Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

The Safe Campus Update newsletter recently shared the following information from the Aurora Center about Sexual Assault Awareness Month:

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This year’s theme is “Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity.” The theme draws attention to systems of oppression, including racism, sexism, and heterosexism, that contribute to higher sexual assault, harassment, and abuse rates. Join the Aurora Center in showing your support by:

• Checking out Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming on Instagram.
• Dressing up for Denim Day on Wednesday, April 26.
• Requesting a prevention workshop for your student group or staff department.
• Becoming a volunteer advocate.
• Learning more about the “It Ends Here” campaign and how the University is working to prevent sexual misconduct.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual misconduct, know you are not alone, and help is available.

Do you know of other sexual assault awareness or prevention resources? Share them with the ASR DEI Community of Practice Group (ASR DEI CoP). Not a member? See below.

Provide your feedback on May 9 at the DEI Coffee Hour!

As noted in previous issues of News and Notes, the DEI committee has been working on our purpose, structure, and goals for the group, so we can continue to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in ASR. Please join us for an optional (virtual) coffee hour on Tuesday, May 9 from 8:15 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. to hear what we’ve been up to, and provide your feedback regarding where we should focus our efforts.

For your convenience, this event has been added to your calendar. Please RSVP if you plan to attend, we hope to see you there!

Join our DEI Community of Practice
Subscribe to our DEI Google Group to discuss the latest news, connect with the committee, and keep up with DEI initiatives. More information about the group and DEI committee can be found on the ASR Intranet.

ASR Staff Engagement April 20 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey examines the tools we use at work. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

The last survey asked your experience with and opinions on AI technology. 65.5% of respondents have not tried using ChatGPT or similar AI technology, while 31% say that they have tried it. When asked about your concern regarding advanced AI technology, most were somewhat concerned (55.2%) followed by both those who are very concerned, and with little to no concern (20.7% each). 72.4% also felt that AI technology will have a significant impact on Higher Education within the next 5 years.

Finally, we asked what game show you would choose to appear on. Jeopardy won the highest vote (27.6%) followed by Wheel of Fortune (17.2%), and Family Feud (13.8%). Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. Results from the last survey are available below.

April 6, 2023 survey results

Have you tried using ChatGPT or similar AI technology (such as DALL-E, etc.)?

• Yes (31%)
• No (65.5%)
• I don’t know what that is (3.4%)

How concerned are you about the recent rise of advanced AI technology?

• Very concerned (20.7%)
• Somewhat concerned (55.2%)
• Little to no concern (20.7%)
• I’m not sure (3.4%)

In your opinion, how much of an impact will AI technology have on Higher Education within the next 5 years? (1: little to no impact to 5: Significant impact)

• 5 (24.1%)
• 4 (48.3%)
• 3 (24.1%)
• 2 (3.4%)
• 1 (0%)

If you could appear on any game show, which one would you choose?

• Jeopardy! (27.6%)
• Wheel of Fortune (17.2%)
• Family Feud (13.8%)
• Chopped (10.3%)
• The Price is Right (10.3%)
• Pictionary (3.4%)
• $100,000 Pyramid (3.4%)
• Press Your Luck! (3.4%)

Office of the Registrar

Spring is in the air, and that means the team is gearing up for a busy end of term filled with degree clearances, support to our college contacts, and getting ready to get those diplomas out the door. In addition to these critical processes, we have some other news to share.

• Beginning July 2023, the Destiny One Registration System (DORS) team will transition from reporting to ASR-IT to OTR. This means Sandy Nelson (manager), Erik Bremer, Nathan Carlson, Brian Knutson, Theresa Anderson, and Darcy Fastner will be joining the team (Sandy will report to Ingrid Nutall). We are very excited to welcome them to OTR and look forward to shaping new connections together.
• Amber Cellotti and Karsyn Zetah will be working with college contacts and OUE leadership to revamp the change of college process for Twin Cities students. We cannot wait to do this work.
• The GPAS team has finished building and validating all degree audits for Graduate Education on the Duluth campus! The team is in the final stages of a multi-year degree audit implementation and is ahead of schedule!
• In late August, OTR completed an upgrade of our transcript and diploma ordering system through Parchment. This upgrade ushered in the end of over two years of work and involved partners in One Stop Student Services, ASR-IT, and the Office of Information Technology.
• Work is underway to complete a statement of work to migrate our uAchieve (i.e., undergraduate degree audit) infrastructure to the Cloud. This change will not result in end-user changes but is an essential step towards better support for our system and our ability to adopt new functionality released by our vendor.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Transgender Day of Visibility

Governor Tim Walz proclaimed last Friday, March 31, as Transgender Day of Visibility. But supporting the transgender community is not limited to a single day. Here are some resources you may want to explore:

• GLAAD tips for allies
• The Power of Voice, a UMN TED Talk with Marylin Fairchild
• The Tretter Transgender Oral History Project
• Talking Healthcare with LGBTQ older adults

Have a resource you would like to share? We’re happy to include it in the next News and Notes. Please email us at asrdei@umn.edu.

The ASR DEI Committee invites YOU to hear what we’ve been up to
Since January, the ASR DEI Committee has been re-envisioning our scope and purpose so we can continue to provide support to the ASR community. Watch your calendars for an invite to an informal virtual coffee hour in early May to learn about what we have been up to and provide input on where you would like us to focus. More details to come!

Join our DEI Community of Practice

Subscribe to our DEI Google Group to discuss the latest news, connect with the committee, and keep up with DEI initiatives. More information about the group and DEI committee can be found on the ASR Intranet.

AACRAO

At this year’s AACRAO annual meeting, the organization honored the memory of former AACRAO president and our wonderful colleague, Tina Falkner. A grant was re-named in her honor in recognition of her endless commitment to supporting the development of higher education professionals. The Tina Falkner Engagement Grant supports continued, in-person engagement at AACRAO meetings so members of committees, caucuses, and/or work groups with a demonstrated financial need can fulfill their professional obligation. Tina was also awarded an AACRAO Honorary Membership.

In honor of Tina’s passion for books and sharing her favorites with others, a Little Free Library will be built in every city of the AACRAO Annual Meeting in her honor. This particular recognition builds off of Tina’s own idea in 2018 to have a traveling Little Free Library at the Annual Meeting. It gives members a chance to share books with the AACRAO community they may have brought with them during their travels. Tina said, “Many of us read when we travel . . . Now when you finish your book on the plane, you can just pick one up here instead of going into an expensive bookstore and find a book to read on the way home.” 

A quote from one of Tina’s favorite books, The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett, speaks perfectly to the way Tina showed up in the world and reflects the impact she continues to have, in part, through these AACRAO recognitions: “Them as can do has to do for them as can't. And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.”

Update from Stacey

The articles below do a great job of highlighting important things in ASR, although we can never cover everything. I love the ideas below from the engagement survey. Whether you have joined ASR recently or have been here for a while, check out the tips from colleagues. The tips convey that we intend to be a friendly place that is open to questions and help each other learn. I also want to call your attention to an upcoming change in reporting lines for the Destiny One Registration Team; see the Office of the Registrar update below for more details. This follows up on the ASR-IT alignment report, and I greatly appreciate the work of everyone involved.

The AACRAO conference was a meaningful and educational experience as always. See the update below for the many ways in which AACRAO is honoring the memory of Tina Falkner. On the educational front, the sessions were vast and valuable. One of my favorite sessions was about the upcoming FAFSA changes. It was an in-depth conversation about what might be simpler for families (retrieving data more directly from the IRS) and what likely won’t be (the number of questions on the form), as well as who might “win” or “lose” when it comes to the Student Aid Index.

Last but not least, I want to provide a brief update on the posting for our Director of Academic Enterprise Systems. The search committee for the first phase reviewed over 70 applicants in March and conducted initial interviews with 11 candidates. The committee forwarded four top candidates for consideration for the next phase. We are in the process of reviewing those four candidates and intend to bring 1-2 candidates in for the final interview. I hope to have more updates for you soon!

ASR Staff Engagement April 6 Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey asks your opinion about recent developments in AI technology. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!

According to the last survey, most say it took them around 1 year to feel competent at their job (46.9%). When asked about your favorite places to get food on or around campus, Shuang Cheng, Wally’s Falafel & Hummus, Bordertown Coffee, and Potbelly received the most mentions.

We received lots of great advice for new employees, such as walking around and getting to know campus and asking for help! If you are new to working at the University, be sure to check out all of the great suggestions below! Finally, raspberries received the most votes for favorite fruit (25%), followed by apples (15.6%), strawberries (12.5%), and mango (12.5%). Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

March 23, 2023 survey results

How long did it take you to feel competent at your job?

• 6 months or less (28.1%)
• Around 1 year (46.9%)
• 2 years or more (25%)

What are some of your favorite places to get food and/or drinks on or around campus?

• Wally's Fallafel, Banh Appetite
• Bordertown coffee
• I like walking around and exploring all the spaces. Coffman one day, dinkytown another. Go into buildings, too, because some of them have coffee shops tucked inside.
• Potbelly, Chipotle, and Mesa Pizza
• Bordertown is great for coffee! Pho Mai or Crisp & Green are also great.
• Bonchon, Wally's, Sally's, Bona, Stub and Herb's
• Shuang Cheng all the wayyyyyy

What general advice would you give to someone starting work at the University this year?

• Take advantage of all your benefits. We have good medical/dental insurance, so schedule those physicals and dental checkups. Contribute to one of the voluntary retirement plans in addition to your required plan, even if you can only afford a small amount.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help! Everyone in ASR is friendly and helpful and can point you in the right direction. You can 100% say you're still new even after a year in your job; there's a lot to learn!
• Get involved and don't be afraid to ask questions! Explore campus widely if you can, even if you don't have to be there very often.
• Don't be afraid to speak up if you don't understand an acronym! There are so many floating around, and they may not mean what you think they mean - especially if you don't have much context.
• Things work slow around here... if you're used to fast paced, take a breath, and go with the timeline.
• Don't hesitate to add times to people's calendars to talk! We're all very open to connecting, even in a hybrid environment. Join a few communities of practice / networking groups based on your role to make sure you have a way to connect with folks in the distributed units. Things at the U can operate more slowly than in--learn to embrace the pace, and the collaborative and distributed ways we make decisions. Also, use the Regents' Scholarship opportunity to engage with the academic culture of the University--it will give you helpful context for your work, and is a nice way to stay a lifelong learner!
• Always feel free to ask questions - really! Your colleagues are happy to answer your questions (or get you to someone who can answer it). And give yourself time. Everything takes a while (access, learning, getting the feel of the flow of work) and that is expected around here. Finally, take walks! Walk the tunnels and see what is going on in buildings, walk the grounds and watch how well they are cared for, walk and feel the energy of this place - it's pretty amazing. If you work from home - walk there, too. Taking breaks is ok.
• Try to get to know people in ASR that aren't in your unit.
• Don't let the size of the University overwhelm you
• Keep a list of all the acronyms that get thrown at you and ask people to clarify when they use ones you don't know
• When you're on campus, take some time to walk around and explore
• Take time to get to know your coworkers
• You are not expected to know everything!
• Connections are vital. If your supervisor isn't doing so already, ask them who they should get to know (within our unit/dept/ASR/across campus) and meet via email introduction or, even better, a quick Zoom hello.

What is your favorite fruit?

• Raspberries (25%)
• Apples (15.6%)
• Mango (12.5%)
• Strawberries (12.5%)
• Pineapple (9.4%)
• Kiwi (6.3%)
• Bananas (6.3%)