Update from Stacey

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

Update from Stacey

I was at the annual American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) meeting last week, where I attended several educational sessions, met with multiple vendors, and got to sample some local New Orleans food. The conference offered me the opportunity to connect with colleagues and learn new things.

While it was not the official theme of the conference, AI was a part of many of the sessions, whether it was AI improvements from vendors, impacts on student development, or compliance issues. We also spent a lot of time discussing the implications of various federal changes, especially the impacts of H.R.1 (One Big Beautiful Bill) on financial aid. I had never been to New Orleans before, and I definitely need to take a trip there sometime where I can really experience the area more deeply.

Update from Stacey

As the parent of a current college student and a high school senior who is planning to attend college in the fall, I am extra aware of what our current students and new incoming students are up to these days. I am also full of advice that, shockingly, they aren’t as eager to hear. My eldest is so focused on the number of final papers and projects he needs to complete soon, that he is struggling to make space for fall registration. Does he even know when his registration appointment is? My youngest just selected an orientation date, and then asked me about one million questions as he filled out forms.

One theme I’ve gathered from these conversations is how mysterious these processes are for them, even growing up in a household steeped in college information. Initiating an email address was a struggle. Learning how to log into the various portals, degree audits, orientation surveys, etc. is often confusing. Understanding the financial aid letters is a big stretch when their financial knowledge comes from part-time jobs and Venmo.

My real point here is to recognize how much we all do to make a student’s experience easier—whether it's through technology, helping students find their way on campus, or translating a confusing email into easier to understand language. We are really making a difference. Thank you!

Update from Stacey

I am happy to be back after a nearly month-long family medical leave. It was a great comfort to know that everything in ASR was in such good hands while I was out. Thank you to everyone who kept our good work moving forward. A special thanks to my leadership team who had to cover numerous things with very little notice or explanation. If you sent me something during my absence, know that I got it, and that I’m slowly catching up on emails and other work as I return. Rome wasn’t built in a day—as they say—and it will take a bit for me to fully catch up.

Update from Stacey

Before I jump into my regular update, I want to briefly acknowledge the events yesterday in Minneapolis and how stressful and upsetting the news is right now. Please take care of yourselves during these stressful times. Because Minneapolis schools are closed and there are other developing impacts, please coordinate with your supervisor and/or your unit director as needed. 

Now onto my regular update. First, I wanted to extend my invitation regarding sharing feedback about your unit director. You can do so by either emailing me or scheduling a meeting. I appreciate hearing your perspective as I prepare to write performance appraisals.

Before the holiday break, I listened to A New Kind of University, episode 172 of People I (Mostly) Admire, which is primarily an interview with Michael Crow, the president of Arizona State University. The episode discusses how they have created a culture of innovation and the perception of higher education in the U.S. It talks about how demographics and enrollment management influence higher education and the strategies they used to address pressing issues in higher education. Crow’s book, The Fifth Wave: The Evolution of American Higher Education, has been on my reading list for a few years now, and this finally encouraged me to pick it up. If you're interested in having an informal book discussion about it, let me know (though, I probably won’t finish this for a few weeks)!

Update from Stacey

As we approach performance appraisal season and the close of 2025, it’s a time of great reflection. As we think about our work, I would like you to reflect on what your supervisor could do to help you be more effective in your job. Do you have actionable feedback for your supervisor? Have you shared it with them or their supervisor or your unit director? Many of our units create structures for sharing this type of feedback, and it’s very valuable to ASR as an organization.

I invite all of you to share feedback with me as well, regarding the folks that report to me, or about my own performance and what you would like me to continue doing, stop doing, or adjust. As we think about feedback, it’s also great to recognize each other and all of our wins. If you spot excellent work in ASR, please let me know so we can potentially feature it in an upcoming issue of News & Notes.

Stacey’s 2026 drop-in schedule

With a busier than usual schedule, Stacey will not be hosting regular Zoom or in-person drop-ins this January. She will still be having the in-person coffee/tea sign up drop-in, however, which are for a maximum of 4 employees at a time. If you are interested, please fill out this Google form to secure a sign-up spot.

Stacey’s drop-in schedule for the first quarter of 2026

• January
• Thursday, January 8 — in-person coffee/tea signup 9:30-10:30am
• February
• Monday, February 2 — Zoom 2-2:45pm
• Wednesday, February 11 — in-person 10:15-11am
• Wednesday, February 25 — in-person coffee/tea signup 11am-12pm
• March
• Thursday, March 5 — in-person 2:15-3pm
• Wednesday, March 11— in-person coffee/tea signup 11am-12pm
• Monday, March 23 — Zoom 10-10:45am

If you have any questions, please reach out to ASR Central.

Update from Stacey

Thank you to the folks who have stopped by my drop-in hours or signed up for a coffee meeting with me. I have really enjoyed getting to know people better and discussing your concerns and ideas for the future. I want to encourage you to drop in, especially if we have not had a chance to connect in a small group or individual setting before. If you would prefer a dedicated 1:1 meeting about a particular topic, please reach out to asrcentral@umn.edu for scheduling assistance.

If you still need to take the Employee Engagement survey, please submit yours by October 31. It took me about five minutes to complete. It's an opportunity to share feedback using a tool supported by research and the ability to benchmark results across the institution and externally. See more information below.

Update from Stacey

Things have been very busy! As I write this, we are just concluding our site visit with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) as part of our re-accreditation process. The visit is designed to supplement our assurance argument materials submitted to the HLC, which allows peer reviewers to ask questions and verify whether the materials and the “on the ground” experience are consistent. We will receive a report from the accreditation team in several weeks. We anticipate receiving positive feedback as well as suggestions for further improvements. I have learned so much participating in this process. The 35,000-word assurance argument document is a wealth of information about how the University operates and continues to improve.

Every year I wonder—is September always this busy? I think this year might have been an especially busy start of the term. Thanks to all of you. We have contributed to a successful start of the term in so many ways!

Update from Stacey

As I write this, it's our Census Day at the University, and it occurs to me that the term gets mentioned a lot but often goes unexplained. The census date is a deadline in US higher education and coincides with the end of the drop/add period. The census date is when we “lock in” our student enrollment numbers for the fall term. The numbers become part of our official federal reporting, which are published on the Institutional Data & Research site.

In addition to official reporting, the numbers from the census date are used to finalize most types of financial aid disbursements. A student's enrollment status (full-time, part-time) on this day determines how much aid they receive. Happy Census Day!

Update from Stacey

As mentioned in a previous N&N, Dani in ASR central has been helping develop opportunities for me to better connect with you all. I’ll be providing 3 drop-in slots per month starting with times next week:

• 1 Zoom drop-in for 45 mins (no reservation required)
• 1 in-person drop-in for 45 mins (no reservation required)
• 1 coffee/tea sign up in-person for 1 hour

The schedule will change monthly to accommodate everyone as best I can. The 45-minute Zoom and in-person drop-ins are open to anyone who would like to attend, while the 1 hour coffee/tea sign up drop-ins are for a maximum of 4 employees at a time. Please fill out this Google form to secure a sign-up spot. Below is the schedule for the rest of 2025. Reach out to ASR Central with any questions. I look forward to these meetings!

2025 drop-in schedule

• September
• Wednesday, September 10 in-person coffee/tea signup 11a.m.-12p.m.
• Monday, September 15 Zoom 3-3:45 p.m.
• Thursday, September 25 in-person 2-2:45 p.m.
• October
• Wednesday, October 1 in-person 11-11:45 a.m.
• Thursday, October 9 in-person coffee/tea sign up 9-10 a.m.
• Friday, October 24 Zoom 2-2:45 p.m.
• November
• Tuesday, October 4 in person coffee/tea signup 9-10 a.m.
• Monday, October 10 Zoom 11-11:45 a.m.
• Wednesday, October 19 in-person 2-2:45 p.m.
• December
• Friday, December 5 Zoom 1-1:45 p.m.
• Thursday, December 11 in-person 1-1:45 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 17 coffee/tea signup 10-11 a.m.

Update from Stacey

It is definitely the season of new beginnings. The semester will be kicking off shortly with many welcome week traditions, such as Pride & Spirit and Convocation. Many of you are supporting the start of the semester, and I know it can be a busy time (for example, check out the OCM updates below). I am feeling the uptick as well, but I am still trying to grab the last bits of summer. 

We snuck in a quick trip with our family this weekend, and next we're figuring out when we will go to the State Fair. In my experience, people have strong opinions about the fair, and personally, I’m a big fan. I drag my family through the animal barns, we look at the fish in the DNR building—even though the kids have outgrown this—we watch the parade, and we eat our every-year favorites and try at least a few new items. I hope you are finding some summer enjoyment and feeling as ready as you can for the start of fall. Thank you for everything you do!

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!

Update from Stacey

I wanted to share a couple of updates on items I’m working on that are less visible to ASR. The first I’ve mentioned before—the preparation for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) reaccreditation process. My main role has been leading the drafting of the Federal Compliance Report and assembling the appendix. The overall materials for the HLC will be over 100 pages but the federal compliance report itself is relatively short. It spans instructional time requirements, federal aid requirements, ethics in admissions, and several other topics. I’m nearing the finish line and we will be submitting our materials to the HLC in the coming weeks to prepare for the site visit this fall.

The second item is preparing briefing materials for the new provost to learn about ASR and OUE. Dr. Gretchen Ritter officially starts on July 31, but she is already engaging in meetings and reading background. For ASR, I’m providing the annual report materials—thank you to all of you that participate in that process—and additional narrative to help contextualize the information in the report and highlight work that will need her input in the near future. I am excited to work with her and help get her up to speed prior to our HLC site visit.

Update from Stacey

I think of the 4th of July as the halfway point—halfway through the summer and halfway through the year. In fact, July 2 marks the midpoint of the calendar year and acts as a great time to reflect on how things are going. It can be a good time to revisit resolutions that were made back in January or set new goals before the year is out. I’m not much for resolutions, but it was a jumpstart to look at whether I’m making progress on goals I’ve set for myself. Fall term also looms larger this time of year, and I even saw school supplies on display at a store this weekend. Hopefully, you still have some summer fun to squeeze in while we get ready for fall term across ASR. Take care and I look forward to seeing you at the picnic!

Update from Stacey

Several weeks ago, I listened to a Freakonomics podcast episode on sludge, and I continue to think about how that concept applies to ASR. Sludge is essentially what makes a process more challenging, slow, or even inscrutable to users. For example, think about a gym membership that you cannot cancel unless you find the hidden web form or make an uncomfortable phone call, or consider going to the DMV and not being able to discern exactly what paperwork you must complete. Sludge often uses friction to dissuade someone from making the decision that is best for them.

In a unit like ASR, we thrive on process because it helps us serve the needs of our very large student body and makes work more predictable. The risk, of course, is that we end up with sludge—stuff our students don’t understand, or stuff that doesn’t bring us value but it’s been in the process so long we don’t see it anymore. This is bad for all of us, but especially for students who are new to higher education. Identifying and getting rid of sludge can make things better for our first generation students, folks with disabilities, and the University community broadly. I invite you to start looking at your work with a detective’s eye. Where do we have sludge? How can we make it better? I’m curious to hear your ideas!

Update from Stacey

Final exams are just finishing, and with that, spring 2025 is coming to a close. I always love seeing the students in their commencement robes on campus, even if I don’t love the related traffic. The end of a semester is a nice time to stop and reflect on what has gone well. Thanks to each of you. You have all contributed to the successes of the last several months. We have disbursed millions of aid dollars, made sure technology is up-to-date, answered daily questions from students and staff, planned classroom projects, and soon, thousands of diplomas will reach students. I can’t list everything here or it would take over the newsletter, but take a moment to pat yourself on the back and thank a colleague that supported you!

Update from Stacey

A common theme lately is stress. Whether it’s the news, “doom scrolling,” or concerns closer to home, I know a lot of people are under extra stress right now. So today I’m doing something a little different, and I’m asking you to check out these Somatic exercises. The “shorts” are indeed short, and there are different styles to choose from. Adding this practice has been a helpful reset midday, and I hope you give one of them a try. I highly recommend doing one as part of a lunch break. If this doesn’t turn out to be your thing, that’s ok. Perhaps a short walk or something else will fill your cup. Take care of yourself. You deserve it!

Update from Stacey

Thank you for attending our All Staff meeting last week. I appreciated the conversation, and I especially enjoyed seeing the chats about what currently brings you joy. I've had a rough start to the year on a personal front (all is well, just very stressful) and taking time to think about what brings me joy is really important. I have been reflecting on what parts of my job bring me the most joy and making sure I build that into my week. I really enjoy work that leads to a specific work product—something that I write or present. I think that work is a nice contrast to my meeting heavy work that is less tangible.

In my personal life, I realized I really missed performing music, and I have joined a concert band again. I play flute in the Star of the North Concert Band, and I absolutely love it. Music and group performance is magical! I hope you are finding time for joy in your work and your personal life as well.

Update from Stacey

It’s that in between time of year where one day I run outdoors, and the next day we have 7+ inches of snow. Uncertainty seems to be a theme right now, whether it is the weather or how the department of education might change under its new leadership. At the March 27 all staff assembly, I and the DEI committee plan to talk about how the University is responding to some of these changes, such as the Dear Colleague Letter that was released a few weeks ago. I hope you are able to join us for the assembly.

Meanwhile, I have been in performance appraisal mode reading about your many accomplishments this year. I really appreciate your efforts. Thank you!