious admissions on June 29th, there have been many articles and conversations about the impacts of the decision. The system website includes some information about the decision, and future content will be added as guidance and process changes are determined.

To comply with the decision, campus admissions offices are working to obscure race and ethnicity fields from application reviewers. The University will still be able to recruit students with diversity in mind and is committed to bringing in a diverse student body. I’ll talk a bit more about the decision when we gather for our in-person all staff meeting and picnic later this month.

Another item that will be covered at our in-person meeting is ASR’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals. The DEI committee has been working with ASR directors on developing these goals to help us focus on where our organization needs to grow. There are five goals related to people-centered practices, accountability, administrative equity, inclusivity, and accessibility. A lot of thoughtful work has gone into developing these goals and how they will be used in ASR. Supervisors will hear more at their meeting on Monday, and the DEI committee will present in more depth during the all staff meeting.

Update from Stacey

On Monday, the Regents approved the budget, which paves the way for us to begin notifying staff of their salary increases. If you are a civil service or P&A staff member, you can expect an email from me next week.

On another note, I’m really looking forward to our all staff event this summer on Thursday, July 27. I will give an ASR update followed by the DEI committee's update. After that, we have time reserved for teams to gather and eat lunch, which will be provided for all staff. Then there will be wellness time for the remainder of the day. More information will be sent out soon. I hope to see you there!

Update from Stacey

If you have been looking ahead on your calendars, you may have seen a calendar hold for an ASR event on Thursday, July 27. Like last year, we will be hosting an in-person staff assembly followed by an ASR picnic celebration. I’m looking forward to the event and hope to see you for both the assembly and the picnic. At the assembly, I will give an ASR update, and we will also discuss DEI topics. If there is something you think I should cover in my update, send me an email at tidball@umn.edu. Thanks!