- Block grants for undergraduate students with varying amounts of need demonstrated by Expected Family Contribution (EFC),
- Block grants for graduate and professional students who could not finish their program due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
- Funds to support undergraduate student success/degree completion, and
- Emergency Grant funds.
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds update
We have started to distribute Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF II), which includes the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA, often referred to as CARES II), to students this spring. This round of funding includes:
Update from Sue
I know this has been a week where anxiety has run high for many staff. I appreciate all of you still focusing on our students and how to make them successful. It is also fine to take time to reflect on how you are feeling. Don’t forget that the ASR team is resilient, so think about what you have been able to accomplish in your personal and professional lives this year.
Congratulations to all of you in ASR! We are headed into the final weeks of the spring semester, and we have experienced many situations in our personal and work lives that continue to impact many of us. You continue to do fantastic work to help our students succeed. I know you have been asked to do more than just your “normal” work in many cases. We have sexual misconduct training, the PEAK survey, the Provost’s survey, and performance appraisals all hitting us at the end of the term. I know the timing of all of these extra requests is not ideal, but thank you for doing your best.
I have been doing a lot of reflecting on the great accomplishments over the past year by ASR staff. We will be sharing this with all of you as well. ASR staff produced and performed beyond expectations in my view. You are all so deserving of a huge thank you and my gratitude to all of you for making this year such a success. I wish I could do something for each of you. Terrific job!
Congratulations to all of you in ASR! We are headed into the final weeks of the spring semester, and we have experienced many situations in our personal and work lives that continue to impact many of us. You continue to do fantastic work to help our students succeed. I know you have been asked to do more than just your “normal” work in many cases. We have sexual misconduct training, the PEAK survey, the Provost’s survey, and performance appraisals all hitting us at the end of the term. I know the timing of all of these extra requests is not ideal, but thank you for doing your best.
I have been doing a lot of reflecting on the great accomplishments over the past year by ASR staff. We will be sharing this with all of you as well. ASR staff produced and performed beyond expectations in my view. You are all so deserving of a huge thank you and my gratitude to all of you for making this year such a success. I wish I could do something for each of you. Terrific job!
Grade basis changes for spring 2021
For spring 2021, One Stop Student Services will provide a form for undergraduate students to request changes to their grade basis once final grades are submitted. From now until April 30, students can change their grade basis in MyU. After that, the form will become available on the One Stop Student Services website and close on May 24, 2021. For more information about grade basis changes, please see the fall 2020 & spring 2021 S/N fact sheet.
ASR Staff Engagement April 22nd Survey
With the busy month of May on the horizon, this week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey 4/22/2021 assesses current levels of stress and coping methods regarding stress. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!
The results of the last survey indicated that most feel comfortable using Slack (64.3%), but a sizable number of respondents indicated they were not comfortable as well (28.6%). When asked about channels or topics people enjoy on Slack, several respondents mentioned the pet channel and soup channel, as well as topics such as user experience and DEI.
In terms of Slack preferences, most indicated that they prefer using Slack over other similar products (46.7%), followed by the exact opposite preference (using other products over Slack), and no preference/need to learn more at 20%. Finally, we had lots of great Minnesota restaurants mentioned, including Pig Ate My Pizza, Gordy’s Hi-Hat, Osaka, Himalayan, Alma, Trieu Chao, and Bar La Grassa.
Thanks all for your continued participation! The results from the last survey, including some tips and tricks regarding Slack, are available below.
How comfortable are you with using Slack?
Do you have any particular channels or topics that you enjoy on Slack?
Which of the following statements reflects your preference regarding Slack?
What are some of your favorite restaurants in Minnesota?
The results of the last survey indicated that most feel comfortable using Slack (64.3%), but a sizable number of respondents indicated they were not comfortable as well (28.6%). When asked about channels or topics people enjoy on Slack, several respondents mentioned the pet channel and soup channel, as well as topics such as user experience and DEI.
In terms of Slack preferences, most indicated that they prefer using Slack over other similar products (46.7%), followed by the exact opposite preference (using other products over Slack), and no preference/need to learn more at 20%. Finally, we had lots of great Minnesota restaurants mentioned, including Pig Ate My Pizza, Gordy’s Hi-Hat, Osaka, Himalayan, Alma, Trieu Chao, and Bar La Grassa.
Thanks all for your continued participation! The results from the last survey, including some tips and tricks regarding Slack, are available below.
April 8, 2021 survey results
How comfortable are you with using Slack?
- 64.3% Comfortable, I feel I can use most or all of the features.
- 7.1% Somewhat comfortable, I can use the basic features but not all.
- 28.6% Not comfortable, I’m not really sure how to use it.
Do you have any particular channels or topics that you enjoy on Slack?
- Pets
- DegreeCat
- Soup channel
- Accessibility
- User experience
- DEI
Which of the following statements reflects your preference regarding Slack?
- 46.7% I prefer using Slack over other products.
- 20% I prefer using other products over Slack.
- 13.3% I prefer using the basic features of Slack alongside other products
- 20% I don’t have a preference or need to learn more
- Slack Quick Start Guide
- Slack Basics Tutorial
- Slack for Beginners Tips & Tricks
- Slack Like a Pro (Advanced)
- 10 Tips for Using Slack Like A Pro (Advanced)
What are some of your favorite restaurants in Minnesota?
Mental Wellness in the Workplace
Mental illness stigma and gun violence
Do you know what mental illness stigma is? Mental illness stigma is a set of negative or unfair beliefs that a society has surrounding mental illness, such as believing it is a weakness. This can cause people who have a mental illness to feel ashamed or to avoid getting the help or treatment they need. Now that you know what mental illness stigma is, see if you can identify it with the Can you recognize mental illness stigma? Quiz.
To learn about how mental illness stigma is connected to gun violence, check out the articles and quotes listed below.
The following contains references and stories about gun violence.
After the shooting in Parkland, Florida, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention released the article, “Debunking the Myth of Violence and Mental Illness,” which discusses the myth surrounding gun violence and mental health.
Similarly, after the shooting in Boulder, Colorado, USA Today released the article “Family said Colorado suspect had 'mental illness.' Experts say that's rarely the cause of mass shootings,” which contains the following quotes about mental illness, gun violence, and how linking the two creates further mental illness stigma:
Resources reminder
If you are suffering and need support, call your doctor or use the Get Help resources from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. If you are considering suicide, please call 1-800-273-8255. Additionally, the crisis text line in MN is available by texting MN to 741741.
Do you know what mental illness stigma is? Mental illness stigma is a set of negative or unfair beliefs that a society has surrounding mental illness, such as believing it is a weakness. This can cause people who have a mental illness to feel ashamed or to avoid getting the help or treatment they need. Now that you know what mental illness stigma is, see if you can identify it with the Can you recognize mental illness stigma? Quiz.
To learn about how mental illness stigma is connected to gun violence, check out the articles and quotes listed below.
The following contains references and stories about gun violence.
After the shooting in Parkland, Florida, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention released the article, “Debunking the Myth of Violence and Mental Illness,” which discusses the myth surrounding gun violence and mental health.
Similarly, after the shooting in Boulder, Colorado, USA Today released the article “Family said Colorado suspect had 'mental illness.' Experts say that's rarely the cause of mass shootings,” which contains the following quotes about mental illness, gun violence, and how linking the two creates further mental illness stigma:
- "There's no psychotic illness whose symptom is shooting other people." - Dr. Jonathan Metzl, director of the Center for Medicine, Health and Society at Vanderbilt University
- "People are searching for explanations for behavior they don't understand. It's easy to put a label like mental illness on behavior that frankly seems just beyond the pale."- Angela Kimball, national director for advocacy and public policy at the National Alliance on Mental Illness
- “When people unfairly connect mass shooters with mental illness, it stigmatizes the millions of people living with mental health struggles who are not violent.” - Angela Kimball
- "When they hear people falsely associate mental illness with a mass shooting, people tend to feel a kind of dread of this being associated with a condition that they may be living with every day of their lives." - Angela Kimball
If you are suffering and need support, call your doctor or use the Get Help resources from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. If you are considering suicide, please call 1-800-273-8255. Additionally, the crisis text line in MN is available by texting MN to 741741.
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Update from Sue
This is a difficult News and Notes for me to write this week. By now, you probably have heard I have decided to leave the University and go into the consulting world and share what I have learned from many of you. This decision was not an easy one because of all the terrific staff in ASR and how focused we all are on student success. ASR staff are the best problem-solving, innovative group of people I have ever worked with in my entire career. I am always in awe and so proud how all of you come to the plate with your ideas, solutions, and imagination. However, this also makes it easier for me to leave, because all of you will carry on and do even more amazing things with new leadership.
Those of you who have worked with me directly know that I like to take a risk and so many of you help ensure the risk will pay off. “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn. I am taking a huge risk and I won’t have all of you to help me this time, however, I believe that all of you have influenced and trained me well. I have lost many hours of sleep thinking through this decision, writing down the many pros and cons. I love the University of Minnesota, but more importantly I love the work that each one of you does for the University making that positive difference in students’ lives. Wow, how breathtaking. You do not get all the recognition you deserve, however, know you are crucial to the success of this great place. We are an organization that transforms which is why we thrive.
You are all ready for a new leader and will continue to transform and thrive. You are part of something greater than yourselves. I am so excited for all of you to take this organization to another level. Thank you for everything and go forth and continue to be amazing.
Mandatory reporting reminder
As a reminder, misconduct is serious and may present itself in different ways, whether that be sexual misconduct, discrimination, or harassment. As an ASR staff member, you might come across a student who self-reports an incident either verbally, via email, or through submitted documentation such as an appeal form. You may hear of a case of misconduct from a colleague, or you may personally experience or witness misconduct. Whatever the case may be, the University of Minnesota takes misconduct, discrimination, and harassment seriously, and it is your responsibility and obligation to report misconduct.
The Bias Response & Referral Network (BRRN) provides support resources to impacted parties and promotes education and dialogue. They provide referral services to those who report incidents to appropriate campus offices that can effectively respond. Individuals can submit anonymous incident reports online at BRRN UReport, or they can report an incident via email to endbias@umn.edu.
Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action staff address reports of discrimination, harassment, nepotism, sexual misconduct, and related retaliation. University employees are required to report possible sexual misconduct that they learn about through the EOAA Reporting page. For more information, please see the EOAA Sexual Misconduct Resources for Staff, Faculty, and Student Employees brochure.
The University has both required and optional training for staff and students. A few weeks ago, all ASR staff received the email to take the mandatory training entitled “Preventing Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, and Retaliation.” You may have also received an email to complete Clery Act training.
If you have any questions about these policies or training, you can talk to your unit director or get more information as directed in the training.
The Bias Response & Referral Network (BRRN) provides support resources to impacted parties and promotes education and dialogue. They provide referral services to those who report incidents to appropriate campus offices that can effectively respond. Individuals can submit anonymous incident reports online at BRRN UReport, or they can report an incident via email to endbias@umn.edu.
Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action staff address reports of discrimination, harassment, nepotism, sexual misconduct, and related retaliation. University employees are required to report possible sexual misconduct that they learn about through the EOAA Reporting page. For more information, please see the EOAA Sexual Misconduct Resources for Staff, Faculty, and Student Employees brochure.
The University has both required and optional training for staff and students. A few weeks ago, all ASR staff received the email to take the mandatory training entitled “Preventing Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, and Retaliation.” You may have also received an email to complete Clery Act training.
If you have any questions about these policies or training, you can talk to your unit director or get more information as directed in the training.
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