Community Fund Drive

Each year the University holds a Community Fund Drive to support important efforts that matter to us. This year’s Community Fund Drive will run from October 1 to October 31. There are many ways to give, including donating to charities, nonprofits, and on-campus fundraising events. Your donation affects hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans battling poverty, injustice, chronic disease, and more. See 2022 Community Fund Drive for more information.

We also want to highlight the Tina Rovick Falkner Memorial Scholarship, which was created to honor Tina’s legacy and help support Twin Cities undergraduate degree-seeking students with financial need. You may also choose to contribute to ASR’s Student Success Fund. More information about the fund and how to donate are available on the ASR website.

Williamson Hall doors closed

The main doors for 160 Williamson will no longer be open to students nor will the front desk be staffed by students. A locked dropbox outside of Williamson will be available for students instead to drop off forms. Since the doors will now be closed, please make sure to carry your U Card on you at all times to gain access to the office. Additionally, if you are hosting a meeting in Williamson Hall, please make arrangements to meet your guests and let them into the space.

ASR Staff Engagement October 20 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey October 20, 2022 asks about your experiences with email at work. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

The last N&N survey asked about spooky season. According to the last survey, most say that they sometimes enjoy scary movies (43.8%), followed by 34.4% who do not like scary movies. A strong majority do not like candy corn (68.8%). There was an even split when asked about whether staff are dressing up this year for Halloween: 34.4% said no, 34.4% were not sure, and 31.3% said yes.

Finally, we asked whether you were team vampire or team werewolf. Team vampire claimed victory with 72.4% of the vote. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.

October 6th, 2022 survey results 

Do you enjoy scary movies?

• Yes (21.9%)
• No (34.4%)
• Sometimes (43.8%)

Do you like candy corn?

• Yes (31.3%)
• No (68.8%)

Are you planning to dress up for Halloween this year?

• Yes (31.3%)
• No (34.4%)
• I’m not sure (34.4%)

Which do you prefer: vampires or werewolves?

• Team vampire (72.4%)
• Team werewolf (27.6%)

ASR Staff Engagement October 6th Survey

 It’s hard to believe that it’s already October and spooky season is upon us. This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey October 6, 2022 asks about your opinions related to this time of year. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

According to last week’s survey, the meetings that staff attend typically start with an icebreaker, introductions, or casual chat (58.6%). When asked about contributing to meetings, most feel that they have adequate time to voice their opinion (69%), followed by those who aren’t sure or say it depends on the meeting (27.6%). Most prefer to have their meetings in the morning (51.7%), while (24.1%) prefer the afternoon or don’t have a preference (also 24.1%).

Finally, we asked if you enjoy pumpkin spice. Most do enjoy pumpkin spice when the mood strikes (44.8%), followed by 27.6% who love it, and 27.6% who actively avoid it. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

September 22nd, 2022 survey results

How do your meetings typically start?

·       With an icebreaker, intros, or casual chat (58.6%)

·       Diving in to the agenda for the meeting (41.4%)

Do you feel that you are able to contribute in meetings when you want to?

·       Yes (69%)

·       No (3.4%)

·       I’m not sure (27.6%)

I prefer meetings in…

·       The afternoon (24.1%)

·       The morning (51.7%)

·       I don’t have a preference (24.1%)

Do you enjoy pumpkin spice?

·       Yes, give me all the pumpkin spice! (27.6%)

·       No, I actively avoid it (27.6%)

·       Sometimes, but only when the mood strikes (44.8%)

Update from Stacey

In addition to being a season of beautiful leaves and cooler temperatures, October is the season for many Big 10 meetings (also known as the Big Ten Academic Alliance) and strategic enrollment management meetings. We have staff learning from their Big 10 colleagues on many topics and I always look forward to the ideas these meetings generate. It’s also a healthy reminder that we are doing so many things right and serve as a model for other institutions. We provide top notch services for our students, staff, and faculty in so many areas and I thank you.

ARF email improvements

Earlier this morning (Oct. 6), a change went into effect  for emails sent to ARF access request approvers. The changes are a result of multiple improvement requests and usability testing. Approvers will notice changes to subject lines and the text of the email that are intended to provide more details on the request and clearer instructions for next steps. The goal of these changes is to facilitate faster approval response times to ensure requests are fulfilled in a timely manner.

Williamson Office Logistics

 Please see below for a variety of Williamson Hall office updates. 

Equipment Check Out Form

This is a reminder to fill out the ASR Equipment Check Out Form if you have taken equipment from the office to your home. This includes your computer, monitors, docking station, etc. This form can also be used to log the equipment that you bring back to the office.

New Printer Request Form

OIT has launched a new process for staff to access printers on campus. To request access to our ASR printers, use this form: https://z.umn.edu/printeraccess. Click “Request Service” to open the form. Under “Request Details”, type “ASR” into the text field to open a list of all of our printers:

A list of all of our ASR printers can be found here. There are also maps that highlight printer locations in 130 and 160 Williamson Hall. 

Currently, users can only request access to one printer at a time, but OIT is exploring the possibility of multiple printers on one ticket in future updates. OIT is also working to remove inactive printers and update Ricoh 5503 to read 130 instead of 160. 

Space reminders

• A reminder that when you come to the office that our desks are shared spaces. Please be mindful of others around you and keep your volume in mind. 

• Cleaning supplies can be found around the office to wipe down a space when you are done. 

• Each cube has a locker and small file cabinet where you can place your belongings throughout the day. If you need longer-term storage there are additional lockers in 130 Williamson. Please email asrcentral@umn.edu if you would like to check out a locker long-term. 

• As we enter into cold months, pests will want to come inside. Please do not leave food in your lockers/cabinets.