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Ford's Focus
Many of you have asked what effect the state budget impasse has been having and will continue to have on OPP. We are hopeful that the level of state support for Penn State will soon be determined in Harrisburg. In the meantime, Steve and I have been going through an extensive budget review to plan for possible budget reductions resulting from diminished state funding for Penn State and the decision to freeze undergraduate tuition this year. As the budget picture becomes clearer, we will announce how we will manage the budgetary and service-level impacts.
Thank you for your efforts to conserve resources as you work hard every day supporting our customers.
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Welcomes
Roy Farabaugh accepted a position as a maintenance worker for plumbing/piping. His first day was Feb. 29.
Jeremy Roehrig accepted a position as a facilities project coordinator in Renovation Services. His first day was Feb. 29.
Hometown: Pittsburgh
Hobbies: Riding motorcycles and quads, fitness, NFL, fantasy football
 Jason Stover accepted a position as a lead maintenance mechanic. His first day was March 7. Hometown: Spring Mills
Hobbies: Cars
 Sascha Yergin accepted a position as a CSS operator. He transferred from A&BS. His first day was March 13. Hometown: West Decatur
Hobbies: Home renovations, gardening, sports
**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
John Boliver, architect, has left the University. His last day was March 4.
Susan Rutan, director of Human Resources, has accepted a position as the senior director, Labor and Employee Relations as part of the University's Human Resources Leadership Team. Her last day was March 11.
Lynn Sharpless has resigned from the University. His last day was March 4.
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Hot Water Issues
Tammy Zeiders, Assistant Housing Manager for White Course Apartments, wrote in to OPP regarding hot water issues in Beam Hall over the weekend. "Housing had some hot water issues in Beam Hall Saturday evening. The cold water throughout the building was producing very hot water, and the whole building was unable to use the showers.
"It was a pleasure to have worked with all 4 guys that had such great attitudes and focused on good customer service in this challenging situation. I know it's their job to focus and deal with customers on a daily basis. However, there are times like these that you truly appreciate cooperation and teamwork."
Lynette Goodrow Honored for a "We Are!"
Lynette Goodrow, OPP Human Resources, was nominated for a "We Are!" shout-out in Penn State News. Her nominator wrote, "Lynette exemplifies the quiet excellence of many of our Penn State staff. She is smart and organized; she handles a high volume of essential administrative tasks very efficiently; and she treats everyone with respect and genuine warmth and caring. She makes our lives better every day."
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The item in the Feb. 29 issue of News & Views was a drafting brush.
Item from the Feb. 29 edition:
The next "Tools of the Trade" item is below. What do you think this is and/or what is it used to do? Email your guess to newsviews@psu.edu.
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Penn State Creamery The first Penn State Creamery was established in the "college barns" along with the blacksmith's shop and hayloft, which were located behind present-day Old Main, in 1865. It moved to a standalone building in 1889. |
 After 20 years of service, OPP's Director of Human Resources Susan Rutan accepted a new position as the senior director
of Labor and Employment Relations at Penn State. She sat down with News & Views to talk the past, present and future.
1. What will you miss most about OPP?
The people. Undoubtedly. This is a great group of people. I'll miss having the chance to work with the staff and bargaining unit employees, the stewards of OPP, and the OPP leadership. I will miss the HR staff very much. These are people that I love. We have been like family. That will be the hardest part, leaving these wonderful people I worked with every day.
2. What were some of the challenges you faced here at OPP?
I think initially establishing credibility was a challenge. That's a challenge in any job, but particularly in HR. Also being able to be seen as someone who can be fair or honest with anyone regardless of their role in the organization.
We have been fortunate to add safety staff, but in terms of general HR administration, we're staffed about the same as we were 20 years ago. However, the number of employees at OPP has increased. We had 800 and now we have about 1,300. That's been a big challenge.
3. What are you most proud of regarding your time here?
I'm proud of the reputation the HR office has today compared to what it did 20 years ago. When I got here, people didn't feel HR kept things confidential or provided a high level of service. I think it's changed dramatically. The reputation for confidentiality is 180 degrees from where it was, and the front-line service team is top notch.
I'm proud of the safety expansion and commitment to safety in the organization. That's a big accomplishment that we are protecting more and more people from getting injured at work.
We've also done a lot of great work in improving training within the organization. The amount and diversity of technical training we provide now is phenomenally improved from what it was when I started.
Frankly, I can take very little credit for these changes. It was a team of people and great leadership and employee support that made it happen.
4. What are some special memories you have of your time at OPP?
I will always remember the 30- and 35-year service award receptions. They're so much fun. These are people who have made an incredible commitment to the institution - and we celebrate that. The annual picnic is another one. Helping to prepare for that and talking to people there was always great fun. You got to see people you didn't get to see often.
Another special memory will be working with the custodial employees and supervisors on 2nd and 3rd shift. That group of people have a special place in my heart. They're working in the cover of darkness where they don't have a lot of contact with other people. When they had something come up that they needed help with, I'd come in. That's something I'll miss. They have a tough job, and they do it without the same organizational support that 1st shift gets.
5. How do you hope the HR staff and this office moves forward?
I hope Steve and Ford look back and think, "Oh, my, I wish she would have left sooner." I hope that the person who follows me in this role brings new and fresh ideas that help take OPP to another level. There are so many different ways to approach things. I've approached things a certain way for a lot of years and there's always an opportunity to be better.
6. Is there anything else you'd like to share regarding your time at OPP?
This is a great place to work. I think that's one of the things I want people to think about. Penn State is a great place to work, and OPP is very much a part of that. People here are genuine and down to earth. The level of commitment of our employees is over the roof. That's one of the reasons OPP has and always will have such a special place in my heart. It has been my genuine pleasure to work here.
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 The American Red Cross is once again hosting a blood drive at OPP. All donors will be entered to win a complementary round of golf at Tofrees and dinner for two at The Field restaurant.
When: Friday, March 25, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Where: Conference Room
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 There are a wide variety of positions here in OPP. Many of us sit at desks all day, while many others are moving about all over campus completing various projects. Whether you're a desk dweller or on your feet all day, it can be challenging to keep up with our health.
Anytime Fitness recently shared some workplace wellness tips that can make a big difference in your health, especially when you consider how much time we physically spend at work. Below is a snapshot of those tips. You can read the complete article via Anytime Fitness blog.
1. Talk about it.
Talk to the people you spend every day with and find out what they're hoping to achieve. Once everyone's goals are on the table, it's much easier to support one another and learn how much you actually have in common.
2. Implement small steps.
Establish an activity routine, one that's reasonable based on your job demands. You don't have to do everything every day, but plan to take an opportunity to do at least one thing each day. This might mean parking farther away, taking the stairs, packing your own lunch and avoiding the break room if there are too many goodies up for grabs.
Other tips include keeping comfortable walking shoes with you, using an activity tracker, making sure your workspace is ergonomically correct, and finding a short lunchtime workout you can do on occasion.
3. Take it outside.
Work is a great place to find a workout buddy since you're already on the same general schedule. Plan walks for lunch or times to go to the gym together. Spring is practically here, take advantage of the nice weather as it comes.
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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.
Are You Considering Retirement?
The Penn State Office of Human Resources has a ton of great information for those of you who are swiftly approaching retirement age or who are already there and just waiting for the right time. You can find all the various resources for retirement on the OHR Benefits website. But what are some of the first steps you need to tackle before you can retire? A brief overview is below. 1. Meet with a retirement planning specialist from TIAA-CREF or SERS to review income projects and income options. It is possible that you are underestimating your retirement income by not taking into account items that won't be deducted from your paycheck once you retire. These thins include unemployment insurance, parking, retirement contributions, life insurance, certain taxes, and more. 2. Notify OHR of your intent to retire. Not only should you notify your local Human Resources Office with your intent to retire with 2-3 months notice, don't forget to also notify the central OHR office at Penn State. You can email benefits@psu.edu. 3. Review your benefits on the Employee Self Service Information Center (ESSIC). Verify your covered eligible dependents and also determine which benefits should carry over into retirement. You are automatically enrolled in the retiree medical plan if you meet eligibility requirements, but you do have the right to refuse medical coverage. Do note that you will not be able to re-enroll at a later date if you refuse.
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More than 400 staff members have registered for 2FA (2-factor authentication) and many of you have taken advantage of training opportunities. As a reminder, this University-wide initiative requires all Penn State employees to provide a "second" form of digital identification when logging into applications such as ESSIC.
If you have not registered, there is no time like the present! It's recommended you enroll at least two devices in case there are any problems with your primary device. A landline, cell phone and a security token provided by OPP ITS can be used.
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 Many of you recently received an email regarding the rollout of Propel, a strategic objective performance management product OPP is starting to use the week of March 21, 2016.
Propel, which is marketed by Cohesive Solutions, provides the ability to visualize and manage strategic objectives, KPIs, and tactics alignment within a collaborative platform to manage performance. Propel will work in tandem with Maximo.
Those of you who work in WCC, B&G and OPP Stores, will be the first to work with Propel. Training is scheduled to start the week of March 21 and will consist of two sessions. While both sessions will cover the same material, one session will be geared toward those with direct report staff employees and the other will be geared to those with no direct report staff employees. Both sessions will take place at the Penn Stater.
You can learn more about Propel at the Cohesive Solutions website. If you have any questions, you can reach out to a member of the Penn State development team: |
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Lamar CATA Vanpool
The Lamar CATA Vanpool is looking for new riders. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday with pickup locations in Lamar, Snydertown and the Walker Township Building. Email Claudia at cgh12@psu.edu for more information.
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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.
Follow Lion Surplus on Facebook to keep up to date on inventory and special events.
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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 