OPEnS Staff Expectations

As a staff member of the OPEnS Lab, you are expected to adhere to the following:

Lab Safety

There is no task in the OPEnS Lab that is more important or urgent than your safety. We expect all OPEnS Lab users, staff or visitors, to adhere to all Safety Protocols. It is your priority as a staff member to reinforce a culture of safety-centric practices, and to hold other staff and visitors accountable, with a friendly tone, if you see violations, even if unintentional.

All staff must complete this Safety Acknowledgement Form before starting work at the lab and are responsible for renewing any trainings that require them to do so. Emergency procedures are covered with the lab director as part of that process. Staff must adhere to the Machine Shop Rules and meet all expectations listed on the OPEnS Lab Safety Page. Staff are also expected to pass this Written Knowledge Survey on OPEnS safety with a 100% score (as many attempts can be taken as needed until a score of 100% is acquired).

Food and drink are only allowed in the lab on the south side (seated worksurfaces) of the middle stairway. Wash your hands prior to eating and drinking, especially if you have been soldering or working with chemicals.

Teamwork

OPEnS Lab is a dynamic melting pot of disciplines, experiences, and interests. You comprise an important piece of this community and we couldn’t imagine the OPEnS Lab without your contribution. If there is something you need to know or learn, there is often someone nearby who can point you to the way forward. You should also expect to be available in this manner for others. While you will likely have one or two projects of primary focus, you’ll help others team-lift aspects from different projects, and certain aspects of your project will be better off team-lifted as well. These transactions can be coordinated during weekly OPEnS Lab Team Meetings.

Likewise, being part of a lab superorganism, your demeanor and attitude can make a huge impact on our environment. We value positivity, constructive feedback, enthusiasm, and open communication. Realistically, life can be stressful and complicated. Oregon State offers a great many wellness, resilience, and counseling resources for students at CAPS and you’re encouraged to make use of them as needed.

Presence

You are expected to work at least 10 hours a week in order to make progress on your projects. We understand that you are at Oregon State first to be students, and classwork takes priority especially during exam time periods. Please communicate with Chet to brainstorm strategies for remaining effective if maintaining at least 10 hours per week will not be possible for an extended period of time or term. During normal operations, we expect you to be present for all of your scheduled hours unless you have spoken to Chet and Cara in advance about taking specific time off. Exceptions will be accepted for sickness, jury duty, travel, and other. If you are sick, you should alert Chet and Cara as soon as you know you will not be present at the lab for your scheduled hours.

You’re expected to attend weekly scheduled lab meetings. If you have a course conflict, you are expected to send Chet 140 characters or less explaining your project highlights for the week. These include accomplishments, barriers, and goals for the following week.

Project Management:

• Scheduling: Maintaining a consistent lab schedule and updated project timeline is fundamental to advancing your project. Take into account lead times for ordering parts and turning over PCBs.
• Project planning: Maintain your project timeline, specs table, Basecamp tasks, and documentation. Work with senior staff if you need additional direction beyond the below 30min director check-ins.
• Communication: The most important thing stakeholders express is being heard, understood, and integrated into the process. Bi-weekly correspondence to update project members and stakeholders are expected and appreciated. Updating the project Wiki should also take place at this time. Stakeholder correspondence and Wiki updates can be the same thing (send Wiki update link to Stakeholders bi-weekly).
• Portfolio: Your portfolio should include documentation relevant to your project and is detailed on the OPEnS Promotion Guide. This will be assessed upon submission for pay and title increases as you advance through your project.
• Transitions: Many projects occur over several years through several sets of students. You will be expected to inform the director of any expected absences (e.g. internships, graduation) as soon as possible to facilitate hiring replacement staff with enough buffer for you to train incoming staff. This is also another reason that complete and coherent documentation of project components is essential. Weekly Director Check-ins: Fill out beginning of term Doodle polls to schedule your 30min check ins with the director.
• Leaving the Lab: For graduation, other opportunities or circumstances, please notify the director as soon as possible (see Transitions above). Also be sure all OPEnS Lab equipment and components are promptly returned by the end of your last day to the Lab or project partner.

Purchasing

Staff members are expected to follow the OPEnS Ordering Guide when making any purchases. Ordering typically takes place once-per-week to increase efficiency and reduce shipping costs. Be mindful about when you need parts and order them well in advance to anticipate the ordering schedule.

Lab Resources

If tools or equipment are missing or not functional, please notify Cara immediately so they can get found, repaired, and/or replaced.

In order to keep the lab stocked and funded, resources used for projects need to be accounted and paid for.

• If you use lab stock for your project or use up consumables (e.g. solder wire, solder paste, 3D printer filament), please put replacement parts on the shopping list noting the associated project.
• All 3D printing and laser cutting must be scheduled and usage reported through our website. This ensures predictable access for staff, prevents interference with maintenance schedules, and ensures payment happens for materials and staff time.

Lab Maintenance

Think of our lab space like a professional kitchen. Please do your best to keep communal areas clean and to leave it better off than when you first started using it. Attend full lab cleaning sessions if possible and clean workstations when you are done using them. Your time here is but one period in a series of generations of students. Please use and maintain equipment to preserve it for the students who come after you. Note COVID-19 specific cleaning protocols in the OPEnS 2020-21 Scheduling Access_Cleaning sheet.

Logging Hours and Submitting Timecard

Submit your timecards on EMP center by the end of the day on the 15th of each month. Here are instructions on filling out your timesheet. The maximum allowable work hours per week varies by term (summer vs. fall, winter, and spring) and enrollment level. Make sure to take required breaks as described in the Student Employment Manual.

Lab Security

We are lucky to work in a place with a reputation for security, but rare occurrences of theft do happen here. It only takes one instance of exploited vulnerability for OPEnS to experience a major loss.

• First in - Last out: Please mind all opening and closing security. Our doors stick open sometimes. Check the door is closed and locked if you’re the last one out.
• Under no circumstances is the lab to be open with no staff present. If you need to step out even for a brief moment, please take the time to lock up.
• Stranger Danger: If you see someone you don’t recognize, introduce yourself and ask what work they are doing in the lab. If it appears they are just visiting, please take their info and direct them to meet the lab director.

Acknowledgement

All OPEnS staff are required to acknowledge that they have read and will abide by this document via this Google Form.