Update from Sue

Well, this is it. This is my last News and Notes blurb to all my great colleagues in ASR. I will never be able to thank you enough for all that you have done for me over the years. Please continue to do fantastic work and help Stacey and the other directors as they look to make ASR even better. The ASR staff are the best and do terrific work. I will miss all of you, but I look forward to watching from afar.

Update from Sue

Final exams begin today along with commencement festivities. It is very different this year again for our students, faculty, and staff. Summer term is right around the corner. I must admit this academic year has flown by for me. I have learned a lot from many of you this year. I appreciate many of you providing information and support to those of us in ASR and beyond. Your attitudes have been great throughout every test of endurance that we’ve had to embrace willingly and not so willingly. Thank you so much.

This is my second to last News and Notes update. I have been reviewing all of the ASR accomplishments, and I am so impressed with the work over this past year. I was asked to narrow them down, and I really tried, but everything all of you have done is so important to me. All of you play a role in keeping this University running smoothly. This is very impressive, and you all deserve a pat on the back and a big thank you. I want all of the ASR accomplishments showcased this year. Thank you so much.

The ASR directors and others have been working on making the transition to a new director smooth. Stacey is excited to continue to work with the directors and all of you to support our initiatives and the success of our students. I am very confident that ASR will excel even more after I am gone. It will be exciting to watch you all continue to excel and make the U even greater.

Update from Sue

I know this has been a week where anxiety has run high for many staff. I appreciate all of you still focusing on our students and how to make them successful. It is also fine to take time to reflect on how you are feeling. Don’t forget that the ASR team is resilient, so think about what you have been able to accomplish in your personal and professional lives this year.

Congratulations to all of you in ASR! We are headed into the final weeks of the spring semester, and we have experienced many situations in our personal and work lives that continue to impact many of us. You continue to do fantastic work to help our students succeed. I know you have been asked to do more than just your “normal” work in many cases. We have sexual misconduct training, the PEAK survey, the Provost’s survey, and performance appraisals all hitting us at the end of the term. I know the timing of all of these extra requests is not ideal, but thank you for doing your best.

I have been doing a lot of reflecting on the great accomplishments over the past year by ASR staff. We will be sharing this with all of you as well. ASR staff produced and performed beyond expectations in my view. You are all so deserving of a huge thank you and my gratitude to all of you for making this year such a success. I wish I could do something for each of you. Terrific job!

Update from Sue

 This is a difficult News and Notes for me to write this week. By now, you probably have heard I have decided to leave the University and go into the consulting world and share what I have learned from many of you. This decision was not an easy one because of all the terrific staff in ASR and how focused we all are on student success. ASR staff are the best problem-solving, innovative group of people I have ever worked with in my entire career. I am always in awe and so proud how all of you come to the plate with your ideas, solutions, and imagination. However, this also makes it easier for me to leave, because all of you will carry on and do even more amazing things with new leadership. 

Those of you who have worked with me directly know that I like to take a risk and so many of you help ensure the risk will pay off. “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn. I am taking a huge risk and I won’t have all of you to help me this time, however, I believe that all of you have influenced and trained me well. I have lost many hours of sleep thinking through this decision, writing down the many pros and cons. I love the University of Minnesota, but more importantly I love the work that each one of you does for the University making that positive difference in students’ lives. Wow, how breathtaking. You do not get all the recognition you deserve, however, know you are crucial to the success of this great place. We are an organization that transforms which is why we thrive. 

You are all ready for a new leader and will continue to transform and thrive. You are part of something greater than yourselves. I am so excited for all of you to take this organization to another level. Thank you for everything and go forth and continue to be amazing.

Update from Sue

I am catching up on events of the week, and the continued acts of violence disturbs me to the point where I am experiencing so many mixed feelings. I feel both anger and sadness at the same time, and so many of you are probably experiencing similar emotions. Be assured that you are not alone. If you need someone to talk to about your emotions, please take care of yourself. Remember that ASR needs you, the University and its students need you. You provide valuable information and necessary processes to keep this place running smoothly. Thank you very much!

I heard a quote on my Minnesota Department of Health call that really resonated with me: “Progress is impossible without change, and those that cannot change their minds, cannot change anything.” The more I think about this quote, the more I think about it during meetings. ASR wouldn’t be a leader in so many areas if we just remained status quo. I really enjoy the energy so many of you bring to various projects, problems and issues, and putting the students first. Wow! I am so impressed with all of you. I don’t let you know this often enough.

Update from Sue

Many of you might be feeling some uneasiness with the beginning of the legal proceedings of Derek Chauvin who has been charged in the death of George Floyd. There may be impacts on your personal life as well as your work. I am concerned about everyone’s well-being, so please reach out to your director, supervisor, or me with any questions or concerns. We will assist as best we can.

We, the directors, continue to try to get answers or information on all the various questions being asked around campus. I believe as we finish up spring and head into fall, things will loosen up and start to move to our new “normal.” We continue to talk about what that might look like and hope the University provides direction in the near future. Thank you for continuing on the path to keep student success moving forward.

Update from Sue

I was procrastinating, which I do well, and took 30 minutes to watch “This Free North: Black History at the University of Minnesota.” It was fantastic and so well done. Wow! I recommend that you take some time to watch this documentary as I have worked with many of these faculty over the years and have great respect for them. It was well done and put some of the 1960 Morrill Hall takeovers into perspective. It is important for you to take time to learn about something that you enjoy or want to be informed about.

The Provost is trying to get us answers for fall scheduling as she realizes students need as much accurate information as possible. It will be challenging to predict with the rollout of vaccines and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) comfort level, so we need to be flexible again throughout this summer. I can’t tell all of you how appreciative I am with your commitment to our students, faculty, and staff.

Update from Sue

Performance review season is here, and I want you to reflect on all the great work you have done over the past year. You should feel good about what you have accomplished with all the other obstacles and challenges you are facing. I would also like you to think of goals for 2021 that relate to at least one of our three areas in the vision organizer: achieving student success, improving the employee experience within ASR, and enhancing systems and processes. Please do not agonize over the review this year.

For those of you that love the cold temperatures, please enjoy yourselves. Those of us that tend to hibernate during colder weather, please take care of yourself as well. February is also black history month, and the University is providing several great resources to learn about the history from others within the University and beyond. I encourage you to take advantage of this great opportunity. Thank you for all the great teamwork and support you continue to provide.

Update from Sue

Spring term has started, and we are all still standing. I realize there are many pressures on several of the staff, and many are getting burnt out. Please do remember to take at least a few seconds to think about yourselves and the great work you are all doing to support our students.

We had our mid-year budget meeting this week with Vice Provost McMaster and others, and VP McMaster again talked about how well our office is performing under the many pressures we are facing. He is supportive of our ideas and realizes that we are executing initiatives that he too struggles with in principle and realizes there will be long term impacts on students. However, because of all your great work, we may not have as large of a budget cut. This is fantastic news for us. Many around the University are realizing the value Academic Support Resources brings to the University community. Thank you so much!

Update from Sue

In ASR, we have an expectation that everyone is a leader in their position. I see my leadership role to ensure the organization is positioned to evolve with the many changes within our University. This week, we have five valued leaders who are leaving the University and starting their next phase after the U. This is indeed going to be a transition for many of us within ASR and beyond our unit. With many other staff around the University also retiring this week, ASR may experience some unforeseen impacts over the next few weeks and even months. As a unit with a terrific vision and mission, we will continue to evolve and change and make a positive difference in students’ lives.

This Friday, Liz Holm, Eleanor Pijut, Doug Rositzke, Cindy Salyers, and Robert Wilson leave ASR. They are all very deserving of their retirement. Earlier this fall, Deb Pusari and Jim Fisk also took advantage of the RIO and retired. I want to thank and congratulate them on everything they have done for the University over the years. We, the University, are in a much better place due to all that they have done and accomplished for the ASR mission and vision. This has allowed the entire University to continue to change for the better to ensure the success of our students. Thank you so much!

Update from Sue

The calendar year and academic term are coming to a close, and with so many challenges this year, you all deserve to enjoy the University holidays. I do not expect you to check your email on the University holidays or on your vacation days. It is important to let it go and enjoy your time away as you have earned it.

I want to thank all of you as I know this has been one heck of a year. ASR is such a great team with a clear focus on our students, and you have all made significant contributions to keep the University running well, while still implementing new forms, tools, and many other items to help our students succeed. I really miss not sharing my gratitude in person at our appreciation event. Every one of you should feel very proud of your accomplishments this year. Thank you so much as I couldn’t do what I do without all of you.

Update from Sue

Thank you to everyone for attending the OUE Assembly this year. It is always informative to hear what is happening and what external units are doing. Bob Burgett and Tina did a nice job talking about the important work of the Foundation, and how it relates to what occurs in a student’s world. I appreciate learning about the interrelatedness of our work. It was also nice to hear from leadership who sincerely appreciate all of the work that you are doing for our community. Provost Crosen and Vice Provost McMaster are very appreciative of all that you are doing.

I noticed that the focus was on TC undergraduates, and we are much much more than this group of students. So I sent off a note to the Provost’s communications writer, and the person was very thankful and appreciative to hear the feedback. I mentioned our work in the areas of non-credit, graduate, professional, various technologies, facilities, financial, and campus support. It is important for all of ASR to feel part of the OUE organization as you all do great work. Thank you so much for making such a positive difference!

The OTR Director search is getting closer to being finalized. Currently, I am working through the approval process to offer the position to a candidate.

Update from Sue

We are headed into the season of giving, and in my opinion, ASR has been giving all year long. The staff in ASR are serving our University community very well while still juggling many personal issues in our lives. We continue to give and give without much reward at times. However, there are many around the University and beyond that are very thankful for everything that we do.

Similarily, it was nice to hear from Jennifer Reckner today and her sincere acknowledgement and appreciation of the work that all of you are doing. Your work truly is noticed.

I know we are getting tired, but try to find a way to keep energizing yourselves. The University has many resources available for employees, so take advantage of them. We are still doing so many exciting things, and you all should be proud of all your accomplishments. Start to jot these down and look at them on a regular basis. Great job everyone!

Update from Sue

The election is now over, and it is alright to reflect upon what you might be experiencing. I enjoy the uniqueness of ASR and its employees, so it is understandable everyone might be going through different emotional experiences right now. Remember to focus on what needs to get done and think about how to accomplish those tasks. We, in ASR, have been through a lot this year and continue to stay focused on our mission. I am so proud of the work all of you are doing. I am sharing a piece of the MOR article I read earlier this week that resonated with me. I have always said that I enjoy the openness of staff and the curiosity that has enabled our unit to perform at its best to help with student success.

Respect and Appreciate Alternative Views

“Lastly, to help us all move forward, put a focus on respecting and appreciating views different from our own. As leaders we need to create an inclusive environment. Despite a divisive backdrop, we want to have our teams adopt openness as a norm. When people have such contrasting views it is helpful to be curious. Seek to understand. We do not need to agree with every view on the team, but we do need to create the physiological safety where people are free to share them. The future is going to need a heavy dose of innovation; we will not get there with closed mindsets. Practicing this openness today with questions and curiosity will help model the behavior we would like to see become the norm.”

Update from Sue

Fall term is flying by, and we are busy preparing for spring term and beyond. Thank you everyone for all of your help on so many levels and items! I have reached out to so many of you for help, and you all have been fantastic, nimble, creative, and honest. ASR continues to function as a team that provides solutions, serves the community, and assists students successfully, which is being noticed and appreciated.

Below, I am sharing a handwritten note from Provost Croson that you all deserve, even more so than me. This is the first time in my life I have received a handwritten note from my supervisor's boss, and I owe it all to your dedication to our students. You should feel very proud of your accomplishments. Thank you very much.

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Dear Sue,

I just wanted to thank you for the extraordinary efforts you and your team have made to develop, implement, and communicate our fall plan. Your input has ben invaluable, and your insights have been extremely important in shaping our decision.

None of us expected the pandemic or the fast changes that it would require. You have risen to the challenge and gave above and beyond.

Thank you,

Rachel