Job of the Week – LBGT Resource Manager

This week’s job of the week is an LBGT Resource Center Manager (#546132) for the Vice President for Student Affairs and Services. This position is seeking an individual to provide leadership for the office and all programs and services.

The responsibilities for this role include assisting students who identify with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) community in their transition to MSU and throughout their academic careers. They must provide support and encouragement for student academic, cultural and personal development. This position will also promote an inclusive atmosphere committed to cultural and social awareness, allowing students, staff, faculty, and alumni to be united in advancing education about and support for the community.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge acquired by completing one or two years of post-bachelor degree work such as Master’s degree with emphasis in Higher Education, Student Affairs, College Student Personnel, Educational Administration, Counseling, Social Work, Gender Identity or related field; three to five years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in higher education or within the LGBTQ community; experience with individual and community development activities; experience and familiarity with both LGBTQ issues and their intersections with communities of color; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

MSU’s Jeff Brodie Talks about his Experience with the Livongo Diabetes Management Program

Jeff Brodie is a Management Analyst at MSU Human Resources who was diagnosed with diabetes in 2011. When the Livongo for Diabetes Management program first rolled out as a free benefit to MSU employees and their spouses/dependents, Jeff was one of the first to sign up.

Jeff admits his process for handling his diabetes needed to improve, “Prior to signing up for Livongo, I managed my diabetes primarily by reviewing my A1C numbers (average blood glucose) every three to six months
but unfortunately, the absence of a ‘bad’ number caused me to do very little to manage my condition.” The Livongo program aims to reduce the burden on those living with diabetes by offering technology and support to help members easily manage their health.

Members get a free Welcome Kit which contains the Livongo connected meter, a charger, unlimited free strips/lancets, a convenient carrying case, and optional coaching with a health care professional.

Livongo Diabetes Welcome Kit
The Livongo Welcome Kit

Jeff finds the Welcome Kit and support immensely helpful, “I receive FREE test strips and lancets, and weekly summaries of my results
the best thing is: it keeps a record of every test result that I can put into a spreadsheet and share with my doctor.” Jeff’s favorite part of the program is the unlimited free test strips and lancets – why pay for these supplies when they are available free?

Signing up for the program couldn’t be simpler, “I signed up by phone and it was easy
the Welcome Kit arrived in the mail, I had a phone number or email address handy for questions. And once I got started, it became part of my daily routine to test.” Creating a daily habit to test is a great first step to learn when you may need to make small changes in your diet and/or exercise to improve your overall health.

Jeff admits he could still do more to manage his diabetes, like improve his diet. However, he explains that Livongo, “reminds me that I’m a diabetic, that I should test, and that I should use my test results to make SOME changes in my diet and exercise
This has caused me to make changes in my lifestyle that I otherwise would not have made.” And while Jeff has opted to not use the optional coaching services offered by Livongo, he does occasionally reach out to the coaches via email if he has a question about his numbers, diet or the program.

Understanding how what you eat influences your diabetes is vital to improving your health. As Jeff explains, “Even when I let my food monster win for a day, I’m still aware of being diabetic and the lifestyle changes I must undergo to manage it.” Keeping track of the trends in his numbers has encouraged Jeff to adjust his diet to eat more vegetables and protein and fewer carbs, especially if his results are high.

If you’re unsure if the Livongo program is right for you, consider Jeff’s attitude: “There is nothing to lose at all, and everything to gain. Even if you sign up and do the minimal, you will be healthier than if you didn’t sign up at all.” Your level of participation in the program is entirely up to you, with the option to cancel anytime.

If you have questions or are ready to sign up, visit the Livongo website. Find more testimonials for Livongo here. Do you have your own experience with Livongo? We’d love to hear in the comments below or email us at hrcommteam@hr.msu.edu.

What Makes You Unique?

How do you build better relationships at work? Find the right role to fit your talents? Have powerful, constructive conversations? Living your best life begins when you tap into your unique talents. Learn to Identify and Maximize Your Strengths with a new training opportunity available through Organization and Professional Development.

Before this course, you will complete Gallup’s CliftonStrengths online assessment to determine your natural patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving. The assessment measures your specific order of 34 themes of talent—your “talent DNA.” The odds that someone shares your exact same order of 34 themes are roughly 1 in 259,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Discover what makes you truly unique from everyone else.

When you attend this program, you will:

  • Receive your assessment results
  • Explore what you naturally do best
  • Learn how to further develop these areas

The course instructor will help you understand your customized results, so you can discover what makes you exceptional and maximize your potential. With increased self-awareness and a new language for understanding and expressing what you do best, research has shown that you will be more likely to feel confident, achieve goals, and feel energetic and engaged.

Ready to Sign Up?

The next Identify and Maximize Your Strengths is Wednesday, December 12 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The course is taught by Sabrina Hebeler and Danielle Hook from IPF. More dates for this course will be available soon. Sign up by logging into the EBS Portal and selecting the Courses for Employees at MSU tile under My Career and Training.

Job of the Week – Veterinary Technician I

This week’s job of the week is a Veterinary Technician I (#544445) for the College of Veterinary Medicine. This position is seeking an individual to provide patient care for ill and injured animals for the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

The responsibilities for this role include working primarily in the VMC (Veterinary Medical Center) Emergency and Critical Care unit, instructing and demonstrating techniques to students and maintaining supplies and equipment in the hospital area.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge acquired in the first two or three years in college, technical or vocational school in Veterinary Technology; six months to one year of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in extensive patient care, surgery, anesthesia, drug-dosing, and sterilization; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Thank You for Your Service, Veterans!

There are several events taking place across campus in the week leading up to Veterans Day (Nov. 11) to help honor the military-connected members of the MSU community. The MSU Student Veterans Resource Center, MSU Chapter of the Student Veterans of America, and the MSU Veteran Outreach Committee present the following events:

Daily Lunch and Learn Sessions – Monday, November 5 – Thursday, November 8
Noon – 1:00 p.m., Student Services Building, Room 6, 556 E. Circle Drive, East Lansing

These sessions will cover various veteran experiences including education, employment, military culture, and military families. These sessions are open to anyone. Bring your own lunch. No registration necessary.

ROTC Veterans Day Program – Thursday, November 8
3:30 p.m., MSU Chapel, 636 Auditorium Road, East Lansing

Join the MSU Army and MSU Air Force ROTC units for a short service honoring veterans. Everyone is welcome.

Veterans Day Dinner – Thursday, November 8
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., The Vista at Shaw Hall, 591 N. Shaw Lane, East Lansing

Veterans and current service members will receive a discount on this special dinner honoring all who served – but anyone is welcome to come. Come in your uniform or bring along your proof of service.

Third Annual Veterans Day Program and Brunch – Friday, November 9
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., MSU Student Union Ballroom, 49 Abbot Road, East Lansing

Cap off the week’s events with the third annual Veterans Day brunch program. The event is free but advance registration is required. Everyone is welcome to come. Following opening remarks and brunch, there will be a panel discussion comprised of the four subject matter experts who spoke during the week’s previous Lunch and Learn sessions. They will come together to combine their experiences in a way that paints a picture of the experiences of veterans and their families in the civilian world.

If you are attending Friday’s Veterans Day Program or any of the week’s Lunch and Learn presentations, consider bringing an item or small donation for Operation Gratitude. All donations will go toward sending care packages to active military, military families, veterans and first responders. Find a list of requested donation items on the HR website or use the Operation Gratitude Amazon Wish List.

Carillon Concert – Sunday, November 11
11:00 a.m., Beaumont Tower, 375 W. Circle Drive, East Lansing

In celebration of the Inauguration of Peace Carillon at Park Abbey in Leuven, Belgium, carillonneurs around the world will play A Sacred Suite, a triptych on Gregorian themes by the renowned Flemish carillonneur and composer Geert D’hollander. This special event takes place in local time worldwide on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 100 years after the armistice was signed for the end of World War I.

MSU Museum Exhibit – War and Speech: Propaganda, Patriotism, & Dissent in the Great War
MSU Museum, 409 W. Circle Drive, East Lansing

This exhibit explores the new ways in which Americans understood civic duty and free speech during World War 1. Exhibit runs through November 11, 2018.

Job of the Week – Dining Service Assistant Manager

This week’s job of the week is a Dining Services Assistant Manager (#543461) for Residential & Hospitality Services for Brody Complex. This position is seeking an individual to direct food service staff in preparation and service of food in the residence hall.

The responsibilities for this role include monitoring food production and presentation, developing and implementing training programs for support staff and handling customer concerns or suggestions.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge acquired from a four-year college degree program in Hotel Restaurant and Institutions Management, Business Administration, Dietetics, Food systems and Economics Management or Nutrition; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in customer relations, food service practices, sanitation and safety procedures, familiarity with food preparation equipment, accounting skills and supervisory and managerial experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Events Round Up: November

Community Festivals 

East Lansing Film Festival

Community Events

Wonderland of Lights

Made in Michigan – Holiday Art Exhibition

Mason Christmas Craft show

MSU Global Festival

Mason Holidays Celebration and Light Parade

Bronner Christmas Wonderland

Food

Thursday, November 8

Shoptails

Tuesday, November 13

Wine Dinner Experience

Wednesday. November 15

French Wine Dinner: Dusty Cellar

Saturday, November 17

Mix Pack: Lansing Brewing Company

Sunday, November 18

Champagne and Sparkling Wine Tasting

Wednesday, November 21

Beat the Brewer

Arts

Sunday, November 11

No Mix Color Workshop

Thursday, November 15

A Hunting Shack Christmas

Thursday, November 15

Studio (in) Process

Friday, November 23

The Nutcracker

Music

Friday, November 9

Piano Lecture at FRIB

Wednesday, November 14

Johann Strauss II: Die Fledermaus

Thursday, November 15

Masterworks 02: Brahms Symphony No. 3

Sunday, November 18

Soweto Gospel Choir

Wednesday, November 28

Concert and Campus Band

Thursday, November 29

Symphony Band

Family/Kid Friendly

Saturday, November 3

Chemistry Day: Impression 5

Sunday, November 4

Pumpkinfest- Animal Enrichment Event

Sunday, November 11

Family Special: Critter Holiday

Friday, November 16

Silver Bells in the City

Saturday, November 17

Breakfast with Santa

Saturday, November 17

Holiday Open House

Sunday, November 18

Kean’s Holiday Open House

Sports/Fitness

Wednesday. November 7

Lansing Brew Run

Friday, November 16

Howl at the Moon: Guided Walk

Sunday, November 18

Broad Wellness: Yoga

Thursday, November 22

Lansing Turkey Trot

Professional Development Opportunities:

Tuesday, November 6

Supervisor Strategies for Performance Planning

Wednesday, November 7

Payments to Non-Residents Aliens and Foreign Vendors

Thursday, November 9

EBS Financial System Roles/Onboarding

Thursday, November 15

Concur Travel Tips & Tricks for Success

Wednesday, November 28

Records Management and Retention at MSU

Wednesday, November 28

Everything DiSC: Behavior Styles at work

Job of the Week – Social Worker

This week’s Job of the Week is a Social Worker (#540857) for Counseling and Psychiatric Services for the MSU Health Team. This position is seeking an individual to support and consult with other mental health professionals and health service clinicians.

The responsibilities for this role include providing supervision of social work graduate students and performing individual/group counseling with clients and provide crisis intervention services to treat normal development problems. Other responsibilities include setting up workshops to educate clients, parents, university staff, health care professionals and community regarding developmental and treatment issues.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge acquired by completing one or two years of graduate study beyond a bachelor’s degree, such as a master’s in social work; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in counseling in a health/mental health environment; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and state certification as a social worker.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Guest post by Sheila J. Bryant, PACDI Chair, President’s Advisory Committee on Disability Issues (PACDI)

Michigan State University is a leader in cultivating a diverse and inclusive campus environment. During October we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month which focuses on “the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skills and talents,” according to the Office of Disability Employment Policy. This years’ theme, America’s Workforce: Empowering All, fits right in with the university’s core value of Inclusiveness. It is of the utmost importance that the “university community is one that welcomes the contribution of all its members”.

It is important for everyone to have access to what he or she needs to succeed in the workplace. When one person succeeds, we all succeed. One way we accomplish this here at MSU is via the President’s Advisory Committee on Disability Issues (PACDI). Since 1987, this committee, comprised of faculty, staff, and students from various departments across campus, meets to familiarize themselves with and discuss “university policies, programs, and procedures affecting persons with disabilities”.

The PACDI has been a major force in gathering and presenting information that has influenced the implementation of programs and facilities to assist employees and students with disabilities on campus. One PACDI member served as the lead instructor for the freshman seminar course, Disability in Society, Education and Pop Culture. Additionally, the PACDI met with the Athletic Department to discuss installing accessible seating in the student section of Spartan Stadium. You can learn more about PACDI here.

Need In-Person Assistance with Open Enrollment?

Open Enrollment for the 2019 plan year ends on Wednesday, October 31. If you haven’t already, be sure to log into the EBS portal to participate. Remember, if you wish to continue coverage for a spouse or other eligible individual (OEI), you must complete the Health Care Affidavit. Find instructions for completing Open Enrollment (including the Health Care Affidavit) on the HR website.

Need to Talk to a Benefits Expert?

If you have questions about your benefits options or would like a Human Resources staff member to walk you through the Open Enrollment process, consider attending one of the HR Site Labs located in Room 125 Nisbet Building:

  • Monday, Oct. 29 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Oct. 30 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 31 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Find resources and information about Open Enrollment on the HR website, including benefits guides, enrollment instructions, a how-to enroll video and the ALEX educational tool.

Questions? Contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.