Thursday, June 30, 2022
Update from Stacey
I’ve sent a few emails to staff this week so I will keep this update short. First, I know this has been a difficult week for many in ASR. You might be experiencing grief if you worked with Marcia, remembering grief in your life from other losses, or wondering how to best support your colleagues with these issues. I encourage you to slow down and take the time you need. I also ask that you give each other as much grace and understanding as you can. Second, I hope that this holiday weekend is part of some rest and rejuvenation for you. Personally I am looking forward to some extra family time and spending as much time outside as possible. After reading the survey below, I also want to fit in a trip to Dairy Queen. Take care everyone, thank you!
One Stop website soft-launch
Starting tomorrow all ASR staff can participate in the One Stop website soft-launch!
On July 1, 2022, links to the unpublished sites will be available on the One Stop website upgrade project page. These soft-launch links will allow university staff and faculty access to explore the unpublished redesigned One Stop websites for each campus. The soft-launch links will be available until the redesigned sites are “live” and published in place of the existing One Stop website on July 18, 2022.
The primary purpose of the soft-launch is to allow for staff exploration and self-directed learning before the sites are made public to students. Self-directed exploration of the site allows for:
On July 1, 2022, links to the unpublished sites will be available on the One Stop website upgrade project page. These soft-launch links will allow university staff and faculty access to explore the unpublished redesigned One Stop websites for each campus. The soft-launch links will be available until the redesigned sites are “live” and published in place of the existing One Stop website on July 18, 2022.
The primary purpose of the soft-launch is to allow for staff exploration and self-directed learning before the sites are made public to students. Self-directed exploration of the site allows for:
- Self-paced learning
- Individual depth of knowledge needs
- Varied use cases
ASR Staff Engagement June 30 Survey
This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey June 30, 2022 centers around summer activities and plans. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences.
The last survey included questions that measure various facets of employee engagement. When asked about expectations at work, 91.7% of respondents say that they know what is expected of them at work. Most respondents (62.5%) also indicated that they sometimes feel comfortable sharing their honest opinion at work (depending on who they are sharing with), followed by 37.5% who feel comfortable sharing their honest opinion most of the time.
When asked about the mission or purpose of the University related to your job, most feel that it makes their job feel important (75%). Finally, it was a very close result when asking about your favorite Dairy Queen Blizzard. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup tied for the most votes (16.7%,) followed by 12.5% who don’t like or have never had a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available on the N&N blog.
June 16, 2022 survey results
I know what is expected of me at work.
The last survey included questions that measure various facets of employee engagement. When asked about expectations at work, 91.7% of respondents say that they know what is expected of them at work. Most respondents (62.5%) also indicated that they sometimes feel comfortable sharing their honest opinion at work (depending on who they are sharing with), followed by 37.5% who feel comfortable sharing their honest opinion most of the time.
When asked about the mission or purpose of the University related to your job, most feel that it makes their job feel important (75%). Finally, it was a very close result when asking about your favorite Dairy Queen Blizzard. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup tied for the most votes (16.7%,) followed by 12.5% who don’t like or have never had a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey are available on the N&N blog.
June 16, 2022 survey results
I know what is expected of me at work.
- Yes - (91.7%)
- No - (8.3%)
- Yes, most of the time - (37.5%)
- Sometimes, it depends on who I am sharing with - (62.5%)
- True - (75%)
- False - (25%)
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough - (16.7%)
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup - (16.7%)
- I don’t like or have never had a Dairy Queen Blizzard - (12.5%)
- Butterfinger - (8.3%)
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Update from Stacey
We are nearing the end of the fiscal year so I’ve been working on a few budgeting items for Fiscal Year 2023, which starts July 1, 2022. I am grateful that the importance and effectiveness of our work has been recognized and that our budget cut was modest. Budget cuts are never easy, but we are able to take our cut without laying off any staff by focusing on positions with attrition, and absorbing some of the cut with funds that would otherwise be used to improve classrooms.
On the salary side, the Board of Regents approved a merit pool of 3.85% as part of their June meetings. This means a pool of money is allocated to units based on a percentage of their total civil service and P&A staff salary expenses, i.e., raises are not awarded directly to staff. With a larger percentage than has been approved in prior years, units are required to award different percentages to staff earning different scores on their performance reviews. This is in accordance with the University’s merit pay requirements. We are still finalizing our salary plans and getting approvals, but I anticipate having a very small difference in percentages between those earning 2s and 3s respectively. I hope to send an email update soon with details.
As we go through this process each year, we never have enough—we have so many talented staff doing great work and I don’t think we are able to fully show our gratitude for your work via salary increases. We value the work you are doing, thank you.
On the salary side, the Board of Regents approved a merit pool of 3.85% as part of their June meetings. This means a pool of money is allocated to units based on a percentage of their total civil service and P&A staff salary expenses, i.e., raises are not awarded directly to staff. With a larger percentage than has been approved in prior years, units are required to award different percentages to staff earning different scores on their performance reviews. This is in accordance with the University’s merit pay requirements. We are still finalizing our salary plans and getting approvals, but I anticipate having a very small difference in percentages between those earning 2s and 3s respectively. I hope to send an email update soon with details.
As we go through this process each year, we never have enough—we have so many talented staff doing great work and I don’t think we are able to fully show our gratitude for your work via salary increases. We value the work you are doing, thank you.
ASR-IT alignment kick-off
On Monday, June 6, the ASR-IT alignment group kicked off. ASR Directors began this work in February 2021 to explore the following:
The group has been asked to provide recommendations that will improve processes and create efficiencies within ASR IT, as well as align the unit to work best with other units in ASR. Questions the group will be exploring include:
- Clarify business process ownership in a complex environment;
- Find opportunities to better align networks of subject matter experts in ASR to further collaboration, and;
- Identify areas for potential organizational changes.
The group has been asked to provide recommendations that will improve processes and create efficiencies within ASR IT, as well as align the unit to work best with other units in ASR. Questions the group will be exploring include:
- What challenges does ASR-IT face the the way they currently work as a unit and across all ASR units?
- What changes should ASR-IT make to work more effectively and efficiently across ASR?
- What opportunities are there for changes to reporting structure in ASR IT?
Members include:
- ASR IT - Carolee Cohen
- ASR Operations and Strategic Initiatives - Renae Faunce
- OCM - Sarah Kussow
- One Stop - Richard Campo
- OSF - Stephanie Kearley
- OTR - Emily Holt
- Sponsors - Carin Thoms and Jaime Wascalus
Staff recognition
A respondent to the OCM Classroom Spring Satisfaction Survey recently thanked Jamie Friedenreich for her accurate and timely information as well as her help clarifying some questions. Noah was also thanked for providing options and demoing workarounds. The respondent really appreciated their service and said it helped them have a stable teaching environment. Way to go!
We also wanted to give a big shout out to everyone who helped destroy the files in Fraser 20, specifically Jeremy Todd, Carin Anderson-Thoms, Phil Hunter, Jacqui Brink, and Tyler Franz. Two OCM student employees also assisted. They had to go through each box to remove binder clips, remove papers from binders, separate fiche from paper, and empty boxes into Shred Right bins. It's not an exaggeration to say hundreds of boxes were emptied! The picture below is only about 1/4 of the way into the project. We could not have done this without you!
We also wanted to give a big shout out to everyone who helped destroy the files in Fraser 20, specifically Jeremy Todd, Carin Anderson-Thoms, Phil Hunter, Jacqui Brink, and Tyler Franz. Two OCM student employees also assisted. They had to go through each box to remove binder clips, remove papers from binders, separate fiche from paper, and empty boxes into Shred Right bins. It's not an exaggeration to say hundreds of boxes were emptied! The picture below is only about 1/4 of the way into the project. We could not have done this without you!
Updates from OTR and CC Alignment work
Last summer, a cross-functional team met to look at opportunities for alignment across Continuity and Compliance and the Office of the Registrar (OTR). Several changes were made as a result of that team’s work, including a change in reporting structure for the DegreeCat team (to ASR-IT) and the Degree Audit, TES, and Athletic Eligibility teams (to OTR). The Office of the Registrar has continued to work with the team’s findings and additional changes building off of the alignment team’s work include:
- The creation of a Service Operations unit managed by a new position, Assistant Director of Service Operations (posted in early June).
- Alignment of diploma operations, Records CRR functions, imaging, shared data, and mailroom operations under the Service Operations unit (Matt Duggan, Josemy Morales, and Trung Mac will report to this unit when the new manager is hired).
- This new position will also begin to manage OTR’s student athlete eligibility functions; however this will be a longer transition and team members currently responsible for this work will not change reporting lines. Our goal is to transition work and not people as we are able, with some duties being carried out by the new manager position.
- Effective June 6, Karsyn Zetah, Barb Yungers, and Colleen Harms report to Amber Cellotti under an aligned undergraduate and graduate records management unit.
- Effective July 1, Matt Duggan will take over supervision of the Records CRR team.
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