Thank you MSU Alumni Association

MSU Alumni AssociationMany of the current employees at MSU also graduated from the university. For these employees and friends of the university, the MSU Alumni Association provides a variety of benefits, discounts and services, as well as a valuable way to connect with and stay updated on the work of Spartans all around the world.

The Alumni Association benefits more than just its members. The organization hosts and organizes a multitude of events that enhance the Spartan experience, such as Homecoming and Senior Week, and promote positive change, such as the Global Day of Service. Anyone is free to read the Alumni Association Magazine, published quarterly, online, with issues dating back to 1992. Livestreams, available for anyone to watch, of the Health4U Recipe for Health Cooking series are also provided by the Alumni Association.

In addition, the association’s Alumni LENS program offers various career training opportunities for members and friends of the university. These include online classes about management, writing, marketing and more, leadership retreats and the free Spartan Insights webinars.

Thank you to everyone that works with the Alumni Association for promoting the success of the thousands of Spartans in East Lansing and around the world!

Thank you IPF Custodial Services!

ty-custodial-2Their work often goes unnoticed, but it is evident every day when faculty, staff and students enter campus buildings to begin the day.

Custodial Services workers clean restrooms, classrooms, conference rooms, libraries, laboratories and more. They empty your trash can, mop or vacuum the floor you walk on and disinfect the door handles and light switches you touch. Each building has a crew that comes in during off hours to prepare the building for the next day.

Thank you, Custodial Services, for your constant upkeep of the numerous buildings on campus!

Thank you student employees!

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Student employees at the MSU’s WDBM-FM 88.9 radio station in a programming meeting. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

Students do so much more than attend classes and study at MSU. They are an integral part of MSU’s work force, from assisting with research, interning, making and serving food, providing guided campus tours and much more, all while balancing academics, clubs and other responsibilities.

Thank you student employees, for contributing your time and talents to the university! Your efforts aid in maintaining daily, ongoing operations and help advance the university in its future endeavors.

We would also like to congratulate all graduating MSU students. You might be leaving the university, but you’ll always be a Spartan. Good luck!

Thank you MSU Sustainability!

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Image courtesy of MSU Sustainability. Click to view larger image.

MSU is a leading research institution, especially when it comes to sustainability. MSU Sustainability represents the collective efforts of Spartans, including students, alumni, faculty and staff, to learn more about the environment and how to preserve it. Thank you, MSU Sustainability and Be Spartan Green for your never-ending efforts to promote awareness about environmental concerns and MSU’s work to research and formulate solutions to environmental challenges. And of course, thank you for encouraging all Spartans to establish eco-friendly habits, such as recycling, reducing energy usage and buying local food, in their everyday lives. These daily efforts, multiplied thousands of times over, amount to an extraordinary environmental effect!

In addition, MSU Sustainability has worked especially hard to celebrate Earth Month this April by educating and engaging with Spartans and community members with videos, Community ReUse Days, and additional events.

Thank you, MSU Sustainability, for keeping Spartans proud of MSU’s environmental initiatives and for helping us to go green every day!

Thank you Infrastructure Planning and Facilities!

We might have thought we’d escape with an easy winter this year, but Mother Nature is always prepared to throw us a friendly reminder: this is still Michigan. Fortunately for everyone at Michigan State, the recent onslaughts of snowfall have been no match for Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, and that deserves a hearty thank you from Human Resources and the rest of the MSU community! We admire your dedication to keeping our roads and sidewalks safe. We also are always thankful for the alerts and warnings that go out to keep our community informed, the work you do to keep our campus beautiful year-round, and the construction you are a part of that is constantly improving our campus. Quite frankly, we are glad for all that you do!

Students trekking through North Neighborhood over paths cleared by MSU IPF.
Students brave the cold on snow-free walkways near the MSU Museum on November 30, 2011.

The IPF road crews’ willingness and commitment to be up before the sun and clear the danger from our paths is not something everyone can do, and we appreciate you for it. Thank you Infrastructure Planning and Facilities!

Thank you Office of Admissions!

It’s that time of the year, and the staff at the Office of Admissions are buried in reviewing the record number of over 35,000 applications they’ve received this year and sending out final decisions for potential additions to MSU’s student body. Michigan State offers rolling admission, and with a university as large as ours, the Office is always busy, but especially so when it comes time to decide the fall freshman class. Admissions is also constantly taking applications from transfer, guest, and graduate students, as well as helping navigate the process for future applicants and prospective international students. All of the time put in is a powerful effort to enhance the student experience, a Bolder By Design initiative that places importance on the ways students learn and grow at Michigan State as well as the value of achieving an MSU degree.

An application form, glasses, and a pen. Sorting out who to welcome into the MSU community is a tedious process, and it’s good to know we have dedicated people making the best decisions to shape the future of our university!

Thank you Office of Admissions, for choosing the new faces of Michigan State University!

Thank you Digital Content and Accessibility, WAWG and the ADA Coordinator!

Screen readers and other applications help those with disabilities interact with web pages
Screen readers and other applications help those with disabilities interact with websites.

In an age in which almost all information is published and accessed online, it is essential that everyone can interact with web pages. Unfortunately, those with disabilities are often excluded from critical online information because of inaccessible websites or documents.

MSU has taken the initiative to ensure that all university digital content is accessible so all students, faculty, staff and members of the MSU community share equal opportunity in receiving and interacting with it. Digital Content and Accessibility, a part of MSU Information Technology, works to accomplish this goal. This team of staff and students, along with the cross-department Web Accessibility Working Group and the ADA Coordinator, all work together to provide an abundance of resources and tutorials that MSU faculty and staff can use to ensure that the new content they are creating is accessible and existing inaccessible content can be altered to uphold accessibility standards.

Every department at MSU has a different audience, structure, and digital content for their website. This is why each department is developing a five-year plan to best prioritize the order in which content is made fully accessible. Digital Content and Accessibility is here to help MSU staff throughout this process.

Learn more about accessibility, resources, tutorials, templates and policies at webaccess.msu.edu. You can also email webaccess@msu.edu.

Thank you, MSU IT, WAWG, and the ADA Coordinator, for helping MSU become a model for accessibility!

Thank you Abrams Planetarium!

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Photo courtesy of Abrams Planetarium.

Abrams Planetarium has been entertaining and educating audiences for more than 50 years. From school field trips to midday relaxation hours, this MSU destination never fails to delight its visitors. Abrams Planetarium uses its state-of-the-art Digistar projector not only for incredible astronomical shows, but also family shows, the homecoming Spartan Spectacular, ambient mood settings and much more.

The planetarium goes the extra mile to serve faculty and staff at MSU.  In partnership with Health4U, it hosts Relaxing Under the Stars, The Healing Power of Guided Imagery and the monthly live concert series Rest with Music. All events occur from noon to 1 p.m. on weekdays for employees to unwind in the middle of their workdays.

Thank you, Abrams Planetarium, for going to astronomical heights to serve the MSU community!

Showing thanks to co-workers

thanksgivig graphic-smallThe spirit of Thanksgiving is sometimes buried behind hectic food preparation, travel plans and premature holiday and shopping distractions. It’s important to remember that Thanksgiving provides us with a time to reflect upon the good fortune and good people in our lives.

Many of these good people are those that you work with, sharing experiences as you work toward the same goal. It’s easy to show them your gratitude in simple gestures that will bring the spirit of Thanksgiving in your office. Here are a few ways to show thanks:

  • Bring in a treat. Food brings people together and gives you an opportunity to show off your cooking skills. Bringing in some Thanksgiving leftovers is also a great way to clear out an over-stuffed fridge.
  • Write a note. You don’t need to clear out the shelves of the Hallmark store for this one. Even just a sticky note placed on your co-worker’s computer or a quick email can be enough to convey your gratitude.
  • Say “thank you.” Perhaps the easiest of them all, simply telling your co-workers that you appreciate them, especially by mentioning something specific that they have done for you, can brighten their day.

Before heading home to your family this long weekend, remember to send a smile or a kind word to those in your MSU family.