How to Beat the Winter Blues

When winter rolls around, sadness or depression can too. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that affects people during the same season every year. Typically, people who experience SAD feel worse in the winter months and better in the spring and summer.

SAD can affect everyone, but according to the Health4U’s Health E-Guide, those more likely to experience the disorder include:

  • People who live in areas where winter days are very short or there are big changes in the amount of daylight in different seasons.
  • Women.
  • People between the ages of 15 and 55. The risk of getting SAD for the first time goes down as you age.
  • People who have a close relative with SAD.Continue Reading… How to Beat the Winter Blues

Events Round-Up 2/25 to 3/3

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

Monday, February 25

All About Brahms, 7:30 p.m., Cook Recital Hall, Music Building

Tuesday, February 26

Kitchen Skill Drill: Grains, 12:10 p.m. – 12:50 p..m, McDonel Hall Test Kitchen

The Lady Victory, 7:30 p.m., Wharton Center

Wednesday, February 27

Walk on Wednesdays!, 12:15 p.m. – 1 p..m, MSU Campus

Coaching Skills For Leaders, 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., 10 Nisbet building

Musique 21, 7:30 p.m., Residential College in the Arts and Humanities Theatre

Rene Fleming, 7:30 p.m., Wharton Center

Thursday, February 28

Camtasia 8, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., 210 Computer Center

Navigating Manager Self Service, 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., 10 Nisbet building

Running Efficient Meetings- Making Effective Decisions, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m., Kellogg Center, Corniche Room

Social Media: Connecting with Friends, Family and the Global Community, 7 p.m.- 9 p.m., 101 Kellogg Center

Saturday, March 2

Gateway to Infinity, 8 p.m. -9:30 p.m., Abrams Planetarium

Sunday, March 3

Sky Tellers, 2:30 p.m., Abrams Planetarium

Job of the Week 2/21/13

This week we’re highlighting an Administrative Assistant I/S position in the Academic Affairs Office for the College of Arts and Letters (Posting 7385). The selected candidate will function as the office manager, support staff supervisor, fiscal officer and administrative assistant to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs. Some of the job duties for this position include coordinating interactions between the Academic Affairs Office and other internal and external entities; establishing and maintaining a customer service orientation; capturing and synthesizing information to keep the associate deans apprised and to ensure operational efficiency; compiling data, analyzing information and generating reports; monitoring, analyzing, forecasting and reconciling ledgers.

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.

Think Positively!

Our jobs seem to only get busier and our job responsibilities seem to only get longer. It’s also true with our demands at home. With both work and home lives being so busy, it’s easy to get sucked into negative thinking. Watch this video by HRD facilitator Lois Wolfe-Morgan on how you can stop the negative thinking and start thinking positively, one sentence at a time! Check out the video here.

To learn more, check out HRD’s upcoming course offerings, including Lois’sHarnessing the Power of Office Politics course on March 15.

Curious about Health Care Reform?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also referred to as Health Care Reform, consists of about a thousand pages of complex information. It also brings massive changes to MSU and other employers.

To help people understand the complex information contained in the ACA, MSU Human Resources has created a special section on the HR website. The goal of the site is to share what MSU is doing in its effort to comply with the ACA, and also to provide you access to resources where more information can be found.Continue Reading… Curious about Health Care Reform?

Events Round-Up 2/19 to 2/24

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

Tuesday, February 19

Long-Term Care Insurance Information Sessions begin

Team Performance Essentials for Success, 8:30 a.m. – noon,

Windows 7 Basics, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., 210 Computer Center

Records Management and Retention at MSU, 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 20

CPR—Heart Smart, 12:10 p.m.–1 p.m., Lake Ontario Room (3rd Floor), MSU Union

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, 7:30 p.m., Wharton Center

Thursday, February 21

Black Holes and Globular Clusters: Sparking Hosts of Frozen Stars, 7:30 p.m.–9:30 a.m., Abrams Planetarium

Navigating Employee Self Service, 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Suite 10 Nisbet Building

Time And Email Quick Tips, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., Suite 10 Nisbet Building

Friday, February 22

Blue Man Group, 8 p.m. – 11 p.m., Wharton Center

Sunday, February 24

All About Brahms, 3 p.m., Cook Recital Hall, Music Building

MSU Museum Chocolate Party, 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center

Job of the Week 2/15/13

This week we’re highlighting an Administrative Assistant I position with University Advancement (Posting #7368). Some of the job duties for this position include assisting the Director of Student Programming and Initiatives with the day-to-day operations and programs of the Student Alumni Foundation (SAF). Furthermore, the position will be responsible for planning, implementation and execution of various student and alumni events and programs; working extensively with student volunteers/interns towards program goals; supporting the administrative needs of the office and upon request, the SAF advisor; and leading in the development of student programming on behalf of University Advancement, specifically the MSU Alumni Association.

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To view all of our current postings, please go to www.jobs.msu.edu and select Support Staff under the Fast Jobs Search.

Eat Lots of Chocolate and Support the MSU Museum!

Do you love chocolate or have friends and family that do? Then stop by the Kellogg Center on Sunday, Feb. 24 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for Chocolate in 3D! Chocolate in 3D! is MSU Museum’s twenty-fourth annual Chocolate Party Benefit featuring cheesecakes, tortes, fountains and other delectable chocolate goodies. The MSU Museum Chocolate Benefit is a competition between local restaurants, caterers and bakeshops, and is one of few professional culinary events in the country open to the public. Each competitor uses their skills to craft pyramids, film reels and other items made from chocolate.

Chocolate strawberries
Chocolate-covered strawberries is one example of the many tasty treats that may be available at the MSU Museum’s Chocolate Benefit.

Chocolate Benefit competitors for 2013 include: Bake N’ Cakes, American Crepes, The Sweet Cake Company, How Sweet It Is, Aggie Mae’s and others. All proceeds raised from the event will benefit the MSU Museum’s collections. The MSU Museum has nearly one million artifacts housed in four buildings across MSU’s campus.Continue Reading… Eat Lots of Chocolate and Support the MSU Museum!

Thank You MSU Professors!

Every day thousands of students leave classrooms with more knowledge than they entered with. Why? Because dedicated Michigan State University professors are there to help students learn new subject material, navigate the world of academia and lend support when needed. Professors at MSU juggle many hats, including serving as faculty advisors for student clubs and graduate students, conducting original research and sitting on committees.Continue Reading… Thank You MSU Professors!