graduate researcher

researcher

research assistant

teaching assistant

graduate assistant

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is a great place to work.  The organization provides its employees with excellent benefits and training opportunities..

A normal day in my current position is usually working with a variety of people - from the department head and other faculty, to financial staff and other office staff, to graduate and undergraduate students. Since my position encompasses aspects of financial management, human resources and facilities management, days are rarely the same.  My job is rather cyclical, so my focus is dependent on the time of the year.  I do everything from balance a $3M budget to supervise office staff, manage all hiring processes, and coordinate facilities projects.

I have learned many, many things in my 14 years at the University.  I've found that making connections with people in other departments and units around campus has proven to be a very valuable tool.  I've learned to embrace change, as it usually proves to be beneficial in the long run.  I've learned that the dynamics of the work place can contribute to a healthy environment, or erode a positive outlook.  Working as a team is key - without that, problems will ensue.  

The management at the University has changed quite a bit in the last several years.  I agree with the direction it is going, and think it's in very capable hands.  I've served on university-wide governance for several years, and found it to be a great way to obtain a deeper understanding of the organization.  

My co-workers are mostly wonderful to work with.  I've hired several communications assistants, and they have been amazing hires.  It so rewarding to hire young people that are eager and willing to learn.  I love this aspect of my work - being able to show new people all the resources and opportunities the University has to offer.  It has also been very rewarding to bring new faculty and staff into the department.  

The biggest challenge I have faced is supervising a woman who has been in the department for 33 years.  Despite oral and written warnings, it is very difficult to 're-train' a long-term employee.  The financial implications of retrenching her position make it fiscally unfeasible for the department.   I've worked with several other people through out the organization that have had this same issue - poor performers are often times difficult to remove (due to contractual agreements), and subsequently, the unit has to work around a 'weak link'. 

Overall, I've enjoyed my employment at the organization.  I am at a place in life that I'd like to find new challenges and learn about other organizations outside of academia.

I can not speak broadly for the University, but I have worked in Research Animals Research for over 5 years, so I speak specifically to RAR.
In short: if you're looking at a job in RAR, I'd suggest you look somewhere else if you can afford to take some more time to find somewhere better.
The not so short: RAR has never been managed all that well since I've been here. As far as I can recall we have not been fully staffed for any duration in my time here, currently (June 2022) things are about as bad as I've seen them here. Morale is at a low point. Drama is at a high point. People are finding pretty much any excuse to leave. Management is failing to hire any supervisors, so they're all overworked too, so you can't count on them like you normally could. I have no problem being part of a union, however it is important to note that being in a union (and being significantly understaffed) means that less reliable and more-or-less problematic employees will continue to be allowed to be unreliable to little to no consequence, so if you're someone who cares and has a work ethic, chances are your supervisor will recognize this and find a way to take advantage of it, meaning you'll probably be doing 2-3x the work of some of your coworkers. Then they'll guilt trip you when you express that you're burnt out, and then act surprised when some of the best employees leave in under a year. On top of this, I have heard on several occasions people in management and office jobs spout some variation of everyone's favorite "no one wants to work anymore," which really goes to show how out of touch they all are. They talk to and treat people like they're replaceable while simultaneously being incapable of keeping an appropriate level of staff. On top of this they do little to advance staff. There are opportunities for training and certification, but they're few and far between and offer you little to no benefit to actually stick around after you've completed them.
So again, if you can at all avoid RAR, for your own sake, do.

I enjoyed working in the Office of Information Technology. The most enjoyable part of the job was working with the staff that I supported everyday. I treated them like they were family and they treated me like part of the team. I loved doing all of the tasks listed below but I really loved learning about the Data Protection Team. The hardest part for me has been saying good bye to those wonderful people. 

In any given day I would perform the following duties.

Ordering supplies for all of OIT EAST BANK 
Travel Arrangements, hotel accommodations, Conference needs for OIT personnel on East Bank and sets up University Fleet Car Reservations 
Created and maintained the new online Travel Google Form
Part of the Data Protection Team performing backups, monitors, patches, installs, decommissions, and backup removal.
 Administrative Support for OIT personnel in 2221 University Office   Plaza
Back up front desk
Contacts Facilities Management when needed 
Key and Swipe Card Requests made to HR and updates Key Log for 2221 Suites 300 & 400 
Works with NTS on Phone orders/issues
Coordinating moves
Scheduling/Approving Room
Uses Credit Card(PCARD) to make book purchases and for authorizing payment for Production Transcripts for VNS
Controls Departmental Budget Parking Passes
Dissemination of mail and printed materials
Maintains Name Plates for doors/cubicles and mail boxes
Orders stamps for Data Security 
Provides credit card documentation
Work with FAST, Laser Technologies & Cartridge Care – computer/printer issues/toner or maintenance programs on copiers 
Emails periodic reminders, information, and news
Takes care of all OIT deliveries at 2221 University Ave (ie. Water) 
Works on event planning – retirement parties etc. (Minimum) 
Contacts Fed Ex for scheduling PRP returns 
Contacts Document Destruction to shred documents, cds/dvds 




I have been responsible for managing the Accounts Payable function at for the past 9 years.  During that time I have expanded my responsibilities to include managing the credit card reconciliations, preparing the payroll entry and analysis, renewing the insurance contracts.   Each month I download billing data and prepare detailed reports for 29 different departments on their charges complete with supporting documentation. I also reconcile Fixed Assets, Accounts Payable, Dividends and Interest. I work independently with minimal direction and review the work of two A/P specialists.  Each day I have the opportunity to work with individuals at all levels of our organization so our employees and vendors can be paid in a timely manner.  I am exceptional at multi-tasking and really enjoy our fast-paced environment.  During the past year, our organization merged with another foundation.  During this process, I proved to myself and my management that I am a quick learner, can work tirelessly under pressure while consistently meeting deadlines. I enjoy when people come to me with a challenge and I have the opportunity to finish the project and make our organization look exceptional.  Because I make this look easy, I am often called upon to manage small projects and resolve issues. I balance my daily review of disbursements with my monthly reconciliations my annual projects like 1099s while answering dozens of e-mail inquiries, phone calls and continuous requests from staff, donors, vendors and my direct reports  Demands on my time are non-stop. My biggest frustration is I do not see the opportunity for advancement.  After 9 years, I am ready for a new challenge.  Our recent merger has made that type of advancement less likely.

I never really had the privilege to experience a typical day at work while employed by UMN Facilities Management. This, however, was quite a luxury as each day entailed something new and exciting. Although the overall care of the trees on campus was our main, broad preoccupation, there were many different duties within this that kept us busy every day. From planting, to removing, to pruning, to vaccinating, there never seemed to be a shortage of trees that needed to be taken care of in some way, shape, or form. On the job, I learned how to responsibly operate heavy machinery such as an F550 chip truck, a wood chipper, a Bobcat skid loader, a Toolcat, and much more. I learned a lot about the importance of safety and the ability to rely on others as well as the ability to be accountable for your part of a job as well. We were known as the "Tree Crew", and that's exactly what we were. Each assignment required timely, effective, and appropriate actions from each member of the team so as to ensure our complete safety, as well as the safety of the thousands of students walking through campus each day. Teamwork, without a doubt, was the most prominent skill I was able to enhance while working with Facilities Management. The long hours in the hot Minnesota sun could wear on you, but the feeling of accomplishment was so tangible, as the beautifying process was not only visible to us but to everyone on campus as well. My managers were easy-going, understanding, and patient. They truly improved my experience on the job, which was great considering I spent 40 hours a week with both of them. It really was a great learning experience and the perfect summer job.

In my time at the Security Monitor Program, I worked in many different capacities including, but not limited to, basic security, supervising, and scheduling. This program employes only current students, but I have devoted full time hours to it on many occasions because of my responsibilities as a member of the senior supervisory staff. I have been promoted three times over the course of my employment here, and each times gained new and different responsibilities. I acted as basic security and walked clients home for the University of Minnesota's 624-Walk service, and then moved on to training in new employees. Upon my promotion to supervisor, I learned how to effectively manage, and work will with both my subordinates and managers to solve problems as they arose. When I was promoted to senior supervisor, I learned to schedule staffing for contract details, and balance the needs of the program with the needs of its employees. I grew as an individual as much working here as I did in my studies, and I became a very well rounded individual learning to manage my time effectively for work and university study. I learned how to interact with both my coworkers and the public while being both assertive and as accommodating as possible. In my current position as senior supervisor, my typical day involves supervising staff, instructing medical classes, and providing day to day scheduling. The best part of working here by far is the people. We have a very diverse staff, and it always keeps things interesting for me. The hardest part of the job was balancing going to school and working, but I figured it out and maintained a 3.9 GPA doing full time classes while working over 30 hours a week, an accomplishment I'm quite proud of.

Working at the University is ... interesting 
Prior to working at the U, I worked in Retail Banking, so it was complete culture shock. First, it is incredibly political. The U is decentralized,.. each college has a strong hand in making their own decisions, so there are many factions fighting for their own agendas, and it can create all sorts fighting. Second,  state employees have this classification system for moving "up" or whatever... I don't know if you could say you get "promoted"  because your job is based upon a classification system.  It wouldn't be such a big  deal if people didn't base their entire identity around their classification. There's a pecking order... Union people are unjustly treated like pond scum... Civil Service people are treated like... well, state employees (gee... you think?) and then there's the coveted classification that employee's really want if they care about feeling important...P&A... it has some nice benefits, but so do the Union and Civil Service classes.  Finally, alot of the salaries are exactly the same among the groups, particularly Civil Service and P&A... so it's all smoke and mirrors and a means of social stratification.  Finally, as with most Universities (I would think) many faculty can be real jerks to those who support them.  They are experts in their field, and absolutely demand the respect of their peers and administration.  Many higher level administrators (for example Directors) also behave this way. It's just the nature of those in power at large research university.  You have to blow it off . Last, you will likely be paid under market - sorry... just the way it is.

•	Provide administrative support for five regional medical directors, 2 Faculty surgeons for successful healthcare organization.
•	Coordinate coverage for faculty practice, update dental standard operating procedures,  heavy scheduling of OMS physician calendar management and OMS Faculty meetings
•	Supervise the work of front desk scheduler, students and temp worker communicate with department to insure payroll checks are correct and timely.
Monitor and regulate employees' use of sick days, vacation days, and unpaid leave.
•	Oversee a wide variety of administrative functions, compile and analyze data from monthly reports to prepare director’s presentations to executive management.
•	Code and Bill commercial insurance carriers for second requests when applicable, designate procedure codes and follow up on claim denials.
•	Conduct in-depth business development research and compile results for review by surgery team.  
•	Manage office within budget guidelines according to School’s policy and procedures. Create presentations and schedule all executive-level meetings and travel.
•	Prepare bi-weekly expense, time and travel reports.  Manage invoicing and billing processes.
•	Develop spreadsheets to improve quality and risk assessment initiatives.
•	Reduced department travel expenses by $57,000 within first three months by identifying cost-effective travel agencies and negotiating vendor contracts 
•	Facilitate the enrollment of providers for Medicaid, Medicare, FFS and HMO/PPO.

I've worked at several hospitals as a Psychiatric Associate/Mental Health Associate. Fairview paid the best by far and has the best shift differentials and weekend pay with bonuses if you pick up on the weekends you are not scheduled. Starting pay was 18.46 plus another 2.00 per hour. When I left I was making 21.00 per hour base pay with shift differentials after a few years. Psychiatric Associates at this healthcare system are given a lot of autonomy which I appreciated. There were also small perks. 

The cons to this employer as it pertained to behavioral health were: very clicky. If one wasn't part of the click it was a tough job for them. Upper management was horrific, hence working evenings or nights to avoid them. They did not care about how unsafe the units were or appreciate us working in violent environments daily. They often took it out on staff how if we were injured rather than acknowledging the high acuity and low staffing. 

Given how violent the behavioral health units are and what is asked of a psychiatric associate per shift it is highly recommended to ask for top pay. Turnover is very high on the child/adolescent units and most do not stay long due to high acuity and how unsafe the units can be. If you like to stay busy, this is the place for you. The benefits are good. 

I worked in the billing department at CUHCC that's a part of the University. My responsibilities included working with insurance and speaking with patients. I enjoyed working with my team as there weren’t very many of us. Something I wish I had been aware of before joining the company, is that the job description is misleading, leadership of this team does not demonstrate the mission of values of the organization.

I found it challenging when asking clarifying questions and the response I received was unprofessional and then being questioned about my comprehension. The supervisor in this department does not demonstrate good qualities as a supervisor. The use of discriminatory language and unwillingness to accommodate employees when it comes to team camaraderie, cohesiveness, and inclusion. In all my working years, I have never worked under such poor leadership style and management. The company is cheap and refused to provide a return box and return label for their equipment.

As a solution, I recommend replacing with new management and developing a better onboarding process for new employees, which would include training and clear communication on company policy and procedures. Furthermore, the team should be encouraged to provide feedback regularly to avoid errors and ensure continuous improvement without fear of retaliation.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Graduate researcher 15 salaries reported	$32,400 per year
Researcher 38 salaries reported	$24.62 per hour
Research assistant 15 salaries reported	$22.62 per hour
Teaching assistant 15 salaries reported	$17.73 per hour
Graduate assistant 6 salaries reported	$26,500 per year

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