A lot has happened since our last monthly newsletter for OUE!  As students officially returned to a virtual “campus” on March 30th, we decided to check in with OUE staff and learn about how this transition has been going, what remote life looks like for you and, what OVPUE staff could do to make things easier as we all adapt to life online. Of 56 OUE employees, 35 completed a quick survey to let us know how things were going. Below are some of the results of that survey, and we will continue to provide you more updates on staff life in the weeks to come via social media and other events:

Of respondents:

• 94% “Strongly Agreed” or “Somewhat Agreed” that they had the tools to do their job
• 88% “Strongly Agreed” or “Somewhat Agreed” that they felt comfortable with the technology needed to work remotely.
• 100% “Strongly Agreed” or “Somewhat Agreed” that they were able to stay in touch with their team regularly
• 97% “Strongly Agreed” or “Somewhat Agreed” that they felt supported by their coworkers while working remotely.

Who are your new “coworkers”?

(Take a look and learn who OUE staff are sharing their new remote offices with)

How are your coworkers are spending their time during social distancing? 

(“Other” responses included meditation, looking at Tiger King memes, emailing, chess, and music.)

How are staff keeping in touch with coworkers and maintaining office culture?

The most common response from staff was video check-ins via Teams or Bluejeans.  For some these were daily, for others weekly. Others utilized chat throughout their day.  For many these check-ins served as both work updates or work support and ways to maintain connection to one another. Some staff described sending funny pet photos, GIFs, videos, or other inspirational content to their teams to boost morale. Some groups have been using Teams sites to post ideas for “Fun While Social Distancing.”    

How can OVPUE support you during this transition?

OVPUE staff appreciate your support and flexibility as we all adapt to our changing environments. Based on feedback from you all here are some changes we have made or plan to make as we move forward:

• An OUE Daily Admin Reminder and Updates Email: This daily email from Leslie Dionne White, Assistant Director for Administrative Operations, is sent to directors, assistant directors, and administrative support to help us get you the information you need delivered all in one place. It includes reminders for events, policy change updates, survey reminders, One USG Connect Announcements, and much more.
• Virtual Townhall: OUE will continue to host its bi-yearly townhall. Our Summer Virtual Townhall will be held May 15th at from 3:00-5:00. Kari White and the OUE Professional Development Committee are partnering with OVPUE staff to make this event a success. We look forward to seeing you all there!
• Weekly “Lunch Break” with Colin & Steven: We heard frequently from staff that it is important you to have time to hear from and speak with OUE Leadership. Colin & Steven will host a "virtual lunch office hour" every Friday from 12-1 for the rest of spring semester. All OUE staff are invited to drop in, ask questions, or just have conversation. Lunch Break will be hosted via Blue Jeans. Attendance is voluntary, so please feel free to drop in on the weeks you are available.
• Technology Assistance: We know moving to a remote environment can be stressful at times, especially when managing new technology. Russell Wallis, OUE IT Support Lead, has been working one-on-one or with small groups to help facilitate technology solutions and provide support or training.
• OUE “Good Luck on Finals”, “Congratulations GT Grads”, and "#GT24" Videos: Cory Hopkins, Communications Program Manager, is working to get photos and video messages from staff for both graduation and finals week. This will give you all a way to send well wishes to GT students to end the term.
• Covid-19 Impact Reporting: Casey Chaviano, Assistant Director for Assessment and Planning, and Kenji Terawaki, Business Intelligence Developer, are underway assisting OUE with ways to understand the impact of Covid-19 on the student experience. This includes assessing the impact on service utilization as well as student satisfaction and continuous improvement. We hope also to reflect with staff on ways we can use what we have learned during this time to enhance our services in the future.

Do you have some exciting or useful assessment work going on in your program? Want to highlight your experience so that others may learn from the work you are doing? Send an email to casey.chaviano@gatech.edu.