PASA Student Resource Library

New students- we recommend that you do these six steps in your first week of the semester. As with the rest of this website, this is a 'work in progress' list; please send recommendations to improve it to pasa@umn.edu.

(1) Activate your UCard!

To access buildings and rooms on campus you’ll need a student ID card, or “U Card”.

STEP 1: Get your U Card here.

STEP 2: Request Humphrey building access for your U Card

(2) Get a UPass

Metro Transit & the UPass - The UPass is a transit pass for University of Minnesota students in partnership with Metro Transit. It is a great deal! For $114/semester, you can ride any regularly scheduled Metro Transit route, including light rail, bus rapid transit, and express buses. The Northstar line, the commuter rail line that runs from the Minneapolis downtown area to Big Lake, MN, requires additional fare. You need to have a U card (the university student ID) before you can sign up for the pass.

(3) Set up printing

STEP 1: Install drivers and print queue

• Mac, PC, or mobile: See the directions in the “Getting Started” section on this page for installing print drivers and setting up printing on your computer.

• Linux: Print drivers aren’t supported, but you can print using the mobile print center here.

STEP 2: Add $ to your Gopher GOLD account (directions here)

STEP 3: Find a printer to release your print job

Closest printers are in Humphrey room 50 (basement level), Walter Library 103 (basement level), or Blegan Hall room 90. More info on Computer Lab Printing at the link.

(4) Get the Unofficial HHH Drive

Before buying textbooks, check for digital copies on the Unofficial HHH Drive. Request access to the drive by filling out this form.

(5) Visit the Jernberg Lounge (and other study spaces on campus)

Located on the basement level, Jernberg is a Humphrey-student only lounge area with a fridge, microwave, coffee maker, tea, coffee, snacks, etc. and is a space for studying, socializing, or hosting events. There is a large screen that can be used for Zoom meetings or movie screenings. There are whiteboards, office, and art supplies. In the far back corner, past the sink, is the PASA Office. See the list below for more study spaces, lists of nearby food options, etc. and take some time in the first week to familiarize yourself with the campus.

(6) Review the list of student resources below

Looking for places to exercise? Want to access a 3D printer, a recording studio, or a button maker? Need information about getting accommodations, counseling services, or finding community? There are a LOT of resources and facilities for students at the UMN, but they can be hard to find. Below, we have a partial list of some of the programs, amenities, offices, and other resources that you may find useful during your time at Humphrey. Please help us add to this list by sending ideas and recommendations to pasa@umn.edu .

On the West Bank

Locker Rental

For $15 - $25 per semester, you can reserve a locker on campus. The closest lockers to the Humphrey School are on the basement levels of Blegen Hall; the next closest are in the Wilson Library. Both areas are connected to the Humphrey by basement-level hallways (e.g., though they aren’t in Humphrey, you can get to them without going outside). Here’s a link to the locker request form.

West Bank Study Areas

• The Wilson Library is the closest campus library to the Humphrey School located on the West Bank. There is a large open study area in the basement (The Smart Learning Commons), a group work area on the ground level, and quiet study areas and tables on the upper floors. You can also reserve a private study room for up to 2 hours / day. Here is the library’s guide to study spaces, and here is a link to the room reservation calendar.

• The Jernberg Lounge

  • YOU NEED TO REQUEST ACCESS TO THIS LOUNGE BY FILLING OUT THIS FORM: z.umn.edu/hhhaccess (this form will also give you access to the student services/faculty offices area on the Humphrey ground floor).

• It is a student study lounge for studying and socializing. It has a microwave, fridge, toaster, supplies for use, couches for lounging, tables, etc... Please keep in mind that this is a shared space and to clean up after yourself after use.

• Rooms 45 and 50 on the basement level of Humphrey are (will be?) open study areas; 50 is a computer lab. The school is working on renovating / redesigning these spaces, as well as other spaces at Humphrey, for COVID-safe working areas. More details to come.

• Private Graduate Student Library Carrels: Wilson Library on the West Bank and Magrath Library on the Saint Paul Campus have a limited number of private study carrels available to graduate students on a semester basis. The carrels are like small offices that are enclosed with a door and lock/key. To request access to a carrel, apply here. Note that it’s a good idea to apply well before the semester since these fill up fast.

UMN facilities highlights

RecWell: Recreation center, group sports, clinics, trips, and wellness events

Did you know that as a fee-paying student, you automatically have membership for the UMN’s recreation center? RecWell is a resource for many free or student-rate facilities, programming, and services, including massages, biking and canoe trips, meditation and yoga, and more.

The Breakerspace: 3D printing, sticker making, sewing, Virtual Reality

The UMN libraries offers free classes teaching skills like knitting, calligraphy, podcasting, sewing, and more. See the roster of events here. You can also just drop by the Breakerspace or related facilities to make free use of the equipment, including 3D printers, sewing machines, button makers, vinyl cutters, and VR rigs. The libraries also offer free studio spaces for high-quality video or audio recording projects.

YOU@UMN: The UMN health, wellness, and support resource library

The UMN offers many programs, but it can be hard to find what’s out there, and what’s relevant to you. YOU@UMN is an effort to help match students to relevant resources. Here are some highlights of just a few of the resources included in YOU@UMN:

• The Mental Health Collective of Black Indigenous People of Color

• Campus wide affinity groups for students who are Black, Latinx students, Asian/Asian American, undocumented, or mutiracial.

• Counseling groups, including support groups for grief or chronic pain

Student Writing Support

Free walk-in writing consultations for all levels of writers.

UMN Events Calendar

The UMN Events Calendar is a place to keep an eye on workshops, speakers, exhibitions, and other social or professional development events on the wider UMN campus.

Citrix/Apps to Go

GIS and Stata

Programs like GIS and Stata can be accessed on your personal computers through a remote desktop service called Apps to Go. It may take up to 24 hours for it to set up the first so do it before you actually need it. Your professors will be prepared to help with this, but getting an early start never hurts. If you have issues after the directions above, check out the U-Spatial page and/or reach out to the U-Spatial help desk.

If you'd prefer not to stream the applications over the internet, U-Spatial also has tutorials and licenses available to install ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro locally on compatible computers.

Zoom

Zoom is the University Endorsed teleconferencing system. You can use Zoom for meeting with project partners, attending class, or just visiting your friends! Your University of Minnesota account will not limit the amount of time you can use Zoom. The links to join your class Zooms (if any of your courses are virtual) should be prominently displayed on your class Canvas page, and you should reach out to your professor if you can’t find it. You can create Zoom meetings using your university login here. You can also add Zoom links to Google Calendar invitations once you’ve set up your Zoom account.

Technology assistance at Humphrey

Includes instructions for how to print on campus, access shared drives or software remotely, and much more.

IT@UMN

For help with University printers and computers, call IT Services at 612-301-4357 or email help@umn.edu. (For in-person assistance with personal computers, IT Tech Desk Help is available in the basement of Blegen Hall. There is also a location in Coffman Memorial Union on East Bank and in the lower level of the St. Paul Student Center.)

Free Microsoft Office

Available for students on PCs, Macs, Tablets and Phones.

Adobe Software

Is not available for your home computer through school, but you can get a free 7 day trial through Adobe’s website, and there are month to month plans with student discounts.

With a shoutout to PSO for putting this guide together. : )

“People at Humphrey like to abbreviate a lot, and it can take a while to decode what people are talking about. Here’s a short list of the most common abbreviations to help you out as you get acclimated!

Degree Programs

• MDP - Master of Development Practice

• MHR - Master of Human Rights

• MPA - Master of Public Affairs

• MPP - Master of Public Policy

• MS-STEP - Master of Science in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy

• MURP - Master of Urban and Regional Planning

Student Government

• COGS - Council of Graduate Students (student government for non-professional degrees)

• PASA - Public Affairs Student Association (student government for Humphrey)

• PSG - Professional Student Government (student government for professional degrees)

• PSO - Planning Student Organization (student government for MURPs and other students at Humphrey interested in urban/regional planning)

Student Organizations

• EEPC - Energy and Environmental Policy Club

• GSPEC - Gender, Sex, and Policy Event Committee

• HADMI - Humphrey Assoc. for Disability and Mental Illness

• HAHAW - Humphrey Advocates for Health, Accessibility, and Wellness

• HISA - Humphrey International Students Association

• HPAR - Humphrey Public Affairs Review

• HSOCA - Humphrey Students of Color Association

• IPID - Interdisciplinary Perspectives on International Development

Misc

• CURA - Center for Urban and Regional Affairs

• HHH - “Hubert H. Humphrey,” another way of saying the Humphrey School

• MDH - Minnesota Department of Health

• Met Council/The Council - The Metropolitan Council, regional planning body for the 7 metro counties in MN

• MNDOT (pronounced “min-dot”) - Minnesota Department of Transportation

• RA - Research Assistant

• TA - Teaching Assistant"

Are you wondering the best way to connect with other people at the Humphrey or within your program? Here are a couple of ways to communicate with the rest of the student body:

1. Put a message in the newsletter: You can email pasa@umn.edu with “HumpDay News” in the subject line, and an announcement or message in the body of the email, and we will include it in the next PASA email newsletter!

2. Send an email to the listserv: You can send an email to hhh-stu-personal-L@lists.umn.edu. Once the message has been approved (which can take a couple of hours or a couple of days), it will go out to all students, as well as certain staff and faculty members.

3. Message students in your program with program-specific listservs:

   1. hhh-mpa-L@lists.umn.edu

   2. hhh-step-L@lists.umn.edu

   3. hhh-mpp-L@lists.umn.edu

   4. hhh-murp-L@lists.umn.edu

   5. hhh-mdp-L@lists.umn.edu

   6. hhh-mhr-L@umn.edu

   7. hhh-phd-L@lists.umn.edu

4. There are also “unofficial” (non-UMN affiliated) social media groups for Humphrey Students, including the Humphrey School Facebook group for students and alumni.

Student Group Leadership

EEPC

Kaie Murphy <murp1721@umn.edu>

PASA

PASA Reps <https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/humphrey/reps>

PSO

Dakota Crowell <crowe123@umn.edu>

HISA

Alice Rutter <rutte079@umn.edu>

HSOCA

Avram D. Scarlett <scarl032@umn.edu>

GSPEC

<gspechhh@umn.edu>

HPAR

Joe Rutkiewicz <rutki004@umn.edu>

Eric Ryu <ryuxx109@umn.edu>

Questions about Humphrey-funded scholarships

Humphrey Admissions Office

hhhadmit@umn.edu

Other financial aid and billing questions

UMN OneStop

onestop@umn.ed

Degree Programs

Questions about the MPP or MURP program

Carla Mentel, coordinator

cmantel@umn.edu. Virtual meetings available by appointment, phasing in in-person meeting options once school starts.

Questions about the MHR program

Amelia Shindelar, coordinator

shin0148@umn.edu. Virtual meetings available by scheduling an appointment.

Questions about the MS-STEP or MPP-STEP program

Olivia Schares, coordinator

oschares@umn.edu. Virtual meetings available by appointment. Email for availability.

Questions about the MPA program

Jen Guyer-Wood, coordinator

jguyerwo@umn.edu. Virtual and in-person meetings available by appointment.

Questions about the MDP program

Dave Willsey, MDP Director; Laura Bell, ICGC Administrator

dwilsey@umn.edu; icgc@umn.edu. Email for availability.

Like the rest of this website, this is very much a "work in progress" list of resources and options. Please be in touch with PASA if you have corrections or recommendations for this list, or if you want to talk through ideas and next steps confidentially with someone who is not a staff member.

If you are experiencing sexual harassment

The UMN Aurora Center offers confidential counseling and support. Aurora volunteers and staff can walk you through all of your options, and let you make an informed decision about if and how you want to report. Be aware that faculty and staff at the UMN are all mandated reporters, so the Aurora Center is the best option for getting more information and resources before deciding whether to report to the police or the Title IX office.

If a professor or staff member is not providing your approved disability accommodations

The UMN Disability Resources Center has a grievance process that is documented here.

If you are having problems with a professor's behavior

You have a couple different options, with different tradeoffs in terms of risk, confidentiality, and effectiveness. In no particular order, here are the options we're aware of:

1. Address it directly with the professor: Professors have a lot of autonomy over how they teach and manage their classroom. If it feels safe, the most direct way to change a professor's behavior is to talk to them directly, either individually or in a group of students for additional support. You can ask your PASA President or PASA Representatives to sit in on these conversations for additional visibility and accountability if that would be helpful.

   • The Student Conflict Resolution Center has a resource library that might be useful when preparing for this conversation; see their "Preparing for a Difficult Conversation" document.

2. Put it in the end-of-course evaluation: If you don't feel comfortable addressing an issue directly, you can put anonymous feedback in the end-of-course evaluation. These evaluations are shared both with the professor and their department chair.

3. Bring it to the program director or the Dean's Office: If talking directly to the professor isn't an option, you can report issues to the director of your graduate program. If the director of the graduate program is the person you are having a grievance with, the person to raise it to is the Assistant Dean. Be aware that you are not necessarily guaranteed anonymity in this process. It is important to discuss with the director at the outset what your options are, and what they can promise you in term of anonymity or protection from retaliation. Here are the current directors of Graduate Studies:

   • MPP-Dr. Joe Soss jbsoss@umn.edu

   • MURP-Dr. Ryan Allen allen650@umn.edu

   • MS-Step-Dr. Gabriel Chan gabeschan@umn.edu

   • MDP-Dr. Karen Brown kbt@umn.edu or Dr. Ragui Assaad assaad@umn.edu

   • MHR-Dr. Deborah Levison dlevison@umn.edu

4. Talk it through with a trusted staff member: If you want to discuss or problem-solve a situation, without necessarily reporting it, you can talk to one of the program coordinators. Be aware that the coordinators ARE mandated reporters for sexual harassment, so in the case of that, the Aurora Center is a better option for confidential advising. Here are the coordinators for each program you may choose to reach out to:

   • • MPP, MURP and Ph.D.: Carla Mantel, coordinator, cmantel@umn.edu. Virtual meetings available by appointment,

     • MHR: Amelia Shindelar, coordinator, shin0148@umn.edu. Virtual meetings available by scheduling an appointment.

     • MS-STEP and MPP-STEP: Olivia Schares, coordinator, oschares@umn.edu. Virtual meetings available by appointment. Email for availability.

     • MPA: Jen Guyer-Wood, professional advisor and Director of Career and Professional Development, jguyerwo@umn.edu. Virtual meetings available by appointment.

     • MDP: Dave Willsey, MDP Director, dwilsey@umn.edu or Laura Bell, ICGC Administrator, icgc@umn.edu. Email for availability.

5. Talk it through with a trusted staff member, Jen Guyer-Wood: Jen is PASA's staff advisor. Here's what she shared about her approach when students come to her with issues: "I can meet with the students if [the other options] don't feel safe. What I would do is listen, ask them what they'd like to have happen, talk through any support or tools for dealing with the situation I can share, and bring the issue forward if they'd like. I've done this before for students in the MPA program specifically.... It is important to note that in my role, I am mandated to report sexual harassment and sexual violence if someone tells me about it."

6. Work with a UMN Ombud: Ombuds are confidential resources that can help you problem solve a situation, learn about UMN policies and processes, and either coach you to deal with something directly, facilitate a conversation, or intervene on your behalf. Ombuds will not take action on a matter without student consent. See here for more information.

7. Report discrimination, harassment, or retaliation to the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) Office, or report unethical behavior via the UReport System. These are both "official" channels to report serious problems to the University.

Here are some facebook communities that may be helpful for a housing or roommate search:

• The Humphrey students and alumnni group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/humphreystudents/

• Intentional Communities Twin Cities group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dreamlandcommunity/

• UMN student rentals / sublease group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/945542285490477/

With a shout-out to PSO / MURP students for putting this guide together!

"Transportation options around campus are plentiful. Parking is expensive and limited, and it can be time-consuming finding a spot. Biking, walking, scooters, and transit are strongly recommended and luckily there is great infrastructure for all.

1. Walking

Campus Security Walking Escorts

Walking and biking escorts are available 24/7 within a designated boundary. Call 612-624-WALK to request an escort.

The Gopher Way

Follow the Gopher Way through skyways and tunnels to avoid rain, snow, and cold. Several buildings on the West Bank, East Bank, and St. Paul campuses are connected. Follow the maroon and gold wayfinding signs in the Humphrey School basement to get to the Carlson School, Wilson Library, Blegan, and many other buildings on the West Bank.

2. Biking

Don’t have a bike?: There are lots of ways to acquire a used bike in the area.

• The Hub Co-op on Minnehaha Ave location has used bike options.

• Many more options listed via the Mpls Bike Love website.

Bike commuter rewards program - Dero Zap - Are you a bike commuter? Tag and register your bike (closest registration location to Humphrey is the Hub Bike Co-Op, West Bank) to earn points that lead to cool rewards! There are several tagging stations around the U and Downtown Minneapolis area.

Bike share options: Nice Ride & Lime (including e-bikes!) - Both offer different membership levels and station types. Minneapolis is very bike-friendly. You may also qualify for a $5 annual membership to Nice Ride!

Winter biking: Check out this winter biking how-to guide or talk to a fellow bike commuter at Humphrey (there are lots).

3. Transit

Metro Transit & the UPass

Campus Shuttles - The University offers free shuttles between the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses, as well as circulators around each of the campuses. There are a number of ways to access maps & schedules:

• Metro Transit’s website or app

• Google Maps

• Transit app or any other schedule aggregator app

• QR codes at bus stops for real-time updates

• GopherTrip app for University route updates only

• UMN’s Paratransit: Offers free curb-to-curb service for anyone with short-term or long-term disabilities.

• Gopher Chauffeur - This free service runs Thursday - Saturday nights to ensure students make it home safe. Call 612-388-6911 30 minutes before you would like to depart to catch a ride. They also offer free rides for international students from the airport to campus.

4. Scooters

The City of Minneapolis is testing out a number of scooter share options this summer. Currently they are: Lime, Lyft, & Spin.

5. Car share

Hour Car is the local car sharing option in the Twin Cities. The service offers plans for students and car pick-up locations on and near campus. If you need to make an Ikea run or take a day trip and you don’t have a car, this is a great option."

Graduate Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships are paid UMN positions that also include partial tuition benefits - that is, 25%, 50%, or even 100% of your semester tuition is paid if you have one of these roles. Learn more about the program here.

• Humphrey’s career services office: subscribe to their job and internship postings right away. You will be glad you did. Email the Office of Career and Professional Development (hhhcs@umn.edu) for access to the Humphrey School job postings.

• League of Minnesota Cities: You can sort listings alphabetically by job title or city, not by job type. It takes a little hunting, but there are several relevant postings throughout the year. Not all city postings end up on the League of Minnesota Cities page, so it is still good to go directly to a specific city’s website for employment opportunities.

• Minnesota Council of Nonprofits: More geared for MPPs, but sometimes applicable to planning.

• Metropolitan Council: The Met Council offers several internships annually and applications open in January or February.

• UMN Student Employment: It’s a little clunky but this is where you can find graduate assistantship postings.

• State of Minnesota: This website is very clunky and can sometimes be more applicable for MPPs, but MnDOT and Minnesota Housing, for example, offer planning related internships that will be posted here.