Below are explanations and clarifications of AEM departmental policies.
If you have any questions about any of the policies, and how they pertain to you, please speak to someone in the department office in 107 Akerman Hall.

Paychecks

Paydays are every other Wednesday. The gross amount of this payment will be half the normal amount as you will only be paid for one week on this payday. See one of the AEM Accounting Staff to have checks deposited directly into your bank account. If you are not signed up for direct deposit you can pick-up your paycheck in the main office in 107 Akerman Hall. If you are signed up for direct deposit you should print a copy of your pay statement online at http://www.hrss.umn.edu/ (from the Self Service Action list click on Pay Statement). You will need your Internet ID (X500) and password to logon to this application. If you need help with your ID or password, call (612) 301-4357. If you have questions about accessing your pay statement online, call the HRMS/Payroll Assistance Call Center at 625- 2016 or email Empolyee Self Service at ess@umn.edu

Student Identification "UCard"

Student ID "UCards" can be obtained at G22 Coffman Memorial Union from 8:00am-4:30pm weekdays or at the University Recreation Center from 11:00am-1:00pm and 4:00-6:00pm weekdays and on Saturdays from 11am-1pm. Additional information can be found at: http://www1.umn.edu/ucard/umtc/tchome.html .

Insurance

Insurance packets with enrollment forms can be obtained at the Graduate Assistant Insurance Office at Boynton Health Service. University regulations pertaining to the Graduate Assistant Medical Plan can be found at: http://www.bhs.umn.edu/insurance/graduate/index.htm. Questions pertaining to insurance should be directed to Graduate Assistant Insurance Office (GAIO) N-323 Boynton Health Service Phone 625-6936 J.

Student Hospitalization Insurance Form

You will be asked to provide insurance coverage information each semester you register. If you are taking the Graduate Student Health Insurance plan or have your own insurance coverage (through your parents, spouse etc.) you will need to check the option "Already have other coverage… ". You will need to complete the name of the insurance company, the policy number and the phone number of the insurance company. If you are enrolled in the Graduate Student Health Insurance plan here is the information you'll need: Name of Insurance Company: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Policy # is your Student ID number Insurance Company Telephone #: 651-662-5001 If you are registering for 6 or more credits and fail to provide the required information when registering, you will automatically be charged for the Student Health Insurance plan. Foreign Nationals are required to take University health insurance. If you don't enroll in the Graduate Student Health Insurance plan you will automatically be charged for the Student Health Insurance plan.

Keys/UCard Door Access and Building Security

Keys for Akerman Hall are checked out in the front office in the department office. Students who have access to research labs will have to have a permission slip signed by their faculty advisor or research PI before a key is issued. A $10 key deposit is required from each student. When students complete their degrees and/or leave the University and turn in all their keys, their deposit will be refunded.

The building doors are locked late in the evening after normal business hours and on weekends and holidays. Graduate students, staff, and faculty are issued keys that allow them access to the building at any time. No one should be admitted into the building after hours, who does not have a key. When entering or leaving the building after closing hours and on the weekends, doors should be shut and locked behind you. Offices and lab areas that students have access tos hould be locked at all times instead of being propped open. No one else should be allowed to use your key to gain entrace to the building, office or lab areas. If your building, office or lab keys are lost, it should be reported immediately to the department office. Lost keys pose a security risk. Having a key is a privilege, not a right and any violations could result in loss of key access privileges. Please see the following link for the access request form needed to obtain keys.

Key Authorization Request Form

Computer and Printer Policies:

All graduate students are entitled to open a departmental computer account. Application forms are available in the main office. Ray Muno will set up your account and can assist you with any problems that you may experience You can email problems with computers to problems@aem.umn.edu.

An AEM computer account is for appropriate educational/research use only. Misuse of this privilege will result in the computer account being closed. This includes, but is not limited to, distributing stolen software and e-mailing harassing or derogatory remarks to or about others. Users are not allowed to run services for other locations such as gopher or WWW servers or IRC boots, etc. Game playing is not encouraged and is only acceptable when it does not interfere with other usage of the machine. Users are not allowed to share their account with others. Please keep your password secret. Usage of AEM computer system is subject to monitoring by departmental staff.

All graduate students are given UCard access to 120 Akerman Hall, however, students must enter their ucard number online at http://www.aem.umn.edu/ucard before their ucard will work. The printer in room 120 is for general use by AEM students, graduate and undergraduate. Use of this printer should be limited to appropriate educational/research use only. It should not be used to print personal items or to print multiple copies of any document. In addition, it should not be used for large jobs such as manuals and other such output. All usage will be monitored and in the case of abuse, the service may be removed. Paper for the printer can be obtained in 107 Akerman Hall; however, please see Ray Muno for printer cartridges.

Remember that your departmental account is a privilege, not a right. If abused, it will be subject to closure.

For up to date information, consult http://www.aem.umn.edu/help. See appendix A for AEM Computing Guide

Faxing:

When sending a fax, a cover sheet must be filled out indicating the CUFS account number to be charged and, the report sheet, which prints after the fax is complete, should be retained for all faxes sent. A copy of these two documents should be left in the accounting office so they can accurately track each fax for billing purposes. The fax machine is reserved for official university business only. Personal fax service from the department is not allowable, unless it is an extenuating circumstance that has been approved by the Department Head, Associate Head, or Administrative Director. There is a Kinko's located at 612 Washington Avenue were you can send personal faxes or make personal copies.

Photocopying:

The department does not allow personal copies. It is recommended that individuals go to Kinko's or Copies on Campus, etc., to make personal copies. Teaching Assistants should only be copying material relevant to the course they are assigned to such as tests, handouts, homework, etc.

If a faculty member asks you, as their Research Assistant, to use the copy machine for a particular project, you should ask that they provide the appropriate code since individual faculty members are responsible for the copier code numbers on their research grants.

Thesis copying should be considered personal copying and should not be done on the Department copier. Use of the copier by students for their own personal coursework is not allowed.

Telephone Calls:

Long Distance Call record forms are available in the AEM main office. If there is a need for you to make a long distance call in connection with your work, a form will have to be filled out giving the necessary budget information.

University regulations state that,"University telephones shall not be used for personal long distance calls, unless charged to an individual's residential telephone or personal credit card. In addition, charges for personal calls from an off-campus phone through the operator to any University number or credit card are not allowed..."

If your graduate office is equipped with a telephone that is programmed for local calls only, the long-distance call should be made from a phone in the department office. If you are making the call for a research project, a form should be completed designating the appropriate CUFS's number to be charged. Any personal calls made by graduate students should be charged directly to a residential telephone or personal credit card.

Express Mail Service Guidelines (FedEx/UPS):

Graduate students who have university related express mail to be sent out should bring it in to the front office, no later than 3:30 p.m. to be sure that the office staff has time to prepare the appropriate documents.

Make sure complete mailing information is given, including a street address, a phone number to go on the express package, and a CUFS number to charge it to.

Personal express mail service from the Department is not allowable, unless it is an extenuating circumstance that has been approved by the Department Head, Associate Head, or Administrative Director.

Office Supplies:

Office supplies should be used for departmental purposes only. They are not for personal use. Please contact Director of Graduate Studies Assistant (DGSA) in the department office for supplies you may need.

Equipment:

University equipment should not be taken off campus unless there is a properly authorized equipment checkout form (1393 Form)completed and signed by the Department Head, Associate Head, or Administrative Director. You can obtain this form here.

University regulations state, "University equipment and services such as computers, copiers, facsimiles, machines, tools, and data networks accessing electronic mail and institutional, college, and departmental computer systems, should not be used for solicitation for purposes not authorized by the Board of Regents, one's sole monetary gain, personal data, or excessive personal messages."

Expense Reimbursement Forms:

Forms are available in the front office or online at the following link, for requesting reimbursement for items purchased with personal funds that will be used for departmental or a grant. Purchases using personal funds are subject to state tax, so use of a purchase order is recommended whenever possible.

These forms will serve to speed up the reimbursement process and will ensure that we have complete information for each payment. If you do purchase something that is needed and want to be reimbursed, you will need to provide a "detailed" receipt. A copy of a general credit card receipt with just the total listed is not allowable or acceptable under University policy. You will also need to submit a justification as to how the purchase was directly related to the account it is being charged to.

Bulletin Boards:

Notices of importance or for informational purposes, are posted on the bulletin boards located outside the department office.

Posting Policy: Announcements and other information can also be distributed in student mailboxes located in the main office. These notices, announcements, etc. should not be posted on windows, walls, pillars, doors, glass surfaces, elevators, or easels.

Signs and information not properly posted will be removed.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Payments:

Financial aid payments will be credited electronically to your individual student account. If your financial aid award is less than your account balance, you may pay the difference outright or choose to make installment payments. If your award is more than your account balance, you may have a check mailed to you, pick up a check or leave the credit balance in your account to pay for future charges.

It is important to remember that the planned registration you indicated on your financial aid notification must match your actual enrollment in order for your aid payment to be credited to your student account. The office of Student Financial Aid will adjust your aid amount accordingly and credit your student account in the next weekly disbursement.

You will be notified by mail of any aid payments not credited to your student account. These payments, along with any credit balance checks you requested to pick up, will be disbursed by Check Disbursement, 200 Fraser Hall. Specific disbursement dates and times will be mailed to you.

Contact the accounting office staff for any questions you may have.

Emergencies:

In case of emergency, dial 911 for police and ambulance assistance. After the police have been notified, please inform the Administrative Director or DGSA in the department office.

Employment:

Unless in extraordinary circumstances, a student may not earn salary in excess of 20 hours per week while attending school on a full-time basis.

Foreign students should remember that it is a good idea to maintain contact with the International Student and Scholars Office.

Office Space:

Office space is at a premium. The AEM Department, unlike many other departments on campus, strives to provide "sitting" space for all its graduate students. As such, all students must realize that the rooms they have been assigned to may reach capacity levels.

Students must remember to respect the space of others and not infringe upon that space by bringing in unnecessary items to store in the room. Items such as small refrigerators, microwaves and even desk lamps or fans, have not caused too much of a problem in the past. Therefore, they are allowed if it is feasible and it is agreeable with the other students in the room.

Furniture and other personal items should not be stored in the student offices or labs.

Room Scheduling for Exams or Other Needs:

Room schedules are located on the web at http://www.aem.umn.edu/info/calenders/.

Requests for scheduling a room for a student-related meeting, activity or exam, can be made by email to dept@aem.umn.edu. The AEM Library can be scheduled for final Ph.D. orals or when a larger room is needed. When not in use by faculty, room 227 can be used for student-related activities in the summer.

Mailboxes:

Student mailboxes located in 107 Akerman Hall have been provided as a courtesy to you and student organizations. Student mailboxes are identified by the first letter of the student's last name so there will undoubtedly be several students assigned to one box. Please be sure that you check your mailbox frequently and remove your mail.

Students should not have personal mail such as home utility bills, bank statements, credit card statements or the like, sent to this address. Rather, personal mail should be sent to a home address including packages. Continued disregard of this policy will result in mail being marked "return to sender".

Safety:

All graduate students, regardless of whether working in a lab or shop area, are required to go through safety training. Training is usually given during the first meeting of graduate students early in Fall semester.

If you were not present at the "First" meeting or have not had this training as yet, please contact the AEM department office to arrange for a time to take the training. Signed forms indicating that you have completed the training are required to be filed with the Department of Environmental Health and Safety here on campus and will also be entered into AEM databases.

*Even if you do not work in an experimental lab, you need to be aware of the safety precautions necessary in case you are ever assigned to one. Additional on-line safety courses are listed on the Department of Environmental Health and Safety website.*

Grievances:

You should first try to resolve student related grievances with the Director of Graduate Studies. If no resolution is reached at this level, you should notify the Associate Department Head and also the Departmental Grievance Officer. The University of Minnesota Board of Regents adopted a Student Grievance Policy on January 13, 1995.Graduate School Catalog for relevant information.

Hate Crimes:

The University of Minnesota is committed to providing equal educational access and opportunity to all persons without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, handicap, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

Acts of harassment based on an individual's race, religion, color, sex, national origin, handicap, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation will not be tolerated at the University of Minnesota.

Students who engage in such harassment may be charged under the Student Conduct Code, the Grievance Policy, or State or Federal Law.

Please report any such harassment to the University Police (612-624-2677), the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (612-624-9547), Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity (612-624-6073), or to the AEM Department Head (612-625-8000).

Sexual Harassment:

If you find yourself feeling uncomfortable about someone's behavior related to a sexual issue, you may be experiencing sexual harassment. If you are uncertain about whether what is happening to you constitutes sexual harassment, talk to someone you trust about the situation.

You have the right to pursue your education and conduct your job in an environment free from sexual harassment. The University's policies are intended to protect you against reprisals. The DGS, should be contacted first if you need to talk with someone and then, if necessary, you can discuss the problem with the Department Head. If you have any questions about sexual harassment, please call the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action at 612-624-9547. The Office is located in 419 Morrill Hall.

Additional information about the University's Sexual Harassment policy can be found here See also Graduate School Catalog for relevant information.

Student Conduct:

You are responsible for abiding by the Student Conduct Code, published in the Minnesota Daily on the first day of Fall Semester classes, or on the link preceding. The document is also available at the Office of Student Judicial Affairs, 16 Morrill Hall.Graduate School Catalog for relevant information.

No Smoking:

Minnesota has a Clean Indoor Air Act, which prohibits smoking inside public buildings except in designated smoking areas. All restaurants are required to have no-smoking sections; bars are not included under the provisions of this act.

Smoking is prohibited in all facilities of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus except for designated private residence hall rooms.

For detailed infomation about any University policies, see the policy Web site.

Last Modified: 2007-08-16 at 16:03:25 -- this is in International Standard Date and Time Notation