Update from Stacey

As mentioned in a previous N&N, Dani in ASR central has been helping develop opportunities for me to better connect with you all. I’ll be providing 3 drop-in slots per month starting with times next week:

• 1 Zoom drop-in for 45 mins (no reservation required)
• 1 in-person drop-in for 45 mins (no reservation required)
• 1 coffee/tea sign up in-person for 1 hour

The schedule will change monthly to accommodate everyone as best I can. The 45-minute Zoom and in-person drop-ins are open to anyone who would like to attend, while the 1 hour coffee/tea sign up drop-ins are for a maximum of 4 employees at a time. Please fill out this Google form to secure a sign-up spot. Below is the schedule for the rest of 2025. Reach out to ASR Central with any questions. I look forward to these meetings!

2025 drop-in schedule

• September
• Wednesday, September 10 in-person coffee/tea signup 11a.m.-12p.m.
• Monday, September 15 Zoom 3-3:45 p.m.
• Thursday, September 25 in-person 2-2:45 p.m.
• October
• Wednesday, October 1 in-person 11-11:45 a.m.
• Thursday, October 9 in-person coffee/tea sign up 9-10 a.m.
• Friday, October 24 Zoom 2-2:45 p.m.
• November
• Tuesday, October 4 in person coffee/tea signup 9-10 a.m.
• Monday, October 10 Zoom 11-11:45 a.m.
• Wednesday, October 19 in-person 2-2:45 p.m.
• December
• Friday, December 5 Zoom 1-1:45 p.m.
• Thursday, December 11 in-person 1-1:45 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 17 coffee/tea signup 10-11 a.m.

Project request deadline today

If you have a project request for Q2 2026 (November 2025- January 2026) or beyond, please submit your project request today! Full details of the project request process and additional resources, including the complete ASR Quarterly Planning Calendar, are available on the ASR Staff Site.

Dates and deadlines for Q2 2026:

• Project request deadline: September 4
• Project prioritization meeting: October 9
• Start of ASR planning quarter: November 2

Reach out to osi-projects@umn.edu with any questions.

Thank you - Stacia Madsen

The ASR Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) committee would like to thank Stacia Madsen for her work on the ASR DEI committee. After 5 (YES, 5!) years, Stacia is making a well deserved and graceful exit from the committee. Stacia has been a driving force for so much of the committee’s work in recent years and her work will leave a lasting impact on the committee and on the wellbeing of staff in ASR. Stacia is still working in ASR, so she shouldn’t be surprised if we ask her for her input from time to time! 🙂

BIPOC business owners at the Minnesota State Fair

The Minnesota State Fair is a great opportunity for fairgoers to explore new foods. It’s also a way for small business owners—including BIPOC business owners—to showcase their existing business or kickstart a new business. Here are some examples from this year’s Great Minnesota Get-Together!

• New this year
• One new booth that arrived at the 2025 State Fair was from Lumpia City. Lumpia, Filipino fried spring rolls, come in both sweet and savory varieties. The sweet variety, a banana French toast lumpia, created a lot of buzz amongst fairgoers.
• Another new vendor in 2025 was Midtown Global Market’s Oasis Grill & Hoyo Sambusa. Offerings included street fries, sambusas (both mini and full-size), and slushies. The Midtown Global Market is a great way to check out more food, events, and global goods all year round!
• An old favorite
• Union Hmong Kitchen is an old favorite of the DEI committee. Their offerings this year included Galabao with Kua Txob, Shrimp & Pork Toast On-A-Stick, as well as a coconut lychee cocktail.

Digital Playground

Digital Playground’s next session will be on September 10 at 9 a.m. The discussion will be on using Google Slides in meaningful and creative ways. We’ll explore some of the ways slides can be used to share information, engage viewers, and even function as a simple image editor. We’ll also touch on some of Title II-related areas like alt text, color, and making slides accessible for all.

If you haven’t already, join the Google Group to find recordings and resources from previous sessions on Gmail, Zoom, and Google Drive organization. If you have any questions or would like to join the Google group, reach out to Pete Fleenor (fleen010@umn.edu).

March in the Homecoming Parade!

Join One Stop Student Services in the Homecoming parade. It’s a cherished ASR tradition! The parade will take place Friday, October 10, at 6:30 p.m. No RSVP is necessary, but please email Richard Campo (campo035@umn.edu) ahead of time for details. GO GOPHERS!

ASR Staff Engagement September 4 Survey

This week’s ASR Engagement Survey continues our seasonal preferences theme. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.

According to last week’s survey, an equal number of respondents are ready for summer to end, sad about summer ending, or have mixed feelings about the change of seasons (33.3% each). Most say that fall is their favorite season (65.6%).

When asked about what you are looking forward to in the fall, the return of “sweater weather” was mentioned most frequently, followed by the fall foliage, and going to an apple orchard. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.

August 21 survey results

The Autumnal Equinox is just over a month away. What statement below best fits your feelings about summer coming to an end?

• I’m ready for Summer to end. Bring on Fall! (33.3%)
• I’m sad Summer is about to end. It went by too quickly (33.3%)
• I have mixed feelings about the change of seasons. (33.3%)

What is your favorite season?

• Spring (15.6%)
• Summer (15.6%)
• Fall (65.6%)
• Winter (0%)
• I’m not sure or don’t have a preference (3.1%)

What are you looking forward to this fall?

• Sweatshirts with shorts. Love the combo, still warm but with a small chill!
• The cool air, the beautiful leaves and berries, and HALLOWEEN!
• Having my windows open, and hopefully less smokey air.
• Apple picking! Apple cider! Apple cider donuts! Fall colors! Comfy sweaters!
• Sweaters, hot drinks, bon fires, fall color hikes, pumpkin spice, Halloween, apple orchards, pumpkin patches... so many things!