Upcoming project management short courses

With the new year we are starting a new cycle of the ASR Project Management series. Go to the ASR Projects Site to register. All courses are offered on a quarterly basis. Upcoming courses include:

• PM 101: Project Management Fundamentals - Thursday, January 19, 11a-12p
• PM 102: ASR Business Needs Lifecycle - Tuesday, January 17, 1p-2p
• PM 201: Supporting Effective Project Teams - Thursday, February 2, 10:30a-12p
• PM 202: Developing & Managing a Project Plan - Tuesday, February 21, 10:30a-12p
• PM 301: Evidence Based Portfolio Management - Thursday, March 16, 9:30a-11a

Visit learning.umn.edu to check your learner transcript or adjust your registration. Click “Login” in the upper right corner. Select “Learner Login” and enter your UMN Internet ID and password. Also, don’t forget to check out the other information and resources available for ASR staff at asrprojects.umn.edu.

Note from Sue

Thank you to everyone who helped plan and bring together the staff appreciation event last week. I think it was a great success, and it’s always nice to bring ASR units together at one time in one place. No easy feat!

Because of the holiday schedule, there will not be a monthly video in December, but I’ll resume them again in January. Thanks, again, to everyone for the great work in 2016. I'm looking forward to what we can do in 2017. Safe travels over the holiday break and stay warm!

ASR strategic area update: Organizational Effectiveness

In this issue, we are featuring the Organizational Effectiveness priority. Several projects are part of this priority currently:

• IDP and Performance Appraisal projects: A staff survey following our fall IDP sessions suggested improvements to the IDP form and process. Those updates are being done and we are now turning our attention to providing resources that will assist both employee and supervisor in making their IDP conversations more successful.
• E2 team: ASR Directors just completed a review of engagement plans and actions for each of their units. They are coordinating training activities across units and OCM has spearheaded a group for supervisors of students. Until now these supervisors have not had a forum for sharing and discussing their work.
• Diversity & inclusion: ASR has started a group to evaluate our processes and structures within ASR, and ensure that we have the best work environment possible. The group just formed last month and is beginning to determine the areas of focus, but will likely look at recruiting and hiring practices, as well as raising awareness on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• ASR leadership development: Seven ASR employees have completed the Leadership and Talent Development program, “Leading on all Levels” over the past year. Several more are slated to begin this spring. Also, the project management curriculum is up and running with courses being offered monthly. It is designed to create a deeper pool of people who can either lead or participate productively in ASR’s many projects.
• Succession planning: succession can really span the entire career process from hiring and onboarding, to development through transition to other positions, other organizations, or retirement. ASR has begun to work on improving our ability to hire and transition more smoothly. This will include getting our job descriptions better organized, working on the kinds of knowledge, skills and abilities we are asking for, and making hiring more efficient for hiring managers.
• Development team: the development team is reviewing feedback from the most recent event and is beginning to plan the May staff development event.

Fraser 120's new "fireplace"

Shared by Linda Miza and Grant Clavelle. Painted by Max.

Staff appreciation event primer (for new and old staff)

This year’s winter staff appreciation event will be held at the Library Bar from 2:00-4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 15.  For new (and old) staff, here’s a quick primer about the event:

• Door prizes: Staff will receive a door prize ticket when they pick up their name tag. Door prizes are given out throughout the event.
• Food: This year’s menu will be similar to last year’s with meatballs, mini-sub sandwiches, a fruit and veggie tray, chips and dip, and an assortment of dessert bars.
• Drink: Water, soda and coffee are provided. Cash bar available for cocktails or beer.
• Student workers: Are definitely invited! Please spread the word.

Staff are encouraged to attend the event unless a scheduled vacation interferes or prior arrangements have been made with their supervisors. Contact your supervisor with specific questions.

Leave of Absence changes

The new Leave of Absence (LOA) form is now only available in the MyU Advising Toolkit and includes an advising guidelines document to reference for the process. Information about the Leave of Absence process is available for students on the One Stop website. Other key changes:

• PeopleSoft will automatically track, from the six available options, the reason code when entering the LOA. The information will be carried over to APLUS and the leavers reports.
• In the near future, APLUS will have updated LOA tags. “Considering LOA” will be the only one that advisors need to enter as the other ones will be automatically pulled in from PeopleSoft.

ASR Engagement Team Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities review underway

The ASR Staff Engagement Team is currently reviewing Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). Team members began by reviewing job descriptions for KSA’s  and are now setting up and conducting interviews with various staff members to gather firsthand information. In the next month, once interviews are completed, the results will be analyzed and used to refresh KSA’s to reflect capabilities that ASR needs to be successful.