Update from Sue

With the Regents meeting last week and the messages from the President and Provost, we are able to turn our attention to implementing plans for the fall term. While we won’t need to change the campus calendar for Twin Cities/Rochester, the work is wide-ranging for fall. ASR staff are updating the calendars for Morris and Crookston in PeopleSoft, analyzing how fees might work for students in fall term, and undertaking a huge project to create a class schedule that accommodates 6 foot social distancing where feasible on the Twin Cities campus.

Although we are working primarily on fall term plans, it’s important that we start planning ahead for spring term as early as we can. I’m talking to executives about spring now and ideally students will know more about what to expect for spring when registration opens this November.

I’m so grateful for all that you are doing, especially when we are facing furloughs and other challenges. I wish we could gather in person to celebrate you all.

Please take some time tomorrow to learn or reflect on Juneteenth.

Thank you!

HR updates

The Board of Regents has approved a temporary pay reduction and furlough program for most University employees. Labor Represented and Civil Service employees will receive unpaid furloughs with a bank of hours, which will occur in two six-month segments starting on July 1, so the hours can be taken in both the first and second half of the fiscal year. Faculty and P&A staff will have a temporary pay cut and receive an equivalent number of days off, which are only available during the pay-reduction period.

Employees who earn less than $60,000, graduate students, professionals in training (including postdoctoral associates and residents), H-1B and E-3 visa holders, faculty with a phased retirement agreement, and faculty on a sabbatical will be exempt from this program. In addition, the $2 extra per hour for essential staff on campus will end on June 21.

Further guidance, training materials, and additional resources for supervisors and employees will be made available from OHR in the near future. Additionally, MHSST-HR (Morrill Hall Shared Services Team) will share more details in the coming days.

If you have any questions about the temporary pay reduction and furlough program, you are welcome to contact Mary Stein (stein094@umn.edu).

ASR Operations Team

At the direction of the ASR Directors, a new committee was created in spring 2020. The Academic Support Resources Operations Project Committee (ASROPC) was formed to:

• Facilitate effective planning of projects in consideration of operational activities across ASR
• Promote operational effectiveness and efficiency in project execution
• Share responsibility for the decisions made together
• Provide guidance pertaining to our processes, applications, and technology
• Keep compliance at the forefront of decisions and prioritization
• Provide transparency around project work

ASROPC will focus its efforts on coordinating ASR operational work, procedures, integrations, custom web development, and central OIT technology projects across units to ensure the appropriate staff and resources are included and available. Members of the committee include one or more representatives from each unit. To propose a project or idea, please contact asropc@umn.edu.

The focus this summer is on re-opening for fall and the many changes ASR will be making in PeopleSoft to make this happen. Members of the group may be reaching out to you to support the re-opening efforts.

Update from Sue

The University is entering a time that is unique, and I do not think this has ever occurred across our country before. There are going to be many difficult, exciting, and challenging times. Staff in ASR and across our University in the coming days may be overwhelmed at times by all the events that have impacted them. I want everyone to be understanding and supportive of your colleagues. As I mentioned in my note earlier this week, we will continue to embrace our mission, to make a positive difference in students’ lives, and continue to work towards a better future.

Pillsbury Drive construction update

If you have been away from campus like many of us, you might be surprised to see some changes when you return. Construction on Pillsbury Drive started on May 4, 2020. The pedestrian thoroughfare between Pillsbury Hall and the Williamson Hall portal entrance has been blocked off. Additionally, the Williamson tunnel is closed until early to mid-June. In the meantime, pedestrian traffic will be directed west to the area between Williamson Hall portal and Nicholson Hall.

New Preliminary Oral Exam form

Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP) and the Office of the Registrar created a new electronic form for the doctoral Preliminary Oral Exam. This form will be available June 22, 2020. The new form will replace the paper version of the doctoral Preliminary Oral Exam form. For questions, contact gssp@umn.edu.

CARES Act

The process for students to receive CARES Act funding was announced on Tuesday morning. Within the first hour, One Stop Student Services received over 1500 requests from students. More requests have continued to come in, and ASR staff are busy supporting students with this work.