Assistantship Responsibilities
Students on 1/2-time or full-time assistantships are expected to work on a similar basis for a minimum of 20 hours or 40 hours per week, respectively. These work requirements may include thesis research activities. Students on a ½-time assistantship are normally expected to enroll in a total of 12 credits of coursework and research during the fall and spring semester, except for doctoral students who have passed their comprehensive exam. Those students instead register for ABE 601 – Ph.D. Dissertation Full Time (0 Credits).
To allow for obtaining a broad base of experiences and professional growth, each graduate student is encouraged to seek involvement with the Advisor and/or Advisory/Dissertation committee members to gain teaching (classroom or extension) experiences as a part of the graduate education. This experience is expected for all Ph.D. candidates. In addition, each Ph.D. candidate should seek involvement with his/her Advisor to write and submit a research proposal for external funding. Each graduate student should discuss the opportunities for participation in teaching and proposal preparation with his/her Advisor and the Department Head.
The Test of Spoken English (TSE) is required of graduate students whose native language is not English before such students can be appointed to graduate teaching assistantships. Students who score less than 220 on the TSE will not be permitted to hold teaching assistantships.
Procedures for Resolution of Problems
Should problems, disagreements or conflicts arise between the graduate student and the advisor(s), as a first step, every effort should be made to resolve them with the advisor(s) first. If resolution cannot be achieved, Graduate Program Coordinator and Graduate Studies Committee Chair should be consulted to resolve the issue. The Graduate Program Coordinator and Graduate Committee Chair may also bring the Graduate Program Head (who is also the Department Head) into the process at that time. If the Graduate Program Head/Department Head is not involved in the step with the Graduate Program Coordinator and Graduate Committee Chair and if the resolution still could not be achieved at that time, as a next step, the issues should be brought up to the Graduate Program Head to address and resolve the issue(s). If the resolution still cannot be achieved, subsequent efforts to resolve the disagreement should be taken following GCAC-802 (Procedures for Resolution of Problems).
Work Related Injury
The University covers its employees with Worker's Compensation Insurance as a protection for injuries or illness compensable under the Pennsylvania Worker's Compensation Act.
An employee has an obligation to report any work-related injury, regardless of how minor, to his or her supervisor. The employee will be provided with a “Workers’ Compensation Employee Notification” form and a copy of the “Healthcare Provider Panel” list. Any treatment for the first 90 days from first treatment must come from a “Panel” provider in order to ensure that the University will pay for medical treatment. If the injury results in an immediate medical emergency, initial medical assistance may be obtained from a hospital or health care provider of the employee’s choice. However, subsequent treatment must be from a “Provider Panel” participant.
Additional information on this topic can be obtained from Workers Compensation at Penn State.
Health Insurance
The Student Insurance Office is responsible for administering two health insurance plans for graduate students. A graduate student who is on a Graduate Assistantship or Graduate Fellowship is automatically enrolled in the Penn State Graduate Assistant and Graduate Fellow Health Insurance Plan, and the Vision and Dental Plans, which also provides coverage for eligible dependents. Penn State will provide a subsidy of 80% of the annual premium cost for the graduate assistant or fellow and deduct the student’s 20% contribution from the monthly paycheck. Health insurance subsidy for eligible dependents is 70% of the annual premium expense. To enroll a spouse and/or dependents for Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits, graduate students must complete the “Online Dependent Enrollment Form" within the initial website listed below.
Graduate students not on an assistantship or fellowship may enroll in the Penn State Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan. All international students and their accompanying dependents (spouse and/or children) must have health insurance coverage. This may be fulfilled in one of two ways:
- Purchase the Penn State Student Accident and Illness Plan.
- Acquire a comparable health insurance plan and provide the University with documentation that provides proof of insurance by submitting a waiver application to the Student Insurance Office.
Further details regarding student health insurance are available at the University Health Services Office, 302 Student Health Center, phone 814-865-7467, or visit Health Insurance at Penn State.
Publication and Presentation
Publication and presentation of knowledge created through research is an essential experience in graduate education. Future employers in academia, government and industry use a student's publication and presentation records as important metrics in evaluating the quality of applicants. The experience and skills developed by preparing and submitting a manuscript, engaging in scholarly debate during the review process, and producing a polished final publication are important for a student's career. Similarly, the ability to provide a clear, accurate and compelling scholarly presentation will be needed throughout one's professional life. In addition, student and faculty productivity in publishing and presenting research results are important to the success of the department. Publication and/or presentation may also be a requirement associated with some sources of student funding.
To prepare graduate students for success in obtaining and excelling in future positions, it is expected that students will prepare and submit publications appropriate for their specific field of study. These may include peer-reviewed/refereed journal articles, conference papers or extension publications. Students are also expected to present their research at a conference or venue appropriate for their field. Specific expectations for number of publications and presentations will be established by the student, advisor and advisory/doctoral committee. For example, an M.S. student may be expected to submit 1-2 peer reviewed journal articles and provide 1 technical conference presentation. A Ph.D. student may be expected to submit 3-4 peer-reviewed journal articles and provide 1-2 conference presentations. Students should discuss expectations with their advisor at the start of the degree program and, once an advisory/doctoral committee is formed, discuss them again so that the expectations are clear. Expectations should be revisited at least yearly during committee meetings and be included in student’s progress reports. The student, advisor and the committee should establish and follow a research plan that will enable the student to achieve the publication and presentation goals. Students are also expected to support the publication process after graduation. This may include leading the preparation of new publications, aiding in the development of a response to reviewer comments, revising manuscripts and reviewing proofs. In the event that a student graduates having obtained publishable research but does not submit a publication on that research after a period of 6 months, the student’s advisor(s) and collaborator(s) may submit a manuscript based on, or that includes, the research. Authorship will be determined based on the level of effort and intellectual contributions of those involved. The student will be notified in writing of the intent to publish and authorship status. Reasonable expenses for publication of manuscripts based on theses (i.e. page charges) are considered legitimate departmental expenses and will be paid by the department. However, expenses for thesis preparation are considered personal expenses and must be paid by the student.
Research Data, Software, Designs and Manuscripts
All research data, patents, designs, computer software, creations, slides, pictures, reports, etc. obtained by graduate students on assistantship support are the property of the ABE Department. All research data and other requested materials must be submitted to the Advisor before the student leaves Penn State University. The student must also archive all research data using a university archive service such as ScholarSphere available at the university library. If any patents or copyrights are awarded to the inventions or designs of any graduate student’s thesis research, then both the student and Advisor are credited. They can receive a percentage of the profits or royalties realized from the patents or copyrights.
Professional Ethics
Penn State policy AC-47 sets forth statements of general standards of professional ethics to serve as a reminder of the variety of obligations assumed by all members of the academic community, including graduate students. The handling of inquiries into questions of ethics is covered in RA-10. RPG01 deals with the co-authorship of scholarly reports, papers, and publications. These policies are available on the Penn State Policies website.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts. Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others. Students should read and become familiar with The Pennsylvania State University Policies AC47 General Standards of Professional Ethics; AD67 Disclosure of Wrongful Conduct and Protection From Retaliation; and AD88 Code of Responsible Conduct.
Academic Integrity Guidelines for the College of Agricultural Sciences can be found at Academic Integrity.
A lack of knowledge or understanding of the University’s Academic Integrity policy and the types of actions it prohibits and/or requires does not excuse one from complying with the policy. Penn State and the College of Agricultural Sciences take violations of academic integrity very seriously. Faculty, alumni, staff and fellow students expect each student to uphold the University’s standards of academic integrity both in and outside of the classroom.
Disability Statement
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. If you have a disability-related need for reasonable accommodation in the ABENG graduate program, contact the Office for Disability Services (ODS) at 814-863-1807 (V/TTY). For further information regarding ODS, please visit the Office for Disability Services website.
In order to receive consideration for course accommodations, you must contact ODS and provide documentation (see the documentation guidelines). If the documentation supports the need for academic adjustments, ODS will provide a letter identifying appropriate academic adjustments. Please share this letter and discuss the adjustments with your instructor as early in the course as possible. You must contact ODS and request academic adjustment letters at the beginning of each semester.
Leave of Absence
A graduate student may request a leave of absence as described in Penn State policy GSAD-906 when they, or an immediate family member, experiences a significant life event that has the potential to disrupt progress towards the student’s degree. Significant life events may include, but are not limited to, illness/injury and recovery of the graduate student, illness/injury and recovery of an immediate family member requiring care by the graduate student, birth or adoption of a child and bereavement for the death of an immediate family member. Active-duty service members or activated reserve-component members of the U.S. Armed Forces and/or spouses/domestic partners of active-duty members or activated reserve-component members who are ordered by their military service to relocate or deploy and, as a result, are unable to complete a schedule of courses for a given semester may also request a leave of absence. In the case of foreseeable events (e.g., impending birth of a child), the student should inform their adviser and department head as soon as the circumstances and dates of needed leave are known. Three months of notice would be ideal. For unforeseeable events, notification should be made as soon as possible once the need arises. Please see full details included in policy GSAD-906.
Travel to Professional Meetings
The College of Agricultural Sciences Graduate Student Travel Awards are available to any registered full-time Graduate Student advised by our faculty (College or Inter-College major). These awards should be used for presenting original research at national or international meetings. Please note that either an oral or poster presentation is required to be eligible for these funds. One travel award per degree is allowed. Awards are limited to $500 for domestic travel and international travel. Each fulltime graduate student will be encouraged to attend additional ASABE meetings with this level of support when he/she is senior author of a paper that he/she is presenting. Support for graduate students 30 to attend other national professional meetings may be provided with the recommendation of the Advisor. Additional information is available through the College of Agricultural Sciences Travel Student Awards website.
Office and Key Assignments
Office space is assigned to graduate students on a space-available, priority basis; assignments are made by the Graduate Administrative Assistant. Priority of office space is generally given in the order of: 1) graduate students with assistantship support; 2) full-time graduate students without assistantship support; 3) full-time graduate students on provisional admittance; and 4) part-time graduate students.
Door keys will be assigned to graduate students by the Administrative Assistant; assigned keys will unlock doors to graduate student offices, conference rooms and common spaces. If a graduate student needs access to other facilities, an appropriate key will be assigned.
Graduate students must return keys assigned to them upon completion of their graduate program. Keys are not to be loaned to anyone and it is unlawful to duplicate them. Graduate office doors are to be kept locked whenever no one is present in the room.
Recycling
Each graduate student is expected to participate in recycling, per Policy AD34 University Recycling Program. Recycling Guidelines are posted on departmental bulletin boards.
Smoking
Smoking and the use of tobacco are prohibited in and on all University owned or leased properties, facilities, and vehicles. The policy includes all University locations. The following purposes are exempted:
- Research
- Cultural and religious uses
DEFINITION:
Smoking includes the burning of any type of lit pipe, cigar, cigarette, or any other smoking equipment, whether filled with tobacco or any other type of material. Tobacco is defined as all tobacco-derived or containing products, including and not limited to cigarettes (e.g., clove, bidis, kreteks, electronic cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos), hookah smoked products, pipes and oral tobacco (e.g., spit and spitless, smokeless, chew, snuff) and nasal tobacco. It also includes any product intended to mimic tobacco products, contain tobacco flavoring or deliver nicotine. Products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, when used for cessation, are not considered tobacco under Policy AD32.
Regulatory Compliance
Human Research Subjects. University policy requires institutional review and approval of all activities that involve using human subjects in research. A human subject is defined as an individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research obtains (1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2) identifiable private information. Contact the Office for Research Protections for more details.
Vertebrate Animals. Approval by the University's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is required prior to the involvement of a vertebrate animal in any University activity. This policy applies to non-human vertebrate animals, live or dead, and parts thereof, excluding established cell lines, biological fluids, and conventional foods. Contact the Office for Research Protections for more details.
Biohazardous Materials. All University research and teaching activities involving biohazardous materials shall be reviewed and approved by the University Biosafety Committee prior to the use of any such reagent. Included are carcinogens, toxins, infectious agents, recombinant DNA, and human body fluids or tissue. Contact the Office for Research Protections for more details.
Hazardous Materials. All hazardous materials must be properly handled, including proper waste disposal. Contact your Department representative (Jason Bechdel) before reaching out to the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.
Purchasing
Materials, supplies, equipment and travel required for conducting research contributing to a departmental research program will be supported by the department with state and federal funds and special grants.
All purchases made for extension, research, and teaching activities, whether related to thesis research or not, must be approved in advance by the Advisor and should be made using a Penn State Purchasing Card whenever practical. The policy of the department with respect to purchases is as follows:
- A graduate student must obtain approval of the Advisor before ordering or picking up material.
- The signed receipt must be attached to a yellow reconciliation form and submitted as soon as possible but no later than three working days to the Administrative Financial Assistant.
- These receipts are kept in file by the Administrative Financial Assistant to be checked against the monthly bills.
Supplies and Support Services
Requests for supplies and support services, especially including the assistance of Administrative Assistants and technicians, are to be channeled through the Advisor. Supplies and services are restricted to work in support of research activities with approval of the Advisor. However, expenses related to coursework and thesis preparation are considered personal expenses and must be paid by the student.
Graduate students are expected to write manuscripts for publication based on thesis or technical projects and to participate with faculty in the preparation of grant proposals. Related expenses are considered legitimate departmental expenses and, with Advisor approval, necessary supplies and support services will be made available.
Computers and Access Accounts
The department has a computer lab in room 309, Agricultural Engineering Building that is available for graduate student use. All lab computers are directly connected to the university network backbone for full Internet capabilities.
All students will be assigned an access account by the university. Account IDs and passwords can be obtained by showing proper identification (student ID) at any public computer laboratory on campus, which can be found at Teaching and Learning with Technology. The access account provides electronic mail support and other privileges. All computers in the department support electronic mail and Internet access programs.
Computers in rooms 309, Ag Engineering Building are available for coursework, research, and any university-related use. In addition, they can be used for professional development materials such as thesis, resumes, letters, etc. However, use of laser printers for personal use, including professional development items, will cost 10 cents per page, payable to the Administrative Coordinator.
No software may be placed on any departmental computer without permission of the computer systems manager and/or Advisor. Commercial software on these computers may not be copied at any time. Graduate students can be allocated storage space on a server by requesting it from the systems administrator with approval of your advisor. Personal files should be kept on a USB drive, since all personal files and unofficial software will be removed periodically.
Occasionally, instructors will reserve the computer lab for a particular class period. During these times, the class has priority on the lab computers. However, in many cases the instructor will allow use of open computers during that time. Please check with the instructor who reserved the lab if you desire to use a computer during that time.
Graduate students have access to the computer lab after regular work hours. It is the student’s responsibility to lock the doors in the computer room when leaving during the hours of 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. and during weekends and holidays.
ABE Engineering and Manufacturing Lab
Students are expected to fabricate experimental equipment needed for their thesis research if the equipment is not otherwise available. Students must follow all guidelines and policies. Please note the following:
- The Fabrication Lab is intended only for extension, research, and teaching activities.
- All graduate students must attend and satisfactorily complete workshops of instruction on the proper, safe use of facilities and tools. Upon completion of this course, the graduate student will be extended the privilege of Fabrication Lab access. See Fabrication Lab Supervisor for more details. Faculty and staff are expected to complete the workshops as well.
- Eye protection (safety spectacles or cover goggles) and disposable hearing protection are available free of charge to all graduate students upon their initial employment. This equipment is considered the property of the individual student. It is recommended that an individual wearing prescription glasses use the cover goggles on top of prescription glasses.
- Each graduate student shall use personal protective equipment when working with any of the tools, equipment, and facilities in the Fabrication Lab. Safety instructions, more specialized safety equipment, and reminders are mounted on or near the tools, equipment, and facilities. If there is ever any doubt concerning the safe, proper use of any of the tools, equipment, or facilities, please check with the Fabrication Lab Supervisor.
- A graduate student may not permit people outside the department to use any departmental equipment, facilities, or supplies.
- In cases of extensive or complex fabrication, personnel may help with the work, or the work may be contracted out. Use of personnel must be arranged by the Advisor in advance. Graduate students should not use general Lab supplies (steel, plastic, pipe, wood, etc.) without prior approval of the Fabrication Lab Supervisor and Advisor.
Use of University Vehicles
University vehicles are for official use only. Operators of university vehicles must abide by all highway laws. Special courtesy to other drivers should be exercised at all times, since one is representing the department, University and Commonwealth when driving a university vehicle. Only University students and employees may be passengers in university vehicles unless others have been authorized to participate in official business. An operator should check with the Department Head or the Advisor to determine whether a non-employee has been authorized to ride.
Requirements to operate university vehicles include that the drivers have a driver’s license that is valid in Pennsylvania and be an employee of the University. Only those graduate students who are receiving an assistantship, fellowship, or wages from Penn State are employees. Students operating University vehicles must check with the Fabrication Lab Supervisor concerning procedures for signing out vehicles, purchasing fuel, and maintaining vehicle records.
