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Accident Reporting

Copying

Mail   

Paychecks

Statement on Sexual Harassment

Holidays/Vacation

Graduate Assistant Insurance

A. Office space

Upon entering the Graduate Program in Neuroscience, students will have space in the student office in D694 Mayo Building. Keys for this room, as well as for the Program's utility/copy room, will be distributed by the Program Administrator. Students are expected to keep the student office clean. A refrigerator is provided for storing food and beverages. Care should be taken to keep the carpets, chairs, etc. in good condition. Please recycle office paper, bottles, cans, and newspapers in the bins provided by the University.

Upon completion of the first year, the desks and room should be cleaned and all keys should be returned to the Program office.

B. Accident Reporting

Accidents or injuries that are work related or occur on University property are covered by either State of MN Workers Compensation Plan or liability insurance. All injuries should be treated without delay (see guidelines below) and must be reported to both the department in which the student is currently working and the victim's immediate supervisor as soon as possible (within 24 hours).

1. For an ambulatory victim; render first aid and have the person seek medical treatment at the emergency room at University Hospitals. If the victim is a student and has purchased University Health Insurance as indicated on their fee statement, he or she may go to Boynton Health Service. After hours, these individuals should also go to the emergency room at University Hospitals.

2. For a serious or life-threatening injury, call Emergency 911.

3. All work-related accidents must be reported to the department's Safety Officer as soon as possible so that a "First Report of Injury" form can be filled out. If this report is not received by the University's Personnel Department within 7 days, the department will
be fined.

C. Copying

First-year students may use the copy machine which is located near the Graduate Program office area. After a permanent adviser has been chosen, students should discuss the procedure to be used in the adviser's department.

D. Mail

First-year students will have mailboxes in the Neuroscience Department mailroom (6-145 Jackson Hall). Mail is delivered once daily. Outgoing and campus mailboxes are in the mailroom. Personal mail must have postage affixed. U.S mail should be in the box by 4:00 to go out that day. There is a U.S. Post Office in Coffman Union.

E. Paychecks

Students will be on biweekly payroll and will receive paychecks every two weeks (26 checks per year). If the payday occurs on a weekend or holiday, checks will be in the department office the preceding Friday. Checks can be picked up after 12:00 noon. Students who want to have checks directly deposited into their bank account should obtain a form from the office. Direct deposit is more secure and more efficient, and it is strongly encouraged.

F. Statement on Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is against the law. It is prohibited by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and by the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Sexual harassment is broadly defined to include behavior that is not considered overtly sexual. Although not specifically prohibited, consenting sexual relationships between faculty and student, or supervisor and employee, are actively discouraged. The University of Minnesota has had a strongly enforced policy on sexual harassment since 1981, and encourages the reporting of violations. Call 624-9547 for additional information.

G. Vacation/Holidays

Working toward a Ph.D. is a full-time job. Graduate students receive no paid vacation. However, they do receive paid official university holidays (such as Dec. 23, Dec. 24, July 4, etc.). Any other time off will have to be negotiated with the adviser, and students will be expected to make up the time taken off.

H. Graduate Assistant Insurance

Students who choose to receive the health coverage provided by the University will be covered by the Graduate Assistant Insurance Plan (currently under a Blue Cross Blue Shield policy). This coverage is administered through the Graduate Assistant Insurance Office (GAIO) at 625-6936. Coverage for dependents is also available. A word of warning: after students graduate, they must contact the GAIO to cancel their insurance. Otherwise the office may continue to bill for coverage after the graduation date.

Details are available at www.bhs.umn.edu/insurance/graduate/, and a summary of the Graduate Assistant Health Insurance Plan Coverage is available at www.bhs.umn.edu/insurance/graduate/downloads/
GAPlanSummary.pdf