Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Planned PeopleSoft Maintenance April 18-19
The PeopleTools 8.62 upgrade will take place the weekend of April 18 and 19. This means that PeopleSoft and related systems (e.g., MyU, APAS) will be unavailable. Service is expected to be restored at noon Sunday, April 19. As a result of this upgrade, there will be minor changes to the PeopleSoft interface.
Guidelines for professional conduct with our offices
In response to an increase in unprofessional conduct from students, families, faculty and staff, a group of ASR Supervisors (Mina Mosher, Noah Holm, Tony Thomas, and Angie Opel) created Guidelines for professional conduct with our offices to help ASR units frame communication expectations with our campus/community partners. These guidelines can be found on One Stop’s Terms and conditions page and in the footers of the OCM and ASR websites.
Please expect this topic to appear in future ASR All Staff Assemblies, staff meetings, or check-ins with your supervisor. We plan to share the guidelines with larger audiences in the near future, such as the Academic Advising Network (AAN), the Graduation Program Coordinator Network (GPCN), and other lists at the University.
You can direct questions about this initiative to Julie Selander (goode021@umn.edu) or Nate Peterson (pete2787@umn.edu).
Please expect this topic to appear in future ASR All Staff Assemblies, staff meetings, or check-ins with your supervisor. We plan to share the guidelines with larger audiences in the near future, such as the Academic Advising Network (AAN), the Graduation Program Coordinator Network (GPCN), and other lists at the University.
You can direct questions about this initiative to Julie Selander (goode021@umn.edu) or Nate Peterson (pete2787@umn.edu).
World Autism Awareness Day
World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated each year on April 2. The day brings awareness and further efforts towards equity and human rights for autistic individuals in society. This year's theme is “Autism and Humanity – Every Life Has Value,” which focuses on the value of neurodiversity in strengthening community.
You can support your coworkers with autism by being inclusive in workplace environments and being considerate of accommodations, such as being respectful of workplace noise levels, offering in person and remote meeting options, and using plain language. Overall, it is important to remember to practice mindfulness to maintain an inclusive workplace.
Additional Resources
The ASR Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) committee would like to thank Ellie Scott for her work on the ASR DEI committee. Ellie eagerly joined the committee last summer and has been a key contributor to keeping the committee going. Her thoughtful and hard work has been greatly appreciated. We are sad to see her go but happy for her as she starts new endeavors in the Office of Information Technology (she is not too far away)!
You can support your coworkers with autism by being inclusive in workplace environments and being considerate of accommodations, such as being respectful of workplace noise levels, offering in person and remote meeting options, and using plain language. Overall, it is important to remember to practice mindfulness to maintain an inclusive workplace.
Additional Resources
- Check out the UN’s Autism Awareness Youtube Channel
- Explore the Autism Society of Minnesota website for events and resources
- Spread the word about the Walker Art’ Centers’ Sensory Friendly Sunday
The ASR Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) committee would like to thank Ellie Scott for her work on the ASR DEI committee. Ellie eagerly joined the committee last summer and has been a key contributor to keeping the committee going. Her thoughtful and hard work has been greatly appreciated. We are sad to see her go but happy for her as she starts new endeavors in the Office of Information Technology (she is not too far away)!
Digital Collegium: accessibility resources
The ADA Title II deadline is quickly approaching on April 24! The regulations require all public entities to meet new standards for digital accessibility regarding their websites and online documents. Digital Collegium provides the following actionable tips to help you tackle this work:
- Learn the law—Coppin State University gives a meaningful overview of digital accessibility and how it impacts higher education.
- Create a plan—University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill developed a 3-step digital accessibility compliance plan.
- Build your skills—The University of Minnesota identified 7 core accessibility skills and the 3Rs framework to prioritize your accessibility work.
Mental Wellness in the Workplace
Coping with rapid change
When things at work change unexpectedly, it can help to gather information and ask your managers and colleagues questions to better understand how the changes will affect you. We recommend the following articles to help you communicate with your coworkers and manage change:
DEI Coffee Hour
We want to give a special thank you to those who joined us at the DEI Coffee Hour on March 16. As mentioned at the end of the coffee hour, we have a Mental Wellness in the Workplace Q&A form devoted to answering general questions related to workplace mental wellness. We encourage you to continue submitting questions to the form, as this helps inform our discussion topics.
When things at work change unexpectedly, it can help to gather information and ask your managers and colleagues questions to better understand how the changes will affect you. We recommend the following articles to help you communicate with your coworkers and manage change:
- Communication dos and don'ts at work (5 min read)
- Communicating under pressure (5 min read)
- 6 Ways to Manage Stressful Transitions at Work (5 min read)
DEI Coffee Hour
We want to give a special thank you to those who joined us at the DEI Coffee Hour on March 16. As mentioned at the end of the coffee hour, we have a Mental Wellness in the Workplace Q&A form devoted to answering general questions related to workplace mental wellness. We encourage you to continue submitting questions to the form, as this helps inform our discussion topics.
Digital Playground
The next Digital Playground will continue our ClickUp session from last time and take place 9:05 - 9:30 a.m. on April 8. You can join the Zoom session directly. We’ll cover content for both beginning and advanced users. Come hang out and learn something new!
If you missed last month, don’t forget to check out the Google Group to find recordings and resources from previous sessions on ClickUp, Gmail, Zoom, and Google Gemini. If you want an invite to the January session, have any questions or would like to join the Google group, reach out to Pete Fleenor (fleen010@umn.edu).
If you missed last month, don’t forget to check out the Google Group to find recordings and resources from previous sessions on ClickUp, Gmail, Zoom, and Google Gemini. If you want an invite to the January session, have any questions or would like to join the Google group, reach out to Pete Fleenor (fleen010@umn.edu).
ASR Staff Engagement April 2 Survey
This week’s ASR Engagement Survey continues our topic of staying organized. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.
According to the last survey, most tend to make to-do lists on paper (54.3%) rather than their phone (34.3%) or computer (11.4%). In addition, most say they declutter their workspace on an as-needed basis (37.1%) followed by those who declutter weekly (25.7%).
Finally, we asked about your biggest roadblocks to staying organized. The vast majority of comments mentioned not having enough time or energy to stay organized. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.
March 19 survey results
Where do you typically make a to-do list?
According to the last survey, most tend to make to-do lists on paper (54.3%) rather than their phone (34.3%) or computer (11.4%). In addition, most say they declutter their workspace on an as-needed basis (37.1%) followed by those who declutter weekly (25.7%).
Finally, we asked about your biggest roadblocks to staying organized. The vast majority of comments mentioned not having enough time or energy to stay organized. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated.
March 19 survey results
Where do you typically make a to-do list?
- On my phone (34.3%)
- On my computer (11.4%)
- On paper (54.3%)
- Daily (14.3%)
- Weekly (25.7%)
- Monthly (11.4%)
- 1-5 times a year (11.4%)
- On an as-needed basis (37.1%)
- Too much at one time.
- Time and energy
- Husband!
- Pacing myself
- Too many things on my plate (metaphorically and physically)
- Project work overload
- Myself
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