Nov. 1, 2017
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Sitzabee's Soundbites  
   
Hello there!

So far it's been a busy fall for OPP on campus and I want to take a minute to thank you for all the hard work you're putting in for everything from the day-to-day maintenance to special events and football games! Your work does not go unnoticed and the impact our operations have is felt across the University. Things will not be slowing down as we head into November and December and get ready for the wintery weather. As a reminder, clocks go back this weekend and that means days are getting shorter and the weather colder. Please make sure you take the time to be safe by being seen, especially those working out and about around vehicles.

Workday is coming! Workday will replace ESSIC for all absence, payroll and personal information. Its use will affect all of us...staff (exempt and non-exempt), supervisors, tech service and wage-payroll employees. I've used Workday at Cornell and after the initial learning curve, I found it to be a great improvement. Although I didn't have to use it for timecards so I'm not sure what that will look like exactly, but everything else I did with Workday was very user-friendly. As a reminder, because this is a new system--please make sure you get timecards in on time. You can review more in the additional segment in News & Views and on the Workday website. Here are some high-level things to remember:

Staff Exempt Employees: Enter time off (absence) in Workday, as well as instances that would affect pay; i.e., working on a holiday. 
 
Staff Non-Exempt Employees: Enter both time worked (i.e., regular, overtime, shift differential hours) and time off (absence) in Workday. 
 
Tech-Service and Wage-Payroll Employees: Enter time worked (i.e., regular, overtime, shift differential hours) in Abacus and time off (absence) in Workday.

As a follow-up to some conversations I've been having with folks, it's come to my attention that some folks are struggling with finding parking while trying to get their job done. I understand there is a policy (pdf) regarding service vehicle parking and OPP worked closely with Transportation Services to create it. I also understand there are a lot of people competing for not only limited service parking, but also general campus parking and this creates conflict sometimes resulting in tickets. I am working with leadership to find a way to address this issue moving forward. In the meantime, please do your best to minimize disruption (don't park someone in, stay away from reserve spots, etc.) and I will do my best to make sure common sense prevails...more to come on this. After all, we are all trying to get the job done.
 
Finally, I want to thank those who have participated in the University-wide Values and Culture Survey! The results will help me determine where we are meeting your expectations so we can do more of that moving forward, as well as better understand the stressors and barriers. My leadership team and I will be able to focus our resources on the most impactful issues.

Best, 
Bill

Welcomes
Sending a warm welcome to all new employees in OPP. Best wishes in your first few weeks!

Holly Baker accepted a position as a drinking water operator. Her first day was October 9.    

Doug Cramer  accepted a position as an architect. His first day was October 9.
Hometown : State College
Hobbies: Bike riding with Wife, Hiking with dog Cooper, Railroad and Canal History
 
Mark Crawford accepted a position as a Plumber Fitter. His first day was October 2.    
Hometown : Tyrone    
Hobbies: Hunting, outdoors, activities around the farm

Aaron Esterline accepted a position as a preventative maintenance worker. His first day was Oct. 30.
Hometown: Lewistown
Hobbies: Motorcross

Ty Etters accepted a position as a body repairer. His first day was October 23.  
Barbara Foose  accepted a position as a facilities supervisor. Her first day was Oct. 16.
Hometown
: Boalsburg
Hobbies
: Home rehab, helping others, dogs
   

Richard Harber accepted a position as an electronics tech, fire and security. His first day was Oct. 30.
Hometown: Cresson
Hobbies: Hunting 
Travis Hollobaugh
  accepted a position as a facilities supervisor. His first day was October 23.
Hometown: Loganton
Hobbies: Outdoor activities, camping, hunting

Brad Mosier accepted a position as a custodial worker. His first day was Oct. 30.
Hometown: Bellefonte
Hobbies: Hiking

Tim Patterson accepted a position as a power plant operator. His first day was Oct. 30.
Hometown: Centre Hall
Hobbies: Spending time with family 
Tim Peterman  accepted a position as a facilities supervisor. His first day was October 16.
Hometown
: Altoona
Hobbies : Hunting, fishing, outdoor activities, sports
 
   
Devin Rishel accepted a position as a maintenance worker utility. His first day was October 2.  
Melissa Spencer accepted a position as a la s er safety officer. Her first day  was October 16.
Hometown
: State College
Hobbies
: Reading, music (both making and listening), mixed media art projects, video games

Nicole Teeters accepted a position as a custodial worker. Her first day was Oct. 30.
Hometown: Tyrone
Hobbies: Spending time with family, hiking, crafts 
Heather Waite accepted a position as a custodial worker. Her first day was October 2. 
Roger Warner accepted a position as a carpenter. His first day was October 9.
  **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

Greg Andrews , lead area lands maintenance worker, announced his retirement. His last day was September 29. 
Regis Bauer, refridgeration technician utilities, announced his departure. His last day was September 29. 
Cathleen Caber, custodial worker, announced her retirement. Her last day was September 29. 
Nathan Dotts accepted a position at Penn State Altoona. His last day was September 29. 
Ed Flango, carpenter, announced his retirement. His last day was October 17. 
Jeff Hubler, maintenance worker steam services, announced his retirement. His last day was September 29. 
Lucas Stover, waste collector, has accepted a position in Ag Science. His last day was October 6. 
Nickie Walker, custodial worker, announced her resignation. Her last day was September 29. 
Brian Woodland, maintenance worker area landscape, announced his retirement. His last day is October 27.
 
Cheers
  Labor Crew Cheers
Aaron Knight, a facilities representative from the Eberly College of Science, wrote in to thank the Labor Crew for their excellent work. " I just want to take a moment to recognize and show my department's enormous appreciation for your labor crew team and its operation. While I do hope their work gets recognized regularly, I suspect it's probably not on an equivalent level to the attention and dedication these men (and sometimes women - Melinda Kling) bring to each work request and project on campus. Their responsiveness when needed, and efficiency when onsite, has saved my department, faculty and staff a copious amount of time and hardship. For their limited size to cover the needs of one of the largest campuses in the country is profound, but to do so with the positive attitude and experience they bring is uncanny. And whether they're aware of it or not, they're ideal ambassadors for not only the University and OPP, but their labor union as well. Please continue supporting this unit and help show the appreciation that each college and unit has for this group."
 
Vietnam Memorial Arrival At Innovation Park
Dan Leri, Director of the Innovation Park Office, wrote in to thank OPP for its help with the Vietnam Memorial at Innovation Park. " The cooperation and performance of teams from Transportation, Police Services, Risk Management, and OPP have been amazing in this WPSU project. Their expertise and direction in combination with community volunteers has been inspiring. Be sure to thank and congratulate your units."
Video of wall installation:  https://vimeo.com/236865041
Keeping Up With The Bike Path
Tammy Zeiders, Assistant Housing Manager at White Course Apartments, wrote in to thank 
Brien Phiel  and  Todd Zook  for their work on the bike path. 
"I wanted to reach out to all of you and let you know how very much I appreciate all the hard work that the tree/landscaping crew did for the bike path by White Course Apartments. It was brought to my attention a couple of weeks back from the residents/students that the bike path they use every day was becoming unsafe due to the trees and bushes being over grown. The next day this concern was taken care of. It is great that this was a priority and to put the safety of the students first. I have received so many positive notes from the residents and students of how awesome the area looks. I also received a call from Cheree Jones (Director of Day of Caring). She wanted me to thank Brian and Todd for making this happen and that the area that she uses every day, as well, looks fantastic! Every year she and the volunteers try to make the bike path their priority. However, this past year they needed to focus on an area by the golf course. Thank you for all your hard work and for making White Course look its best every day."

Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall
Thank You
The visit by the Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall was a great success . Many individuals across OPP were involved in the planning and execution of the visit. Thank you for your time and effort in work that ranged from landscaping to electrical design and more. It made a lasting impact on the many visitors who came to see the display.
 
Superior Performance Awards

Mark Crowley nominated  Jonathan BierlyRebekah DetwilerTeresa Lucas, and  Lisa Smeltzer for providing outstanding performance, customer support, and training while being short staffed.  "They have demonstrated outstanding performance and customer support while being short staffed due to three retirements and one job vacancy. They have been taking on all the duties of these four vacant positions while keeping up with their own day to day duties, while also being involved in the hiring of the replacements. When successful candidates were hired, they then became their trainers."
 
PMIS Update
 
The OPP PMIS team is getting close to selecting a vendor for the new Project Management Information System (PMIS) and would like your input. Be on the lookout for an email notification to be sent this week with more information regarding an opportunity to view a vendor demonstration and to provide feedback.
 
In case you haven't heard about the PMIS, OPP is pursuing a standardized Project Management Information System (PMIS). The mission of the PMIS OPP team is to develop a holistic technology-enabled solution that improves the effectiveness of design and construction project teams, while promoting excellence in the stewardship of University assets. The PMIS will initially be used by teams working on the design and construction of projects to enhance communication, collaboration, and document management. A future goal of the PMIS will be to replace the existing Tririga system.
 
Once a vendor has been selected, the vendor and the PMIS team will be reaching out to multiple units and individuals to collect information. Employee participation is vital to the success of this project and we appreciate your prompt and constructive feedback.
 
Regular updates will continue to be provided in the OPP News & Views, as well as the PMIS website (follow the link under the Intranet Tools menu on the OPP website). Updates on this important initiative will be distributed on a regular basis. 
 
If you have any questions or are interested in joining the ongoing OPP PMIS project team, please email opp-pmiscommunications@psu.edu .  
Get to Know OPP's AVP
 
In an effort to help employees get to know OPP's new associate vice president and chief facilities officer, Bill Sitzabee, News & Views sat down with him to ask him a few questions. Stayed tuned for more in the next edition.

Have a question for Bill? Submit your question(s) to newsviews@psu.edu and look for an answer in an upcoming edition. Questions will be kept anonymous unless specified otherwise.

1. You spent many years serving in the military. How did that time shape you as a leader?
"My time in the military shaped my leadership style to be one of servant leadership. One of the three AF core values is Service before Self and job satisfaction comes when you are part of something much bigger than yourself.  Anyone can work for a paycheck and when you do, you will find that your job is not very rewarding. But, when you are working as part of a team on something much bigger you will find great satisfaction.

"Also, with an organization this large you have to count on the many talented people working here everyday. It's important for me to listen across the organization and to work on providing the resources and removing the barriers for all of those folks who are working towards our mission. It is also greatly important for me to educate as many folks as possible (both internally and externally) about our mission. Many times we seem to do things that don't make sense, but when you view them at a macro level you can better understand why we do some things we do. Often we make improvements in one area that are counter productive to another area and it's important for me to try and balance all this to gain the best effect overall." 

  2. What do you enjoy doing most when you have some downtime?
"My family consumes most of my 'downtime' with two very active children who are involved in sports, music, and scouts. I love fitness and can often be found being active almost everyday (running, sports, swimming). I also love to hunt and fish and greatly look forward to learning this area. By the way, if anyone has a secret tree stand or fishing hole they want to let me know about I promise not to tell anyone :-) ."

3. What is something most people might not know about you?
"I'm not sure how to answer this. I'm really pretty open and after getting to know me you will find that I have had some interesting and crazy opportunities over the last 25-30 years."

Workday Update!
 
Workday is coming Dec. 10! Keep up to date on the happenings by reading the regular emails from OHR and by visiting the Workday page on the OPP site.

For now, check out the pertinent information below to learn about important changes within the system.

Supervisors
(Anyone who has direct report(s), including wage and/or temps**)
Supervisors who oversee technical service, wage, and/or temporary employees received an email on 10/18 from Steve Maruszewski regarding required training. If you haven't already registered for a session, please do so immediately.  If you did not receive the email and you feel you should have, please reach out to Michelle Carr.  

Helpful Link
** In Workday, anyone who supervises is considered a Manager

Employees
(Including supervisors)
Workday job aids and web-based training was made available on Oct. 23 through the Learning Resource Network (LRN). Please take it upon yourself to view the training opportunities and review your learning path prior to Dec. 1 in preparation for the Workday implementation. For more information, please go to  https://worklion.psu.edu/.  

Helpful Link
Spirit of Physical Plant Nominations
 
Nominations are currently being sought for the Spirit of Physical Plant Award to honor employees in the three categories: janitorial, technical service and staff.

The purpose of the award is to provide recognition to the employees who best exemplify professionalism, loyalty, integrity, dedication and respect for Penn State and the customers served by the University.

Nominations can be sent to Bill Sitzabee, Associate Vice President, Office of Physical Plant at 200 Physical Plant Building, or emailed to Jeanne Higgins at jlw54@psu.edu . The deadline is Nov. 10, 2017.

Only one employee can be nominated per form (pdf).
Military Appreciation Events
 
Are you a veteran or active member of our Military? Please attend one or both of the following events to honor your service!

Office of Physical Plant 

Finance & Business Military Service Celebration 
When: Nov. 10, 9-10:30 a.m.
Where: HUB Heritage Hall
Featured Guests:
For more information on other events honoring our veterans and active service military members, please visit  http://military.psu.edu/events/.   
Protect Yourself from the Flu
 
Human Resources announces that registrations for the faculty/staff flu vaccine clinics are now open.

The vaccines are free for any Penn State employee including full-time, part-time and wage employees, regardless of participation in the Penn State health plan. In addition, the vaccines are free any employee's spouse who is insured under the employee's Penn State health plan. An employee's spouse who is not on the health plan may receive the vaccine for $28.00. Retirees are not eligible for this program.

To make an appointment, please go to  Faculty-Staff Flu Vaccine Clinics  and click "register for programs."

Questions may be directed to  AskHR@psu.edu .

Flu season will be here before we know it....please consider accessing this free preventive vaccine.
Did You Know?
 
Trivia Question:
How many tons of recyclable Blue Bag material was sent to the Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority after the Penn State vs. Michigan football game?

A. 23 tons
B. 30 tons
C. 25 tons
D. 18 tons
 
Email your guess to newsviews@psu.edu 
and look for the answer in the next edition of News & Views.
 
Last Month's News & Views Trivia Question and Answer   
Who was the wide receiver who made the game-winning catch in Penn State's last second win against Iowa on Sept. 23?

A. Saquon Barkley
B. DaeSean Hamilton
C. DeAndre Thompkins
D. Juwan Johnson

Thanks to Penny Mull for her correct guess! 
Participate in a Research Study
 
Strawberry Powder Study 
Healthy, non-smoking men and women are needed for a research study examining the effects of a freeze dried strawberry powder on LDL cholesterol and other cardiovascular disease risk factors. We are seeking participants 35 - 65 years of age with a
BMI of 25-39kg/m2 . Subjects must be healthy and not taking medications for high cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, or inflammatory conditions. Participants will be provided with two different amounts of freeze dried strawberry powder and a placebo powder for 4-6 weeks each, with a 2 week break between test periods (total time for study is 16-22 weeks). At the completion of the study participants will receive lab results and compensation of $350.

If you are interested in learning more about the study, please call 814-863-8622 or email psustrawberry@gmail.com, mention the Strawberry Supplementation Study and leave your name and a contact number. This study is being conducted by Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, Department of Nutritional Sciences, at The Penn State University.

Cranberry Juice Study 
Healthy, non-smoking men and women are needed for a research study examining the effects of a cranberry juice beverage on blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease risk factors. We are seeking participants 30 - 65 years of age with a BMI of 18-39kg/m2 . Subjects must be healthy and not taking medications for high cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, or inflammatory conditions. Participants will be provided with a cranberry juice beverage and placebo beverage for 8-12 weeks each, with an 8 week break between test periods (total time for study is 24-32 weeks). At the completion of the study participants will receive lab results and compensation of $200.

If you are interested in learning more about the study, please call 814-863-8622 or email psucranberry@gmail.com, mention the Cranberry Study and leave your name and a contact number. This study is being conducted by Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, Department of Nutritional Sciences, at The Penn State University.
Diversity

Training Opportunities for Inclusive Excellence
Are you looking for some training opportunities this fall focusing on inclusive excellence? There are a number of sessions available through the Office of Human Resources. Please visit their seminars webpage for a complete listing of in-person opportunities.

For those on shifts other than daytime, it can be difficult to attend in-person seminars and workshops. There are a number of online training opportunities related to inclusive excellence via the Skillport Learning Resource Network, as well as on lynda.com

All In at Penn State
A Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Penn Staters are taking an active role in making everyone feel safe and welcome. A video was created comprised of honest, unscripted student voices speaking about their everyday challenges surrounding diversity and inclusion. Let it serve as a catalyst for starting authentic conversations.

Check out the All In at Penn State events calendar, which denotes monthly recognition of different groups and highlights multicultural speakers, films and performances. For more information on All In at Penn State, visit http://allin.psu.edu/.
Carpooling

You can find a list of carpoolers and regional bus services through the RideShare Program and a full list of all transportation options at the Transportation Services site. Or post a request in News & Views by sending it to newsviews@psu.edu.   
Photo of the Month
   
Chris Musser, Larry Fennessey, Dave Swisher, Susan Bedsworth, Derek Leonard and Rob Phillips teamed up to the run Tussey Mountainback 50-mile Relay and Ultramarathon on Oct. 8. They finished 13th out of 51 relay teams and 4th out of 13 teams in their division with a time of 6:56:50 (8:20/mile).  
 

The Tower Road Landscape Shop participated in the United Way Day of Caring on Oct. 5 at the Centre Furnace Mansion. 
 
  Contact Us
 
If you have any comments or suggestions for News & Views, contact Susan Bedsworth by e-mail or at 863-9620.