New University Holiday to Observe Juneteenth
Juneteenth, also known as National Freedom Day, is the oldest nationally celebrated remembrance of the ending of slavery in the United States. In recognition of the historical significance of this holiday, the University of Minnesota has added Juneteenth as an observed holiday to each of the academic calendars systemwide moving forward. This year’s Juneteenth commemoration is on Monday, June 19th.
As with other observed holidays, the University will move to reduced operations, meaning no classes are held and employees will observe a paid holiday. Only essential employees are required to work as directed by their supervisor. Employees paid on an hourly rate who are required to work shall be paid at the rate of time and one-half for the hours worked.
Google Workspace Apps Interface Changes
Google has updated the look and feel of Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Google is simplifying the user interface to help you find frequently used actions faster. While there are no changes in functionality, some features have been relocated to reduce clutter in the new interface.
Responding to Student Suicidality Training
Across the University System, we’ve seen an increase in student desire for mental health support, particularly this time of year. Please consider taking the President's Initiative for Student Mental Health Initiative (PRISMH)-endorsed Responding to Student Suicidality training, which is designed to build confidence for faculty and staff who are in situations which require supporting student mental health. The training discusses the topic of suicide, teaches faculty and staff ways to respond to students when engaged in this topic, and supporting students in accessing appropriate mental health resources.
University of Minnesota Morris Hosts the Board of Regents
The University of Minnesota Morris recently hosted the Board of Regents for its March retreat and meeting. Board members were able to observe first hand why University of Minnesota Morris is nationally ranked as one of the 50 best liberal arts and sciences universities in the country, and the impact it has on its students, faculty, staff, and broader community.
Board of Regents Approves UMN Health Legislative Funding Request, Urges State Support
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved an updated legislative request to fund the reacquisition and initial operations of the U of M’s health care facilities on the Twin Cities campus.
Flexible Work Arrangements - Navigating Conversations with Supervisors
As the University continues to institute the practice of flexible work environments and its guidance, P&A employees who continue to experience challenges navigating conversations with supervisors on this topic should seek support from their local HR. In addition, P&A employees are reminded that they may contact OHR's Employee Labor Relations by emailing [email protected] to support these conversations. P&A employees will then be contacted by a consultant from the ELR team.
PEAK Update
An upcoming PEAK town hall via Zoom for the Phase 1 Finance Operations Center will be held on Tuesday, March 28. Topics at the meeting will include:
- Meeting the Finance Operations Center leaders
- Learning more about the center's structure and positions within the teams
- Hearing what it will be like to be a part of the new teams
- Understanding the Expression of Interest Process
- Open time for asking questions
Employees in the Phase 1 Finance Operations Center have been invited to attend the March 28th town hall; additionally, P&A leadership will continue to participate in these consultations. P&A employees may send questions and concerns for consideration to the P&A Senate Chair. A recording of the session will be posted on the Peak: Finance page under 'Resources'.
Talking Tax Season Tips with the U of M
Tammy Naples, a certified public accountant (CPA) and senior lecturer in the Master of Business Taxation program at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, shares her insights for tackling this year’s tax season.
Dare to Repair: A Hands-on Exploration of Sustainability and Community
You can’t break something that is already broken. Understanding this wisdom is the first step in the repair process and part of the foundation of a new freshman seminar in the College of Design. Led by Fabrication Director Molly Sanford and recent lecturer Lindsey Strange, “Dare to Repair” offers students from across the University of Minnesota a chance to learn about the concept of repair, product life cycles, consumerism, waste management and sustainability, and community engagement through a variety of hands-on projects and field trips.
This year, P&A leadership has adopted the principles of transparency, equity, and accountability to guide advocacy work. In addition, providing learning opportunities for our P&A senate members on strategies for advocacy at the local level has distinguished our agenda this year. While we have covered several topics throughout this year, the guiding principles have helped us focus our advocacy efforts. This approach has afforded us opportunities to address multiple topics consistently, which has resulted in a productive year. P&A leadership continues to partner with other governance bodies to advance our advocacy efforts, while also validating and recognizing the challenges University employees face.
Over the past two months, we have continued to work together with the Consultative Committee Leadership group (CCL) in the drafting of a resolution on Work Reinvestment. The resolution will be discussed at the next University Senate meeting, scheduled for Thursday, March 30. The resolution will then be voted on at the last University Senate meeting on Thursday, April 27. We encourage you to reach out to your P&A senators to the University Senate to provide feedback that can help inform their vote.
On Monday, March 13, Bernard Gulachek, vice president and chief information officer, Office of Information Technology (OIT), led the consultation of the last PEAK function area (IT), as outlined in the consultation plan with governance. Vice President Gulachek shared the service delivery and model design, as well as the roll-out plan for IT. The presentation included details about opportunities for career growth (see slide 7) and the integration of virtual teams (see slides 9 and 10).
President Gabel visited PACC on Thursday, March 16. PACC conversed with the President on the topic of employee retention and rewarding. PACC submitted five questions for consideration prior to the conversation. We had a robust discussion on this topic, and we were able to learn first-hand from President Gabel about her insights on these questions. Of particular importance to our employee group was information shared about a key partnership that the President’s Office has with OHR that aims to identify solutions to address issues on compensation, as well as employee belonging and retention. President Gabel shared challenges that her administration continues to hear and address pertaining to remote work. She explained that this is a common struggle in higher education and that the University continues to assess its guidance on flexible work options.
Chair Carrillo Cabello has drafted a letter that will be submitted to the Board of Regents to request greater engagement with P&A employees. Chair Carrillo Cabello has obtained full support to submit this request from P&A Senate members and P&A senators to the University Senate. More information will be communicated as next steps on submission of the letter are determined.
Outreach Subcommittee
Co-chairs Toni Abts and Stacy Doepner-Hove
Become an advocate for your P&A colleagues! Information and nomination forms have been sent to all eligible P&As in units with open seats. Submit your nomination by Friday, April 14 to run for the P&A Senate. We invite you to learn more, including how to nominate yourself, by visiting the P&A Senate Orientation website or connect with your unit senators.
Previous Senate meeting minutes can be viewed at any time. The next P&A Senate Meeting meeting will be on Friday, April 7th. P&A Senate meetings are open to the public, and you can find meeting information and Zoom links on the P&A Senate website calendar.