December 30, 2012 - January 5, 2013 Archives

The following is a message from Ann Freeman, Director of Internal Communications at the Office of University Relations

Greetings,

Please join us for the first "Campus Conversation" of 2013, on Friday, January 4, noon - 1:00 p.m., in the President's Room at Coffman Union.

This month's conversation will be an opportunity to learn about the University's budget request to the Minnesota State Legislature and how you can be an advocate for the University during the 2013 legislative session, which begins Jan. 8.

Presenters, from the Office for Government and Community Relations, will be Jason Rohloff, special assistant to the president for government relations; Todd Iverson, assistant director, state relations; and Bill Otto, coordinator, legislative advocacy. You'll also have a chance to meet Christine Kiel, the new assistant director for state relations, who begins work Jan. 8.

A discussion period will follow the presentation. Bring your lunch; refreshments will be provided.

RSVP if you plan to attend. Visit us online the day of the event via UMConnect.

Feel free to forward this to others who may be interested in attending.

Regards,

Ann

Ann Freeman
Director, Internal Communications
University Relations
University of Minnesota
work: 612-624-1663
afreeman@umn.edu

The IRS announced changes in the standard business mileage rates for calendar year 2013.

Beginning January 1, 2013, the standard business mileage reimbursement rate for personal vehicle use on approved University business will increase from 55.5 cents to 56.5 cents per mile. See the Rates section of the Administrative Policy: Traveling on University Business.

The standard mileage rate for moving expenses will increase from 23 cents to 24 cents per mile.

Business mileage incurred in 2012 but reimbursed in 2013 should be reimbursed using the 2012 mileage rates.

The Employee Expense Worksheet (UM1612) and the Moving/Relocation Expense Documentation Form (UM 1357) have been updated to reflect the changes to the mileage rates.

Friday, January 4, 2013, 10 p.m. to Sunday, January 6, 2013, 12 p.m.

Services Affected (avoid these during the window)

• All CLA-operated servers
• CLA websites
• CLA databases
• Research servers
• Terminal servers
• z.umn.edu URL shortener
• All University-operated servers

Services Not Affected (common services that are often ask about)

• Google Apps (Gmail, Docs, Sites)

Specific Details

• The University data center at the West Bank Office Building will be powered down from 6 a.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Sunday for annual maintenance. For more information, see data center maintenance.
• CLA system administrators will shut down CLA systems before power is cut, beginning at 10 p.m. on Friday, January 4. All affected services are expected to be restored by noon on Sunday, January 6.
• CLA system engineers will also take advantage of this outage by carrying out routine maintenance tasks including security patching and equipment upgrades.

FAQ

What is a "system maintenance window"?

In order to correct a technical issue, install a security patch, or upgrade server hardware, CLA-OIT must occasionally disrupt normal networked services. Whenever possible, we plan such service outages in advance during times that minimize the disruption to our users.

Can I work during the maintenance window?

In general, CLA-OIT recommends that you avoid using the affected services during the maintenance window. Systems may be available during the maintenance window, but they can and will be shut down without warning and may be unavailable for hours at a time. So, use only at your own risk.

Can't this be done without disrupting service?

Certain tasks require server reboots and/or physically unplugging electricity. We do our best to group these tasks together to minimize the number of outages we schedule each year--which is generally less than five.

Can you reschedule this window to a more convenient time?

We strive to select times that minimize disruption. It isn't possible to pick a time that will not affect somebody. We also have to consider the availability of our staff and central OIT staff who run the data centers and networks. We try to soften the impact by announcing maintenance windows well in advance.

How do I find out more?

If you have any questions or concerns contact us at 612-624-4357 (4-help) or 4help@umn.edu.

CLA-OIT System Maintenance Windows Google Calendar

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