Susan Bass

Oversees the graduate program for the Entomology Department: Handles all student-related issues starting from admission through graduation and coordinates all course offering schedules; Manages wage payroll:  Initiates and processes all new hire forms and tracks status in Workday, relays information to managers when needed, processes pay budget changes  and separation/transfer forms, serves as timekeeper; monitor, entry, submission, and approver of time records to meet payroll deadlines, runs bi-weekly reports for time not entered or submitted and unapproved time, follows up with employees and managers; Coordinates Promotion and Tenure for the department and assists department committee: Schedules and attends committee meetings and ensures documents are provided to committee prior to meeting, works closely with faculty to gather materials and following guidelines set by the college and University, reviews documents to ensure dossiers are accurate and complete, sets internal deadlines, relays to faculty and committee, follows up to ensure deadlines are met, assigns faculty peer teaching reviews of courses, collects peer teaching reviews, and assembles SRTE results, specifically for promotion and tenure, attends meetings and trainings to stay current on Activity Insight and policy changes with Promotion and Tenure, assists faculty with questions regarding Activity Insight; Oversees the Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) projects for the department: works with faculty to initiate and coordinate submission of projects, submits research progress and termination reports online for faculty, contacts faculty regarding  progress on Grants and Hatch projects in and submits in the system, ensures all new faculty are on AES project by the end of their first year; completes necessary paperwork and submits to Research and Graduate Education office, works closely with staff in Research and Graduate Education to confirm percent assignments on projects, especially during project end dates, assists with disseminating information on AES or multi-state project to the the AES Office, assists in scheduling multi-state meetings including reserving conference room space, lodging, meals; Supports and serves on department committees; Assists with new faculty position searches: compiles applications and assists the search committee with coordinating interviews, arranging travel and prepares itineraries for visits, scheduling and reserving seminar locations, meals, lodging, meetings with personnel outside department and college, processes necessary reimbursement and paperwork; Oversees the Visiting Scholar and J-1 Scholar process for Department from initial contact until arrival: Initiates communications prior to arrival, including working with faculty for letter of invitations. Troubleshoots and answers questions as process begins with scholar, processes official documents into iStart and communicates with the International Scholars Global Programs Office, provides on-boarding assistance to International Scholars, including initiating University access accounts, completing forms for Affiliate Penn State IDs and answering general questions related to department or University processes and procedures.