I. General

• How casual are Academy’s Casual Fridays? 

On a daily basis, we expect staff to maintain a “business casual” style (for more on this, please refer to Section XIII. A. Dress Code in the Academy Policy and Procedures Manual. For our purposes, this can include dress jeans, if worn within the context of the general business casual look. We “dress-down” (or often referred to as “plain casual”) on Fridays, in which jeans with more casual shirts and sneakers or leather sandals are allowed.  Flip flops (backless sandals) are not permitted any day of the week. 

Note: When high-profile stakeholders will be visiting the office, notices will go out to staff to alert them of the need to dress “up” (vs. business casual), and all staff need to “dress up,” regardless of the day of the week.

• What is the Academy’s “House Fund” and what does it cover?

The Academy’s House Fund was established as a means of having funds available to cover expenses not appropriate or able to be covered by our grants and contracts.  Expenses covered by the house fund typically include the following: welcome lunch for new staff members, flower arrangements sent to staff members who have lost a loved one, who are seriously ill, who have had a baby, etc., and sympathy cards. Also the House Fund pays for items (i.e. decorations, streamers, party-themed plates, utensils, table covers, etc.) that we use during our annual End-of-the-Year/Holiday celebration, annual Academy Retreat, and annual picnic events. It also covers candy, nuts and other snacks.
NOTE:  Coffee, water, and tea are not paid for out of house funds, but are rather covered out of our regular Academy funds. For more information, including options for how staff can submit these dues, please refer here. 

• What are “Kudos”?

Kudos are accolades given to staff that have gone above and beyond the requirements of their job to make a substantial contribution. Kudos are given via the Academy Hub channel and Program Operations meetings. All supervisors and staff are encouraged to highlight the outstanding work of their fellow workmates by linking them to the Academy Core Values.

• How can I attend Academy in-person trainings or access Academy eLearnings or webinars?

If you are interested in participating in a particular Academy training talk to your supervisor about timing and availability. You will need to register for the training, and registration requirements may be different between programs and for online classes. When attending, please keep the main audience for the training in mind and do not pull the training in a different direction to meet your personal needs.

• How do I request time off? 

All vacation time or days off needed must be pre-approved. Requests should be made as far in advance as possible. Academy employees must request all time off through the EmpCenter under “my time off” (located under ‘schedules’). Supervisors are also responsible for reviewing and responding timely to employee requests for time off.

All comments and correspondence in the system stay with your timesheet and are permanently associated with your requests. Please use proper business etiquette in all written correspondence (e.g. for time off requests) and discuss private matters in person or via email with your supervisor versus on your timesheets.

Procedures are different for exempt versus non-exempt (hourly) employees. For specifics related to your position (contact your supervisor with questions) refer to respective SDSURF Electronic Time & Attendance System Exempt Employee “Cheat Sheet” or SDSURF Electronic Time & Attendance System Non‐Exempt (Hourly) Employee “Cheat Sheet”

If approved, please notify any co-workers who might be affected by your absence and add your time off as an appointment on your Google Calendar so your vacation/leave time is reflected.

• What is the Academy policy on temporary or permanent worksite relocations for employees?

Temporary relocations of less than a month within the United States must be approved by one’s supervisor, in advance, in consultation with the Program Director/ Manager, to ensure job duties can be met and any additional costs to the project can be covered.

Employees who plan to relocate permanently (or temporarily for a period of one month or more) outside the county in which they were hired, regardless of work station (remote or on-site) must submit the Academy Staff Relocation Request Form to their supervisor in advance of their relocation with sufficient time to determine if job requirements can be met from the new location, review cost implications related to travel to meet job requirements/participate in All-Staff events, and SDSURF HR review. Please note that relocation to outside of the United States cannot be accommodated. 

• My staff or I work remotely, how can I sign a document/form needed for SDSURF?

SDSURF has approved the use of electronic signatures. Instead of needing to print hard copies to sign, Academy Performance Evaluations Forms and other SDSURF forms can be signed electronically. Then you can then email the executed document as an attachment to the appropriate individual. Once you and/or your staff have uploaded your own signature as "My Signature" in Adobe Acrobat you can use it repeatedly on your PDF docs requiring signatures. Refer to the Google Doc here for steps on how to set up a digital signature.  

• If I cannot log into the Academy Hub intranet site, what do I do?

First, make sure that you tried to log into Academy Hub with your SDSU email credentials.  If that does not work, one of the administrators can reset your password for you.  To start the process, please submit a Academy Hub Support Ticket via our Zoho system.

• Where do I get help if I have an issue with the Academy Hub site?

            Here are two ways to get support:

1. Check out our searchable Academy Hub User’s Guide for answers to your questions.

2. Get personal help via submitting a Academy Hub Support Ticket on the Zoho system. 

II. Facilities and Equipment

• How do I reserve and checkout equipment for a training, conference or other events?

Contact IT personnel by using the ticket system on Zoho and selecting Academy Equipment Request at https://desk.zoho.com/portal/sdsuapex/home. The Zoho Help Desk link is also included as a hyperlink in IT Staff’s email signatures.

• How do I set up my email account to let people know I will be out of the office?

When logged into your work Gmail account:                             

1. Click the Settings gear in Gmail (on the right side of the screen).

2. Select Settings from the menu that appears.

3. Make sure you are on the General tab.

4. Scroll down to find the “Vacation Responder” section and make sure “Vacation responder on” button is selected under Vacation responder.

5. Enter appropriate subject and message body text.

6. If you can, include approximate info on when you will be able to reply personally. An alternative contact or an alternative way of contacting you might also be appropriate.

7. Instead of needing to go back in to turn off the vacation responder, you can just have Gmail start and stop the auto-responder at preset dates by including the first day and last day you will be out of the office. 

• Who do I tell if there’s a problem with the physical facilities (e.g. a light that’s flickering in an office or training room, a sink that won’t drain)?

The Academy’s Facilities and Operations Manager, Freddy (email: jose.ramirez@sdsu.edu) will handle all issues relating to the Alvarado facility/ office buildings. Please e-mail all facility requests/repairs needed to him. Include as much information as necessary for him to submit a Work Order to SDSURF Facilities. This will allow for coordinated efforts with SDSURF Facilities staff in resolving issues/making necessary repairs in the most efficient and effective manner. For the Riverside site please contact Tiffany Griffith (tgriffith@sdsu.edu) regarding any facility issues and include as much information as possible so she can contact the appropriate person.  

• How can I log into the computer in the copy room in Alvarado to call up and print my document while I’m in the copy room rather than going back to my office? 

First log onto the computer using the password “F0und@tion” You will need to log into your work Gmail account and open Google Drive. Once there select what you want to print and send it to the printer. If you need help or are experiencing tech issues with this, please complete an IT ticket in Zoho.

• What should I do if I’m the last person to leave the office building? 

Please walk through to ensure all lights are off and exterior side doors are locked and bolted (including conference/training rooms, and main front exit door). At Alvarado Ste. 107 there is a red dot next to the door lock - the deadbolt needs to be aligned with the red dot to ensure the deadbolt is set. If you are leaving late, please be extra cautious and alert when walking to your car.

• If I want/need to print out a large sign or poster for a meeting or training, how do I do it?

There is an HP Plotter on-site at Alvarado that can be used for this purpose. 

Be sure to include the file to print (Adobe PDF or Microsoft Publisher works best)

III. Academy Templates and Documents

• What is an Academy IDP and where can I find the template?

• The Academy sees its staff as its most valuable resource and is committed to each employee’s growth and development. An ongoing, growth-focused collaboration between supervisor and employees begins with an annual IDP. 

• IDPs are to be developed with the goal of creating a blueprint for each Academy employee’s growth and success anchored in the needs of the employee, program, and Academy. 

• The IDP folder on the Drive here contains all the documents and instructional videos including the IDP Handbook. Please review the diagram on pg. 2 of the IDP Handbook which summarizes each step (including key action items) of the process for both the employee and supervisor and contains links to relevant materials for each step. Some links point to Google Doc files; others point to sections within the Handbook.

• The IDP Template (Google Doc) can be found here.

• IDPs are a continually evolving tool and should be reviewed and revised at minimum on a quarterly basis, and updated annually by September 30 for all Academy staff. It is expected that new staff will spend their first six months learning their jobs. If after that time, staff are ready to develop an IDP, please support this effort, knowing that they will not have Performance Evaluation goals to work with, but may have skills/knowledge related to their job functions that could be a focus for development. At this time, IDPs are not being done for Training Hosts or Student Workers. There is no requirement to store older versions over time.

• What is the Academy Writing Style Guide and where would I find it?

The intent of the Academy Writing Style Guide is to: provide consistency in the materials produced by the Academy in printed and electronic formats, assure a professional look for Academy products, and provide clear guidelines for subject matter experts, trainers and staff. It includes sections on overall style considerations, common punctuation errors and questions, frequently confused words and how to properly cite reference materials. The Academy Writing Style Guide is located here.

• How do I submit a concern or suggestion for consideration?

Staff can anonymously submit issues, comments, concerns, etc., via the online Academy Suggestion Box. These suggestions are reviewed weekly and addressed by the Academy's Leadership Team. A link to the online Academy Suggestion Box can be found here. 

• Where do I find the standard layouts for Academy flyers, reports, letterhead, business cards, email signatures, etc.?

To ensure you are accessing the most updated templates, please refer to the most recent Academy’s Marketing Materials: Marketing Branding Guide. Also, if you have questions regarding marketing or have created new Academy/Academy program materials that need approval, please contact our Academy Marketing Specialist, Rosana Marques (rmarques@sdsu.edu). Rosana Marques oversees the Academy’s marketing materials, promotional materials (digital and print) and social media presence and coordinates development with the LX/Web Design Team. 

• How do I complete an Annual Performance Evaluation for an employee I supervise and what forms do I use?

• Performance evaluations are completed annually in July for all employees including full-time and part-time employees, student assistants, R2R facilitators and training hosts. Performance evaluations are not done for unpaid interns or students who will be with the Academy less than six months. Evaluations are completed by each employee’s direct supervisor.

• Performance evaluations must be completed using the Self-Assessment Form (Google Doc) and the Performance Evaluation Form (fillable PDF). The Self-Assessment Form should be given to your employee to complete and then share with you, so information can be incorporated into the Performance Evaluation Form.  

• A performance evaluation meeting must be held with your employee to discuss and finalize the Performance Evaluation Form and then signed off by the employee, supervisor, Program/Division Manager and or Director (as applicable) and the Academy CEO. 

• Once signed off by the CEO, the final Performance Evaluation Form will be passed on to the Office Supervisor, Freddy. For internal records, Freddy will use a confidential Team Shared Drive for housing final Performance Evaluations that will be shared with HR once all staff Performance Evaluations (and Self-Assessment Form if requested) are completed.

• For additional information on the Performance Evaluation process, Merit Raises, etc. refer to the Academy Policy and Procedures Manual, Section V. Performance And Salary Review Procedures and Section III. Wages/Salary & Staff Travel Reimbursement Procedures.

IV. Travel and Reimbursements

• Travel Policy & Procedures

V. Hiring at the Academy

• I have a question that I am not sure is HR or Academy-related.

Feel free to reach out to Josh Law (jllaw@sdsu.edu) for any general HR question. If you are unsure contact Janice Yuwiler (jyuwiler@sdsu.edu) and she will help direct you.

• I have a general hiring question - whom do I ask?

For general hiring questions ask the Org Development Manager, Janice Yuwiler (jyuwiler@sdsu.edu)

• How do I create a new job position for my team or recruit for a vacated position on my team?

You will work closely with the Org Development Manager, Janice Yuwiler (jyuwiler@sdsu.edu) for all your hiring needs. To begin the hiring process consult the Overview of Hiring for Supervisors. 

• What is the difference between an internal and external recruitment?

Internal recruitments are listed on the SDSU Research Foundation internal job board, available only to existing employees. External recruitments are listed on the SDSURF Careers page, visible and searchable to the public. For information on creating internal recruitments, see the  Overview of Hiring for Supervisors.

• Can I apply for an open recruitment at the Academy?

Yes! Existing staff members are encouraged to apply to open positions. Please refer to Policy and Procedures Section I. B. Academy Protocol for Internal Staff Applicants. It includes relevant information on eligibility requirements for internal applicants, as well as, the procedure to follow prior to applying, when interviewing and if hired. 

• How will I know if I did not get selected to interview for an open position?

It is the responsibility of the supervisor to notify you at any point along the recruitment process if you are not selected to move forward.

• Is there a list of all Academy jobs/classifications?

Yes. Please see Academy Common Classifications and associated job titles.

• Where can I find my job description?

The Academy keeps general job descriptions on the Drive but each staff member is responsible for keeping the individual job description that they signed and turned in to HR when hired.

VI. SDSURF

• Whom do I contact at SDSURF for HR needs?

• Josh Law: jllaw@sdsu.edu           
  Any general HR questions related to SDSURF policies, culture, employee relations, and general employment partnership.

• Adrienne Van de Wielle: avandewielle@sdsu.edu OR SDSURFHumanResources@sdsu.edu                                                                   Front desk, Red ID assistance, employment verification, onboarding appointments, volunteers, daily parking passes, and general HR inquiries.

• J’Anna Howland: jhowland@sdsu.edu 

Health and retirement benefits information and any added value or employee discount program offered to employees.

• Payroll: SDSURFPayroll@sdsu.edu 

Payroll, W2, Workforce policy and best practices, final pay, timecard approval and troubleshooting, and check compensation questions or concerns.

• How many days will I be paid for Jury Duty? 

SDSURF policy and allows a maximum of ten (10) days of jury duty at one time.  Anything over ten (10) days will be on an unpaid basis. For more details, please refer to SDSURF Human Resources Jury Duty. 

• What do I do if I am injured while at work (on or off-site)? 

Notify your supervisor and call SDSURF Human Resources at (619) 594-3769 or (619) 594-4139 to report the injury. Refer to SDSURF Injured at Work and Workers Compensation for more information.