MSU Human Resources

MSU Benefits Open Enrollment begins October 1

Published on September 8, 2015 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

It’s that time of year again!

Open Enrollment graphic element — The plans selected in October will go into effect in January.

Mark your calendars for MSU Benefits Open Enrollment, which runs October 1–31. The Benefits Open Enrollment period allows eligible MSU faculty and staff to change their desired benefits plans, such as health, dental, life insurance, flexible spending accounts and voluntary MSU Benefits Plus programs.

Benefits Fairs will take place at the Breslin Center on October 20 from noon to 6 p.m., October 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and October 22 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. They feature Open Enrollment sign-up assistance and health, dental, retirement, life, flexible spending account and MSU Benefits Plus vendors. Some other MSU units will be in attendance, such as the Clinical Center, which will offer flu shots again this year.

Now is a good time to re-evaluate your benefits needs to prepare for the October enrollment period. Find more information and resources relating to Benefits Open Enrollment here.

Stay safe with MSU police guidelines and resources

Published on September 2, 2015 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Preparedness is the first step toward safety in any emergency. The MSU Police Department provides several resources to the MSU community members so they are prepared and informed during an emergency.

MSU Alert on phone — MSU parents and guardians and visitors can also sign up for MSU Alert. Photo courtesy of MSU Police.

New classroom emergency guidelines are being posted in all of MSU’s classrooms as a quick reference for fire, active violence, hazardous materials release or severe weather emergencies. The guidelines apply to MSU staff working in office buildings as well. They offer important information such as rally site locations, how to act during a secure-in-place and guidelines for those with disabilities.Continue Reading… Stay safe with MSU police guidelines and resources

Events Round-Up September 2015

Published on September 1, 2015 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Here are some events happening over the next month that may be of interest to MSU faculty and staff. Please visit the links for more information. Many events require registration.

Community Events

Thursday, September 10

Beal Garden Tour: The History of American Indian Agriculture, 12:10 p.m.

Friday, September 11

Lansing Remembers September 11, 10 a.m., Lansing Center

Sunday, September 13

BroadLovesLansing end of Summer FUNale, noon–5 p.m., Broad Art Museum

Wednesday, September 16

An Evening with Director Eugene Jarecki, 7:30 p.m., Wharton Center

Tuesday, September 18 – Wednesday, September 19

Old Town BluesFest, Old Town

Saturday, September 26

American Heritage Fesitval , 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Woldumar Nature Center

Sunday, September 27

Grand Adventure Race, Grand Ledge

Monday, September 28

Lang Lang, 7:30 p.m., Wharton Center

Development, Training and Wellness

Thursday, September 10

Active Stretching, 12:10 – 12:50 p.m., IM Circle Dance Studio

Tuesday, September 15

Records Management and Retention at MSU, 1 – 3 p.m., 10 Nisbet

MSU Travel 101, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 a.m., 10 Nisbet

Wednesday, September 16 – Thursday, September 17

Crucial Accountability, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 10 Nisbet

Monday, September 21

Rest with Music, 12:10 – 12:50 p.m., Abrams Planetarium

Wednesday, September 23

Managing Confrontational Customers, 8:30 a.m. – noon, 10 Nisbet

Thursday, September 24

Boosting your Career with elevateU, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., 10 Nisbet

Tuesday, September 29

Writing Executive Summaries and Abstracts, 3 – 4:30 p.m., 10 Nisbet

Wednesday, September 30

The Healing Power of Guided Imagery, 12:10 – 12:50 p.m., Abrams Planetarium

Donate school supplies to Fill the Bus!

Published on August 31, 2015 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Children deserve high-quality education, and that requires basic educational resources such as pencils and notebooks. Unfortunately, families and schools cannot always afford these essential tools.

Fill the Bus graphic — Small donations make big impacts. Picture courtesy of Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement.

You can help students in Greater Lansing by participating in the 7th annual MSU Fill the Bus event, which runs from August 30 to September 4.

If your department has already registered as a team, donation bins should be set up where you work. Other donation sites are already placed in all of the residential neighborhoods and at the Union.

The following items are needed the most: crayons, pens, pencils, dry-erase markers and erasers, notebooks, loose-leaf paper, pencil sharpeners, glue sticks, folders, rulers, protractors, compasses, tissues, hand sanitizer, backpacks and colored construction paper.

Show your Spartan spirit by making a positive difference in your community!

Reminder: University holiday on September 7

Published on August 26, 2015 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Kayaks on Lake Lansing — Lake Lansing is a great nearby location for Labor Day activities. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

End the summer right with a day off work and in the sunshine. Labor Day falls on Monday, September 7 this year. Regular working hours resume the next day.

At MSU, classes always begin the Wednesday before Labor Day, so prepare for the return of thousands of students as well.

If you haven’t already, make fun plans for the long weekend to celebrate all the hard work you do!

Enjoy the day off!

Tips for biking in the academic year

Published on August 25, 2015 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

The pleasant weather is a great motivator to commute by bike in the summer, but it can be more difficult to opt for two-wheeled transportation in the academic year with colder temperatures and increased traffic. Fortunately, there are many resources for cyclists at MSU, which earned a bronze Bicycle Friendly University award in 2011.

In addition to the repairs and other services offered at the Bike Service Center, there are eight do-it-yourself repair stations on campus.

Busy Farm Lane in the fall — Get ready for heavier traffic! Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

Registered bike commuters can access showers and lockers in IM Circle for free and store their bikes in secure and enclosed bike garages as well. Find out more here.Continue Reading… Tips for biking in the academic year

Thank you Veterinary Medical Center!

Published on August 19, 2015 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

It’s time to recognize the Spartans that take care of our furry best friends!

Dog examination at Veterinary Medical Center — Vet Med is the only specialty hospital with board-certified diagnostic imaging and anesthesia. Photo courtesy of Veterinary Medical Center

The Veterinary Medical Center is open to everyone in the MSU community, for normal appointments and emergency situations. Its emergency room is open 24/7 for both large and small animals. We are grateful that the Veterinary Medical Center is always there just in case a beloved pet needs urgent medical treatment.

At this animal hospital, MSU employees have nearby access to more than 20 specialty services, including rehabilitation, cardiology, diagnostic imaging, dentistry and more.

MSU employees can be certain that their dog, cat, or other furry, feathered or scaled companion receives excellent care. Vet Med has a strong team of veterinary specialists, who have completed additional training that allows them to consult and treat animals within a specific area of medicine. These specialists have passed examinations to verify their skills and knowledge in that specialty.

Vet Med takes training and education very seriously. Similar to a human medicine teaching hospital, interns and students observe and participate while animal patients are treated by board-certified specialists and veterinary residents.

Thanks, Veterinary Medical Center! The MSU community appreciates your dedicated care and treatment of our much-loved pets.

MSU Surplus Store benefits environment and budgets

Published on August 18, 2015 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Do you have any unused supplies, furniture, electronics or other materials lying around your office?

Drop them off or get them picked up by the MSU Surplus Store to give these items an opportunity to be useful once more. Your department can also receive credit for their sale.

The Surplus Store is self-supporting and works to reduce the amount of usable materials that are sent to the landfill. It takes and sells or recycles items from within and outside of MSU, acting as a medium between buyers and sellers. The facility contributes to the university’s continued advancement toward environmental sustainability and saves MSU money by redistributing these items to other areas of campus.

Items gathering dust in your home can also find new purpose through the Surplus Store. With students returning to campus soon, items such as mini fridges, microwaves, futons, rugs and so on will be in demand, and can be donated on your way to work!

You can browse the store for the hundreds of used home or work items at discounted prices. These include office chairs, industrial equipment, clothing, MSU collectibles, art, vehicles and much more. The store offers daily deals at even greater discounts as well.

Price changes for Eat-at-State dining plans

Published on August 12, 2015 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

MSU offers award-winning meal options all across campus, perfect for lunch meetings, family dinners and on-the-go food grabs. Load up on meals now with the Faculty and Staff DineOn 10+ plan. This plan allows employees to purchase a minimum of 10 meals at a time for the price of $5.99 plus tax per meal. Effective August 22, 2015, the price will increase to $6.25 plus tax.

Buying a dining plan saves you over $3 per meal compared to public or walk-up pricing. Each meal grants access to one of MSU’s 10 residential dining halls. Remember, you can always look up the menu for each dining hall beforehand. It can also be used as a Combo-X-Change at one of Sparty’s 21 locations, the Union Food Court, UP Pizzeria at Crossroads, Riverwalk Market , the Eat at State ON-THE-GO food truck or as take-out from the dining halls. The meals do not expire as long as one is used between July 1 and June 30 each year. Find purchasing information here.

Fall hours of operation for all units begin Sunday, August 30. View the current summer hours here.

If you have any questions or concerns, please visit the Eat at State website or contact info@eatatstate.com.

Volunteer to help move in new Spartans!

Published on August 11, 2015 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

At the end of August, more than 7,800 Spartans will be entering the campus to begin a new chapter of their lives.

Holmes Hall student move-in — Students are assigned times to move in to organize the days-long process.

That first day at MSU is exciting and memorable, and you can be a part of this important Spartan experience by volunteering to help move in new students! The MSU Alumni Association is organizing volunteers to assist with the move-in, with flexible 3.5-hour shifts between 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 29 through Monday, August 31. Sunday is the busiest day and has the most need for volunteers.

You can bring your children to help out as well, but they must be over 13 years old. Volunteers will receive a free T-shirt that identifies them as volunteers, as wells as a free meal in one of MSU’s award-winning dining halls at the end of their shift. Parking and contact information will be sent to volunteers before August.

If you have further questions, please contact the MSU Alumni Association at (877) MSU-ALUM or (517) 884-1000.