I.  Introduction

This handbook has been developed in consultation with professorial faculty and Faculty Research Assistants in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology in order to provide an orientation for those new to the department and to serve as an ongoing reference throughout employment.  

A.  General Information  

      The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology (BPP) consists of approximately 50 faculty members, 60 research and classified staff members, 60 graduate students, and 25 undergraduate majors in botany. The faculty represents a broad spectrum of research and teaching interests and includes several scientists from federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).    

     The department participates in several interdisciplinary teaching and research programs including the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, the Environmental Sciences Undergraduate and Graduate Programs, and the Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology.

      The department is housed at the northwest side of campus in Cordley Hall. The departmental offices, mailroom, seminar, and coffee room are all located in the southwest wing of the building.

      The department office is open from 7:45 a.m - 12.00noon and 1:00 - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The staff can answer most questions that you might have, or help you find the answers. Hot water for drinks is available in the seminar/coffee room. Microwaves are available in the kitchen located off the coffee room.  

1. Support Staff

      a.  Cordley Hall  

      Dianne Simpson (2082A), BPP office manager, is responsible for oversight of all departmental administrative services.  She also is the Chairperson’s administrative assistant and handles all academic program matters, the graduate program  (scheduling of classes, catalogs etc.).

      Katie Remiyac (2082), personnel specialist, manages and processes all academic personnel appointments, Visas, affirmative action and recruitments, and personnel activity (PAR) forms.

      _________ (2064), departmental receptionist, is responsible for handling mail, travel requests and reimbursements, equipment and supplies inventory, telephone service, arranging equipment and building repairs through Facilities Services, and time sheets.

      Itsue Pfund (2066A), department accountant, is responsible for budgets, department state accounts, foundation accounts, bills for services, and oversees all fiscal matters.   

      Barbie Gee (2066), grants and contracts, is responsible for Grant and Contract Accounts, Accounts Payable, personal and petty cash reimbursements.

      Blaine Baker (2065), is responsible for ordering supplies and equipment, paying invoices, disposition of surplus property, equipment and supplies inventory, and arranging equipment and building repairs through Facilities Services. Blaine is the department's research technician, and also serves as our
Safety Officer.

      Two members of the support staff, Aaron Henderson (manager) and Tony Wutzke , are located at the Botany and Plant Pathology Field Lab. The field laboratory (across the Willamette River on Highway 34 east) is an experimental laboratory set aside for faculty, research staff, and graduate students to conduct field research.  

      b.  Oregon State University  

      Support staff and contact  information for all University programs, departments, and facilities are listed in the OSU website. Key Requests, After Hour Permits, Computer Authorization Access, and Motorpool Authorization forms are available through the BPP Main Office (Cordley 2064, see section I.A.2.f.).  

2.  Department and University Procedures

      a.  Safety

The Safety Procedures Handbook for OSU gives general safety procedures and rules.  The Department has several copies, one in the department office and another with the Safety Representative (Blaine Baker) for the department.  Each employee will receive a form which is to be signed by the individual and their immediate supervisor, and returned to the Personnel Specialist (Katie Remiyak ), stating that they have read the emergency procedures and the safety rules applicable to their particular job.  The form is retained in your personnel records and one copy sent to the University Environmental Health and Safety Office (7-2273).

If you have questions about safety, check first with your supervisor, and then if necessary, contact the work safety representative and or the Environmental Health and Safety Officer.  Problems or questions relating to radioactive material should be directed to the Radiation Safety Office (7-2227).  

      The department attempts to maintain a safe working environment. There are several steps which you can follow that will help to ensure a safe workplace.  

      1.   Know the safety rules. The Safety Handbook is kept in the main office, Cordley 2064 and 2082.  

      2.   Use protective devices such as eye shields, rubber gloves, plastic aprons, etc.  

      3.   Do not eat or drink in the laboratory.  

      4.   Your supervisor should have a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on file for each chemical that you use. You are required, by University Policy, to read the MSDS so you will know of potential hazards and how to safely handle the chemical. If you cannot locate a particular MSDS, see the department Safety Officer. The Merck Index, 9th ed. (1976) is also a good source of information about chemicals.   Information can also be obtained from the Environmental Health and Safety Office web page (http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ehs/).

           Chemical suppliers will also provide MSDS on request.  

     5.   Know the first-aid that might become necessary. Also, know the location of first-aid kits in your laboratory. For emergency help, Al Soeldner (7-5645, Cordley 1073) has had emergency medical technician training.  

      6.   Know how to dispose of chemicals and plant pathogens safely. The department Safety Officer (Blaine Baker, 7-5265, Cordley 2065) can provide disposal information for broken glass, recyclables, chemicals and sharps. The University's Office of Environmental Health and Safety (7-4921) can also answer questions

           (http://www.orst.edu/dept/ehs).  

      Any accident resulting in injury must be reported to the State Accident Industrial Fund (SAIF) within 24 hours.  In the case of injuries requiring admission to a hospital, the report must be made within 8 hours. Notify your supervisor immediately after any accident and see the department personnel specialist for necessary forms.  These forms must be submitted through the department.  

      b.  Keys  

      Obtaining keys for any door in Cordley Hall and the Botany and Plant Pathology Field Lab is a three-step process. The first step is to stop in the main department office and fill out a request form. This form provides the information needed to complete the OSU Key Request. After obtaining the signature of your supervisor, the form is to be returned to the main office where an order will be typed, signed by the Chairperson, and then placed in the mailbox of the individual requesting the key(s). From here, you take the form to the Key Shop at 510 SW 15th St.  Each key issued will cost the recipient $5.00 (refundable deposit). After paying the designated amount, the key(s) can be picked up immediately. Photo ID is required. The fee paid for each key will be refunded when you return the key to the Key Shop. Keys may be returned directly to the Key Shop or placed in a green key envelope and sent through campus mail. A voucher will be issued to the original key holder, which can be cashed at the Kerr Administration Building.  Key Shop hours are 8:00 – 4:00 Monday through Friday (7-3565).  

      Many keys to BPP offices/labs in Cordley Hall will also open the Conference Rooms (1040, 3059, 4083), the Mailroom (2067), Seminar/ Coffee Room (2087), and Experiment Station Lab (2069). Check with the receptionist in the main office to learn which rooms will be accessed by your key.  Because Cordley Hall was built in two sections (old-west and new-east), there is a different outside door key for each section. If you need a building outside door key, be sure that the appropriate key is requested. Check with your supervisor if a greenhouse key should be obtained. If so, your supervisor should write a memo requesting the appropriate greenhouse key  Take this to Jim Erwin (greenhouse manager) in the East Greenhouse Main Office to obtain a key slip. Use of greenhouse facilities requires completion of a training class. Arrangements can be made with the greenhouse manager. Access to facilities at the Botany and Plant Pathology Field Laboratory, located one mile east of the Willamette River on Highway 34, can be made with the farm manager, Aaron Henderson (7-3435).  

      The department office has keys that may be checked out for short-term use. These keys must be returned as soon as your door is open. The only keys that may be signed out for an extended period of time are for the darkroom (see Blaine Baker), the microscope facility, and the McDonald Forest facility. Information about other keys may be obtained through the main office. The Biocomputing Lab (Cordley 3003) is on a time lock.  You must see Michael Rauscher, Network Administrator (Cordley 1004), to receive a combination for after hours use.    

      c.  Department Web Pages  

      Information about the department, including faculty, courses, the seminar program and much more, can be found at our web site  http://www.science.oregonstate.edu/bpp.  

      d.  Office Space  

      The department attempts to provide each Faculty Research Assistant with a desk in a shared office space containing a file cabinet and book shelves.  The amount of space available varies.  

      e.  Use of Telephone  

      There will be access to a shared telephone.  Telephones should be used for departmental business.  To make long distance calls, you need an authorization number obtained from your supervisor.  

      f.  Computer Accounts, Travel Reimbursement and Driver Authorization            

      Forms for these are located in the main office.  See the department receptionist for assistance.  

      Computer Accounts   Persons affiliated with BPP need to fill out a form for an account on the science server.  The forms are available in the central BPP office (2064) hanging on the counter to the left of the door when entering.  Completed forms should be signed by Dianne Simpson and placed in the computer support mailbox.  It usually takes 1-2 weeks to get the account, depending on BCC support workload.  Notice will be sent to the main office of the person's login password, which will be placed in the individual's mailbox.  The individual can change the password to one known only to him/herself when logging in for the first time.  

      Departmental Computer Support      Should you require computer assistance, e-mail helpdesk@science.oregonstate.edu  

      COSINe Computer Lab  Michael Rauscher oversees the system administration for the network computers.  All persons with accounts on the network machines are allowed access during the work day to the Computer Lab.  He can provide a key code for the electronic door lock so that users can enter the lab at any hour.  The computer lab contains 18 PC workstations, 2 laser printers (one may be color), 2 flatbed scanners, a slide scanner, a slide printer, and a video projector for teaching from PCs.  

       Dialing in to OSU  Contact COSine and they will provide instructions on how to set up your computer offsite.  You may want to consider getting a copy of the ORSTware CD-ROM, which contains helpful software, all staff/faculty can get this from the Valley Library circulation desk for a few dollars.