ASR Staff Engagement October 30 Survey

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

According to the last survey, most would prefer going to a baking party (38.1%) rather than a costume party (23.8%). When asked what books/movies/tv/games folks are reading, watching, or playing this month, many spooky movies were mentioned such as Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic, and The Conjuring. Several games were also mentioned including Overcooked 2 and Pokemon Legends ZA.

Finally, we asked what’s one thing you want to do before fall ends. Many folks mentioned doing “spring cleaning” or backyard clean up. Crunching more leaves and going to an orchard was also mentioned frequently. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

October 16 survey results

Would you rather attend a baking party or costume party?

• Baking party (38.1%)
• Costume party (23.8%)
• Neither! (14.3%)
• Why not both? (23.8%)

What books/movies/tv/games are you reading, watching, or playing this month?

• Reading "Let Them" by Mel Robbins and watching the new season of "Love is Blind" on Netflix
• Watching: Dexter: Original Sin, Reading: Imaginable by Jane Mcgonigal, Playing: No Man's Sky and D&D with my kids
• The Diplomat
• A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson. TV: Loot, The Morning Show, The Diplomat, and Task
• Practical Magic and It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
• Gopher Hockey

What's one thing you want to do before Fall ends?

• Watch Hocus Pocus as many times as possible.
• Rake a leaf pile for my kid to jump in (his first time!)
• See Purple Rain at the Orpheum
• Go to my favorite apple orchard and get some donuts!
• Have more backyard bonfires
• Bake something pumpkin flavored

ASR Staff Engagement October 16 Survey

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

According to last week’s survey, about a third of respondents are planning to carve a pumpkin this year (31.4%). There is a strong preference for hot apple cider (65.7%) versus apple cider that’s served cold (11.4%).

Finally, we asked if you like scary movies. There was a fairly even split between those who like scary movies (37.1%), dislike scary movies (34.3%), or like spooky movies but not scary ones (28.6%). Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

October 2 survey results

Are you planning to carve pumpkins this year?

• Yes (31.4%)
• No (48.6%)
• I’m not sure (20%)

Do you prefer your apple cider served hot or cold?

• Hot (65.7%)
• Cold (11.4%)
• It depends (14.3%)
• I don’t like apple cider (8.6%)

In general, do you like scary movies?

• Yes! (37.1%)
• No! (34.3%)
• I like spooky movies, but not scary ones (28.6%)

ASR Staff Engagement September 18 Survey

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

According to last week’s survey, most consider the day after Labor Day to be the start of the fall season (34.3%), followed closely by the start of school (28.6%). Honeycrisp apples received the most votes for your favorite apple (45.7%), followed by Pink Lady apples (20%).

Finally, we asked about your favorite fall candle scents. Spiced apple/apple cinnamon was the top vote-getter (31.4%), followed by pumpkin/pumpkin spice (20%), and cedarwood/sandalwood (20%). Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

September 4 survey results

What do you consider to be the start of the fall season?

• When the leaves start changing color (17.1%)
• The day after Labor Day (34.3%)
• The Autumnal Equinox (17.1%)
• When school starts (28.6%)
• When pumpkin spice lattes are available (0%)
• Once the weather is cooler on a consistent basis (2.9%)

What is your favorite type of apple?

• Honeycrisp (45.7%)
• Pink Lady (20%)
• Fuji (8.6%)
• Granny Smith (5.7%)
• Golden Delicious (2.9%)
• Braeburn (2.9%)

What's one of your favorite fall candle scents?

• Spiced apple/apple cinnamon (31.4%)
• Vanilla (8.6%)
• Pumpkin/pumpkin spice (20%)
• Autumn leaves (11.4%)
• Cedarwood/sandalwood (20%)
• I don’t like candles (5.7%)
• Football season by Bath and Body Works (2.9%)

ASR Staff Engagement April 17 Survey

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

According to the last survey, most respondents stop wearing their winter coat when the temperature reaches the 50s (53.6%). When asked about your favorite flowers or plants, tulips, orchids, and hydrangeas were mentioned the most.

Finally, we asked about one country you wish you could visit during the spring. Japan, particularly for cherry blossom season, was mentioned the most, followed by the Netherlands and Italy. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

April 3 survey results

At approximately what temperature do you stop wearing your winter coat?

• Below 40 degrees (17.9%)
• 40s (28.6%)
• 50s (53.6%)
• 60s (0%)
• 70 or higher (0%)

What's one of your favorite flowers or plants (if any)?

• Saguaro blossoms
• Tina Falkner once gave me some Lantana from her garden. It's been my favorite ever since.
• Nasturtiums—they're easy to grow, smell wonderful, and you can eat them!
• Sunset runner beans—my favorite flowers (which attract hummingbirds!) and a high-production food crop.
• Sunflowers because they're so cheerful! Lilacs for the smell :)
• Moss Roses
• Pasqueflower

What's one country you wish you could visit during the spring?

• The Netherlands
• Japan for cherry blossoms!
• Netherlands—I'd love to see those tulip fields!
• Italy
• France

Update from Stacey

 

Update from Stacey

Every other fall, the University conducts an Employee Engagement (E2) survey of all employees and provides results to supervisors. We are at roughly the mid-point between surveys, so it’s a useful time for ASR to reflect on our survey results and employee engagement efforts that have happened since fall 2023. Employee engagement work is important to our organizational health and making sure ASR is a high quality workplace. While imperfect, I think the survey provides us with important feedback and metrics, and a good incentive to stop and reflect also. 

Each unit in ASR has reviewed its E2 results and has plans in motion. The Office of the Registrar has conducted feedback sessions with staff and has a small working group making recommendations to its managers. Both One Stop and ASR-IT have done mini-surveys to get some more detail to inform particular efforts. Some units including Operations & Strategic Initiatives are using regular meetings to focus on DEI topics and other areas of note from the survey.

On an ASR-wide level, there have been a few initiatives related to E2, whether created specifically because of E2 or other needs in ASR. As always, we look at the alignment of our organization, teams, and processes in an effort to be efficient and support employees. What’s changed since fall 2023? The development of our project intake and prioritization process and implementation of ClickUp is directly related to feedback from the survey—I see these as key parts of our ability to say “no” to work or defer work that does not fit, creating transparency about what we are able to get done, and what teams across ASR are working on.

Another way we support employee engagement is by having effective supervisors—Natasha, Amber, and Carin have formed supervisory development cohorts to promote discussion and sharing of best practices on a variety of topics (e.g., hiring practices, coaching and giving feedback) across ASR units. As an organization it is important that we cultivate the knowledge and skills for success and develop our supervisors and future leaders.

Update from Stacey

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

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

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

Employee Engagement Survey

As a reminder, the Employee Engagement Survey became available on Monday, October 16 and will close on November 3. The link to the survey was sent from UofMNSurvey@qualtrics-survey.com and should be available to take in your inbox. The survey is the most consistent opportunity for you to share your feedback with ASR and the University. So please set aside 10-15 minutes to take the survey. 

When you take the survey, some of the questions will refer to terms such as your “department” or “college leadership.” Since ASR is not structured like a college, please use the following definitions when filling out the survey:

• Campus – Twin Cities
• College leadership – ASR directors
• Department – Your ASR department (OCM, OTR, OSF, ASR IT, One Stop, OSI)
• Manager – Your direct supervisor (person who does your performance review)

Update from Stacey

I’ve recently returned from a Big Ten meeting, where a group of Office of the Registrar staff and myself met with our colleagues. We gathered at the hard to get to, but very scenic, Penn State campus. These annual meetings bring us together with peer institutions’ staff, so we can set strategy for Campus Solutions or other student information systems, select vendors (which span from chatbots to degree audit to CRM tools), and share many of the same struggles and achievements.

I find these meetings generally energizing. They are a good opportunity to remember how good we have it. One of our strengths is our organizational structure, which brings together the expertise of our different units. I continue to see other institutions who are resistant to sharing knowledge with their financial aid or One Stop peers, and I am so grateful for what we have. Thank you all for your work and support of the University of Minnesota as a whole!

On another note, I want to encourage each of you to respond to the University’s employee engagement survey, which HR will launch on October 16. The University uses the survey to collect data and measure employee engagement across the system. In the two years since the last survey, several of our units focused on employee engagement work around helping staff know each other better. Particularly in our hybrid work environment, we need to be attentive to developing and maintaining relationships.

The Office of the Registrar uses an employee slide deck with photos and information to help staff understand the individual’s work and personal interests. The Office of Classroom Management focuses on team-building and getting to know each other through potlucks, newsletters, and cross-functional projects. One Stop and Office of the Registrar also collaborate by introducing staff across these units to each other.

These are just a few examples, but are important highlights. What helps you get to know each other? What would you like to see at the ASR level? Think about this as you respond to the survey, or send me an email with a suggestion if you prefer.

Employee Engagement Survey

The 2023 Employee Engagement Survey will take place this fall beginning Monday, October 16. This year marks 10 years of the Employee Engagement Survey at the University. The insights shared during the past decade have changed how we fulfill ASR’s mission, which supports the University’s mission. Together, we’ve taken steps to improve collaboration and survey follow up based on feedback from the results and team meetings. One major initiative has been the alignment work we have done across ASR units. This has allowed us to more effectively support work across all of ASR. We have also committed to flexible work options that relate to work at the team level, rather than an ASR-wide standard.

That said, we want continuous improvement. ASR directors want to create an environment where everyone can collaborate effectively and is empowered to do good work. The Employee Engagement Survey is the most consistent opportunity for you to share your feedback.

The survey invitation will arrive on Monday, October 16. You may wish to schedule some time on your calendar now to complete the survey during the first week. The survey takes about 10 minutes, and your results are confidential. If at least five people in your team complete the survey, your supervisor will receive a report in January 2024.

Employee Engagement (E2) survey

On October 11, you will receive an invitation to complete the Employee Engagement survey. The survey is an opportunity for everyone to offer feedback about working both at the University of Minnesota and within ASR. All responses are confidential. More information about the E2 survey is available on the Leadership and Talent Development team's E2 website.

When you take the survey, some of the questions will refer to terms such as your “department” or “college leadership.” Since ASR is not structured like a college, please use the following definitions when filling out the survey:

• Campus = Twin Cities
• College leadership = ASR directors
• Department = Your ASR department (OCM, OTR, C&C, OSF, ASR IT, ASR Central)
• Manager = Your direct supervisor (person who does your performance review

Update from Stacey

At the beginning of this week, I attended Zoom meetings of the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Registrars, along with several ASR colleagues. It is always good to connect with our peer institutions to learn more about how they are handling challenging issues and to commiserate a bit too. I wasn’t able to attend the full conference, but I had a few takeaways from the conversations:

• We all have increasingly tight budgets and are thinking about how to be more efficient.
• ASR is lucky to have a structure that facilitates conversations across offices of the registrar, student finance, financial aid, etc. because many institutions struggle with this.
• The University of Minnesota and ASR have more flexible work options than many institutions.
• Balancing our regular work with strategic projects and leadership initiatives will be crucial to our organizational health.

I’m grateful we are already underway with looking at prioritization and capacity planning through the ASR Operations group.

On a mostly unrelated note, you will receive a link to take the Employee Engagement (E2) survey on Monday. I hope all of you take the survey to provide critical feedback to ASR about employee engagement and how we can continue to improve. Since the October 2019 survey, we have been through a lot. I’m very interested to see how we think the pandemic and our very different working environments affect our results and how we can work to support each other. For more information on terms that are part of the survey, see the article below.