Job of the Week – Extension Specialist: Health and Nutrition Institute Associate Director

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This week, MSU Human Resources features a posting from MSU Extension for a Health and Nutrition Institute Associate Director (posting 835156). MSU Extension aims to be part of community conversations, maintain positive environments, and foster inclusivity. Learn more about MSU Extension.

The Associate Director is part of MSU Extension and the Health and Nutrition Institute (HNI), and provides statewide leadership and support of health, food safety and more. They will provide leadership to the institute’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) grant and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). They will also work with the HNI Director to provide support for HNI staff and program management. Find a list of all responsibilities on the MSU Careers website.

The applicant should have a Master’s degree in nutrition, food science, or a related health field of study, but a Ph.D. is preferred. Their working knowledge should include five years of experience in Extension or similar organization with an emphasis on nutrition education, food science or community and public health. They should also have experience and proven ability working productively with a team serving in both leadership and contributor roles and development of multi-disciplinary collaborations. 

To learn more about MSU Extension, visit www.canr.msu.edu. To apply for this position, prepare a resume, cover letter, four professional references and apply here by February 6. 

Job of the Week: Project Manager

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This week, MSU Human Resources features a posting from the College of Arts and Letters for a Project Manager (posting 837257). The College of Arts and Letters educates actors, artists, designers, filmmakers, linguists, philosophers, poets, teachers, translators, writers and much more in a creative, learning and nurturing environment.  

The Project Manager would support the efforts of the Mellon Funded HuMetricsHSS initiative. This initiative creates and supports values-enacted frameworks for understanding and evaluating all aspects of the scholarly life well-lived and for promoting the nurturing of these values in scholarly practice. The Project Manager will develop, coordinate and implement projects affiliated with the HuMetricsHSS strategic initiatives. They will also analyze and summarize information and studies for use by management. For a list of all responsibilities, click here.

The future Project Manager should be a detail oriented communicator with a four-year degree in business administration, management or a related field. Their working knowledge should include project management, business analysis, facilitation and training with a focus on business management. Project Management certification is preferred. They should be extremely well organized and have excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills. This is a full-time 12-month end-dated position with expectation of annual renewal. 

To learn more about the College of Arts and Letters, visit cal.msu.edu. To apply for this position, prepare a resume and apply here by January 17.

Employee Discounts to Support your 2023 Resolutions

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Another new year means new resolutions, and MSU Benefits Plus wants to make those goals and tasks more achievable than ever. Below, you can learn more about these exclusive health, wellness, and other helpful discounts for MSU employees and start your journey to a happy new year today!

To access these discounts and more, login to MSU Benefits Plus today. If you haven’t used MSU Benefits Plus previously, register using your employee email address and set up an account. 

Exercise and Mental Health

  • Future â€“ Receive 50% off your first 3 months of 1:1 custom personal training through Future Fitness. Discount is automatically applied at checkout.
  • Yours â€“ Sleep, meditate and heal. Save up to 70% on a yearly plan or 40% on a monthly plan through Yours. Use code CORESTREAM2022.
  • Calm â€“ 57% off a one-year subscription for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store’s most popular mental wellness application ($29.99 instead of $69.99).

Travel

  • CoreStream â€“ Specializing in finding the cheapest flights on the best carriers, use CoreStream’s online booking engine to search for flights, comparative shop, and book online with just a few clicks. Save up to 70% on your next flight!
  • Tickets at Work â€“ Find deals of up to 60% off hotels in tons of destinations using this exclusive link.

Education

  • Spartan Bookstore â€“ If you are looking for books to learn something new or just to enjoy some reading, visit the Spartan Bookstore for 10% off new and used books with your faculty/staff ID.
  • Rosetta Stone – Get 12 months of language learning from Rosetta Stone for only $95.88 (normally $119.88) when you sign up through the exclusive link!

Tech

  • Apple – Get ready for the best deals if you choose to spend your holiday gift money on new Apple products, because MSU employees get exclusive pricing through the Employee Purchase Program.
  • Dell â€“ Ready to upgrade your workspace in 2023? Save up to 30% on select systems through Dell Member Purchase Program Discounts.

The HR website also offers other deals you can find on-campus through the MSU Tech Store, MSU Bakers, and the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, among others. You can check out some of those deals through the MSU HR Website. For more information on discounts from MSU Benefits Plus, visit the HR website. If you have any questions about the discounts, please call MSU Benefits Plus at 888-758-7575.

New Year, New Professional Development Courses!

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HR’s Organization and Professional Development (OPD) department has spots open in the following courses to support your learning and development in January and February:

  • Maximizing the Spartan Experience | January 17 | Virtual
    This engaging training provides a foundational perspective related to enhanced customer service delivery.
  • Everything DiSC: Behavior Styles at Work | January 18 | Virtual
    Everything DiSC® helps you build more effective working relationships based on an understanding of different behavioral styles.
  • Grammar Refresher | January 24 | Virtual
    Strengthen your grammar and usage skills and present a more polished, professional image.
  • The Power of Habit | January 25 | Virtual
    Learn how to spot your habit loop, turn bad days into good data, and create habits that get the results you want.
  • Promapp, Interactive Process Creation | February 1 | Virtual
    Learners will continue their process improvement journey and build upon the knowledge and skills learned in Introduction to Process Mapping.
  • Implicit Bias Certificate Series | Starts February 7 | Virtual
    The Implicit Bias Certificate series allows participants to examine the multiple facets of implicit bias and its impact on our community through a series of modules.
  • Crucial Conversations for Accountability | Starts February 7 | In-Person
    This engaging two-day course, previously titled Crucial Accountability, teaches nine powerful skills for resolving performance problems, strengthening trust and reliability, and eliminating inconsistency through group discussion, real-time practice, and group support and coaching.
  • Building Cohesive Teams| February 8 | Virtual
    Explore strategies to increase team cohesiveness and establish positive day-to-day interactions to enhance communication, build team awareness and cultivate trustworthiness in the work culture.
  • Creating and Sustaining a Positive Workplace| February 16 | Virtual
    This course provides humorous insight into the seven habits of negativity, including tips to stop gossip, techniques for getting along with others, and strategies to reap the many benefits of a positive and engaged workforce.
  • Cultural Competency | February 20 | In-Person
    One of MSU’s guiding principles is to lead inclusively, actively, and intentionally to promote full participation and a sense of safety and belonging for all employees and staff. Join us in building cultural awareness and inclusiveness skills that strengthen cultural competence.
  • Strategic Planning| February 22 | In-Person
    Participants will gain a foundational base for implementing strategic planning in a unit.

You can find all the current Organization and Professional Development courses on the HR website. Class enrollment is completed within the EBS Portal. Employees may use available educational assistance funds towards course fees (if any). 

Job of the Week: WKAR Project Engineer

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This week, MSU Human Resources features a posting from the College of Communication Arts and Sciences for a WKAR Project Engineer (posting 836249). The College of Communication Arts and Sciences offers world-class training from faculty through innovation, dedication, individual strength and collaboration to students who continue to impress with notable accomplishments.

The WKAR Project Engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of the federal grant funded project, “Strengthening Equitable K-12 Access to Education to the Lansing Area Via Free Over the Air Service.” This position will coordinate and implement the technical and operational engineering aspects of WKAR’s ATSC 3.0 broadcast, which includes responsibility for equipment, programming, troubleshooting, and providing technical support collaboration with third parties.. For a list of all responsibilities, click here. 

The future WKAR Project Engineer should have a four-year degree in broadcast engineering, telecommunications engineering technology or a related field. Their working knowledge should include ATSC 3.0 broadcasting, its applications and Microsoft Office. They should also be comfortable in a virtual environment to provide training and resource support services. 

This is a limited term position for 18 months and has the opportunity to work in a hybrid work capacity.

To learn more about the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, visit comartsci.msu.edu. To learn more about WKAR, visit wkar.org. To apply for this position, prepare a resume, cover letter and apply here by January 19.

Retirement Planning: 2023 IRS Retirement Plan Contribution Limits

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Whether you’ve just started working at MSU or have been here for 30+ years, it is important that you continue to monitor and adjust how much you’re saving if you want to have a comfortable retirement. The IRS places limits on how much employees can contribute to a retirement plan each year. The IRS recently announced the retirement plan limits for 2023:

  • The annual employee contribution amount increased from $20,500 to $22,500 for 403(b) and 457(b) plans.
  • The age 50 catch-up contribution amount increased from $6,500 to $7,500 for 403(b) and 457(b) plans.

If you want to save as much as you can for your retirement, there is a tool in the EBS Portal called the Max Savings Contributions Calculator available to assist you. This tool automatically displays the remaining amount of retirement contributions you have available before reaching one of the limits, and the equivalent percentage of your pay to help you spread that out for the year.

To access this tool:

  1. Login to the EBS Portal with your MSU NetID and password.
  2. Click the My Benefits tab at the top.
  3. Click the Benefit/Retirement tile.
  4. Select Enroll/Change my Retirement/Health Savings Account Options in the drop-down menu and then click Next in the bottom right.
  5. Navigate in the bar graph to the Savings Plans screen by clicking Next in the bottom right.
  6. The Max Savings Contributions Calculator screen will display. This display will automatically show the remaining amount of retirement contributions you have available (if any) before reaching the IRS limit.
  7. You can adjust the percentage of your contributions to any retirement plans you participate in by clicking on the pencil icon, and then choose Select to make the change.
  8. If you want to enroll in a new plan, begin by clicking on the paper icon next to the plan and vendor of your choosing, and then enter the percentage of your new contribution and choose Select to enroll.
  9. Make sure to click on Save in the bottom right to complete and save any changes/enrollments.

If you are an academic year faculty or academic staff employee, or a Voluntary 403(b) Base participant aged 50 and over, contact the HR Solutions Center at 517-353-4434 or SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu for further assistance in calculating your maximum contribution percentage.

Learn More About MSU’s Retirement Plans 

The HR website contains a wealth of information about the different types of retirement plans offered, retirement investment vendors, and planning tools available.

January Events Round-Up

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Happy New Year! Are you looking for activities for you and your family to kick off the new year? There are events (in-person and virtual) on campus and in the Greater Lansing community. Many events require registration, so be sure to click the links to learn more.

Campus Events

January 17 – Sharks of the Arctic and Other Fossil Surprises (free): This MSU Museum program will explore fossil records and get a rare look at 50-million-year-old shark specimens.

Starts January 20 – Blue Man Group: Experience a performance from the iconic group at the Wharton Center. 

January 21 – Lunar New Year Celebration Concert: Celebrate the Lunar New Year at Cook Recital Hall with MSU artists and guests as they perform works by composers of Asian descent. 

January 22 – Celebration of the Beautiful Voice, Opera Theatre: Enjoy MSU Vocal Arts performances of scenes from operatic masterworks at the Fairchild Theatre.

January 29 – 2023 Running Start Live Pitch Competition (free): Witness student entrepreneurs in action as they pitch their innovative projects and music business ideas to a live audience and panel of judges. Audience members will have the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award. 

Learning Opportunities

January 10 – How to Talk to Your Kids About Race (free): The Family Employee Resource Group is hosting this Zoom session to teach parents and caregivers about bias and racism.

January 12 – Stable Links Workshop (free): This Zoom workshop will guide participants through the process of integrating journal articles, e-book chapters or streaming media into their course(s).

January 23 – Mendeley Demonstration and Q&A (free): This online session will allow participants to ask questions and learn how to utilize the Mendeley citation management program. 

January 25 – The 2nd Annual Malcolm X Muslim Studies Community Forum (free): This MSU Muslim Studies Program event will feature Leading American Muslim Scholars, Imam Omar Suleiman and Imam Abdullah Oduro.  

Health and Wellness

January 15 – SpARTan Wellness: JOURNALING (free): Come to the MSU Broad Art Museum and create a journal to help focus and reflect on your goals, hopes and anxieties in the new year. 

Starts January 23 – Blue Cross Winter Warm Up (free): Engage in physical activity during the winter months with this 5K training program. The program is open to walkers and runners of all ages and abilities. 

Starts January 25 – Finding Time: Time Management Strategies for Busy Professionals (free): This Zoom class will explore strategies to more efficiently allocate our minutes, streamline workflow and relieve some pressure in the process.

Starts January 31 – Active Office Workshop (free): Join this Zoom course to learn the best practices for staying active in an office setting. 

Family-Friendly Activities

January 4 – Together Let’s Sing, Dance and Jam!! (free): This virtual event will feature musical therapists from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and allow those of all ages and abilities to move around. 

Starts January 6 – Ice Worlds: Visit the Abrams Planetarium to learn about the Arctic and Antarctic regions. 

January 7 – Family Day: DREAM (free): Join the MSU Broad Art Museum for their monthly family day. For this month’s theme, you’ll be creating dream worlds where anything can happen.

January 14 – Let’s Warm Up – Kids Cooking Class: Sweet Encounter Bakery is teaching children eight and up how to make some of winter’s favorite dishes.

January 15 – Sensory Friendly at Abrams Planetarium: Visit the planetarium this month for their sensory friendly hours.

Job of the Week: Project Manager

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This week, MSU Human Resources features a remote-friendly position for a Project Manager in the College of Arts and Letters (posting 833172). The MSU College of Arts & Letters (CAL) educates actors, artists, designers, filmmakers, linguists, philosophers, poets, teachers, translators, writers and much more in a creative, learning and nurturing environment. The College employs some of the most engaged, talented, and forward-thinking faculty and scholars in the country to educate our students and bring public focus to the arts and humanities as the threads that weave together our numerous shared cultures and traditions.

The College of Arts & Letters (CAL) seeks a Project Manager to support the Toolbox Dialogue Initiative Center (TDIC). TDIC is a service center based in the Department of Philosophy at Michigan State University that builds collaborative capacity in research and practice teams and a research center that studies the collaboration and cross disciplinary research process.

CAL promotes an academic and organizational culture that actively seeks out and strengthens diverse voices and perspectives among its members in order to achieve excellence. CAL is interested in candidates of all backgrounds committed to the principle that we achieve intellectual leadership through open access and proactive inclusion.

The primary responsibility of this role is to serve as project manager for the NSF Convergence Accelerator Team Science Faculty, which includes but is not limited to TDIC personnel. They will be responsible for full-scope management, including planning, implementation, schedule management, logistics, work assignments, report writing, and budget management. Additional responsibilities can be found here.

CAL’s future project manager should have a four-year degree in Business Administration, Management, or a similar field. Their work experience should include project management, with a certification preferred but not required, business analysis, and implementation of strategic analysis. Ideally, the next project manager is a creative and innovative lifelong learner who can communicate effectively with diverse populations, problem solve within a collaborative team environment and understand different perspectives with expert knowledge of the technical operations of the job.

To learn more about the College of Arts and Letters, visit cal.msu.edu. To apply for this position, prepare a resume and cover letter and apply here by January 10.

Job of the Week: Accountant I

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This week, MSU Human Resources features a posting from the Division of Student Life and Engagement for an Accountant (posting 832584). The Division of Student Life and Engagement engages students in active learning, ensures students are prepared for leadership roles and enhances educational environments. 

The Accountant position is responsible for providing accounting support and controls for a large division as it pertains to finances and budgets and will assist leadership and staff with accounting concerns. They will regularly interact with supervisors and purchasing to resolve discrepancies, provide accounting assistance and exchange information. They will also interact with the University Accounting Department, clerical support staff, student employees and university departments. For a list of all responsibilities, click here. 

The ideal candidate should have a four-year degree in accounting and one to three years of working knowledge in financial statement and report preparation. They should have experience with general ledger accounting and budgeting. They should also have knowledge of basic computer terminology and operations.

To learn more about the Division of Student Life and Engagement, visit sle.msu.edu. To apply for this position, prepare a resume, cover letter and apply here by January 3.