MSU Human Resources

At the heart of the matter

Published on February 24, 2016 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Heart and stethoscope — According to the CDC, in the United States someone has a heart attack every 43 seconds.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America, and heart attacks are among the most common results of the disease. However, diagnosing and even recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack can be difficult, because there are so many other conditions that are accompanied by discomfort or pressure in the chest.

The most common symptom of a heart attack is described as a feeling of pressure or being squeezed by a fist inside the central chest. Additional symptoms that heart attack patients describe include pain in the upper arm or across the back, as well as up into the neck and jaw, while others report feelings of heartburn, nausea, or abdominal pain.Continue Reading… At the heart of the matter

Help MSU compete in RecycleMania 2016

Published on February 23, 2016 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

White paper and mixed paper at MSU recycling center. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

Last year, MSU was one of 394 colleges and universities that participated in the friendly competition RecyleMania. MSU contributed more than 1 million of the 80 million pounds that was recycled across the country in the competition. Spartans can do even better during RecyleMania 2016, which runs from February 8 to April 1, by coming together to recycle more and throw out less.

In addition to continuing regular recycling habits, staff and faculty can get involved by hosting an office clean-out. The service is free and provided by the Surplus Store and Recycling Center. If your office already has recyclables prepared and sorted, Recycling Center staff will arrive at your office, help load the items and remove them that day. Or, temporary containers can be dropped off at your office and picked up at a later date. To schedule an office clean-out, call 517-355-1723.

There are a few additional ways staff and faculty can participate in RecycleMania. This year MSU Recycling is emphasizing book reuse and recycling. Books that are collected will be sold for reuse through the Surplus Store, donated to local charities or recycled. Organize a book collection by calling 517- 355-1723.

From noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, at Auditorium and Tuesday, March 15, behind Wells Hall you can get a picture with Scrap Metal Sparty and talk to MSU recycling staff.

Like the MSU Recycling Center’s Facebook page for recycling tips and updates on RecycleMania.

Kicking Off America Saves Week!

Published on February 22, 2016 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Whether you’re counting down the days or have barely thought about it, retirement is coming for all of us, and this week is dedicated to educating you about the best practices in saving for your future. America Saves Week was started to keep the workforce informed and offer options for developing good savings behavior. If you invest with Fidelity and have questions about how much you should be saving or what you should be investing in,you have access to several online workshops to point you in the right direction for whatever stage you’re at in your career:

Change scattered in front of a piggy bank. — Photo courtesy of 401k Calculator.

Confident Investing in Any Market
Get Started and Save For the Future You
Preparing Your Savings for Retirement

In addition, TIAA-CREF Financial Services encourages developing a strategy and creating a timeline to plan out how much you should be saving now and offers some important guidelines on how to prepare for an emergency, saving for retirement, and starting with a strategy, as well as many more tips freely available on their website. For answers to all the questions you may have and even more information you may not have known about, be sure to take advantage of all the resources available to you this week!

Job of the Week 2/19/16

Published on February 19, 2016 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

This week we are highlighting a Performance Arts Associate Director (posting #2820) with Performance Arts Facilities and Programs. The successful candidate will manage the overall operations activities, contract administration, Wharton Center’s productions, rental activities, venue calendar management and planning for and managing capital improvements for Wharton Center and all related venues. This position oversees all front-of-house, stage crew and other operations staff and the implementation of all performance activity by Wharton Center and all related venues. This position also oversees all contract administration for all Wharton Center presentations and productions, and manages accurate venue calendar activity.

For a complete description of this position, and to view all of our current postings, please go to www.jobs.msu.edu and select Support Staff under the Fast Jobs Search.

Thank you Office of Admissions!

Published on February 18, 2016 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

It’s that time of the year, and the staff at the Office of Admissions are buried in reviewing the record number of over 35,000 applications they’ve received this year and sending out final decisions for potential additions to MSU’s student body. Michigan State offers rolling admission, and with a university as large as ours, the Office is always busy, but especially so when it comes time to decide the fall freshman class. Admissions is also constantly taking applications from transfer, guest, and graduate students, as well as helping navigate the process for future applicants and prospective international students. All of the time put in is a powerful effort to enhance the student experience, a Bolder By Design initiative that places importance on the ways students learn and grow at Michigan State as well as the value of achieving an MSU degree.

An application form, glasses, and a pen. Sorting out who to welcome into the MSU community is a tedious process, and it’s good to know we have dedicated people making the best decisions to shape the future of our university!

Thank you Office of Admissions, for choosing the new faces of Michigan State University!

Warm up with these savory recipes

Published on February 17, 2016 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

There’s nothing like a hot meal to warm you up in the cold winter months. Once again, Residential and Hospitality Services Senior Executive Chef Kurt Kwiatkowski has provided us with some delicious recipes to share. These winter warmers will bring a smile to your face and impress any guest! One of Chef Kurt’s favorite recipes is the beef dish below, and you can also try out his Shrimp Scampi and Catalan Seafood Stew recipes.

Slow Cooked Balsamic Beef

4# beef chuck roast
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 T. olive oil
1 c. chicken broth
¼ c. red wine
1 medium onion sliced
2 carrots peeled and rough cut
1 package of baby bella mushrooms quartered
1½ c. large cut pieces of rutabaga
1 bay leaf
8 oz. Tomato Sauce
3 T. Balsamic Vinegar
¼ c. chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
Zest of one lemon
1 clove of garlic minced

Generously season both sides of the roast with salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear each side of the roast for about 3-5 minutes.

Add broth and wine to the hot skillet to de-glaze it, scraping up the brown bits on the pan remove from heat and reserve.

Place sliced onions, carrots, mushrooms then rutabaga in the bottom of the slow cooker and put the seared meat on top.

Pour the deglazed sauce mixture on top of the meat in the slow cooker.

Combine balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce in a small bowl and pour over meat in the crock pot.

Cover & Crock on Low for 6-8 hours.

Remove and serve with lemon/garlic/parsley topping (gremolata)

Job of the Week 2/12/16

Published on February 12, 2016 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

This week we are highlighting an Assistant Controller (posting #2737) with the Controller’s Office. Reporting to the Controller, the Assistant Controller provides leadership to and supervises the Managers of assigned units in the Office of the Controller. This includes setting and overseeing strategic direction, including continuous process improvements, accurate and timely financial records and reporting and ensuring high performing services to the University community. The Assistant Controller serves as Project Manager for applicable IT systems, applications, and platform projects. This includes full implementations – definition of requirements, vendor assessment, process mapping, data conversion and integration, data governance, testing, and launch. Serves as the Office of the Controller Data Stewardship and Services expert leader; serves on regular and ad hoc committees and attends meetings that require participation from the Office of the Controller, as delegated.

For a complete description of this position, and to view all of our current postings, please go to www.jobs.msu.edu and select Support Staff under the Fast Jobs Search.

What to do when stopped or contacted by MSU police

Published on February 10, 2016 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

A police officer will always inform you of the reason for a traffic stop. Photo courtesy of MSU police.

The MSU police work hard every day to uphold the laws and ensure the safety of everyone on MSU’s campus. To provide more insight into their actions and prepare citizens, the MSUPD put together a brochure that explains what to do when stopped or contacted by the police. The department is proud to have been the first agency in the country to introduce a brochure such as this more than a decade ago.

Included in the brochure are explanations for how your actions can reassure the officer and how you can expect to be treated. The MSUPD’s goal is to protect you and to ensure their own safety. Hundreds of police officers are assaulted while on traffic duty each year, and as a result, certain safety precautions have been put into practice.

Here are a few key points from the brochure:

If you are contacted on the street:

Stay where you are
Answer questions truthfully. You also have the right to ask questions of the officer
Remain calm

If you are pulled over in your car:

Wait for the officer and stay in your car with your hands on the steering wheel
If it’s dark, turn on an interior light
Wait to retrieve your license, registration and proof of insurance until the officer requests it
Exit the car only if the office requests it
Do not argue at the scene; you have the right to contest a citation at a later time

If you have a compliment or complaint about an officer’s actions, you can contact MSU police directly or contact the Police Oversight Committee.

Reach the full brochure and learn more about MSU community team policing at police.msu.edu.

Call for nominations: 2016 Be Spartan Green Outstanding Awards

Published on February 9, 2016 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Be Spartan green award picture — The MSU student group SPARTA (Students Planning Advanced Retrofit Technology Applications) accepts an award for Outstanding Student Organization at the 2015 Be Spartan Green Award Ceremony.

Michigan State University’s Sustainability department wishes to recognize the outstanding individuals and departments who have made significant contributions to on-campus sustainability. Be Spartan Green Outstanding Awards are given to staff, students, faculty and campus partners who have demonstrated their support of sustainability on campus.

Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2016 Be Spartan Green Outstanding Awards. The deadline for submission is Tuesday, March 1.

All nominations must be submitted through the Be Spartan Green Outstanding Awards Nomination Form.

The award categories include:

Outstanding Staff Member
Outstanding Student Employee
Outstanding Faculty Member
Outstanding Student Organization
Outstanding Student Research Project
Outstanding Campus Partner/Vendor
Outstanding Community Partner
Outstanding Alumni

The winning nominees and nominators will be invited to a special recognition event on Wednesday, April 20. Last year’s winners can be viewed on the 2015 Be Spartan Green Earth Day Gala webpage.

Job of the Week 2/5/16

Published on February 5, 2016 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

This week we are highlighting an Information Technologist I (posting #2752) with the Office of the Dean in the College of Education. This position provides technology support for online courses and programs within the College of Education. Basic functions include, but are not limited to: evaluating new technologies to enhance online teaching and learning; assisting faculty in enhancing instruction with technologies; supporting online content and course material; assisting with college-wide efforts to comply with Web accessibility regulation; automating student application, testing and assessment processes; creating training materials for staff and students who are new to online teaching and learning. This position requires a willingness to learn and keep current on new technologies, and diligence in documentation and processes.

For a complete description of this position, and to view all of our current postings, please go to www.jobs.msu.edu and select Support Staff under the Fast Jobs Search.