Are you an MSU support staff employee looking for
professional development opportunities? There are a variety of ways for you to
learn and grow in your career at MSU. If you find a course or learning opportunity
you’re interested in, don’t forget you have access to Educational Assistance! This
benefit offers financial assistance towards your professional development after
you’ve worked at MSU for an equivalent of 12 full-time service months. If you
work less than full-time, the benefit is prorated based on your employment
percentage.
You may receive financial assistance for a variety of
learning opportunities. For non-credit learning opportunities, you may have up
to $800 per year to use towards registration fees. It must be considered
job-related and from an approved institution/program to receive assistance.
Some examples of learning opportunities you can use this benefit for include:
For credit courses, you can receive up to 14 credits per
academic year. Your financial assistance level is determined by your union
group, the type of course you’re taking (graduate or undergraduate), and where
you’re taking the course (MSU or another university). The course must be
considered job-related, degree-related, or career/professional
development-related.
Find detailed information about Educational Assistance – including how to apply – on the HR website. Questions? We’re happy to help! Contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.
Please note: Academic Specialists have a program similar to Educational Assistance, please see the HR website for details.
Are you a recently appointed or newly hired supervisor or
manager? Whether you’re brand new to your leadership role or an experienced
supervisor looking for resources to develop your skills, there are tools
available to help you. Information is available in various formats to fit your schedule
and learning style including in-person courses, online resources and toolkits
on the HR website.
Professional
Development Courses
Fundamentals of Supervision on April 24 Supervisors are a main determinant of overall performance, retention and morale in an organization. Participants with less than three years of supervisory experience will learn fundamental skills on how a supervisor adds value to the organization, how to move from peer to supervisor, tips to build communication skills and more. Learn more about the Fundamentals of Supervision course.
New Supervisor Essentials on May 22 This course is for recently appointed or newly hired supervisors and managers of support staff. You will learn key tools you can use in your new role as a supervisor and a panel of supervisors will be available to answer your questions and share lessons learned. The Office of Employee Relations will also give an overview of important information that every supervisor at MSU needs to know. Learn more about the New Supervisor Essentials course.
Foundations of Student Employee Supervision Certificate Series starts June 19 This four-session certificate series is designed for MSU professionals looking to enhance their skills in supervising and leading student employees. The series focuses on skill building and understanding the unique needs and challenges inherent in overseeing the work of student employees. These courses can also be taken individually, but you’ll need to attend all four to receive the certificate. Learn more about the Foundations of Student Employee Supervision Certificate series.
Online Resources with elevateU The elevateU portal is full of online resources including eBooks, videos, courses and more – all available to you for free 24/7. Want to learn more about optimizing team performance, cultivating creativity or processing change? You’ll find resources on these topics and much more in the elevateU portal. Use these tools to help you build your own skillset as a new supervisor or share these resources with your team to help them reach their professional goals. Learn more about elevateU and access here.
Toolkits on the HR Website The HR website contains a wealth of information useful to those in a supervisory role, including toolkits for various processes. Whether you have questions about how to hire support staff, want an overview of benefits options or need to know deadlines for payroll processing, these toolkits are available to assist you. Find toolkits for supervisors on the HR website.
For younger MSU employees, creating a comprehensive retirement
savings plan may not be a top priority. Why should you plan for your retirement
now when that day is 30 to 40 years in the future? But the young have a huge
advantage when it comes to saving money for retirement: more time. This
additional time allows the young to potentially benefit the most from compounding, which may lead to greater savings
down the road.
How Compounding Works Compounding basically means allowing an investment to earn money while continually reinvesting those earnings over time. The more time you have, the smaller your original investment may need to be. In the hypothetical example below, a 25-year-old starts saving $5,000 annually ($416 per month) and a 40-year-old starts saving twice as much but waits until age 40 ($833 per month).
The 25-year-old ends up contributing less money over time – $200,000 versus $250,000 – but ends up with
a higher balance: $798,735 versus
$566,317. In other words, the 25-year-old contributes $50,000 less but ends up
with $232,000 more than the 40-year-old who waited to save.
As this example shows, younger investors may benefit from saving
as much as possible as soon as possible. MSU offers two voluntary savings
plans: the 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Plan and the 457(b) Deferred
Compensation Program. Starting to save earlier in either plan means contributing
a smaller percentage of income and potentially earning more than if you wait
until you’re older to contribute. So while retirement may be a long way off, the
choices you make today can have a dramatic, long-lasting difference.
Of course, remember that investment returns are not guaranteed and
will fluctuate — in some years you may have gains, and in other years you may
have losses. But over time, any investment that has a net gain will have
benefited from compounding.
Important
Information: Please note, the example above is a hypothetical illustration
only and is not intended to represent the past or future performance of any
investment. The example assumes contributions are made monthly at a 6% annual
effective rate, compounded monthly.
and no withdrawals. Actual performance will vary with market conditions. Investing
involves risk. There is no assurance that the goals will be met or that the
solution or strategy will be successful.
Questions? We’re here
to help! Contact the Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu
or 517-353-4434.
This
article was written in partnership with TIAA.
The responsibilities for this role include determining and creating
content, promotional materials and graphic elements to design and produce
materials that reflect the mission and image of the MSU football program. The
individual must be able to maintain contact with printers, editors, and clients
to monitor production deadlines and budgets. Other responsibilities would
include training student employees, recommending the reprinting, revision or
discontinuance of publications, and coordinating the distribution of materials.
The ideal candidate would possess knowledge acquired by
completing a four-year college degree program in Journalism, English, Graphic
Design, Public Relations, Marketing, or related Liberal Arts program; three to
five years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience
in reporting, writing, editing, proofing, graphic design, photography,
research, public relations; or an equivalent combination of education and
experience.
For more details on the responsibilities of this position,
and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should
access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.
Are you thinking about retiring from MSU in the next 1-2 years? Thank you for your years of service to the university! We want you to feel prepared for this next stage in your life. To support you, we offer courses, tools and resources to help you plan for your retirement, including the Roadmap to Retirement course.
“We know it can be overwhelming to think about all of the things to consider when retiring. Based on our years of experience helping MSU employees, we’ve designed the half-day Roadmap to Retirement course to provide you with some of the most important information you will need as you prepare for this exciting transition to your next chapter in life,” says Dan Mackey, Human Resources Manager and Retirement Administrator.
This course gives you a chance to ask retirement experts questions and covers a range of topics critical to your successful retirement, including:
Ready to Register? To register for Roadmap to Retirement, login to the EBS Portaland click on the My Career and Training tab, then the Courses for Employees at MSU tile. Find a complete list of available OPD courses on theHR website.
Find More Retirement Resources on the HR Website If you are unable to attend the Roadmap to Retirement course detailed above, there are a variety of webinars and online tools available on the HR website. The webinars on this page include the same presentation slides that are shared during the Roadmap to Retirement course.
Questions? We’re here to help! Contact the Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.
Being able to communicate effectively with your co-workers is key to a successful and engaged workplace. When you can share your ideas openly and understand your co-workers’ views in return, you’re more likely to feel happier at work. Yet, oftentimes there are certain barriers that can make communication difficult, like personality or work style differences. If you have a better understanding of your own work and personality styles – and can identify different styles in others – you can start to bridge any gaps of misunderstanding and ultimately communicate more effectively.
We have a variety of courses available in February for MSU employees related to improving communication:
Everything DiSC: Behavior Styles at Work Have you ever had a co-worker or boss who you could not even begin to understand? Even when you ask them questions, you’re still unsure what they need or want. Most of us have felt this way at one time or another. The course EverythingDiSC: Behavior Styles at Work is designed to help you understand yourself and other people better by giving you an understanding of different behavioral work styles.
Before the course, you will take a simple online assessment to learn your DiSC style, which is your unique work behavior style. During the class, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how your style relates to others and tools to help you connect better with co-workers whose priorities and preferences differ from yours.
Honing Your Emotional Intelligence
The essence of emotional intelligence (also known as EQ or EI) is our ability to identify and manage our own emotions and to identify emotions in others. In today’s high-stress, multi-tasking workplace, having a high EQ can lead to better stress management, stronger relationships with better communication and increased job satisfaction. The Honing Your Emotional Intelligence course will show you tools to master the principles found within EQ. Specifically, this course will focus on:
Why EQ is an essential competency in today’s work world.
How to fully engage the four fundamental areas of EQ: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.
How to increase your EQ.
Why EQ has a direct impact on job satisfaction and performance excellence.
Thriving Through Change Change is inevitable and being able to communicate effectively through change will help ease the transition process. This course will define what change is and help you understand the stages and reactions to change. Learn techniques and strategies to help you cope with stress and manage the process successfully.
Ready to Register? To register, login to the EBS Portal and click on the My Career and Training tab, then the Courses for Employees at MSU tile. Find a complete list of available OPD courses on the HR website.
Did you make a New Year’s resolution? The start of a new year inspires people to make big changes to improve their lives. Unfortunately, that goal we set on January 1 can start to look pretty daunting a couple weeks later when the initial buzz of new year motivation wears off. It’s not uncommon for goals to be forgotten or abandoned. In fact, for those who make New Year’s resolutions, 80% fail to stick to their goal by February (Jantz, 2018). If you’re struggling to maintain your New Year’s resolution, don’t give up hope yet. This just means it’s time to recalibrate or redefine your goal, and we’ve got tips and tools to help.
Identify Why a Goal is Meaningful to You
At the start of a new year, people are inspired to commit to lofty goals they’ve previously never been able to achieve. Common goals include lose weight, save money, learn a new skill and find a new job (Economy, 2019). Unfortunately, that initial rush of inspiration is only temporary, which is why most end up losing interest after a couple weeks. Motivation alone cannot push you to achieve a goal, learn a new skill, or change a habit. And if your goal is too vague, you’re likely to forget about it come February.
When you’re curious about a goal, you must ask yourself why you want to achieve it – and then keep asking yourself why until you get to the root of why this goal is meaningful to you. Leadership and career coach Lisa Rogoff explains, “You’d be surprised at how many [goals] are grounded in values and purpose. And when you can surface that meaning and give it a voice, a simple goal shifts into a mission. With your why front and center, it’s almost impossible to turn your back and not go after it.” When you identify the personal value and meaning behind a goal you increase your likelihood of achieving it. Read Rogoff’s full article.
Get SMART. After you’ve identified your goal and why it’s meaningful to you, it’s time to make it SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. The SMART method helps you make a detailed plan with clear objectives to achieve your goal. Learn more about SMART goals.
Be Accountable.
If you have a professional development goal, try sharing it with your supervisor or incorporating it into your Performance Excellence plan (for support staff). Check in with your supervisor periodically to make sure you’re hitting your objectives and making progress. If you’re not sure how to broach the subject, visit the Requesting and Accepting Feedback page for tips to start the conversation.
Stay Inspired with Resources on Campus. As an MSU employee, you have a variety of resources available to help you create lasting change and achieve your goals:
Take aprofessional development courseon one of the many subjects offered through Organization and Professional Development. For support or academic staff with 12 full-time service months, don’t forget you can use your Educational Assistance benefit for any fees.
Use the FREE onlineelevateU resources – books, videos, courses and more!
TheWorkLife Officeoffers tons of resources and programs to help MSU employees navigate the workplace, their careers and life transitions.
TheAcademic Advancement Networkprovides programs, opportunities, and events for faculty, academic staff and academic administrators.
Cherelyn Dunlap from the Office of Employee Relations, MSU HR.
MSU Human Resources is excited to introduce Cherelyn Dunlap, who joins our Office of Employee Relations (OER) team in a new role that will work closely with the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD). This new role was created to help streamline the process and experience for employees with disabilities who are seeking accommodations to help them perform their job duties.
The OER Director Rick Fanning is thrilled to have Cherelyn on board, “We are happy that Cherelyn has joined us in Employee Relations. She brings a great deal of knowledge and experience in the accommodation process, and I am sure that her work will be a valuable addition to MSU.”
Cherelyn’s considerable work experience includes 20 years as a Labor Relations Representative and Benefits Director for the Michigan Corrections Organization and an Employee Relations Specialist for the Auto Club Group (also known as AAA). Her extensive knowledge of benefits, insurances, FMLA, Workers’ Compensation, and retirement, in addition to managing accommodation requests, makes her well-equipped to take on this new role at the university.
Along with her knowledge and skillset, Cherelyn shows a genuine enthusiasm for impacting and improving someone’s work experience, which makes her a true asset to the MSU community.  “At an institution where inclusion is paramount, we must ensure that individuals with disabilities feel confident in knowing the university will strive to meet their needs. The RCPD has been diligent in providing this service thus far, and it is my desire to help find ways to continue, and improve, this important work moving forward,” says Cherelyn.
There are many different scenarios where an accommodation could improve an employee’s work experience. Cherelyn explains, “When we think of an individual with a disability, we think of someone with a physical disability we can see; however, there are many individuals working with disabilities we cannot see.” For example, a person who suffers from migraine headaches may complain that their condition is brought on by the glare from their computer screen. An accommodation could be to provide the employee with a screen overlay to diminish the glare from their computer.
Other accommodations could be more advanced. People who develop arthritis in their hands can have difficulty performing any job functions that require them to type and use a computer. Manipulating the computer keys and mouse exacerbates the individual’s arthritis. An accommodation could be to provide the employee with software which allows them to use talk to text. The software learns the various programs the employee utilizes, and the employee uses a headset or handheld microphone to speak the words that should go into the spreadsheet, report, email, etc.
Cherelyn is quick to point out that every employee is unique, and the accommodation recommended is entirely based on the individual’s needs and determined on a case-by-case basis. Cherelyn and the team of professionals at the RCPD are ready to assist employees with resources that create an environment of opportunity.
Michael Hudson, RCPD Director remarks, “Cherelyn arrives with extensive HR experience that will fortify inclusion efforts for people with disabilities in the workplace. RCPD will continue to welcome persons with disabilities with an ability-centered approach and innovative solutions while HR formalizes these into reasonable accommodations.” You can learn more about the RCPD in this recent MSUToday article.
What is the Process for Receiving an Accommodation?
If you believe you have a condition that could be improved by an accommodation, the following steps will help guide you through the process:
You should register with the RCPD and make a written request for an accommodation. You must also provide the RCPD with medical documentation of the disability.
The RCPD then determines whether you have a qualifying disability, as defined by the law and the university policy.
After the RCPD has determined the condition qualifies as a disability, Cherelyn will begin consulting with RCPD on the case and promptly begin the accommodation process.
MSU HR and RCPD are thrilled to have Cherelyn join the Employee Relations team and are looking forward to her contributions to MSU!
Questions? Please visit the RCPD website to learn more about how employees with disabilities can find assistance at MSU or to register your own disability with the RCPD.
This week’s job of the week is a Concert Production/Technical Manager (#554761) for the Department of Music. This position is seeking an individual to plan and implement the backstage usage and theatrical equipment for productions, performances and other events.
The responsibilities for this role include assisting with creating and maintaining the master planning calendars for theatre and production, managing conflicting needs for hall access and usage, and assisting with scheduling and oversight of support staff for hall operations. Other responsibilities for this role include coordinating movement of musical instruments and advising/assisting with the load-in and set up of productions and performances.
The ideal candidate would possess knowledge acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in a business-related field; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in house management, managing large numbers of employees, operating computers, and office procedures; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.
Welcome to 2019 and your flexible spending account (FSA) funds! If you signed up for a 2019 FSA during Open Enrollment last October, you’re on your way to saving money on out-of-pocket medical and/or dependent care expenses. MSU’s FSA plan administrator is WageWorks. If this is your first time participating in an FSA, make sure you register for your online WageWorks account.
If you have a Health FSA, you can purchase a variety of products and services with pre-tax dollars – it’s like a 30% off sale on eligible expenses1. Some items you may not know about include:
Allergy medication
Bandages
Breastfeeding classes
Cough syrup
Dyslexia treatment
First-aid kits
Guide dog
Hearing aids
Humidifier/air filter
Lasik
Pain relievers
Pregnancy tests
Reading glasses
Smoking cessation drugs
Sunscreen
You can find a complete list of eligible expenses for both health and dependent care FSA funds on the WageWorks website2. To make shopping for eligible expenses easier, visit the online FSA Store for the largest selection of guaranteed FSA-eligible products. And remember, managing your WageWorks account is quick and easy with the WageWorks EZ receipts app. You’ll love the convenience of submitting claims, uploading receipts and checking account balances directly from your phone.
What if I still have funds left over from my 2018 FSA?
Not to worry – if you still have funds left over from your 2018 FSA, you have until March 15, 2019 to use these funds and until April 30, 2019 to submit receipts to substantiate these claims. Find more information on the HR website.
Questions? For more detailed information contact WageWorks at 877-924-3967 or visit the WageWorks website. For plan eligibility questions contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.
1 Assumes a combined tax rate of 30%, including FICA, state, and federal income taxes. Actual amounts may vary.
2 Some items may require a doctor’s prescription or other documentation from your doctor. Please see your account details for more information.
