University of Pennsylvania NEWSLETTERPersonnel Relations

Office of Personnel Relations 737 Franklin Building/I6 December 12, 1978 A supplement to Almanac

Retirement Age ExplainedWhat is the University's retirement

age? The General Counsel's Office hassupplied the following information:"The 1978 amendments to the AgeDiscrimination in Employment Act of1967, along with the proposed changesin the Department of Labor's bulletinwhich have been published to this time,indicate that all normal retirement agescurrently in effect at the University maybe retained."

The normal retirement age is pres-ently sixty-five for all newly-hired em-ployees. The University will continue toencourage faculty and staff members toplan for retirement at the normal age.(Tenured faculty, depending on theirappointment dates, begin normal retire-ment at the ages of sixty-five, sixty-eight, and seventy.) In order to increasethe opportunities for appointment ofjunior faculty and staff, the Universitymakes available several attractive earlyretirement programs.

The General Counsel's Officefurther notes that "with certain excep-tions, the University cannot compel theretirement, prior to the age of seventy,of employees scheduled to retire afterJanuary 1, 1979, or, in the case ofemployees under contracts or similararrangements providing for unlimitedtenure, after July 1, 1982."

235 Houses Bought with the

Help of the University'sGuaranteed Mortgage Plan

In 1965 the University started aninnovative plan designed to create acommunity near the University. Calledthe "Personnel Guaranteed MortgageProgram," the plan allowed faculty andstaff members to buy residential proper-ty in certain areas of West Philadelphia.An agreement was reached with TheFirst Pennsylvania Banking and TrustCompany that the Unversity wouldprovide funds, not to exceed two milliondollars, for mortgage loans. By 1975 thefunds had exceeded three million dol-lars, and participants had purchasedone hundred and seventy-six houses.This program has contributed tomaking the area around theUniversity-known as University City-into a thriving neighborhood with itsown newspaper, many community-

interest groups, and a population per-haps best characterized by its diversity.

The arrangement with The FirstPennsylvania Banking and Trust Com-pany ended in 1975. But in the summerof 1976 the Guaranteed Mortgage wasresumed with the Philadelphia SavingsFund Society as mortgagor; the avail-able funds were increased to five milliondollars. The area covered by the pro-gram was extended to include certainparts of Center City as well as areas in

West Philadelphia. The present bound-aries are, in general, east to 18th Streetand west to 51st Street. The area isshown in detail on a map in theTreasurer's Office. Since August 1976faculty and staff members using theprogram have bought fifty-nine houses,so that the total number since 1965 isnow two hundred and thirty-five.

Those eligible for the program arefully-affiliated and fully-salariedmembers of the academic staff in therank of assistant professor and aboveand full-time statutory and senior ad-ministrative officers, immediately onappointment. All other fully-affiliatedand fully-salaried staff members, ad-ministrative and professional personnel,and any full-time member of the supportstaff over twenty-five years of age areable to participate after they have

completed three years of service.Mortgages are granted in amounts

which cannot exceed the appraisedvalue of the property, for a term nolonger than thirty years. Interestcharges are competitive with the ratesoffered by other banks. In the entirehistory of the program the Universityhas had to repurchase only one mort-gage. The house was sold, however, formore than it cost to buy back themortgage and the profit realized by thesale was given to the original owner.

If you would like more informationabout the Guaranteed Mortgage Pro-gram, applications, instructions, andprocedures are available from theTreasurer's Office, 427 Franklin Build-ing. If you find a house you like inUniversity City or Center City, the Uni-versity may be able to help you buy it.

"See! Winter Comes to Rule theVaried Year"

Where are the snows of yesteryear?More to the point, what happens to theUniversity when it snows this year?Executive Director of Personnel Rela-tions Gerald Robinson monitors theweather conditions, including theireffects on transportation and city andsuburban roads, and advises the Presi-dent and Provost about travel condi-tions. If the University has to be closedand classes cancelled, the Office ofPersonnel Relations notifies the ap-propriate people and makes publicradio announcements. The University'ssnow emergency code numbers are 102for closing of day sessions and officesand 2102 for cancellation of eveningsessions. Unless the University is offi-cially closed all employees are expectedto report for work at their normal times.

Happy Holidays!

"Brown Bag Seminars" Begin on January 15 with Vartan GregorianIf you would like to know more about how the University is managed, a series

of seminars sponsored by the A-i Assembly will give you that opportunity.Beginning on January 15, 1979, these management information sessions will beheld weekly at the same time-Mondays from 12 noon to 1 p.m.-and at the sameplace-Houston Hall's Benjamin Franklin Room-for sixteen weeks. The seminars,taken as a group, are designed to give a broad understanding of how the Universityworks. Each seminar covers a specific area of management and will focus onorganizational structure; the goals and responsibilities of the department ormanagement area; the scope, including how departments and offices interact; andthe methods and problems of managing each area. Following the talk, there will bea question and answer period. The gatherings are informal and everyone is invitedto bring a "brown bag" lunch.

Provost Vartan Gregorian will talk at the first meeting on "The University: ItsMission and Objectives." As the first speaker, he will discuss the managementstructure of the entire University. This introduction will be followed by sessionsdealing with specific areas. A tentative schedule of speakers and topics follows.

Provost Vartan Gregorian

Secretary of the CorporationJan is Somerville

Vice President for Administration0. Bruce Johnstone

Dean of the Wharton SchoolDonald C. Carroll

Vice President for Budget andManagement Jon Strauss

Treasurer Harold Manley

Comptroller Jerrold J. Jackson

Vice President for Developmentand University RelationsWilliam Owen

Director of Research AdministrationAnthony Merritt

Assistant Vice President UMISRichard T. Paumen

Vice President for OperationalServices Fred Shabel

Director of CommunicationsCurtis Barnes

Assistant Vice President forCommonwealth RelationsJames Shada

Executive Director of PersonnelGerald Robinson

Administrator of the Office ofEqual Opportunity James Robinson

Executive Director of PersonnelGerald Robinson (and Staff)

The University: Its Missionand Objectives

The Role of the Trustees andUniversity Governance

The Role of Executive Officers

Academic Organization

Financial Planning and the BudgetProcess

Cash Flow and Investments

Day-to-Day Financial Management

Development and FinancialResources

Grants and Contract Administration

Management of Information Systems

Operational Services

Communications

External Affairs

Personnel and Human Resources

Grievance ProcedureAffirmative Action

Personnel Policy and Procedures

We urge you to reserve Mondays, 12 noon to 1 p.m., for these informative andinteresting seminars. Bring your lunch and all your questions to the BenjaminFranklin Room in Houston Hall beginning Monday, January 15, 1979.

Edited by Debra J. ThomasDesigned by Howard S. Kline

Staff Training Programs:University Library Offers Wide

VarietyMost of us who work like to get

better at our jobs; we are interested inlearning more about what we do andwant to perform our tasks with greaterefficiency and skill. Many of us hope toadvance in our chosen careers. Oftenwe are not sure how best to accomplishthese goals. Because the Universityrecognizes this desire and wishes tohelp, a number of responsibility centershave established training programs andothers are in the planning stages. In thepages of this Newsletter we will keepyou informed of existing programs andthose that are being discussed. Wehope you will respond with suggestionsand comments about your needs.

What do we think of when we speakof "training programs"? There is atendency to look only at those ratherformal courses which provide a degreeor a certificate at the end of a fixedperiod of time, "certifying" that we haveattained competence in a new skill orhave gained a new unit of knowledge.Certainly these kinds of programs areneeded; they can provide invaluabletraining and the means of recognition.But there are other, less structured,ways of acquiring new information andjob-related skills which take place allthe time but which we may overlookbecause they are not formally describedas "training."

A good system of staff trainingincludes a wide variety of methods. Inthis month's issue, we will focus on thestaff development programs providedby the University Library. The Libraryuses both formal training-includingcourse work, conferences, andseminars-and informal sessions suchas staff meetings which teach particulargroups about new methods in perform-ing specific tasks. Monthly gatheringsof interest groups within the Librarymay be addressed by other professionalmembers or outside speakers expert ina particular branch of knowledge.Professional societies can provide agreat deal of information not only aboutan area of interest but about usefulconferences and meetings. The Libraryencourages its staff members to partici-pate in and attend meetings of associa-tions both within and without theUniversity. These methods, informaland formal, provide interested em-ployees with the means to further theirown knowledge and skill and to encour-age them to take a greater interest inissues related to their present andfuture job responsibilities.

The formal training available to thesupport staff is both specialized and

general. Like all University employees,Library support staff can work toward adegree or take courses here at Pennsyl-vania under the staff scholarship pro-gram. Those who seek specializedlibrary training can take courses atDrexel University leading to the Masterof Library Science degree (a programnot available here). The Library pays thetuition for four credit units per quarterand gives up to three hours a week ofrelease time, provided that the jobresponsibility of the employee usingthis program can be met by anotherstaff member, for up to nine peopleeach year. It takes an average of threeyears to complete the M.L.S. programon a part-time basis.

The professional staff can also takeadvantage of the staff scholarshipprogram in choosing from a widevariety of courses which may furthertheir understanding of issues relevant toa particular academic discipline wherethey may have library responsibilities.In addition, the Library sends a numberof its professional employees to nation-al and local conferences and pays forsome of the expenses involved inattending learned society meetings heldlocally and around the country. A-i staffmembers may also take specializedlibrary courses at Drexel University. TheLibrary has provided release time ofthree hours a week to encourage peopleto take courses in which they areinterested and which are related to theirjob responsibilities. The Library hasalso run its own seminars for this groupof workers.

Two typical professional programswhich A-i staff attend are the "LibraryAdministrators Development Program"and the "Library Management SkillsInstitute." The Library AdministratorsDevelopment Program, sponsored bythe College of Library and InformationServices, University of Maryland, is atwo-week program held each spring. Itspurpose is "to aid in the reorientation ofthe outlook of the senior library admin-istrator from the technical problems oflibrarianship to the central issues oforganizational management." Using thebasic concepts of administration devel-oped in business, public administration,and their supportive social sciencedisciplines, the program increases themanagerial sophistication of libraryadministrators and supervisors. TheLibrary Management Skills Institute,sponsored by the Association ofResearch Libraries and run by theOffice of University Library Manage-ment Studies, conducts similar, shorterprograms, usually lasting three to fourdays, several times a year throughoutthe country. Five or six Library adminis-trators and supervisors attend each of

these programs. The University Libraryhas sent twenty-five to thirty people tothese programs over a two-year period.The institutes increase the staff's under-standing of their supervisory role inrelation to their other library responsi-bilities.

Formally and informally, the Uni-versity Library provides its staffmembers with opportunities for train-ing, recognizing that as each employeegains in experience and knowledge theLibrary system, as a whole, is improved.Staff members are urged to take advan-tage of these opportunities.

Note: The Wharton Schoolis conductinga survey to learn more about the trainingneeds ofits employees. Ifyou workat theWharton School and would like to takepart in the survey, please contact theAssistant Director of Personnel Jacque-line M. Schreyer.

New Employee OrientationProgram Underway

The University is a big place and,at first, it can be confusing to newemployees, especially those who havenever before worked in an academicenvironment. To acquaint new staffmembers with the University and itshistory, to help them understand theirrole and how that role fits into thecommunity, the Office of PersonnelRelations is preparing an orientationprogram for A-i and A-3 staff. (Thisprogram does not include the faculty,who have their own orientation in Sep-tember.)

The program will be in severalparts. Beginning with welcoming re-marks from the orientation leader, it willinclude a slide show, an orientationpacket and, when appropriate, guestspeakers. The slide presentation willacquaint new employees with the his-tory of the University, some of ournotable achievements, famous alumniand faculty, the physical layout of thecampus, the administrative and aca-demic structure, plans for the future,and it will instruct them about where togo for help with certain problems. Theorientation packet is made up of maps,information about various Universitybenefits and options such as the guar-anteed mortgage plan, staff scholar-ships, community interest groups, re-creational facilities, the University'scredit union, and other helpful informa-tion. After the slide show, the orienta-tion leader will discuss the packet andanswer questions of a general nature.

We expect that all those who attendthe orientation will already have re-ceived individual benefits counselling.(continued on page 4)

Something on Your Mind?

If you have questions, comments,notices, or suggestions, send them to"Something on Your Mind?" Allinquiries and remarks sent to 737Franklin Building will be kept confi-dential. Comments or questions ofsufficiently broad interest will beprinted in this column.

Question: I have applied for a joboutside the University and want toknow if my future employer will begiven a copy of my recent perfor-mance review form?

Answer: Your performance reviewform will not be released to anyoneoutside the University. Since youhaveyour own copy ofthe review, youmay include it or not as part of yourresume, but that is entirely yourdecision.

Question: I like payday, but I don't likestanding in line to deposit my check.Is there some other way?

Answer: Yes, the University providesfor direct deposit of employee'spaychecks in the following localbanks: First Pennsylvania (S), GirardTrust, Provident National (S), CentralPenn National Bank, ContinentalTrust, Fidelity Philadelphia Trust (S),Industrial Valley Bank, HeritageBank, Mid-Atlantic National Bank,Bryn Mawr Trust Company, Sou-theast National Bank, Lincoln Bank(5), and Germantown Savings Bank.Banks designated with an (S)willalsoacceptdirectdepositstosavingsaccounts.

Tohaveyourpaycheckdepositedinany of the above banks, send a letterto the Manager, Payroll Section,Franklin Building. You must include:(1) your name, (2) social securitynumber, (3) the date you wish tobegin direct deposit, (4) the name ofthe bank, (5) your bank accountnumber and whether the account isfor checking or saving. You must signyour letter. When the Universitydeposits your checks directly, youwill receive a "payroll advice" sliptelling you the amount deposited toyour account.

Comments Needed on A-iPerformance Reviews

Most of the performance reviews ofadministrative staff have been com-pleted or will be finished before De-cember 22. A number of supervisorystaff members and, in some cases,entire departments have seen an orien-tation film depicting a performancereview in progress. If you have not yetseen this videotape, showings for indi-viduals or groups can still be arranged.

One of the purposes of the perfor-mance reviews, as demonstrated by thefilm, is to provide an occasion forconstructive and meaningful dialoguebetween administrative staff membersand their supervisors; another is toclarify job responsibilities. This inter-view is an opportunity to discuss openlythose concerns which too often may beleft unsaid. The desired goal is a betterunderstanding of strengths and weak-nesses which, it is hoped, will lead tomore satisfying and productive perfor-mance.

The staff of the Office of PersonnelRelations welcomes the comments ofthose of you who have participated inthese performance reviews. We urgeyou to send your suggestions forimprovements in the form or in theprocedure while the experience is stillfresh. Please send your comments toDirector of Personnel PlanningDouglas Dickson, 737 FranklinBuilding.

Henry Bennett Retires after 49 Years

Henry Bennett joined the University in 1930 as an employee of the HenryPhipps Institute, later part of the Department of Human Genetics in the School ofMedicine. After almost half a century as a mechanic and jack-of-all-trades, Mr.Bennett will retire at the end of this month.

The Department of Human Genetics held a dinner party in Mr. Bennett's honorat the Faculty Club on the first of December where, as an expression of how theywill miss his talents, his colleagues gave him an award engraved as follows:

Fixable or not, Henry will fix it.Feasible or not, Henry will build it.

More than fifty people, among them the dean of the Medical School, came toexpress their appreciation for Mr. Bennett's years of outstanding service. Mr.Bennett plans to spend his retirement years enjoying his large record collectionand working in his carpentry shop.

Some of the staff members from the StudentFinancial Aid Office watching the perfor-mance review film.

Safety and Security Sessions Will Be Held on December 14 and 15It has become increasingly difficult to say with conviction that crime is

something that happens to other people. Yet there are measures we can take at theUniversity to make life safer. To improve these safety measures and to make usaware of the importance of our personal involvement in preventing crimes, theDepartment of Public Safety will hold four safety awareness sessions this month.Representatives of the Department will discuss home, office, and street safety tipsand will give information about available University and community securityresources. The University cares about your safety and the security of your office.We urge you to attend one of these important briefings:Thursday, December 14 11 a.m. to noon-C-18 Stiteler Hall

1 p.m. to 2 p.m.-200 College Hall11 a.m. to noon-C-18 Stiteler Hall1 p.m. to 2 p.m.-200 College Hall

Friday, December 15

IV

(continued from page 3)

One of the purposes of the program isto make new staff members aware of therange of possibilities at the University;another is to guide them in seeking helpfor any job-related problems which mayoccur.

Scheduled to be held in HoustonHall once a month, the program willtake about forty-five minutes. Supervi-sors will be asked to arrange for theattendance of their new employees.Since the orientation program has notyet been completed in its final form,Director of Personnel and Labor Rela-tions George Budd welcomes anywritten comments or suggestions aboutits contents.