Category: Development and Training

Training, education and ongoing professional development is very important to your ongoing success at MSU. This category highlights professional development news, views and opportunities.

Step-by-Step Benefits Open Enrollment Instructions

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Remember to complete your Benefits Open Enrollment during the month of October.  Benefits-eligible employees will complete open enrollment using Employee Self-Service (ESS) in the Enterprise Business Systems (EBS). Here is the process for completing open enrollment:

  • Visit ebs.msu.edu and select “EBS Login.”
  • Log in using your MSU NetID and password.
  • Select the ESS tab.
  • Select the Benefits link.
  • Select the Add or change MSU Benefits and Retirement Plans link.
  • Select the Open Enrollment link.
  • A disclaimer that explains the CDHP/HSA plans (regardless of CDHP/HSA eligibility) will appear. Please read, and then select OK to continue
  • If you have a spouse or OEI on your benefits, the Health Plan Affidavit will appear. Answer the questions, select Next, then Save.
  • Now you will see the Plan Selections screen. Select the first plan you would like to add, edit or remove, click Edit Plan.
  • Select your desired plan and level of coverage, then click Select Dependents.
  • Select the dependents you would like to cover on the plan. Then click Add Plan to Selection.
    • If you do not see one of your dependents, it is either because they are not eligible for the plan or they need to be added as a dependent in the new system. See our screenshot tutorial for how to add a dependent.
  • Once you have added, edited or removed all of your desired plans, select Review Enrollment.
  • Review your plan selections, then select Save.
  • You now have completed open enrollment!

For more information on Benefits Open Enrollment, please visit our website. You also may get enrollment assistance at our Benefits Site Labs.

Don’t Get Caught by Phishing

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Every time you open your email, you get junk mail.  Most is obviously junk and we are all taught to delete immediately.  But what if it looks legitimate?  How can you tell if it’s real?  You CAN and should protect yourself.

Information Technology Services has put together some great information to help.

Phishing – what is it and how to avoid becoming a victim

Phishing Tips and Tricks – how to spot a fake email

Remember, no legitimate company (including MSU) will EVER ask for your username or password via email.

 

 

Maximize Your Reading Experience With Books 24X7

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Along with elevateU, Books 24×7 is an online resource designed to support the high-performance work culture at MSU. Books 24×7 allows users to effortlessly search for specific content or browse a topic of interest to enhance productivity and to save time. Users can create personal folders to save their resources in an organized fashion according to the specific topic or project. Books 24×7 users can also bookmark or annotate key sections within the content for easy tracking and quick retrieval. Between 75 and 150 new books are added to the online and mobile-friendly sites every month, as users can recommend titles, publishers, authors, and topics using the support toolbar on the website. Books 24 X 7 Logo

Books 24×7 users have full control over their book search with the advanced search toolbar, where they can filter content to quickly find exactly what they are looking for. Citing sources is simple with the Books 24×7 citations feature, where users can easily reference books, reports, videos, etc. and include a direct link to the content. This online resource is completely personalized to your reading preferences, and by signing up for New Book Notifications, users will be alerted of new content that pertains to their interests via email. Books 24×7 also allows users to recommend or share links with their colleagues with the click of a button.

Begin browsing Books 24×7 today and learn something new! Log in to elevateU and Books 24×7 through your ESS Tab of the EBS portal.

 

Benefits of Taking The Spartan Experience

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There are plenty of benefits to participating in The Spartan Experience program. The purpose of the program is to inspire a high-performance service mindset to Deliver Outstanding Spartan Experiences (DOSE) with pride in everything we do and to all we serve. Ultimately, we want the quality of our service to improve. We, as MSU staff, must act with the understanding that Spartan Experiences occur each and every day.

Spartys Cafe
Today is a great day to deliver an outstanding Spartan Experience!

So far, we’ve had around 800 people participate in The Spartan Experience from about 70 different MSU units. This is a great amount of people, but we know we can get even more involved! This is a free program, built for MSU staff by MSU staff. Become a part of this initiative that has been developed to make MSU a better place for faculty, staff, students, visitors and the many people that interact with our university. Attending The Spartan Experience benefits you and your unit as a whole.Continue Reading… Benefits of Taking The Spartan Experience

Further your Financial Knowledge!

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Take a second to think, what is your Financial IQ? Do you know what an IRA is? What about stock certificates? April is “Financial Literacy Month” and MSU has partnered with TIAA-CREF to offer the “What’s your Financial IQ?” challenge. MSU Human Resources is proud to be a part of this initiative.

Financial IQ Flyer
How financially savvy are you? Test your knowledge with the Financial IQ Challenge.

The challenge not only allows you to check your financial knowledge, but you also have the chance to win one of three tablet computers! There are 15 unique quizzes for you to explore. TIAA-CREF offers all types of online tools and information to help prepare you for the challenge. Check out their website here. They have information on retiring, budgeting, investing and plenty of other helpful tips! The challenge goes through Wednesday, April 30.

The challenge questions are fun and informational for anyone willing to participate! Participants are entered to win one of the tablet computers every time they play. So go ahead, participate in the challenge. You have a ton to gain just by being willing to learn.

Get Started with elevateU and Go Further!

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MSU Human Resources and IT Services are proud to announce that the new e-learning program, elevateU, is now available for all MSU staff and faculty to access through the EBS portal. ElevateU is a learning initiative that supports the ongoing commitment to create a high-performance work culture at MSU. With elevateU, employees have access to a variety of books, videos, courses and simulations that will highlight the various development and training needs associated with the work they do. The wide range of content covers a variety of topics such as desktop software applications, human resources, change management, project management, leadership, communication and much more. Each unique resource that elevateU offers can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at no cost to employees.

To begin exploring elevateU, employees can log on to EBS,go to their Employee Self Service (ESS) tab and click on Professional Development. The link to elevateU will be on the top left-hand side of the page under Training Opportunities. Elevate your knowledge, inspire others and go further with elevateU!

Learn more about elevateU on HR’s Professional Development Services page.elevateU banner

Expand Your Reach with Pinterest

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Visuals speak louder than words. In 2013, MSU Journalism Professor Karl Gude conducted a competition using Pinterest, which was designed to promote the Media Sandbox program in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Professor Gude and the CAS faculty and staff decided that Pinterest would be an effective social media tool to promote the program to high school students and build their interest in MSU.

Advertisement for media sandbox
The advertisement used on Pinterest by the Media Sandbox faculty and staff.

Karl Gude shares a few tips for using Pinterest for marketing and communications needs derived from the competition and his professional experience with the platform. Check out the video with his tips here!

 

Spotlight on HR Toolkits for Hiring Faculty and Academic Staff

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This month we are spotlighting the toolkits for determining the requirements and process for running background checks and degree verifications when hiring Faculty and Academic Staff.

The questions are simple, sometimes the answers are not. When do you need to run a background check when hiring faculty? How do you initiate a background check degree verification? How do you complete it? The answers to these questions are in our latest toolkit postings under Toolkits for Administrators, Managers and Supervisors.

The links to these toolkits can also be found on the Human Resources home page under What’s New.

January is National Mentoring Month! Make a Difference in a Child or Teen’s Life through the Michigan 4-H Youth Development Program.

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January is National Mentoring Month.  According to mentorscout.com, “a mentor is a coach, guide, tutor, facilitator, counselor and trusted advisor. A mentor is someone willing to spend his or her time and expertise to guide the development of another person.”

Mentoring can make a positive impact on a child’s life that lasts a lifetime.
Mentoring can make a positive impact on a child’s life that lasts a lifetime.

Youth can benefit from positive and caring mentors. Mentors can help youth discover their interests, pick careers, make better choices in life and so much more. Michigan 4-H Youth Development, is a mentoring program overseen by MSU Extension and serves as a resource to help build long-term positive mentoring relationships between youth and adults.

Michigan 4-H has more than 200,000 youth between the ages of 5-19 that participate. All 4-H’s policies and procedures are based on child development research.Continue Reading… January is National Mentoring Month! Make a Difference in a Child or Teen’s Life through the Michigan 4-H Youth Development Program.