Faculty Staff Resources

What's New

• Mandatory Faculty Quiz: Beginning Fall 2013, all faculty members will be required to demonstrate their understanding of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) by successfully completing an online tutorial and quiz with a 70% or higher. The quiz must be taken prior to August 1, 2013 or you will no longer be able to access eLion to obtain class lists or post grades. If you have already taken and passed the FERPA quiz, you do not need to do it again. If you have any questions, please contact Ross Brode at rbb2@psu.edu or 865-6572. Please follow these simple steps:
                 1. Go to http://cms.psu.edu
                 2. Press the "Logon" button and log in with your Penn State access account
                 3. Under My Groups, click "Find a Group"
                 4. In the Keyword Search box, enter "ferpa" and click the Search button
                 5. Click on the "FERPA - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act" link (instructor is Ross Brode)
                 6. Click on each module, read the material, and when finished, take the quiz
• Mandatory Training: Faculty and staff are required to complete an online training module on how to report suspected child abuse. Each calendar year, you will need to obtain your certification by receiving an 80% or better on the assessment at the end of the online training. Keep a copy of the Certificate of Completion for your records.You should have received an email from Skillsoft with a user name and a temporary password that enables you to access the training. If you did not receive an email, please contact the Center for Workplace Learning & Performance at learning@psu.edu or 865-8216.
  • Training module can be accessed at psuohrlearning.skillport.com.
  • Training FAQs can be found here.

Academic Integrity

• Academic Integrity Policy and its Academic Integrity Disposition Form
• Penn State Plagiarism Prevention Resources

Benefits/Human Resources

• Employee Self-Service Information Center
  ESSIC - Update personal, job, payroll, benefits information
• Hotlines
• Penn State Faculty and Staff Resources

Computer Virus Protection

• Downloadable Antivirus Software
• Virus Protection Tips

Copyright

• Copyright Perspectives
• Legal Media Website

Policies & Guidelines for Faculty

• Academic Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual
  For information on academic policies and procedures such as those for attendance and final exams.
• College Committee Assignments for 2011-2012
• College's Operating Guidelines
• Core Council letters
• Digital Measures
  Digital Measures is the College's system for reporting faculty research, teaching, and service activities.
  • Digital Measures Login
  • Digital Measures guide for completing reports
  • Faculty/Staff Guide
• Faculty Activity Cards are submitted electronically in the State Mandated Collection System (SMCS). This can be found online in the Employee Self-Service Information Center (ESSIC). After logging on to ESSIC, faculty will see a link for the State Mandated Collection System in the navigation menu on the left of the screen. Faculty will no longer be submitting hard copies of scantron sheets to Sherry Kyler. Please submit your hours using the State Mandated Collection System by the end of the semester. Detailed instructions about SMCS can be found at here. Questions regarding the new process should be directed to Jane Agnelly or Annette Jones.
• Faculty Handbook
  • Policy on Academic Freedom
  • Syllabus Preparation
• Faculty Senate Resources Page
  Curricular information and links to university sites on issues such as Academic Integrity, assessment, first-year engagement, faculty rights and responsibilities, and more.
• GURU (General University Reference Utility)
  University forms, policies, procedures and more.
  • Confidentiality of Student Records (AD 11)
  • Promotion and Tenure (HR 23)
  • Sabbatical Leave (HR 17)
• Letters of Recommendation
  FERPA states the letter may reveal information about the student's educational record ONLY IF the student has provided prior written consent. The Registrar's Office has issued a request form to better facilitate the gathering of consent.

Professional Communication

• Faculty Communities Hub

The Faculty Communities is an initiative of the University Faculty Senate to promote communication within disciplines across all Penn State locations. Any Penn State faculty or staff member may access the Faculty Communities Hub.

Research Resources

• GURU (General University Reference Utility)
• Office of Sponsored Programs
  • Find Funding (funding searches, Faculty Research Expertise Database of Investigators at Penn State and The Milton S. Hershey School of Medicine
  • Prepare Proposals (proposal guidelines and tutorials, write a proposal, develop a budget, agency forms and guidelines)
• Proposal Processing:
  • Contact your research coordinator, Elaine Files, with key words for your funding searches.
  • If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please send Elaine an email with a link to the Request for Proposal (RFP) once you have decided to submit.
  • Attach the Proposal Information Form with the first six areas complete (budget portion will be completed at a later time). *Note: Depending on the funder and their requirements, submission time could range from three (3) weeks to several months.
  • A scheduled, initial meeting with Elaine will help to work through the process and timeline for the proposal submission.
  • Budget information can be completed with the help of the research coordinator. Use of the budget portion of the Proposal Information Form can aid in that discussion.
• Qualtrics -- If you are interested in gaining access to Qualtrics, login to https://pennstate.qualtrics.com with your Penn State user ID and password. Once you have created an account email Yu-Tai Chung requesting a Qualtrics Upgrade Code. If you are planning to use Qualtrics with your class, include an eLion class list in your email.
• Rates & Schedules (per diem lookup tool, car rental rates, graduate assistants table of stipends)
• Research Protections (human participant research, responsible conduct)
• Scholarship and Research Integrity -- Faculty who are working with undergraduate students on research should make sure those students have completed an online training module on ethics and best practices in research. Completion of this training is required by the university. For more information: http://www.research.psu.edu/training/sari.
• University Policy Manual (research administration policies and guidelines)

Teaching Resources

• Accessibility
• FAQs on the University's Attendance Policy (Fall 2011)
• Final Exams: See Faculty Senate Policy 44-20
•  Financial Literacy Guide for faculty and students
• Handling crises in the classroom: Should faculty members encounter a troubled student in their class, the University offers various ways to help the student. If the student is not an immediate danger to self or others, you can advise the student to call CAPS, or you can call CAPS (3-0395) to get counsel from the pros about how to address the student. If you believe the student could be a danger to self or others, call University Police Services (3-1111) or 911.  Other resources include:
  • The Behavioral Threat Management Team (BTMT) is designed to work with Police Services to address potentially threatening situations in the Penn State community and can be reached at 3-2868.
  • Students in Distress On-Line Workshop
• Interfaith Holiday Absences: The Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs has compiled an Interfaith Holiday Listing that specifies holy days of the major world religions. Students may request exemptions from class attendance and other University obligations. See Faculty Senate Policy 42-27.
• Ordering textbooks:
  • bookrequest.psu.edu(password-protected site). A form should be completed for each course you teach. (If you don't plan to use a textbook, you should still complete the form so students know.).
  • Desk copies: Please visit facultycenter.net or notify Sherry Kyler (slk31@psu.edu).
• Syllabus reminders and classroom-related reminders for faculty
• Teaching and Learning with Technology
• Teaching with Technology certificates: Faculty members and graduate students teaching in the College of Communications can earn TWT certificates by visiting http://advising.psu.edu/epr.htm or emailing Shannon Kennan
• Technology Learning Assistant (TLA) program: Faculty members may apply to have a technology-savvy student provide one-on-one assistance on a range of issues. To learn more or make a request, please visit http://tlt.its.psu.edu/tla/.
• Tips for encouraging students to complete their SRTEs

Travel/Purchasing Info and Resources

• Employee Travel Support Form
• ERS -- Employee Reimbursement System
• Petty Cash Reimbursement Form
• Purchasing Card Support Form ("pink sheet")
• Purchasing Card Support Form for lost receipt
• Speaker's Agreement for Honorariums ($1K or more)
• University-sponsored Trips: Faculty members and students who travel on university-sponsored class or club trips must complete paperwork before they travel. Students must complete and sign both the Conduct Standards Agreement and the Emergency Contact & Health/Welfare Form prior to handing them to the faculty member (trip organizer). Faculty members must also fill out an emergency contact form before giving all completed forms to Dorie Glunt in 219 Carnegie Building. Both forms are available to students under the Current Students tab on the College's website.

Weather Policies & Information

• Class and Activity Cancellation Information
• Subscribe to PSU text message alert service
• Weather Day Absence Policy (HR Guideline 10)

Page last updated: March 25, 2013