Off-Campus Administrative Professionals

Tucked away on the CSU web pages are a number of work related and personal benefits and privelges. As an off-campus CSU employee, you may not be aware of some of the services available to you. The information that follows is far from complete, and you are encouraged to surf through the CSU web pages. Also, feel free to ask.

For administrative professionals, the Academic Faculty/ Administrative Professional Manual is located at (www.colostate.edu/orgs/FacultyCouncil/table.html). Administrative professionals received a paper copy of the manual at their time of employment and receive yearly revisions. If you did not receive a copy, contact Human Resource Services (970/491-4976). If you did not receive this past year's revisions (they typically are sent out at the beginning of August) contact the Faculty Council Office (970/491-5693). This manual is the best, most comprehensive source of an APs benefits and privileges as well as employee responsibilities. If you want to learn more about university policies and procedures, check out Master Index of General Information and University Manuals (www.colostate.edu/Admin).

Employee Identification is more a part of university life than a few years ago. Most common to all of us is the identification card. Off-campus employees might find a card useful when verifying employment with business contacts. You will need to send a digital photograph of yourself (*.jpg is best) to your on-campus support person, who can handle the rest. While an identification card may be helpful, an e-mail account and an e-identity are becoming an integral part of business life. At CSU the trend is the same and more and more services are being tied to an employee's e-identity (www.eid.colostate.edu). An e-identity is a unique employee identifier that is necessary for accessing a number of university systems. Soon after your appointment is finalized, log on to the 'eid' web site and follow the directions. An e-mail address may be provided to you through your department. If not, you can acquire a lamar (employee server) account when you complete the information for your e-identity. With a CSU e-identity and e-mail account, each afternoon you will receive "FYI" and other university announcements, travel reimbursements will be deposited to your bank account and documented by e-mail, you will have Distance User library privileges, and much more.

A helpful site on the CSU web is the Human Resource Services page (www.colostate.edu/Depts/HRS/). HRS publications and information, Training and Development opportunities, and current topics of interest are listed. Also on this page is a link to a summary of Employee Benefits providing information on medical and dental plans, leave policies, privileges, retirement plans, and more. Business and Financial Services (www.colostate.edu/Depts/BusFin) is a site to find business manuals and handbooks, forms, and Travel Information. The Travel Information page (www.colostate.edu/Depts/BusFin/travtoc.html) has a link to the Travel Manual and Guide to Travel Policies and Procedures, per diem rates, a currency converter, Diners Club account information (something many off-campus employees need when traveling), and more that each CSU employee should be familiar with.

COMMENT, the CSU faculty and staff newspaper is online (www.colostate.edu/Depts/PR/comment). The publication is distributed every Thursday during the academic year. You can place your name on the COMMENT listserv and receive a copy automatically or check the web pages for current and back issues. COMMENT features articles about employees, the university community and issues, addresses questions and concerns, lists events, and cites job announcements. Some of you may receive paper copies, but for current information, your best bet is to join the listserv. If you want to learn even more about CSU, check out www.colostate.edu/history.

The Morgan Library -- Just because you are not on campus does not mean that you cannot use Morgan Library resources. Off-campus employees are encouraged to become a Distance User (http://manta.library.colostate.edu/distance/). Books, journal articles, databases, and a number of other services are available. Books can be checked out and sent to off-campus employees. The rules of the library must be followed (i.e., books must be returned by due dates and when recalled), but the Library Services for Distance Users will do what they can to aid your library needs. Staff is available to answer your questions and aid your searches. If the CSU library does not have a particular book, a request can be made through Interlibrary Loan to borrow the book from another library. Need an article? The library has access to a number of electronic journals. This is one of those times that your e-identity number will gain you access to a great number of resources.

Need writing guidelines? Check out the Online Writing Center (writing.colostate.edu). Online guides help with everything from preparing speeches and presentations to library, internet and field research.

Academic Computing and Network Services (ACNS) provides a number of services to CSU employees (www.colostate.edu/services/ACNS/acns.html). ACNS consultants are available to help you with software and equipment questions, error messages, and some statistical consulting. With an account on LAMAR, different types of software on the ACNS UNIX systems are available (e.g., compilers, Editors/Word Processors, Electronic Mail/Bulletin Boards, a Graphic program, Mathematics, Statistical and Modeling Programs, and more).

Probably the most popular service the ACNS provides is the ability for CSU employees to purchase software for personal use at academic prices through Software Cellar. A list of items and costs is available on-line (http://softcell.colostate.edu/). You pay the academic price, plus Colorado State sales tax and a handling fee ($10.00). You will need to call the Software Cellar (970) 491-7625 to verify the total cost. Then just write a check and send a copy of your CSU Identification and your Driver's License. Software Cellar will mail the software directly to you.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a free and confidential counseling service open to all CSU employees. By calling 1-800-284-1819, employees can talk to trained staff members on questions about EAP services such as crisis counseling and referral to a counselor in your area. This benefit provides up to six free sessions for all CSU employees and their families. The benefit is available to employees throughout the state of Colorado and anywhere in the country. Eligible employees include any CSU employee who is receiving benefits. If you are unsure of your eligibility, call the Benefits Office of Human Resource Services at (970) 491-6737. EAP staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services and programs available through the EAP include: alcohol and drug abuse, chemical dependency in the family, significant relationship/marital concerns, emotional and mental health, job stress and burnout, family violence, eating disorders, family problems, work and career concerns.

One web site hopefully you will never need, but should be aware of is the Office of Equal Opportunity (www.colostate.edu/Depts/OEO). Here you will find information regarding the University's sexual harassment and discrimination policies and grievance procedures. On the positive side, this site also provides details for conducting fair hiring practices.

Need help planning an experimental design or analyzing and interpreting experimental results? General statistical advice for researchers is available through the Franklin A. Graybill Statistical Laboratory (www.stat.colostate.edu/statlab.html).

Planning to travel overseas? Check out the International Programs Faculty and Staff Resources page (www.international.colostate.edu/faculty/index.htm). From this page, you can retrieve information about travel resources, world facts (country profiles), travel links, passport and visa information, health and safety, and more.

The Division of Educational Outreach offers CSU employees a variety of formats to meet their working professional needs (http://www.csun.colostate.edu). The University allows off-campus and out-of-state employees to take academic credit courses through the Distance Learning -- Independent Study Program. Over the course of an academic year (summer, fall and spring semesters), full-time employees can take six semester credits, close to free of charge. The University contributes $160/unit, which covers the tuition for some courses. Access the necessary forms and instructions for faculty/staff at http://www.csun.colostate.edu/studentservices/reg_forms.htm). The dollars contributed by the university are taxable for courses taken beyond a baccalaureate degree. (Taxes are withheld from one check every semester.) You cannot use your privilege for non-credit courses. Correspondence, online, and telecourses are available (each course is different). Out-of-state employees cannot be formally enrolled in a degree program, but it is likely that these credits will transfer into a degree program. Certificate Courses include fun things like Applied Statistics and Natural Resources and the Environment. If you were to choose Natural Resources and the Environment, you would need to complete four courses from two groups of classes for a certificate.

In-state APs can also take classes at the University of Northern Colorado, University of Southern Colorado, and Fort Lewis College through a reciprocal study program. Contact the Benefits Office (970) 491-6737.

Have a question and you want a four-legged answer? Ask Cam-the-Ram (www.cam.colostate.edu). Cam knows all and when he doesn't he knows who on campus to ask. Questions can be anonymous or can be answered personally. If you want to read some of the questions, check out the site. Many of the questions and most of the answers are very interesting.

While you may work off-campus, you are an important part of the University community. You should never consider your job and your accomplishments any less than those of your colleagues on campus, and as such, you should keep in mind the Distinguished Administrative Professional Award. Nominations are accepted from about mid-August and close about mid-September. The awards are presented in November. The award recognizes outstanding teaching, research, outreach, and administrative contributions by administrative professionals with a cash gift. While you might feel silly nominating yourself, there is no reason you should not encourage others to do so, and help them prepare the required information.

Basically, part of your job is not to let campus folks forget you. That may mean calls and e-mails to "check-in" and to "check-out" what is going on. The CSU web site does not have all the answers. Ask for department/unit written guidelines and procedures for employees, ask for clarification on types of leaves available and reporting time away from work, and make friends with the Benefits Office staff. At CSU there are over1,600 administrative professionals. The best way to receive information is to ask and to let others know you are interested. A few other things to keep in mind, employee evaluations are required yearly for all CSU employees. Some departments perform the task at a specific time and others on hiring date anniversaries, whichever your department uses, be sure you are evaluated. Typically, evaluations are not bad news and are rewarding. They are a time to reacquaint your campus contact with what you do and how well you do it! They are also a time to politic for salary increases.

Two last web sites for those who have a need to wander and to look for greener pastures: www.colostate.edu/Dept/OEO/employ.htm for faculty and administrative professionals and www.hrs.colostate.edu/employment/classified.html for state classified.

10 September 2001

Contact the APC