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Ford's Focus
As we head into May and the spring semester comes to a close, I just want to take this time to thank you for all the hard work you put in day after day to keep the University running. There are always challenges, especially with the weather we had this winter, but everyone did their part. Again, thank you. I'd like to point out a few things in this edition of News & Views. First, I want to extend a big thank you to all who dedicated their time and effort to making Abacus a reality. This was a long time coming and it's complete. Second, there are a number of ways you can get involved in the OPP and Penn State community. Whether it's attending a social event put on by the Events Committee or volunteering at Trash to Treasure or filling out a survey, if any of it interests you please join in. More information on all of these opportunities and more can be found below. Best,
Ford
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We Need Your Voice As mentioned in previous editions of News & Views, we are continuing the process of reviewing the results of the employee survey that was conducted in the fall. We have set up a web page for you to provide anonymous feedback, express any concerns you have and ask questions. We need your voice to be successful in this endeavor to address the key issues identified by the survey.
The annual employee meetings are coming up and this year there will be some changes to the agenda and format. There will continue to be emphasis placed on the work unit QSAP effort, but the remainder of the meeting will be focused on the customer and employee survey results and any other concerns or issues employees would like to address. Some meetings may be rescheduled to accommodate these changes. We thank you for your patience and look forward to the dialogue during the meetings. |
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Welcomes
Brett Albert began a position as a Custodial Worker in District 42. His first day was April 26.
 Dave Coleman accepted the Facilities Supervisor position for District 12. His first day was April 20.Hometown: State College, Pa.
Hobbies: Family, Penn State Football, Community
 William Feidler accepted a position in District 43 as a Custodial Worker. He transferred from Hospitality Services and his first day was April 12.Hometown: State College, Pa.
Hobbies: A little bit of everything
 Mark Kopchik began a position as a Custodial Worker in District 21 on April 13.Hometown: Morrisdale, Pa.
 Philip Weber accepted a position as a Stockroom Clerk. His first day was April 20. He transferred from OVPR.Hometown: Howard, Pa.
Hobbies: Hunting, fishing, truck shows
 Josh Wirtz accepted a position as a Custodial Worker in District 22. He transferred from Housing and Food Services and his first day was April 19.Hometown: Port Matilda, Pa.
**If your picture was not included, we would be glad to include it in a future edition. Please contact Susan Bedsworth to set up a time to have your photo taken.
Farewells
Jona Aikey, Custodial Worker, is retiring after 20 years. Jona's last day is May 16.
Dave Kresovich, Maintenance worker Asbestos Removal & Insulation, is retiring after 27 years. His last day was May 1.
Bradley Ridbom, Chilled Water Operator, will close out his time at Penn State on May 28.
Madelyn Wagner accepted a position within ITS. Her last day was April 30.
Facility Coordinator Updates
Jan Grasser has been named the Facility Coordinator for the department of Undergraduate Education.
Paula McMullen, backup Facility Coordinator for Housing & Food Services, has retired from the University.
Keith Reese, Facility Coordinator for Development and the Alumni Association, has retired from the University.
Jean Songer is the interim Facility Coordinator for Development and the Alumni Association.
Shawn Ward has been named the Facility Coordinator for the Nittany Lion Inn and will also serve as FC for The Penn Stater temporarily.
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Accelerated Contractor Training (ACT) Graduation Donna Arthur, an ACT graduate, wrote to thank Vern Davis regarding ACT training and graduation. "Last evening's graduation was wonderful, something I will always remember. It was great to hear of the successes of classmates in such a short period of time, how the simplest remark by an instructor was what they needed to hear to move forward in constructive ways. I'm sure this inspires the instructors as well, to hear of the results of their teachings. "The great efforts you put into the entire ACT training to coordinate these classes has been great and appreciated by all of us who participated. I remember when I met you at Representative Wheatley's office three years ago, even then you were trying to figure out what you and Penn State could do to help MBE/WBE contracting opportunities; or who had not been paid for their work by prime contractors in state contracting. The contrast between that day and last evening was huge with everyone happy and with the hope they had all but lost before. "Thank you. You have been an inspiration to me and all of us." |
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The Abacus Phase 2 go live is complete!
Several improvements and enhancements have arrived for the Timecard application. It offers additional functionality, including:
- A user friendly and expandable view for all devices, desktop and handheld.
- Multiple timecard templates can be created.
- Employees may retract submitted timecards.
- Supervisors may reject submitted timecards.
- Autocomplete was added to fields, including Task Number, Phase Code and Craft.
- Total Hours for the day are displayed on the timecard entry screen.
- Home screens were added for Supervisors and Employees.
Note: When using any of the Abacus applications, please use the latest versions of Firefox or Chrome. If you use Internet Explorer, you may experience issues.
If you have any questions, please send a support email by following the steps below.
- When: April 27 - May 8
- April 27-29: 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- April 30 - May 8: 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Where: 2nd floor of the OPP Annex building (ITS side)
- How to contact:
- ITS Support (by phone): 867-0343 or 867-0344
- Via Abacus: Timecard app:
- Step 1: Log in to Abacus: Timecard
- Step 2: Select 'Application Help' under menu
- Step 3: Under the Contact Support section, select 'Contact Support'
- Step 4: Enter your question/issue in the message text box.
- Step 5: Select 'Send'
- A member of the Abacus: Timecard project team will replay via email to your question(s) within 24 hours.
- Post go-live support:
- Call the Helpdesk (865-7197) with any questions.
A training manual is also available and videos can be found on the OPP YouTube channel .
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| Abacus: Timecard Labor Entry
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| | Abacus: Timecard Absence Entry |
PD Code Conversion to NP Absence Types PD Codes have been converted to the University NP (No Pay) absence types. Non Absence ND Code Conversion to Phase Code The following ND codes have been eliminated and replaced with phase codes. For those eliminated ND codes listed in the conversion table below, you will need to now enter a task number and related phase code for the hours associated with that type of labor.
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Chad Spackman honored Chad Illig with a Superior Performance Award for his exceptional performance in the construction of the HUB Addition and Renovation project.
"Chad recently served as the Construction Services Representative on the HUB Addition and Renovation project. His performance was exceptional. He is very knowledgeable, responds very quickly, is always available (days, nights, weekends, holidays), is a team player and is very professional. In addition, he has received many compliments from non-OPP personnel regarding his performance, including from the Construction Manager, PSU TNS, and more. He is a true asset to OPP and has helped ensure the success of this project."
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 It's that time of year again! The 14th Annual Trash to Treasure Sale benefiting the Centre County United Way is scheduled for May 30, 2015 at Beaver Stadium. Each year more than 60 tons of donated goods from Penn State students moving out of the residence halls are collected and sorted to be resold at a discounted price. It is the largest recycling event in the area and allows community members to get great deals on a variety of items while supporting local health and human service agencies.
Volunteers Needed!
The Trash to Treasure set-up and sorting process begins May 9 and continues until sale day. Volunteers are needed to help get ready for the more than 1,000 shoppers who attend the sale. You can volunteer as an individual or as a group and spend the day or just a few hours. There are many flexible shifts available and no previous experience is necessary.
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 Active Lions, a project from the Physical Activity and Public Healthy Laboratory in the Department of Kinesiology at Penn State, is conducting a survey to understand how Penn State faculty, staff and students travel to campus. The goal of the survey is to learn more about what influences our travel choices. Please considering participating in the brief survey. It should take no more than 10 minutes.
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Each edition we'll have a photograph of an item found in the attic. We hope you'll have fun guessing what it is. We'll include the answer in the next edition. Send your guesses to newsviews@psu.edu.
The item in the April 16 issue of News & Views was a WaveTek CATV signal level meter. Congratulations to Rich Zerby and Jen Kness for their correct guesses and explanations!
Check out this month's item below.
Happy Guessing!
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An OPP Events Committee, composed of various volunteers from throughout the Office of Physical Plant, was recently formed. The mission of the OPP Events Committee is to cultivate, support and strengthen our work life and by doing so foster a more hospitable and engaging environment. Our goal is to build a stronger community throughout the organization and to give back to the community in which we live.
Events Committee Members:
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Depart OPP: 11 a.m.
Game time: 4:05 p.m.
Cost: $60/person
(includes bus transportation, admission and post-game concert)
Register at one of the following locations.
148E/151: Buildings and Grounds - Phumara and Janel
126: Work Control Center - Rebecca and Janice
168: ITS - Lori Jennings
200: AVP - Jeanne Higgins
Engineering: Angie Duckett
Design & Construction: Brett Traino
Other Plans for 2015:
- Habitat for Humanity project
- Food Bank
- OPP Intramural softball team
- Open House night at OPP
- Kick-off Tailgate
- OPP Cookbook
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Each edition of News & Views will include an interesting Penn State factoid. Some will be about OPP, while others will be about different parts of the University. Know an
interesting tidbit? Send it to
 newsviews@psu.edu. As long as we can verify its authenticity, we will share it.
Penn State Utilities Did you know Penn State produces enough air-conditioning to cool 20,000 homes and enough electricity to power 25,000? |
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Healthy, non-smoking men and women are needed for a research study examining the effects of soy protein on cardiovascular disease risk factors. We are seeking participants 35-60 years of age with a BMI of 18-35 ( check your BMI). Subjects must be healthy and not taking medications for high cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, or inflammatory conditions.
Participants will be provided with 2 doses of soy protein powder and placebo for six weeks each with several breaks between test periods (total time for study is 22 weeks). At the completion of the study, participants will receive lab results and compensation of $150.
If you are interested in learning more about the study, please call toll free 1-866-PSU-DIET (1-866-778-3438) or email psudiet@gmail.com, mention the Soy Study and leave your name and a contact number. This study is being conducted by Dr. Kris-Etherton, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition, at Penn State.
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Dedicated to Diversity
May 5, 2014
2-4 p.m.
431 James M. Elliott Building
Unable to attend this session or looking for individual sessions for your unit? Please contact Charleon Jeffries (cxj164@psu.edu) or the Affirmative Action Office (814-863-0471) to discuss other programming opportunities. |
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We Are!
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In each edition, we are including information and links to retirement information found both on the web and from Penn State's Office of Human Resources. Remember, regardless of your age it's always important to plan ahead for retirement.
Looking for some basic tips on how to prepare for retirement?
- Fewer than half of Americans have calculated how much they need to save for retirement.
- In 2012, 30 percent of private industry workers with access to a defined contribution plan (such as a 401(k) plan) did not participate.
- The average American spends 20 years in retirement.
Remember...Saving Matters!
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The Centre Hall CATA Vanpool is looking for riders.
- Hours: 8-5 (Monday-Friday)
- Contact: Lisa Ward (lmw17@psu.edu)
- Cost: About $50/month
The Philipsburg area CATA Vanpool has openings for riders.
- Hours: 8-5 (Monday-Friday)
- Contact: Peggy Ryder (plr3@psu.edu)
- Cost: $65/month with 14 members
An OPP employee is interesting in joining or starting a carpool for 1st shift for the Philipsburg area.
There are two openings in a 1st shift carpool from the Altoona area.
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Have something to sell? Let us know! E-mail Susan Bedsworth with your item(s), details, contact information
 and photos. We will include it in the next edition of News & Views. And don't forget about OPP's Yammer Group "Up for Grabs." Just sign in with your University ID and password to post your item.
Lion Surplus
Lion Surplus handles the removal of University-owned equipment in environmentally responsible ways, such as sales, bids and auctions. Their store, located at the corner of Services Rd. and Big Hollow Rd., is open to students, faculty, staff and the public. The inventory changes daily, but the store routinely has gently used furniture, computers and other electronics, scientific equipment, and much more.
 Electronics Recycling Day Friday, May 8, 2015 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Accepting PCs, monitors, hard drives, keyboards, mice, TVs, peripherals, printers, circuit boards, laptops, dvd players, electronic typewriters, fax machines, cell phones, modems, pagers, PDAs, VCRs and word processors.
Follow Lion Surplus on Facebook to keep up to date on inventory and special events.
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Beautiful flowers greet you at the entrance to the Physical Plant Building.
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Contact Us
If you have any comments or suggestions for News & Views, contact Susan Bedsworth by e-mail or at 863-9620.
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You can find a list of carpoolers and regional bus services through the 