Staff Information & Policies

Confidentiality

Due to the nature of their position, some staff will have access to confidential or proprietary information such as research, finance, payroll, technical data, etc. Such confidential and/or proprietary information should be kept confidential and not disclosed, used, or copied except as necessary to perform the duties of the position. Confidential information may be disclosed to other employees on a need-to-know basis and/or during the collaboration of assignments. The obligation to maintain confidentiality applies both during and after employment. If unsure as to whether certain information is confidential or proprietary, staff should consult with their supervisor or the ASC Human Resources Office.

Contact Lists

A faculty and staff contact list with names, office locations, and phone numbers is distributed by the Building Administrator each semester. Contact deborah.porter@asc.upenn.edu for the most recent list. The Annenberg website lists current staff, faculty, and graduate students, along with their photos and contact information.

Events

Most school events, such as colloquia and lectures, are open to the entire Annenberg community and staff are welcome to attend, provided that the event does not conflict with the operations or staffing of the staff member's department or work group (in some cases supervisor approval may be required). Invitations are sent via email and/or hardcopy, and most require an RSVP so that attendance can be tracked and the appropriate amount of food can be ordered. Staff attendance is encouraged and expected at convocation and graduation each year.​

The Annenberg School websites maintains a calendar of upcoming Annenberg School events.

Inclement Weather

Although the University normally never stops operating, emergencies such as severe weather conditions may sometimes result in the cancelation of classes and/or the full or partial closure of certain areas of the University. The University will announce a closing or other modification of work schedules through the emergency information number -- (215) 898-MELT — the Penn webpage and/or KYW News Radio (1060 AM). In addition, members of the Penn community can sign up for the UPenn Alert Emergency Notification System, which sends text message notification of university closings due to inclement weather, as well as police emergencies affecting the Penn campus. Even when Penn is officially closed due to an emergency, there are some essential services that must still be provided. Staff members in essential positions are still required to work as normally scheduled under these circumstances. If the university is open or has a delayed start and a staff member does not report for work, the absence must be charged to a full day's PTO, regardless of what time the university began operations.

When the Philadelphia County public schools are closed due to inclement weather but the university is open for business, the Penn Children’s Center provides snow day child care to the children of university faculty and staff. Children who attend school in other districts are also welcome on days that Philadelphia public schools are closed. Snow Day Child Care is available for children between 12 weeks and 12 years of age, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Children must be registered in advance in order to participate. To register, complete the online application and return it to the Penn Children’s Center. 

Kitchen/Coffee Area

The Main Office includes a kitchen area with coffee set-up for use by faculty, staff, students, and visitors. Coffee and tea are provided free of charge, and filtered hot and cold water is available via a dispenser located under the coffee machine. A full-size refrigerator and microwave are also provided. It is expected that all employees will be respectful of the kitchen area by cleaning up spills, disposing of trash and recycling properly, and not allowing old or expired items to linger in the refrigerator.

Logo

All uses of the Annenberg School logo must be cleared by the school’s Director of Communication. The Annenberg School's logo may never be recreated or reproduced in any form. For more information visit Penn Branding Standards.

Mail

Incoming

Most permanent ASC faculty and staff are provided with a mailbox, either individual or shared. Staff working on the first and second floors have a mailbox in the Main Office on the second floor, and staff working on the third and fourth floors have a mailbox in the third floor copy room. Mail is delivered to the school once a day and distributed to the appropriate mailbox. Mailboxes should be checked periodically throughout the day for new contents.

Delivered Packages

When a package arrives for a staff member an e-mail alert will be sent to the recipient from a member of the front office staff. The date the package arrived will be marked in black marker on the outside of the item. If the package is not picked up within one week recipients will be notified via e-mail again. However, due to space constraints packages should never be left for longer than one week without explanation to a member of the front office staff.​ All staff should ensure that they include their name when providing shipping information so that when packages are delivered front office staff can route them appropriately without needing to open the package to determine who it belongs to.

Outgoing

Bins are provided in the Main Office for outgoing domestic, international, and intramural mail. Please be sure to use the appropriate bin and attach a mailing account slip if necessary. When using business reply envelopes, the name of the individual to whom the envelope should be returned must be clearly written on the front of the envelope. When bulk mailing items, please call Mail Services at 8-8665 for pickup.

Express Mail

All express mail goes out through eShip@Penn, and staff who need to send express business mail must be added to the eShip network. Approved eShip carriers are FedEx, UPS, and DHL. Staff must complete the required shipping information and print the airbill. The front office will provide envelopes, boxes, and airbill pouches. If using the "other" option (a box or envelope that doesn't belong to the approved shipping agency), the package dimensions and weight must also be provided. Staff are responsible for calling the shipping agency for pickup, or taking the package(s) to the dropboxes at the corner of 36th and Walnut Streets, across from the Penn Bookstore.

Office Equipment

A photocopier that includes print, scan, and fax capabilities is located in the Main Office and is available for use by ASC staff for business purposes. There are also photocopiers/scanners on the third floor and in the library that are available for staff use. A large capacity shredder is located in the main office copy room for use in shredding all confidential materials. Careful thought should be given before disposing of or recycling documents that may contain the personal information of members of the Annenberg community, and shredding is highly recommended.

Office Supplies

The primary supply closet for most commonly needed office supplies is located across from the kitchen/coffee area. Pens, pencils, notepads, folders, post-its, etc. can be found in this closet. Annenberg letterhead, envelopes, mailing labels, and copy paper can be found in the cabinets in the main office copy room. For items not routinely stocked, staff should consult the Office Depot (Penn's preferred provider) online catalog, obtain supervisor approval for the order, and submit the request (and approval) to the receptionist via email.​

Records Storage

University Records maintains a records retention schedule detailing how long University documents need to be archived. Archive boxes are available from the main office administrative assistant. Prior to requesting a pick-up, call University Storage (215-898-9432) to see what the school’s next sequential box number is so that the box can be labeled. The customer number for the school is 154. Boxes being picked up must be labeled with the customer number and must include a list of the files contained in the box.

Sexual Misconduct Practices & Policies

To create and sustain a campus climate in which members of the University community are able to thrive and achieve their full potential, the University has established a wide range of policies, educational programs, resources, support, and reporting systems to respond to complaints of sexual misconduct made against members of the Penn community. Please review Penn's policies and procedures here.

Telephone & Voicemail

The primary phone number for the School is 898-7041. Calls are screened by a work-study student or a member of the front office staff and transferred appropriately. All ASC staff have a telephone extension assigned to them for business use, along with access to the University’s voicemail system. Click here for information regarding voicemail features and setting options. To report a telephone problem contact the Building Administrator.

Visitors

All staff should acknowledge guests and visitors to the School and be courteous and helpful. Guests should remain in the front office waiting area and should not be permitted to access other areas of the office unsupervised. Visitors should be announced via telephone and asked to be seated in the waiting area or instructed to proceed to the appropriate office. If a staff member is expecting a visitor, they should alert the front office staff and be in their office and available at the appointment time. Staff should refrain from answering specific questions that are best answered by another administrative staff member. If the appropriate staff member is unavailable, explain to the visitor that they should come back or contact the staff member via telephone or e-mail. Provide the staff member’s contact information to the visitor as needed. As a courtesy, staff who often receive unscheduled visitors should advise front office staff when leaving the office in case visitors arrive during their absence.

Work Schedules

The administrative business hours of the school are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lunch hours are normally scheduled between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., and scheduled lunch hours should be kept consistent as much as possible. Working hours in excess of 35 is generally not permitted for non-exempt staff, but approval may be granted on occasion. Approval to work additional hours should be received from the supervisor ahead of time.

Staff are expected to arrive on time or in advance of their start time. Instances when late arrival is unavoidable must be communicated to the supervisor prior to the start time either by phone, email, or text (staff should consult with their supervisor to determine the preferred method).

Work-Study Students

Work-Study students are typically scheduled to be present in the main office during the majority of the work day. A schedule of their availability is provided each semester. Their duties include: making deliveries, copying, printing, errands, telephone coverage, stocking supplies, taking inventory, etc. All requests for work-study assistance should be submitted to Margie Chavez either in person or via email. Please indicate the nature of the request, when it needs to be completed, and the location of any materials to be processed or delivered.

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