Information for Departmental Postdoctoral Administrators
Upcoming Quarterly Postdoctoral Administrators Meetings, all 10-11:30 AM:
February 4, 2016 (Clark S360)
April 14, 2016 (Clark S360)
July 14, 2016 (Clark S360)
November 10, 2016
(room TBA)
Note: Slides from past meetings can be found on the Postdoc Admin Blog.
The Postdoc Admin Mentoring Group, a seasoned group of postdoc
administrators,
is now available to assist you with postdoc process, web forms, and policy questions. Submit your request for help via the Admin Mentoring Group web page.
PeopleSoft Project (PD Web Foms) | Appointing Postdoctoral Scholars | Forms and Forms Help | Pocket Guide to Postdoc Term Policy | Administrative Procedures Cheat Sheets (PeopleSoft Job Aides) | Postdoctoral Scholar Handbook | Postdoc Mentoring Guidelines | Faculty Quarterly Digest | Administrator Blog (memoranda and announcements) | Administrator Responsibilities
Postdoctoral scholar administration at Stanford is governed by the University’s policy on postdoctoral scholars, guidelines in the Postdoctoral Scholar Handbook, and other sets of standard business practices in place in order to meet internal and external regulations, including immigration for foreign scholars.
Postdoctoral Scholars are appointed at Stanford upon recommendation by a faculty member to the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs which reviews the appointment in accordance with policy and practice. The initiation of the paperwork is made by a Postdoctoral Administrator who must be trained in postdoctoral policy and procedure and is designated by his/her department to receive authority for that role. Departmental approval by the manager of the unit acting on behalf of the Department’s chair.
Appointment-related actions are paperless and are done online via the PeopleSoft Postdoc Web Forms: appointing a postdoc, extending an appointment, applying for a leave of absence, ending an appointment either on its stipulated term date or pre-maturely due to funding, progress or other reasons, changes in mentors or sponsor, changes in departmental affiliation and changes in funding, including any applicable adjustments on October 1. Please check the navigation bar to the right for links to the pages describing in detail various procedures for appointment-related actions, funding, visas and orientation of new postdocs in your department.
Administrator Responsibilities:
Department administrators who wish to handle postdoctoral scholar paperwork and other actions receive training by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and must be authorized by their departments to act in that role. Postdoctoral Administrators must have a working knowledge of visa and immigration regulations that impact their trainees. Postdoctoral Administrator responsibilities in departments and units include:
- Initiate appointments on behalf of faculty members, monitor upcoming renewals, process other related actions—all in adherence and by implementation of Stanford University policies and procedures as they pertain to postdoctoral scholars, payroll, grants and contracts and other applicable guidelines.
- Orientation of new scholars. Serving as a point of contact for postdocs during pre-arrival and transition to Stanford, and on an going basis as a resource for questions and for referral to other offices or staff as appropriate.
- Identify, or work with others in the unit, to identify required training for the scholars (such as health and safety training or payroll documentation) and monitor compliance.
- Ensure that postdocs in the administrator’s purview have current appointments, are funded at the appropriate level based on months/years of experience, and dvise faculty in advance in case of non-renewable appointments, and all matters related to postdoc policy, and prepare required documentation for review by the University if required. Maintain complete and accurate online or paper records of the postdocs under the administrator’s purview.
- Attend Quarterly Postdoctoral Administrator meetings to stay current on policy, procedural, programmatic and other administrative issues.
- Advocate for community and network building opportunities for postdocs in the unit, ranging from email distribution lists, to including postdocs in department functions, committees and other academic or social activities.