Performance appraisals

This year, performance appraisals will start with employee self-reviews in February. Each employee should download the appraisal form from the intranet, complete sections A & E, and submit to their supervisor by Friday, February 28.

Self-evaluations will cover the time period of April 2019 through December 2019. We expect some goals may still be in progress because of the altered time frame. If you have specific questions about the time frame or your goals from last year, talk with your supervisor.

13-credit automatic exemption

One Stop, ASR-IT, and the Student Degree Progress team are collaborating on a project to automatically apply 13-credit exemptions for students that require less than 26 credits to graduate. Currently, college advising offices manually review and process 13 credit exemptions for graduating seniors, which is a time intensive process. The plan is to have qualifying students automatically charged the per-credit tuition rate starting next fall.

Digital diplomas

Beginning in fall 2019, University of Minnesota graduates from all campuses have received a digital diploma in addition to their paper diploma. The first digital diplomas for graduates were issued on December 5, 2019. Since then, 1,704 digital diplomas have been issued, 991 have been claimed, and 533 have been shared on social media platforms, including LinkedIn and Facebook, or downloaded by students. Approximately 1,500 diplomas will be issued to students this week. Digital diplomas allow students to receive their credentials up to two weeks faster than our standard printing and mailing service, and the student has permanent access to the secure, certified PDF.

Disbursement numbers for the Twin Cites

On Monday, January 13, 2020 Twin Cities first round of spring disbursement occurred. The numbers for this round of disbursement are as follows: 59,451 undergraduate students for a total of $111,828,765 and 11,554 graduate/professional students for a total of $88,921,106.

2nd Chance Pell and college in the prisons

On January 15, 2020 the University of Minnesota Twin Cities submitted an application with the U.S. Department of Education to participate in a program called Second Chance Pell for Incarcerated Student Experiment. This application is a component of a larger initiative spearheaded by Governor Tim Walz to provide post-secondary education for incarcerated individuals in Minnesota correctional facilities. The University was recently awarded a grant from Ascendium Education Group as part of their “Optimizing Delivery Systems for Higher Education in Prison: Postsecondary Pathways for Re-Entry Transition” initiative. Through this grant, the University will engage in planning during 2020 with the Department of Corrections and two other higher education institutions in the state of Minnesota to determine which program(s) will be offered to individuals incarcerated in Minnesota’s six penal institutions.

Start of the term system usage

With classes resuming on Tuesday, January 21, PeopleSoft will again see heavy usage as students and faculty start up the new term. Please make sure that any load-heavy queries or processes aren't running during the first few days of classes. If you are unsure if your work will impact the system, contact your local IT support via Student Finance Help (sfhelp@umn.edu), Financial Aid Help (fahelp@umn.edu), or Student Records Help (srhelp@umn.edu).

If you notice any system issues during the first week of the term, please report them through your normal issue reporting process.

ASR Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion feature article: Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday

Why do we have a day off from work next Monday?

We all know that the University is closed on Monday, January 20, but do you know the history behind this federal holiday?

The entire nation pauses in remembrance of the civil rights hero, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, on this federal holiday that takes place on the third Monday of each January. This day was enacted in 1983 by President Reagan to honor the activist and minister who was tragically assassinated in 1968. The creation of this holiday is a time for us as a nation to reflect and to honor MLK’s accomplishments.

How can I celebrate this important holiday?

On Campus:

Sunday, Jan 19, 3 pm: Attend the 39th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute at the University of Minnesota. Free and open to the public.


Off Campus:


Monday, Jan 20, 8 am: Attend the 30th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Holiday Breakfast featuring The Honorable Eric Holder Jr, former Attorney General of the United States as keynote speaker. Tickets are available for purchase for the in-person event and live streaming of the event is also available.




Monday, Jan 20, 6:30-8 pm: Visit the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration hosted by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Free and open to the public.

How can I learn more about the history of this holiday?

It took 15 years for MLK day to be declared a national holiday. Learn more about the fight to have every state in the Union observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and more about the continued pushback that this celebration faces.