Bob McMaster has been working with the University of Minnesota Foundation to utilize some unrestricted scholarship funds (meaning, that these scholarship funds do not have predetermined purposes) to assist Twin Cities students in completing their degrees. Identifying the students who will be granted these scholarships will be a true collaborative effort within ASR, as the Student Degree Progress team, One Stop and the Office of Student Finance will all be involved. At the moment $67,500 is available to award annually. The scholarships are for Twin Cities undergraduate students who are on track to graduate, but need financial support to finish their remaining requirements. This is very exciting news and we can hardly wait to award our first scholarship.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
ASR takes their “show on the road” with recent campus visits
On Friday, August 7 and Monday, August 10, ASR’s Director Sue Van Voorhis and System Campus Relations Coordinator Eleanor Pijut went on the road to visit the Duluth and Rochester Campuses. The day-long visits included discussions on the One Stop website redesign project, updates on the OSF Director position, and much more. Overall, the meetings were highly successful with system campus staff complimenting and expressing appreciation for the support provided by Twin Cities ASR staff. As for next steps? The visits led to nearly 50 items of follow-up, and ASR staff are already busy working on those requests.
Changes to SAP policy
Beginning fall semester, all students receiving financial aid (federal, state or University aid) will be required to meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards to continue receiving financial assistance. Previously, students who only received University scholarships were not included in the financial aid SAP review.
Managers getting together to plan for a strong ASR
With the Upgrade behind us, it’s time to look ahead to coming challenges. The ASR Managers are planning a session on August 21st to assure that ASR is aligned and ready to be a strong partner for students, staff and faculty.
We are engaging: E2 follow-up underway
Last year’s engagement survey showed ASR staff are interested in development opportunities, and that is a focus for our overall efforts. Additionally, on August 19th ASR Managers will review each unit’s plans and priorities to check progress and coordinate efforts. The entire university will be surveyed again in late October. To provide continuity, each unit has a facilitator tasked with helping to develop and implement ongoing engagement priorities: ASR IT - Christa Nichols, Continuity and Compliance - Matt Tveter, OCM - David Crane, OSF - Mara Schneider, OTR - Tonisha White, One Stop - Betsy Everts. Eleanor Pijut and John Vollum are coordinating ASR’s overall efforts.
Merit pay for 2015-16
For this fiscal year, salary increases were tied to performance appraisals by awarding a flat rate raise based on the overall performance appraisal score. Supervisors have been gathering feedback on this process to evaluate the best way to implement merit pay next summer. Ideas for salary increases include continuing with the flat rate, using a percentage increase, and blending flat rates with small percentage increases. As this project continues, we will share updates with supervisors and all ASR staff.
One Stop’s financial services getting news coverage
One Stop Student Services has been in the news recently for their efforts related to the financial knowledge and well-being of UMN students, including counseling surrounding how to live on a budget, minimize debt, and curb expenses on rent, food and textbooks. Read more at the Star Tribune and MN Daily below:
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