News from the Treasurer - Winter 2006

As the fall semester winds down, let's take a deep breath and prepare our thoughts and minds for the changes ahead. With the recent announcement of President Jischke's retirement from Purdue, it is an excellent time to reflect on all the successes we have achieved over the last few years. You should be proud of your contributions to those successes. This is certainly an exciting time for Purdue, and I thank you for the role you play in the success of this great University.

This edition of my e-newsletter shares information on several new initiatives in the Executive Vice President and Treasurer's area, explains how to get information on a few others, and provides an update on our Diversity Survey. I hope you find this information useful.

Sincerely,

Morgan R. Olsen
Executive Vice President and Treasurer

Contents

• Internship Program
• Pandemic Influenza Overview
• Data Access and Security
• Supplier Diversity Development
• Diversity Survey
• Lunch with the Treasurer

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EVP and Treasurer's Internship Program

The Executive Vice President and Treasurer's Internship Program was developed in 2005 to cultivate internship opportunities at Purdue for juniors, seniors and post-graduates from colleges and universities nationwide. The inaugural class of seven interns arrived in February 2006 and was assigned to the following departments: Internal Audit, Supplier Diversity Development, Business Management, ITaP and Human Resources. The fall internship class started August 28, 2006 and consists of three returning and four new interns assigned to Physical Facilities (Civil and Structural Engineering), Supplier Diversity Development, ITaP, the Comptroller's Office and Human Resources.

The program is led by the Human Resources Training and Development (HRTD) area with leadership from Bradley Jones. It is designed to augment the intern's current knowledge, skills and abilities with real-world work experience. It is hoped that when the interns graduate, they will be interested in regular employment with Purdue. For example, Kim Arnold of Roosevelt University, from the first group of interns, was recently hired in ITaP.

The program starts with a welcome and orientation held at the beginning of each semester. As the interns progress through the program, they are given opportunities to meet with senior leadership at Purdue on an informal basis to learn more about their Purdue responsibilities as well as potential career opportunities in their units. Several social functions also are planned for the interns. For example, interns experienced the homecoming football game and the musical Aida this fall. The internship experience culminates with a celebration meeting where the interns hone their presentation skills with a presentation to the Treasurer's senior staff. These presentations cover projects the interns have completed, lessons learned, skills acquired and the overall experience with Purdue University. One of our current interns is highlighted below.

Anthony Sharpe is currently working with Jesse Moore in Supplier Diversity Development. Anthony has an accounting degree from Purdue's Krannert School of Management. One of Anthony's major projects was to assist in organizing and planning a dinner championed by Trustee Mamon Powers and hosted by President Martin Jischke, which focused on uniting minority and women-owned businesses with purchasing agents at the University. Anthony has been actively involved with a Lafayette Chamber of Commerce committee working to build a vibrant business community that supports and sustains culturally and ethnically diverse firms within the greater Lafayette area. He also has been serving on the Lafayette Supplier Diversity Development Coalition, which is a group composed of buyers from the larger employers in the Lafayette area. Anthony will complete his internship in December.

Recruitment for this program is an on-going process utilizing all available means. Relationships have been built with over 150 colleges and universities nationwide, including historically black colleges and universities as well as colleges and universities belonging to the Native American and Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Starting in the spring, HRTD will begin making recruiting visits to campuses in the Midwest in an effort to make the Purdue program more visible.

To learn more, please visit the internship Web site, at:

http://www.purdue.edu/hr/Training/internship.htm

If your department is interested in hosting an intern, please contact Bradley Jones by phone at 49513, or via email at jones121@purdue.edu.

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Pandemic Influenza Overview

Pandemic Influenza (aka Avian Flu) has moved out of the public eye a bit in recent months.However, we are moving ahead with preparedness planning, as the experts continue to say that it's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when". This Pandemic Influenza Overview shares information that you need to know about Purdue's preparations, what you as an individual employee need to know and how you should prepare.

"We do no know whether avian influenza will transform into a human pandemic," says Carol Shelby, senior director of environmental health and public safety. "What we do know is that we need to prepare our university for an extended business disruption, with flexible plans that can be utilized in a number of different scenarios. The best way to ensure success is to engage staff and faculty from as many areas of the university as we can."

Purdue is preparing for a potential Avian Flu outbreak in a number of ways. First of all, a planning committee was formed and is being led by Carol Shelby and James Westman, director of the Purdue Student Health Center. The committee has been meeting since November 2005, and in February 2006 created six subcommittees charged with focusing on specific challenges. The subcommittees include:

• Student Services and Residence Hall Services, headed by Tom Paczolt, director of residence life for university residences, and Sandy Monroe, assistant vice president for student services.
• Academics and Research Continuity, led by Holly Schrank, professor of consumer sciences and retailing, and Peter Dunn, vice provost for research.
• Campus Health, led by James Westman and Sarah Sayger, clinical director of the Student Health Center.
• Safety and Security (including facilities and athletics), led by Carol Shelby.
• Business Continuation, led by Thomas Ganz, assistant director of employee relations and workplace policy.
• Communication and Education, led by Julie Rosa, director of Purdue Periodicals.

The committee work is on-going with a lot of effort targeted at ensuring that the University will be able to keep people informed in the event of an outbreak. There will be much more information to come. A training initiative will begin in early 2007 to engage the university community with help from the new Director of Campus Preparedness and Planning, Ron Wright.
There are several important tips to help you prepare for a potential pandemic:

• Check the Purdue Home Page link "avian flu update;" the most current information is available on this site.
• Sign up for updates at: http://news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/email.staff.html
• Prepare your workplace by identifying essential personnel and critical operations, and work with your business office and department leadership to prepare alternate methods to address these critical operations in the event that the campus is "closed" due to a pandemic.
• Prepare yourself at home, using the Center for Disease Control (CDC) checklists available at the CDC's website: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/ or the American Red Cross at : www.redcross.org
• Read information on preparation, prevention, vaccine development, flu shots and masks at:

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/html3month/2006/ PreventionPreparation.html

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Data Access and Security

As a Purdue employee, you may have access to a great deal of information about Purdue and its students and employees. Much of this data must be used and shared as part of your everyday responsibilities. However, the improper use of this data can expose personal information about members of the Purdue community and/or subject you personally to criminal and civil liability under the law.

Even employees who do not routinely handle sensitive or restricted data could jeopardize this information through their access privileges. The danger is that an intruder could use any employee's computer, along with access privileges such as a Career Account and password, to gain access to the network and Purdue resources. Once an intruder has found an "open window" into the Purdue network, it is possible that he could roam more freely looking for other, more valuable targets. ITaP and departmental IT organizations undertake a number of activities and precautions on behalf of Purdue computer users in order to safeguard University data. However, those groups alone cannot fully protect all University data. Every employee also must be part of Purdue's security solution.

There are a number of steps that all Purdue employees can take to safeguard properly University data. Employees should only access University data which they need to complete their job responsibilities. When those data are accessed, they should be handled in accordance with the University's Data Handling Requirements. These requirements address the precautions that should take place when handling the data in a particular classification. Purdue's Data Handling Requirements are available at:
http://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue/bestPractices/dataClass.cfm

In addition to following the Data Handling Requirements, employees should practice good computer security habits at work and at home. For instance, employees should always use strong passwords and keep them secret, never comply with requests for personal or other confidential information via email unless you initiate the contact, and never download software such as screensavers, games or other programs from unfamiliar or unverified sources. One of the most significant precautions is the use of anti-virus software. Even if your computer is maintained by a central support group, it is a good idea to check routinely that your anti-virus software is operational. Other best practices include never opening email attachments that you were not expecting and never opening files sent through an Instant Messaging or a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) program. Employees can learn about these and many more secure computing practices from the SecurePurdue website, at: http://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue/

Over the past year, Purdue has made very significant progress on the effort to decrease the storage and use of Social Security Numbers (SSNs), and to protect even more SSN data that must be maintained to meet the University's commitments with external entities such as the federal government. Through this work, the risk of exposure of SSN data has been reduced. This work, however, is not done and every Purdue employee must continue to be diligent to ensure that new risks are not introduced. Every time you create or store an electronic document that contains SSN information, re-confirm that maintaining SSN information is absolutely necessary. If not, remove it. As new documents, databases, and applications are developed, be sure that SSN information is included only when absolutely necessary. As you store electronic information, re-confirm that the storage method you are using is secure. Storing SSN information, even when necessary, to your "desktop" or other insecure storage is not acceptable. Additional advice on best practices for the handling of privileged information is available at: http://www.purdue.edu/securepurdue/standards/

There also are consequences for misuse of University data. The exposure of Purdue confidential information can seriously damage the University's reputation and now in some cases must under state law be reported to the Indiana Attorney General for investigation. Employees who improperly use University data or access credentials could be subject to discipline under University policy. In addition, Purdue employees also should remember that State and federal laws regarding the security of data are growing increasingly complex and, in some cases, increasingly punitive. Improper use of University data could subject an employee to personal criminal and civil liability under these laws.

The University takes the security of its data and the data entrusted to it by students and employees very seriously. Each of us must work daily to ensure that this trust is well placed. If you have questions regarding your intended use of University data, please consult your supervisor, University Data Steward, departmental IT contact or ITaP.

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Supplier Diversity Development

Jesse Moore joined the EVP/Treasurer's staff in February 2005 with the charge to institute an Office of Supplier Diversity Development (OSDD). Increasing diversity and becoming a more valuable resource for the state of Indiana are overarching goals of Purdue's strategic plan. Partnering effectively with a diverse supplier base is a key component of these goals.

Many minority and women-owned firms today are relatively small and newly founded, and have not had full access to the information needed to compete successfully for Purdue business and contracts. Simultaneously, many people responsible for purchasing decisions within Purdue are unfamiliar with these firms. The Office of Supplier Diversity Development works to raise awareness and improve understanding at both ends of potential business transactions at Purdue.

Purdue initiatives like the Office of Supplier Diversity Development and the many programs designed to promote academic success for minority students are not intended to assist only the minority participants targeted. They exist also to support the economic and social development of the State and nation. We know that students who graduate from Purdue are likely to become productive citizens, earn higher incomes, are more involved in their communities and send their children to college, which will perpetuate their success in future generations. Similar benefits will accrue with minority and women-owned firms that become successful. When these things happen, everyone benefits – not just the direct participants of these targeted programs.

As a member of the EVP/Treasurer's staff, you can assist the Office of Supplier Diversity Development and this initiative in the following ways:

• Become familiar with the goals and objectives of the OSDD
• Be a vocal supporter of supplier diversity in your work unit
• Refer diverse firms seeking to do business with Purdue to the OSDD
• Visit the OSDD Web site regularly and provide input on the content

To learn more, please visit the Supplier Diversity Development Web site at http://www.purdue.edu/supplierdiversity/ or contact Jesse Moore by phone at 43739 or email at jlmoore@purdue.edu

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Diversity Survey

Results are in from the Diversity Survey conducted this past summer in the Executive Vice President and Treasurer's (EVP/T) organization. The survey uncovered some positive themes as well as areas for improvement.

The survey's goal was to assess perspectives on diversity in the Treasurer's workforce. Nearly 50 percent of our employees completed the survey, so we have a good foundation of information. To validate the survey's results and flesh out the information provided by the numbers, Brenda Coulson, human resources director in Housing and Food Services and chair of the Treasurer's Diversity Task Force, and other members of the task force conducted interviews with 50 randomly-selected employees within the EVP/T organization. The results are summarized below:

Themes
The survey identified a number of positive trends, including:

• 90.2 % of survey respondents are aware of Purdue's emphasis on diversity
• 76.2 % of respondents feel welcome and comfortable in the Purdue community
• 74.2 % rate their Purdue job interview experience positively
• 77.4 % felt comfortable during the interview process

The survey also pointed out the need to do the following:

• Cultivate a more diverse workforce within work areas
• Improve the comfort level of individuals within their work environments.

Improvements have begun, more to do
"Positive steps are already underway," said Brenda Coulson. For example, to improve workforce diversity, Purdue is looking for recruitment partnership opportunities within our diverse communities. And, as a first step toward enhancing the work environment, more than 1,900 EVP/T staff members participated in multi-cultural awareness training this past spring. In addition, all EVP/T departments have incorporated diversity into their strategic plans and their new employee orientations.

"We've done some good things, and we have more that we want to accomplish," said Coulson. "It's a process." The survey showed that every demographic group among those in the Treasurer's area has points to be looked at more closely. The task force plans to work with minority organizations and EVP/T senior management to move forward in these matters.

Future initiatives of the task force include:

• Work with Executive Vice President and Treasurer Morgan Olsen and his senior staff to establish measurable goals in the areas of recruitment, retention, and follow-up on diversity survey results
• Visit minority organizations and traditionally minority congregations to provide education and training on how to apply and interview successfully for a job at Purdue
• Train EVP/T staff with administrative responsibility on effective ways to manage a diverse workforce
• Provide a venue for affinity groups to meet with Dr. Olsen
• Implement exit interviews throughout the EVP/T area, track trends and identify opportunities for improving the work environment
• Communicate and celebrate diversity efforts and events through Web sites, bulletin boards, brochures, and department newsletters
• Develop a mentor program for new staff
• Connect academic and administrative diversity efforts
• Provide continued support for the EVP/T internship program
• Conduct a follow-up diversity survey in early 2008

Next steps
"The Treasurer's area cares about people and the quality of their work environment and work life," said Coulson. "The efforts to date are the beginning of the process." Coulson emphasizes that activities will be ongoing. "You'll be asked to become engaged," she said.

The task force encourages everyone to provide ideas and feedback. To do so, visit the task force Web site at http://www.purdue.edu/treasurer/diversity.

Lunch with the Treasurer

Beginning this spring semester, I will be inviting staff from throughout the Treasurer’s organization to join me for lunch in one of our residence hall dining courts (my treat).

These informal lunches will be a chance for me to get to know more about you, share some of the things happening across Purdue, and hear first-hand about your activities, concerns and suggestions.

Earhart Dining Court	Ford Dining Court	Windsor Dining Court

Thank you sincerely for your continuing commitment to Purdue University and its mission and goals. Together, we are accomplishing great things. Best wishes for a joyous holiday season.

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