Face coverings protocol

Based on the most recent Town Hall, face coverings can be removed in an office, private study area, or other individual space. However, masks must be worn as soon as another person enters the space. University faculty, staff, and students are also advised to carry two masks with them at all times in case a mask is lost or spoiled. Lastly, employees and students should not attempt to directly enforce this protocol. Instead, they should share any concerns about masking with their supervisor or a school official.

Update from Stacey

A few days ago, I overheard my son talking to a friend about a game they’ve been developing this summer. He enthusiastically told his friend “I have a really cool idea.” He wasn’t bragging, but he was genuinely excited about his creative idea and sharing it with a friend. (So far, the idea involves a lot of minifigures and paint taking over our dining room table.)

It struck me that adults are not very good at this. We often downplay or doubt our ideas even though we might be really pleased or excited. How often do you share your ideas with your colleagues with real enthusiasm? Are you playing down your own good ideas? I hope not -- I hope this is a place where you can share ideas and collaborate with your colleagues to make them even stronger.

One recent example in ASR is that our ASR DEI committee developed draft DEI Hiring Principles and presented them to the ASR Directors and Supervisors meetings. I can tell that their work is the result of creative energy and bravely talking through challenging topics. This is going to benefit our organization and give us better direction in how we approach recruitment and hiring, and I look forward to sharing them more widely soon. ASR is full of creative energy and enthusiasm for making a positive difference in students’ lives; I really hope you can share these ideas, and support your colleagues in doing so.

Building hours update

As we approach the beginning of Fall semester on campus, our building hours have been updated:

• Bruininks: the North doors (closest to Appleby):
• Public hours are 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• University hours (staff and students with U Card) are 6:00 a.m. - 10 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
• Fraser: the front doors (along Pleasant St. SE):
• Public hours are 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• University hours (staff and students with U Card) are 6:00 a.m. - 10p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Williamson: beginning September 7, the SW doors (looking out on Pillsbury Dr):
• Public hours are 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• University hours (staff and students with U Card) are 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

This is a reminder to be mindful of anyone following behind you into staff areas, as people will now be able to enter our buildings without a U Card.

Branding policy

As we prepare for the start of the term, we wanted to share some updates regarding the University's Brand Policy: Trademarks, Logos, Colors and Seal from University Relations. The policy and related standards are reviewed regularly and updated to ensure the University has a strong brand, which benefits all campuses, colleges, and units.

Most notably, the System Identity Style Guide has been updated to reflect some recent organizational changes. If you have any questions regarding the brand policy or standards, contact asrux@umn.edu.

Mental Wellness in the Workplace

Grief & Mental Wellness

“An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior.” - Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

Grief is usually considered to be extreme sadness over a death that everyone will experience at some point. However, we can also feel grief towards other types of loss. Not achieving a goal that we’ve worked hard for, realizing that a dream or aspiration will never happen, or the end of a comforting routine can also cause feelings of grief.

The best way to handle grief is to identify it and allow yourself to feel what you are feeling. You cannot reason your way out of feeling sadness over a loss. You can also find someone to talk to about your loss but expect that not everyone you talk to will be empathetic listeners because they either have not experienced the same loss or didn’t experience the same emotional reaction. If someone decides to talk to you about their loss, you can do the following things to help them:

• Listen
• Avoid sharing anecdotes about losses you’ve experienced
• Identify something that you can assist that person with and let them know what you will be doing to help them while they process their loss

We can also experience triggers long after a loss, and they are often unexpected. This is normal. The trigger could be a song, a story, or anything that reminds you of the loss and your grief. It’s best to just be honest with anyone who is confused as to why you suddenly choked up. Lastly, seek professional help if you start to experience any one of the items on this list from Psychology Today.

ASR Staff Engagement August 26th Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey August 26th, 2021 examines managing breaks. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!

Several clear answers emerged when asked about preferences related to taking on projects. For instance, most respondents (66.7%) indicated that they only need basic information before volunteering for a project, followed by 29.6% who prefer more detailed information. In addition, most say that it depends on the details of the project regarding whether they are hesitant to volunteer without an end date in mind (59.3%).

When asked about group preferences related to projects, a strong majority prefer to work with a small group (70.4%), followed by working on their own (18.5%) and with a large group (11.1%). Finally, we asked what your favorite course or subject was in school. History received the most responses followed closely by Math and subjects related to Science, such as Anatomy and Biology.

Thanks all for your continued participation! The results from the last survey are available below.

August 12, 2021 survey results

How much information do you need before potentially volunteering for a project or initiative?

• 66.7% I need basic information
• 29.6% I prefer a lot of information
• 3.7% I don’t need much information

Are you hesitant to volunteer for projects or initiatives with no apparent end date or deadline?

• 59.3% Sometimes, it depends on the project itself
• 22.2% No, not knowing the end date doesn’t matter to me
• 18.5% Yes, I like to know that upfront

I prefer to take on projects…

• 70.4% With a small group
• 18.5% On my own
• 11.1% With a large group

Check out the video, "Working in Groups," for some great tips on working successfully with others.

What was your favorite course or subject in school?

• Art and Choir
• Band!
• History!
• Math (except geometry)
• Civics
• Music and sciences

Highly recommend the podcasts Stuff You Missed in History Class and Stuff You Should Know to expand your knowledge of history and various subjects.

All OUE Assembly

The next ALL OUE Assembly will be on November 30, 2021 from 9:00-11:00 AM. This will be an in-person event staff are expected to attend. A formal invitation and RSVP will be sent before the event.