University leaders announced the launch of a refreshed Self Service Center and thanked staff for their contributions to the University’s distinct culture at the Spring Staff Town Hall Wednesday, March 18.
The updates from Executive Vice President Shannon Cullinan and Vice President for Human Resources Heather Christophersen also included new details about a simplified approach to performance management and the University’s continued investment in undergraduate financial aid.
More than 1,200 staff attended the town hall across three 45-minute sessions held in the Leighton Concert Hall and Carey Auditorium.
Changes to performance management, Self Service Center
Christophersen said the new performance management structure simplifies the existing process to promote more meaningful conversations between supervisors and direct reports.
The changes include more flexibility in how staff write their expectations, as well as an evaluation based on “performance dimensions”—attributes connected to one’s role—instead of an overall numerical ranking.
“We heard from you about the feeling of being associated with a number, or put in a box,” Christophersen said.
Christophersen also discussed enhancements to the Self Service Center, an online hub where employees can access information, tools, and support related to Human Resources. The new site has an updated interface for easier navigation, and a real-time live chat during specific hours.
“It’s designed to help you find answers whenever you’re looking for them, whether that be in the evening with your spouse and you’re trying to find medical information, or if your childcare fell through in the morning,” Christophersen said.
Christophersen also announced the return of Staff Appreciation Night at the South Bend Cubs, which is scheduled for Thursday, July 23. More information will follow later this spring.
Cullinan thanks staff, shares financial aid increase
In his remarks, Cullinan expressed gratitude for staff members’ hard work and thoughtful stewardship since last year’s spring town hall, when he and other leaders outlined “storm clouds” the University faced.
“You’ve done extraordinary work,” Cullinan said. “Here, everybody’s in the tent together. It isn’t like that everywhere in higher education when you’ve got challenges.”
Cullinan also encouraged staff to continue caring for one another, which he called a hallmark of Notre Dame’s culture.
“If you’re hurting, this is a good place to be,” he said. “Particularly when we come to work, let’s look out for each other.”
On the same day an expansion to the Pathways to Notre Dame program was announced, Cullinan also discussed Notre Dame’s push to become more accessible and affordable.
Approximately 50% of undergraduates receive need-based financial aid, with another 20% receiving other forms of aid. Among those students receiving need-based aid this year, the average tuition paid was about $8,300, Cullinan said. Because of the Pathways program, no financial aid packages include loans.
“You should be really proud of this, because it takes all of us,” he said.
Cullinan also gave an update on campus construction projects, including two new residence halls, Coyle and Therese Mary Grojean halls, that will house more than 500 students starting in August. He also highlighted the Veldman Family Psychology Clinic, where Notre Dame faculty, students, and staff will provide mental health care to the South Bend community and conduct research starting this fall.
Panel on well-being and stress management
The remainder of the Staff Town Hall was dedicated to the topics of well-being and stress management. The segment began with a panel featuring Nancy Michael, the Rev. John A. Zahm, C.S.C., Teaching Professor of Biological Sciences; Amanda Zelechoski, the Veldman Clinic’s director of clinical services; and Jennifer Burke Lefever, managing director of the Veldman Clinic.
The panel covered how stress affects both our minds and bodies. While some stress is a normal part of daily life, the group explained, it can create long-term negative health impacts if left unaddressed.
The connection between stress and our bodies is meant to help us respond to what’s happening in our environment, Michael said. The lower-order parts of our brain process a situation based on past experiences and quickly prepare the body for what it thinks will occur.
When a moment of uncertainty occurs, Michael said, our body reacts with the signs typical of stress and anxiety: increased heart rate and blood pressure, perspiration, and more.
This mechanism helps us defend ourselves against danger, but it can also be directed toward non-life-threatening situations. Lefever used the example of stress affecting her sleep the night before the town hall as she wondered what to say to the audience.
“I don’t have a tiger chasing me,” she said, “but that impacted my health.”
Because our stress response is controlled by the lower-order parts of our brain, rationalizing or wishing away the stress isn’t an effective way to curb it, Zelechoski said. Instead, physical techniques like deep breathing can help offset the body’s natural response.
“When you’re stressed or frustrated and people tell you, ‘Hey, just calm down.’ Is that helpful?” Zelechoski asked the audience. “It doesn’t work because your brain is in survival mode.”
To practice some of these stress management techniques, the town hall concluded with Donna Armentrout, a clinician at the Veldman Clinic, leading the audience in two mindfulness exercises.
“Sometimes stress, worry, sadness show up in ways we’re not expecting, at times we’re not expecting,” Armentrout said. “It helps to have simple, reliable tools to use in those moments to help us feel calm and grounded.”
You can see the techniques Armentrout shared, and a full video recording of town hall with the option for closed captioning, on the executive vice president’s website.
Originally published by at ndworks.nd.edu on March 30, 2026.