Department Policies

From Intranet

Contents 1 Welcome to the Plant Biology Department 2 The following services are offered by the Plant Biology Dept and/or Michigan State University 2.1 AUTOMOBILES-PERSONAL 2.2 BUILDING SECURITY 2.3 COMPUTER ROOM 2.4 CLASS ROOMS 2.5 CONFERENCE ROOMS 2.6 COPY MACHINES 2.7 E-MAIL 2.8 FAX MACHINE 2.9 GENERAL OFFICE ASSISTANCE 2.10 GRADUATE EMPLOYEES UNION 2.11 IDENTIFICATION (ID) CARDS 2.12 KEYS 2.13 MAIL SERVICE 2.14 NEWSLETTER 2.15 REFRIGERATION/MACHINE SHOP SERVICE 2.16 REPAIR SERVICES 2.17 SAFETY 2.18 SEMINARS 2.19 STUDENT AFFAIRS 2.20 VISA INFORMATION 2.21 RESEARCH BUDGET ASSISTANCE

Welcome to the Plant Biology Department

166 Plant Biology Building

East Lansing, MI 48824-1312

(517) 355-4683

www.plantbiology.msu.edu

Chairperson: Richard Triemer

Associate Chairperson: Andy Jarosz

Graduate Director: Alan Prather

Undergraduate Director: Diane Ebert-May

Business Manager: Tracey Barner

Tracey Barner	Business Manager	Rm. 166	353-9400	barner@msu.edu
Kasey Baldwin	Graduate Student Secretary	Rm. 138	432-4429	kbaldwin@msu.edu
Adam Goetschy	Refrigeration Mechanic	Rm. 10	353-7871	goetsch3@msu.edu
Jan McGowan	Accounting Clerk	Rm. 138	355-4681	jmcgowan@msu.edu
John Mugg	Greenhouse Manager		355-0229	muggjohn@msu.edu
Adelle Rigotti	Undergraduate Secretary	Rm. 166	353-4601	rigottia@msu.edu
Pete Nurenberg	Refrigeration Mechanic	Rm. 10	353-7871	nurenbe7@msu.edu
Bill Park	IT Coordinator	Rm. 137A	432-5939	plnthelp@msu.edu
Jan Szyren	Greenhouse Manager	Rm. 258	432-9194	szyrenja@msu.edu
Stacy LaClair	Secretary	Rm. 166	353-9560	laclair@msu.edu

The following services are offered by the Plant Biology Dept and/or Michigan State University

AUTOMOBILES-PERSONAL

Vehicle Registration: Regular faculty, staff and graduate assistants are required to register their personal vehicles to be allowed to park on campus. For new employees, car registration will be taken care of during the orientation session. Renewal registration may be handled on-line or by going to the Public Safety office with your car registration and proof of MSU employment (appointment papers or MSU ID card). If you need to drive a non-registered vehicle while yours is unavailable, you may go to the Public Safety Office and they will issue you a temporary permit. For questions see Adelle Rigotti or call Public Safety at 5-8440.

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BUILDING SECURITY

The building hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm. The building is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. If you need access to the building outside of the regular hours Stacy LaClair in the main office can arrange for you to have access via the BARF electronic entry system. It is against University security policy to allow access to the building by leaving a door unlocked.

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COMPUTER ROOM

Plant Biology Building Computer Facility: Plant Biology and PRL have a shared computer facility located in 137 Plant Biology. There is a wide array of software and computer equipment available for use by faculty, staff and students. The facility offers slide scanning equipment and printing, Mac and PC based software, color printing, poster printing, digital cameras and other computer equipment. A key is required for entry into room 137. These keys have a $5.00 deposit and can be obtained from Kasey Baldwin in room 138. For any computer repairs or problems please contact Bill @ plnthelp@msu.edu or 432-5939.

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CLASS ROOMS

Room’s 147, 151, 155 and 255 are scheduled by Kasey Baldwin in the Plant Biology Office. If you plan to use a room after 5:00 pm or on the weekend, please contact her prior to the date needed to allow time for notification to the MSU Physical Plant.

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CONFERENCE ROOMS

All conference rooms are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Adelle Rigotti either by e-mail rigottia@msu.edu or phone to reserve a room.

Room 148 Plant Biology – mid sized conference room that can accommodate up to 20 people.

Room 168 Plant Biology – large room that can accommodate up to 50 people. Please note that this room can be downsized by pulling the partition. The Department would like to encourage small groups to use the partition as this allows access to the mailboxes located in the south end of room 168. If you need the entire room, be sure to specify when making your reservation.

Herbarium Conference Room - small conference room that can accommodate up to 10 people.

All conference rooms are equipped with LCD projectors.

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COPY MACHINES

There are two photocopy machines in the Plant Biology Office. All faculty, staff, and students of the Plant Biology Department are assigned copy access numbers that will enable them to use the copy machine in room 142. Costs for research-related photocopies are charged to the account of the supervising professor. Costs for teaching photocopies are charged to the department.

Main Office: A small copy machine is located in the business office, room 138, and is to be used for general photocopying of a small amount (less than 12 pages).

Room 142 Plant Biology: Large copy jobs should be completed on this machine. If you wish, you may leave photocopying requests in the main office. We ask you you give a 24 hour notice if at all possible. Paper and supplies can also be obtained through the main office.

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E-MAIL

All faculty, regular staff members, and students of MSU are assigned an MSU Net ID and an e-mail account. Information about activating an account can be found at www.techbase.msu.edu. The office maintains a list serve of graduate students, research associates and faculty. If you would like something distributed to all students and faculty via this method, e-mail Adelle Rigotti at rigottia@msu.edu.

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FAX MACHINE

The fax machine in Room 166, is available for department use. The fax number is (517) 353-1926. Cover sheets are available in the office.

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GENERAL OFFICE ASSISTANCE

The Department employs at least two student employees in the Fall and Spring semesters. The students are available to run errands, do class copying, deliver packages, etc. If you need help from a student employee please contact the main office. Although we realize emergencies do happen, please provide as much notice as possible.

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GRADUATE EMPLOYEES UNION

For questions and/or information on the GEU see Kasey Baldwin.

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IDENTIFICATION (ID) CARDS

ID cards are needed to obtain building and parking access,to check books out of the University Library, to obtain discounts on University athletic events, and to utilize the intramural sports and recreational facilities. You will be issued an ID card at your university orientation meeting. If it is lost or stolen you may obtain a duplicate in the Administration Bldg., Rm 50.

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KEYS

Kasey Baldwin is responsible for issuing keys to faculty, staff, and students. A $5 refundable deposit is required for the Computer Lab.

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MAIL SERVICE

Faculty mail boxes are located in the hall outside of the main office. Graduate students have an individual mailbox in room 168. Each faculty laboratory has a mailbox in room 168 where all other mail is distributed, including research associates, lab technicians, etc.

Pre-stamped mail: Any mail, personal or business that has postage paid is picked up directly by U.S. mail carrier from the black mailbox hanging outside the plant biology office. It is usually picked up by 10:30am and does not go through the campus mail system.

Campus mail: Any mail that is directed to another department on campus can be sent via campus mail. It is picked up twice daily and must be in the mail basket by 8:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.

Federal Express: Anything sent via Federal Express needs to be in the Plant Biology Office Rm. 166 no later than 3:30 p.m. for same day pick-up. The necessary forms are in the mail room.

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NEWSLETTER

The Department distributes an electronic newsletter every semester. The newsletter is e-mailed to faculty, students, and staff, and also to all graduates of Plant Biology. It is a good resource for publishing lab positions, etc. If you wish to have something published in the newsletter please e-mail the information to Adelle Rigotti or leave it in the main office.

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REFRIGERATION/MACHINE SHOP SERVICE

The department shares two full time employees who are experienced refrigeration mechanics. The positions are jointly funded by all the departments in the building. They are available to repair all refrigeration systems (growth chambers, -80 freezers, ice makers etc). They can also help with repair of other lab equipment, lab set up, carpentry projects, and other similar tasks. The machine shop is located in room 10 in the basement of the Plant Biology Building.

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REPAIR SERVICES

Biochemistry Department Instrument Shop: The Biochemistry Instrument Shop specializes in repairing all types of scientific equipment either in their shop (room 15 Biochemistry) or on site. Phone 5-8500.

Non-University Repair by Equipment Vendor Service Departments: To have equipment repaired off campus, you will usually need to obtain a purchase order from Jan McGowan.

Physical Plant: The MSU Physical Plant offers a wide array of services including plumbing, electrical, painting, repairing equipment, etc. Ask Adelle Rigotti for details.

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SAFETY

Lab safety is the responsibility of the PI in the lab. Most of the necessary training for handling hazardous material is accessible on-line at the Office of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Safety. If an employee is working with recombinant DNA or radiation they must attend training sessions at the ORCBS office. Please contact ORCBS at 355-0153. Richard Allison (432-1548) is the Building Safety Representative. He will coordinate fire drills, disaster training and assist with other safety issues.

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SEMINARS

The Department has a joint seminar series with the Plant Research Lab. The seminars are held on Mondays at 4:10 pm in room 101 Biochemistry. The schedule is available on the Department web page. For questions contact Adelle Rigotti.

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STUDENT AFFAIRS

The Undergraduate/Graduate Secretary can provide assistance with the following:

Undergraduate: Drops and adds, course scheduling issues (over-rides), grades or grade changes, independent study forms and general information.

Graduate: Required forms for degree, processing appointment papers, funding opportunities, fellowship forms, and general information.

The Grad Student Secretary maintains all student files, processes Graduate Student applications and information requests, schedules classes, orders textbooks, and can provide information on current undergraduate enrollment and other general student information.

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VISA INFORMATION

Visas are employer issued and processed by the Plant Biology Department. For general information you can review the website of Office of International Students and Scholars. Each visa is specific in requirements, etc. Please contact Tracey Barner at barner@msu.edu before beginning the process.

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RESEARCH BUDGET ASSISTANCE

There are several resources available for development of research budgets. Janice McGowan is available at the departmental level. Her skills include budget development and use of the following systems: NSF Fastlane, Grants.gov, DOE forms, USDA forms, etc. Please provide Jan with the necessary information pertaining to your budget. Additional assistance is available from Tracey Barner, the Contract & Grant office and CNS Research Services Office.

Please remember that the Department often has several people with the same deadlines who require assistance, so please try to provide Jan as much time as possible for your budget preparation. Upon your approval Jan will submit your budget to CGA for final approval. The Contract and Grant Administrator is assigned by agency. The contact name, phone number and extension can be located at www.cga@msu.edu. The approved budget, budget justification, abstract and a completed transmittal form must be submitted to the CNS/MAES budget office 48 hours prior to requesting a signature. Arrangements for acquiring the appropriate signatures can be arranged by the office staff. A final copy of your entire grant should be provided to the office. Although Jan will monitor your accounts it is the responsibility of each PI to comply with all grant regulations.

CNS requires the RFP/RFA number from the funding agency to which you are applying. If you cannot locate the number, submit the announcement or solicitation from the funding agency along with your transmittal. Except in very unusual circumstances, the CNS Dean’s Office will NOT approve a request for a waiver of indirect costs unless the funding agency explicitly indicates that it will not provide overhead.