Susan Bass

Oversee the graduate program for the Department which includes graduate student records, from admission through graduation, awards and fellowships, and coordinates all course offering schedules, manages wage payroll:  Initiate and process new hire forms and track status in Workday, relay information to managers when needed, process pay budget changes  and separation/transfer forms, serve as timekeeper; monitor, entry, submission, and approving time records to meet payroll deadlines, run bi-weekly reports for time not entered or submitted and unapproved time, follow-up with employee and manager; Coordinate Promotion and Tenure for the department and assist department committee: Schedule and attend committee meetings and ensure documents are provided to committee prior to meeting, work closely with faculty to gather materials and process following guidelines set by the college and University, review documents to ensure dossiers are accurate and complete, set internal deadlines, relay to faculty and committee, follow up to ensure deadlines are met, assign faculty peer teaching reviews of courses, collect peer teaching reviews, and assemble SRTE results, specifically for promotion and tenure, attend meetings and trainings to stay current on Activity Insight and policy changes with Promotion and Tenure, assist faculty with questions regarding Activity Insight; Oversee the Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) projects for the department: work with faculty to initiate and coordinate submission of projects, submit research progress and termination reports online for faculty, contact faculty regarding  progress on Grants and Hatch projects in and submit in the system, ensure all new faculty are on AES project by the end of their first year; complete necessary paperwork and submit to Research and Graduate Education office, work closely with staff in Research and Graduate Education to confirm percent assignments on projects, especially during project end dates. Assist with disseminating information on AES or multi-state project to the the AES Office, assist in scheduling multi-state meetings including reserving conference room space, lodging, meals; Support and serve on department committees; Assist with new faculty position searches: compile applications and assist the search committee with coordinating interviews, arrange travel and prepare itineraries for visits, schedule and reserve seminar locations, meals, lodging, meetings with personnel outside department and college, process necessary reimbursement and paperwork; oversee the Visiting Scholar and J-1 Scholar process for Department from initial contact until arrival: Initiate communications prior to arrival, including working with faculty for letter of invitations. Troubleshoot and answer questions as process begins with scholar. Process official documents into iStart and communicate with the International Scholars Global Programs Office, provide on-boarding assistance to International Scholars, including initiating University access accounts, completing forms for Affiliate Penn State IDs and answering general questions related to department or University processes and procedures.