Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Lyndon Johnson shakes hands after the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
MSU’s Project 60/50 began in 2014 as a community-oriented conversation starter that derived its name and mission from the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These two historical pieces of legislation were born from a diverse yet united community’s countless hours of organized campaigning and conversation to achieve the worthy and crucial goal of equality.
The struggle for civil rights continues in this country, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day provides us with the opportunity to reflect on progress and assess what lies ahead. Dr. King has brought hope, inspiration and motivation to millions during and after his lifetime. His encouragement of peaceful protest and widespread awareness of ongoing discrimination remain relevant today.Continue Reading… Engage with your community on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
The benefits of quitting smoking have been made very clear throughout the last few years. In addition to the numerous health improvements, such as a return to regular breathing patterns and a decrease in the risk of heart disease and many forms of cancer, quitters also enjoy saved money, a better sense of smell and taste, more freedom with time and scheduling, and much more. However, knowledge is rarely enough to end an addiction. Many smokers find the task of quitting daunting, or even impossible.
Eligible faculty and staff at MSU don’t have to go through the process alone. The Breathe Easy Tobacco and Nicotine Cessation Program offers behavioral support and, if desired, medication, to aid the quitting process. The next information session is Wednesday, January 27 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in 247 Olin Health Center. Attending the information session does not obligate attendees to enroll in the program. To register, call 517-353-2596 or email health4u@msu.edu.
The program is absolutely free. MSU faculty, staff, graduate student employees, retirees, and their adult benefits-eligible family members are eligible to participate in this program.
Sometimes the first step is the most difficult. The team at Breathe Easy can guide you along the rest of the way to quitting. Listen to the testimonials from real graduates of this program:
Snow-covered Red Cedar River. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.
It might not look like it outside, but the winter holidays are coming up! The university will be closed on the following days:
Thursday, December 24
Friday, December 25
Thursday, December 31
Friday, January 1
We hope you take this time to relax, eat delicious food and spend time with loved ones! As the year comes to a close, we would like to thank everyone for all of their continued work in making MSU an outstanding university. Let’s make 2016 even better!
From everyone at MSU Human Resources, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
On behalf of Michigan State University, MSU Human Resources has launched Performance Excellence, the new performance management program that will replace the current Performance Development Program. If MSU is to continue to be a leading research university, talented staff who are continually developing their skills to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world are needed.
Performance Excellence includes the following three important stages:
Performance Planning and Goal Setting
Continuous Feedback, Coaching and Development
Annual Performance Review
Employees will move to the Performance Excellence program in 2016.
There are two key items to note during the transition from the old process to the new process:
Performance Excellence will have new forms to aid in this process. For annual reviews that are due between January 1, through June 30, 2016, supervisors and staff will use the new Annual Review form with the current rating system (which is included on the PDF form). On July 1, the rating system will change to four performance levels and the Annual Review form will reflect those changes for reviews due from July 1 forward.
Beginning in January, after an Annual Review form is completed, supervisors and staff must also complete the Performance Planning form, either on the same day as the review, or within 30 days of the review.
All support staff and those who supervise support staff need to complete an online class on Performance Excellence. The class will be available in mid-January and will be accessed through elevateU. MSU HR will announce when the class is available.
For detailed information about the Performance Excellence process, additional learning opportunities, forms, tools for employees and supervisors, and much more, please visit the Performance Excellence website.
If you have questions regarding rollout of the program in your area, contact your college or division-level HR representative.
The holiday season is a boom for hackers, phishers and scammers. Phishing is a form of fraud in which the attacker tries to learn information such as login credentials or account information by masquerading as a reputable entity or person in email, IM or other communication channels. One of the most common ways to send malicious software to your computer or steal account information is through email. You should be wary of emails that are from unknown sources or that you were not expecting. Never open an attachment from these sources.
A safe way to look at emails that are in question is to drag them to your junk email folder which disables links and attachments and allows you to read the content of the actual email safely.
You should also be wary of emails that do the following:
An example of a phishing email, disguised as an official email from a fictional bank.
Promote amazing deals on the hottest gifts. If it looks too good to be true, it is!
State that you need to confirm your credit card number on an online order.
Ask for any personal or banking information – no reputable company will ever ask you to email personal information.
Encourage you to follow a link to a login page to verify your account or fix a problem. Even if the URL looks real, it could be disguised that way. Hover over the link and look in the lower left corner of your screen to see the real URL. If you think it is legitimate, go directly to the company’s website and log in from there, or call the company.
Appear to be real messages from your bank or credit card company. Go directly to the website you use for online account management or contact them by phone.
You should monitor the statements for your bank accounts and credit cards closely, and contact your credit card company if you see unknown charges on your account.
If you know that you have received a phishing email, contact the company that the email is pretending to be from to bring their attention to the scam.
If shopping online, shop only with reputable companies and avoid shopping on unsecured Wi-Fi. It may be convenient, but you might as well put your credit card number on a billboard.
The new chips in credit cards can be scanned from several feet away. RFID blocking wallets or card sleeves can help to protect your information.
Stay on the lookout this season to secure your money and your identity!
Get something original and hand-crafted this season at the 52nd Michigan State University Holiday Arts & Crafts Show!
On Saturday, December 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, December 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Union will be filled with the work or more than 130 artisans from across the country. This event is one of two arts and crafts shows presented by the University Activities Board each year.
Some of the handmade items for sale include candles, furniture, jewelry, home and yard decor, aromatherapy, clothing, children’s toys, painting, photography, pottery, sculpture and much more! You’ll be sure to find the perfect decoration or gift with such a variety of specially crafted items, and attending the event supports the UAB and the artists.
Make sure to check out the abundance of family-friendly activities just north in downtown East Lansing at Winter Glow!  The free event is Saturday, December 5 from 2 to 5 p.m. and features ice carving, a winter barnyard, horse and carriage rides, a special outdoor holiday farmer’s market, a heated music tent, carolers, games and much more.
Remember that parking at MSU is free on weekends, too!
This article was written by the MSU Bike Advisory Committee.
MSU has upgraded to the silver level of the Bicycle Friendly University Award! As we continue to advance the bicycle-friendly nature of MSU, it’s important for drivers to do their part in ensuring safety on shared roads.
A cyclist travels alongside vehicles on Farm Lane. Photo courtesy of Tim Potter.
As you drive to work, why not use more attention and compassion towards your fellow commuters and make the morning commute safer and more enjoyable for everyone? Remember that your fellow commuter might be on foot or on a bike and that every one of them means one less car on the road and one less car competing for a parking space!
If you drive a car to work you should take special care when passing cyclists. Cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities on Michigan roads as other vehicles. When passing a cyclist, make sure to pass at a safe distance. Don’t attempt to squeeze by cyclists in the same lane even though you think there’s enough room, as they may suddenly need extra room to avoid potholes, dead animals, or an icy patch on the road. Many places, including the City of Grand Rapids, already have safe passing laws that require 5 feet of safe passing distance.
Also, don’t forget to watch out for pedestrians at cross walks. Michigan law requires vehicles to yield to pedestrians in cross walks.
At the same time cyclists and pedestrians are required to follow traffic rules: don’t cross a street when you have a “don’t walk” signal or a red light. Michigan law requires cyclists to stop at stop signs and red lights just as any other vehicle.
But besides following basic rules, even more important is to be alert and courteous. This makes commuting a better experience for everyone. Just remember, the cyclist you just buzzed might be working at the Clinical Center and giving you a flu shot later, or it might be the professor of your next MSU class.
All commuters share two goals: get to work safely and get home safely after work. Let’s work together to make that happen!
Congratulations to Mindy Nienhouse, the 2015 recipient of the Michigan State University Clerical-Technical Award!
From left to right, Clerical-Technical Union President Deb Bittner, MSU Human Resouces Assistant Vice President Sharon E. Butler, award recipient Mindy Nienhouse and director emeritus of the MSU Study Abroad program Dr. Charles Gliozzo at the 2015 CT Award ceremony.
The Clerical-Technical Award is sponsored by the Thomas and Concettina Gliozzo Endowment Fund and recognizes outstanding clerical-technical employees. For six years Mindy has done amazing work with the College of Human Medicine, and she embodies the ideals emphasized in the award. These include respect for everyone in the workplace, concern for students, faculty, staff and colleagues, providing significant contributions to the community and innovative thinking.
Mindy exhibits these qualities every day as she juggles two clerkships, two elective rotations, serving as the administrative assistant to the Emergency Medicine department and the variety of additional responsibilities that Mindy has volunteered to take on. In her nomination, one faculty member wrote that she is “innovative, creative, and has an amazing capacity to complete her own work diligently, while still taking time to help others in the unit.”
Outside of work, Mindy serves as a youth counselor, advocates for healthy living and fundraises for important causes. One staff member wrote, “What is impressive is that her fundraising efforts are typically not a requirement of any of the races – her fundraising is a result of her own care and passion.”
Watch this video to learn more about Mindy and her work with the College of Human Medicine.
Mindy’s efforts were recognized at an award ceremony in Grand Rapids attended by her family, colleagues and Human Resources staff. Congratulations and thank you to Mindy Nienhouse for serving MSU, your colleagues and your community!
Snow removal crews work hard to clear roads and paths for everyone walking and driving on MSU’s campus. Photo courtesy of MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities
The university never completely shuts down, and it needs support to maintain vital operations even during severe weather, major utility failure, health or environmental crisis, or any other emergency. MSU recently developed guidelines for departments to use in these situations, and each faculty and staff member needs to know their role during an emergency and if they are required to work.
The Continuity of Operations Plan, or COOP, was due November 1 by each Major Administrative Unit. Those responsible for completing and submitting their COOP need to do so immediately.
Each unit administrator or supervisor is responsible for sharing the COOP with their employees to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities. It’s also very important to notify critical personnel that they have been designated as such. Critical personnel are MSU faculty and staff who perform designated critical functions and services and are, therefore, required to work when a modification or curtailment of normal operations occurs, as detailed in the department’s COOP.
In addition, the best way to find information about an emergency or modification of operations is through the MSU website and MSU Alert. Get the COOP template and find out more about the guidelines for maintaining critical functions at MSU here.
Congratulations to the 2015 Outstanding Supervisor Award recipients!
The Outstanding Supervisor Award was established by the Family Resource Center in the spring of 2001 to draw attention to MSU supervisors who are highly regarded by their employees for their consistent support of the work/life (professional/personal) needs of their employees. Various academic and support staff units submitted excellent nominations this year. The nominees and nominators represent a wide variety of departments and position levels.Continue Reading… 2015 Outstanding Supervisor Award recipients
On behalf of Michigan State University, MSU Human Resources has launched 
