All ASR staff should have received a notice confirming their enrollment in Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) training in the training hub. This is mandatory training that must be completed annually by Friday, February 5, 2021, which should take approximately ten minutes to complete.
ASR handles nonpublic personal information (NPI) covered under the GLBA, and staff may access sensitive information that must be protected, which is even more important as we work from home. Your access to this sensitive, personal information means that the University expects you to always protect this information under the University’s Information Security Program and federal regulations, such as the GLBA Safeguards Rule (16 CFR Part 314). If you have any questions, please contact your ASR Compliance team: Amber Cellotti, Carin Thoms, Jabra Kawas, Michelle Curtis, Stacey Tidball, Tina Falkner, or Tom Schmidt.
Thursday, January 28, 2021
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!
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!
VPN access changes
On January 4, OIT enabled a new full-tunnel pool (“AnyConnect-UofMvpnFull”), which replaced the previous pool. The new tunnel has greater security, capacity, and uses private IP space, which is more secure. Users are also now required to use Duo Two-Factor Authentication to access both the full and split-tunnel VPN networks.
As a reminder, you should only use VPN when resources cannot be accessed by any other means. Web-based UMN resources and services, such as MyU, Gmail, Canvas, G Suite, and Office 365, do not require VPN access. If you have any questions, please contact Technology Help.
As a reminder, you should only use VPN when resources cannot be accessed by any other means. Web-based UMN resources and services, such as MyU, Gmail, Canvas, G Suite, and Office 365, do not require VPN access. If you have any questions, please contact Technology Help.
Zoom recording storage changes
To ensure future cloud storage capacity, the Zoom cloud storage duration will be reduced to a maximum of 180 days after January 29, 2021. Afterwards, the recordings will be moved to the trash folder. Zoom recordings used to be saved for 455 days. However, due to the increased use of Zoom during COVID-19, this time frame was reduced to ensure storage capacity. If you want to retain your recordings before they are deleted, you must download the files, which can be accessed at umn.zoom.us.
Video files, however, tend to be large, which can slow down your device. So we recommend storing your zoom recordings on one of the following University-funded cloud storage options: If you have any questions, please contact Technology Help.
Video files, however, tend to be large, which can slow down your device. So we recommend storing your zoom recordings on one of the following University-funded cloud storage options: If you have any questions, please contact Technology Help.
ASR Staff Engagement January 28th Survey
One year ago, on January 20, the first coronavirus case was identified in the United States. This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey 1/28/2021 reflects on current circumstances related to the pandemic and looks towards the future. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.
The results from the January 14 survey revealed that most feel they receive about the same amount of feedback as they did before the start of work from home. There were several suggestions on how to improve the feedback process while working remote, including setting clear times for receiving feedback and providing that in a timely fashion and setting up more one-on-ones and informal performance reviews. We also had many work or personal accomplishments shared in the last survey, ranging from earning a degree to team collaboration and project completion. The results from the last survey are available below.
January 14, 2021 survey results
Working from home means I can take a tax deduction on my home office.
Please rate your opinion of feedback you are getting while working remotely compared to working in person.
Share a work or personal accomplishment (or two) from the last 9 months working from home of which you are most proud.
The results from the January 14 survey revealed that most feel they receive about the same amount of feedback as they did before the start of work from home. There were several suggestions on how to improve the feedback process while working remote, including setting clear times for receiving feedback and providing that in a timely fashion and setting up more one-on-ones and informal performance reviews. We also had many work or personal accomplishments shared in the last survey, ranging from earning a degree to team collaboration and project completion. The results from the last survey are available below.
January 14, 2021 survey results
Working from home means I can take a tax deduction on my home office.
- 50% Maybe
- 35.7% No
- 14.3% Yes
Please rate your opinion of feedback you are getting while working remotely compared to working in person.
- 71.4% About the same as before WFH
- 14.3% More and better quality than before WFH
- 14.3% Less amount and quality than before WFH
- More one-on-ones
- Informal performance reviews
- Clearly set times for receiving feedback
- Provide feedback in a timely fashion
- Ensure all managers get the same information and promptly disseminate the information
Share a work or personal accomplishment (or two) from the last 9 months working from home of which you are most proud.
- Incorporate workouts into my daily routine
- Earned my graduate degree
- Establishing a home work office
- Cleaning up Google files
- Collaboration on several data updates and new processes related to the academic calendar and grade policies
- Collaboration and support for student employees
Thursday, January 14, 2021
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!
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!
New External Credit Interface launches Jan. 24
The External Credit Interface (ECI) is a new connection between uAchieve (the parent system of APAS) and PeopleSoft. While the previous connection (“Backbridge”) brought transfer credit totals into PeopleSoft, ECI brings in course-level details of external transfer, test, and other credit equivalencies that can be used in PeopleSoft processes more effectively. A major benefit to students as a result of this work is that prerequisite and corequisite checking at registration can now include transfer equivalencies.
There will also be a change to student transcripts: all external credit will appear at the top of the transcript (before University enrollment information). This includes Special Exam credits, which previously displayed with enrollment per term.
ECI is currently in the final round of testing and on track for launch during the standard systems migration period on Sunday, January 24. Both official and unofficial transcripts will be unavailable the entire day as the system updates are completed.
There will also be a change to student transcripts: all external credit will appear at the top of the transcript (before University enrollment information). This includes Special Exam credits, which previously displayed with enrollment per term.
ECI is currently in the final round of testing and on track for launch during the standard systems migration period on Sunday, January 24. Both official and unofficial transcripts will be unavailable the entire day as the system updates are completed.
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