Information on the University's Graduate Assistant Unionization vote is available website.

There have been several questions asked about the implications of the Notice of Maintenance of Status Quo order as it pertains to new grad assistant appointments, reappointments, and fellowships. In all cases, the order to not change wages, hours, and all existing conditions of employment IS NOT implicated so long as appointments, reappointments, and fellowships were previously planned and are being established and communicated as part of normal unit practices.

For example, a unit who normally reappoints TA's during the summer can proceed with these reappointments. Where the order WILL BE implicated will be in situations where a unit wants to change, for example, wages due to equity or retention concern. For now, these types of wage changes will not be permissible pursuant to the order. The rule of thumb should be -- proceed with changes to wages, hours, and conditions of employment if there is standard practice to do so and where it's supported by existing University/College practice. If there isn't a standard practice, you'll likely be unable to make changes until the order is lifted. Please work directly with your ELR Consultant if you have any questions. 

As of Monday, May 13, all benefits-eligible employees can now adjust their benefits in MyU within 30 days of a qualifying life event—like marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, a change in eligibility, or another life event. This means benefits-eligible employees can make important benefit changes when it’s convenient for them. MyU also provides better data security and quicker service times, so employees will see their changes sooner. 

Learn more: 

• Guide: Life Events and Your Benefits
• Adjust Your Benefits in MyU 
• HR Services in MyU

Boynton Health is offering mental health training as a free professional development opportunity for University of Minnesota faculty and staff. Participants will learn up-to-date information about UMN students on their campus and essential skills for supporting the needs of today’s students. The program is made up of eight, 20-minute-long modules available through the Training Hub. Morris and Twin Cities modules are currently live with Crookston, Duluth, and Rochester available in the fall of 2023. Modules content includes:

• Student mental health at UMN-TC – prerequisite module
• Making effective referrals
• Listening effectively to student mental health concerns
• Responding appropriately to student mental health concerns
• Situations of student suicidality
• The impact of identity and oppression on student mental health
• Beyond the individual: Promoting mental health for groups of students
• Taking action to promote student mental health: Applied project

The fully-asynchronous series of training allows participants to access the content proactively as their schedule allows. Supported by the President's Initiative for Student Mental Health (PRISMH), faculty and staff can self-enroll at any time through the Training Hub.