Grants & Contracts Manager - Anonymous employee Penn State Employee Review

2.0
22 Sept 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good benefits, 401K contributions, vacation, sick leave, etc. Small town makes it easy to commute, especially if you are used to living in urban areas. Typical small college town. Tuition break is good for employees/dependents, especially in Pennsylvania.

Cons

State College/Central PA is a "company town" where Penn State football comes first - the tail wags the dog. There is really nothing else in the region except Penn State, and the region is not very diverse except for the transient university population. A very tough place to live and work if you are not from the region. Because Penn State is the only game in town, salaries are suppressed unless you are a star faculty, and cost of living is artificially high. All of this makes it very hard to attract qualified employees with specialized skills.

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5.0
21 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Friendly professor and professional staff

Cons

Reassignment can take longer and can be a tedious process

5.0
19 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

My supervisor was fantastic: provided good feedback, flexibility in work schedule, opportunities for professional growth.

Cons

Usually 1-2 year contract, determined by grant funding and availability Workplace experience is more dependent on the individual researcher/research lab you end up working for than the university as a whole

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