ASR Staff Engagement July 25 Survey

Coinciding with the all-staff picnic, this week’s ASR Engagement Survey is picnic themed. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!

According to the last survey, there was a fairly even split between those who take notes on physical paper (34.3%) and those who take notes with a Google Doc or Sheet (37.1%) with several other note taking methods mentioned as well. Most respondents make reminders using a virtual calendar (77.1%).

When asked about your confidence in your ability to take comprehensive meeting notes, most say they are somewhat confident (51.4%), followed by very confident (34.3%), and not confident (14.3%). Finally we asked about your ideal temperature outdoors. Most said in the 70s (57.1%), followed by the 60s (28.6%), and the 80s (11.4%). Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. Results from the last survey are available below.

July 11 survey results

Where do you typically take notes for yourself?

• Google Doc or Sheet (37.1%)
• Physical sticky note, notebook, or paper (34.3%)
• Virtual post-it/sticky note app (5.7%)
• Microsoft Word or Excel (5.7%)
• Combination of the above (11.6%)

Where do you typically make reminders of events, due dates, etc. for yourself?

• Virtual calendar (77.1%)
• Physical calendar (5.7%)
• Physical sticky note, notebook, or paper (5.7%)
• Asana (5.7%)

How confident are you in your ability to take comprehensive meeting notes?

• Very confident (34.3%)
• Somewhat confident (51.4%)
• Not confident (14.3%)

Imagine you are planning a day outdoors. What would be your ideal temperature outside?

• In the 90s (0%)
• In the 80s (11.4%)
• In the 70s (57.1%)
• In the 60s (28.6%)
• In the 50s (2.9%)

Tony's Tech Terms: Kanban

Last fall we adopted Kanban as a formal process. Kanban is a visual workflow management method that helps teams manage tasks and projects. Originating from Japanese manufacturing and now widely used in various industries, Kanban uses a board with columns representing different stages of a process, such as "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done." Tasks are represented by cards that move across the board as they advance through the stages, providing a clear, real-time view of the work's progress and status.

One of the key principles of Kanban is limiting work in progress (WIP). By restricting the number of tasks that can be in each stage at any given time, teams avoid overloading and ensure that work is completed more smoothly and efficiently. This also helps prevent context-switching.

Half way through the year, I decided to take a high-level look at our stories from 2023 vs. 2024. In 2023, we had a less formal process, and we weren't as intentional about creating and scoring stories for our work. We delivered 185 stories for a total of 368 story points. So far in 2024, we've delivered 460 stories for a total of 697 story points. I don't think we've had a 250% increase in productivity this year. Rather, I think this reflects two things:

• We're tracking more of our work.
• We've gotten better at breaking stories down so they're smaller.

For example, in 2023 our story point average was 2.0. So far in 2024 it's 1.5. That indicates to me that we're creating and delivering more small stories. Small stories paint a better story about what work we do and better communicate our progress while we work.

ASR in-person all-staff and picnic

As a reminder, the ASR picnic is on Thursday, July 25! We’ll be meeting in Bruininks Hall 230 at 9 a.m. for the all-staff assembly. Individual team time will follow the assembly and the picnic will begin at 11:45 a.m. Afterwards, ASR will have a staff wellness day, where you can pursue wellness activities of your choice.

Agenda

• 9 - 9:05 - Intro from Stacey
• 9:05 - 10:45 - Director showcase - 15 minutes each
• 10:45 - 11:45 - Team time
• 11:45 - 1:00 - Lunch
• 1:00 - Wellness afternoon (mark calendar as focus time)

A Reflection on Independence Day

Independence Day is a celebration of freedom and liberty. But the hard truth is that not all Americans are or ever have been included in that celebration.

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a speech that asked the question, “What to the slave is your Fourth of July?” In fact, Black Americans played a pivotal role in America’s independence from Britain. An anti-slavery clause was included in the original declaration, but it was removed prior to publication. As a result, the Declaration of Independence did not end slavery, nor did it ensure basic rights to anyone who wasn’t a white well-to-do male (women were left out of the conversation entirely). These threads have run deep in American society–all the way to today.

Though the Fourth of July has passed, it’s important to remember that not all of us can celebrate freedoms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in this country. It’s equally important to educate ourselves and examine perspectives outside our own experiences. Here are a few resources to explore this month:

• Read the poem “Let America be America Again” by Langston Hughes
• Buy Leanne Betasamosake Simpson’s book “As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance”
• Read the article “Do American Indians Celebrate the Fourth of July?” from Smithsonian Magazine
• Study Frederick Douglass’s 1852 Fourth of July speech
• Celebrate Disability Independence Day on July 26, 2024

One Stop availability during the ASR picnic

One Stop Student Services, University Veterans Services, Graduate Student Services & Progress, Student Account Assistance, and Third-Party Billing will be closed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 25 for the ASR Picnic. The East Bank One Stop location, Student Account Assistance, and Graduate Student Services & Progress will reopen at 1 p.m. All other locations and offices will remain closed the entire day. Please share this information with others as needed.

ASR Staff Engagement July 11 Survey

This week’s ASR Engagement Survey examines notetaking and creating reminders. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

According to the last survey, most have engaged in professional development this year (78.8%). When asked about your professional development preferences, most prefer to engage in a webinar (75.8% of respondents) or attend a conference (57.6% of respondents). There was a fairly even split when asked if you have adequate time/opportunity for professional development. 39.4% say “sometimes but not always,” 33.3% say “yes,” and 27.3% say “no.”

Finally, we asked about what music you are listening to this summer. Chappell Roan was mentioned the most as well as classic rock from the 70s and 80s. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available below.

June 27 survey results

Have you engaged in any professional development this year?

• Yes (78.8%)
• No (12.1%)
• I’m not sure (9.1%)

What would be your preferred professional development opportunity? (check all that apply)

• Attending a webinar (75.8%)
• Attending a conference (57.6%)
• Taking a class (online or in-person) (45.5%)
• Recurring meetings with a mentor (15.2%)

In general, do you feel that you have adequate time/opportunity to engage in professional development?

• Yes (33.3%)
• No (27.3%)
• Sometimes, but not always (39.4%)
• I’m not sure

What music have you been listening to this summer?

• Chappell Roan!
• MPR Classical on repeat
• Country music and 70s/80s throwbacks
• "Microfiche" by Open Mike Eagle, and "Living in a Haze" by Milky Chance and The Beaches
• 1990s rock and movie/video game soundtracks

Tony's Tech Terms: Deployment process

We use the term “deploy” a lot. But what happens when we do that? There are two processes, the classic path and new path, that are triggered by the App Dev team, but otherwise automated.

The classic path

For applications the run on Linux servers:

• Copy the code to the server.
• Compile any front-end code.
• Update configuration files.
• Execute any database changes.
• Start the new version of the application.
• Note the deployment time.
• Keep copies of the last five versions for easy rollback if needed.

The new path

For applications in containers:

• Compile the code inside a container.
• Upload the container to a University service called Artifactory.
• Download the container to the Traefik server.
• Perform a "health check" to ensure it runs correctly.
• Switch traffic to the new container once it passes the health check.
• Store previous versions in Artifactory for easy rollback if needed.

Both of these processes allow us to roll back quickly if something goes awry because we keep previous copies available. It also allows for little or no downtime because the new version of the application doesn’t come online until it’s completely ready.