Category: Fun & Resources

Learn about fun and/or interesting things to do around MSU or interesting bits of MSU trivia.

MSU Museum Chocolate Party Benefit Returns for 28th Year

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chocolate-benefit-party_pictureLooking for something unique and fun to get you out of the winter weekend slump? Look no further than MSU Museum’s 28th Annual Chocolate Party Benefit. The event will take place on Sunday, February 26, from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. Proceeds from the annual Chocolate Party Benefit fund proper care of the Museum’s collections to ensure the preservation and access by future generations.

Competitors will be creating their edible, chocolate works of art inspired by the feature film The Secret Life of Pets. MSU Museum will also be featuring exhibits showcasing a number of artifacts and specimens from the science and culture collections. Attendees will get to view winning creations from the chocolate competition, sample chocolate confections from local bakeries, and vote for their favorite masterpiece for the People’s Choice Award.

General admission tickets are available at the MSU Museum store, at Bake N’ Cakes, or at the door. Try a taste of something new this February, all while helping preserve a piece of history. Visit the MSU Museum website for more information.

Preparing for an Internal Interview

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If you’re looking for a different opportunity internally, you will need to prepare for the internal interview just like you would if you were an outside candidate. In many ways, it can be more difficult to prepare for an internal interview because you are working from a set of assumptions that you already know the culture and the work.

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Make sure to prepare for an internal interview as if you were an outside candidate.

Here are some tips to help you understand the hiring process and prepare for the interview.

  1. At MSU, applicants are screened based on the stated minimums. Units will then review candidates based on all of the job factors.
  2. Update your resume for each job.
    1. If your resume has an objective, replace it with a professional summary of skills.
    2. Include actual metrics in your resume. If you state you serve customers, include how many a week/month/year? You must show evidence of your accomplishments.
  3. Prepare early. Ask for advice and attend regular professional development opportunities to keep your skills up.
  4. Do your research. Seek out information on the department: what do they do, who are the key players, what is their role in the University, what research are they doing? A simple web search can yield enough information to ask intelligent questions.
  5. Have questions prepared for the interview. Be honest about what you need out of the job. What is the type of work you most like to do? What is the culture where you will most thrive? Dress professionally. The old adage “dress for the job you want” is a little different these days, but make sure that clothing that is clean, pressed and stain-free.
  6. Don’t assume being an internal candidate is a plus. Remember that many hiring managers are looking for fresh ideas and may want to implement changes. Address these issues through your answers as to why you are the best candidate to implement new ideas.
  7. If you know your interviewer well, do not short cut your answers. You should approach your interview with friendly formalness, but remember that the interviewing team cannot “fill in the blanks.” This is particularly true if there is a panel. You are being compared to other candidates.
  8. Let your boss know. Your supervisor’s support can be a key factor in helping you reach your goals.
  9. Be honest. It’s likely you have made mistakes in the past, who hasn’t? Know your reputation before you interview and address any issues head on with a candid approach. Demonstrate that you’ve learned from these missteps.
  10. Say thank you. Courteous and professional thank you notes are still appreciated. Make sure you have their names spelled correctly! Nothing says “lack of detail” like having a person’s name spelled wrong.

For more information on this topic, visit the MSU HR website.

Commuting Options: Be “Spartan Green” and save money getting to campus

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Are you considering commuting to campus for work or school, but unsure about your options? Would it be helpful to have more information so you can make a decision that fits your needs? Coming soon is the opportunity to join a discussion and learn from experts who will share information about services that can be used to get to and from campus. These options will enable you to save money, save the environment and “Be Spartan Green!”

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Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

A panel discussion will take place Wednesday, January 18 from noon – 1:00 p.m. in Room 110 Chittenden Hall. Participants will learn about:

  • CATA Clean Commute Options – a free service that helps interested individuals find alternative ways to commute to work; including car/vanpooling, bus, bike and walking. Learn about the options that fit your commute and the Emergency Ride Home program, which acts as “commuter insurance” if you’re ever left without transportation.
  • CATA bus service on and off campus, including the Spectran service for individuals with physical mobility concerns in the tri-county area.
  • MichiVan vanpool program – sponsored by MDOT and operated by vRide and Enterprise Rideshare, this program supplies fully insured passenger vans to commuter groups.
  • Biking – with support from MSU Bikes to help navigate your way safely to campus.

In addition to receiving information about commuting options, participants will also hear experiences from two commuters: Jen Bruen a Michivan driver/coordinator who has been commuting from Novi to Lansing since 2011 and Layne Cameron who rides his bicycle from Williamston to campus ( a 12-mile commute one way).

This informational session is free and open to all! RSVP to the MSU WorkLife Office by emailing worklife@msu.edu (subject line: “Commuting Options) or by calling 517-353-1635. For additional information about this event, visit the WorkLife Office website.

Have You Heard About Care.com?

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The WorkLife Office helps the university community be productive on campus while managing the inevitable demands of personal life. An example of a service provided through the office is Care.com.  This is a resource for the MSU community that can help you find childcare, housekeepers, pet care, senior/elder care support, even house sitters. Work-life issues are complex and diverse. Care.com is a tool that enables MSU staff, faculty and students to be high performing while solving the work-life puzzle of needs throughout the lifecycle, from childcare to elder care.

The Care.com website allows you to view detailed profiles of care providers and you can search according to your requirements: ZIP code, experience, hourly rate, availability and more. Care.com gives individuals 24/7 access to qualified care providers for every day, occasional or back-up care. Users can either search for providers or post a job to have candidates apply directly.

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Care.com is concerned about security and therefore includes safeguards. They conduct criminal background checks, and provide reviewed profiles and recorded references, which adds confidence when you make decisions regarding personal family care needs.

Measures of success

The MSU community has embraced Care.com. In a recent survey, 87% of respondents who tried to hire help through Care.com succeeded, and 95% of MSU respondents said they would recommend Care.com to a friend or colleague at the university.

How do you access the service?

Enter the MSU portal so you will not be charged for the service, then log in with your MSU Net ID to be identified as an MSU affiliate.

The search service is free, wages for care providers are negotiated between the provider and the user.

Want to Become Nicotine- or Tobacco-Free?

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Are you thinking about quitting tobacco or nicotine products? If so, you should consider attending an information session about the MSU Breathe Easy: Tobacco & Nicotine Cessation program.

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Take control of your tobacco or nicotine addiction, register for Breathe Easy today!

Quitting tobacco and nicotine products is extremely difficult. That being said, this program is available to provide the support that you need to make this change. Nearly 30 percent of MSU Breathe Easy participants have remained nicotine free. This is an excellent figure when you consider the fact that other cessation methods report success rates between 3 and 12 percent.

The next information session is Wednesday, January 25, 2017 from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. in the Olin Student Health Services Building. To register for the information session, you and/or your adult benefits-eligible family members should call Health4U at 517-353-2596, send an email to Health4U@msu.edu or register in person at 330 Olin Health Center.

Attending this information session does not obligate you to enroll in the Breathe Easy program. This session is only meant to provide you with information so you can decide if the program is the right fit for you. Both the information session and the Breathe Easy program are free for benefits-eligible MSU employees and their adult benefits-eligible family members. The total time commitment for the program is 17 hours, which is spread out over the course of the 15-month program commitment. You will not be required to use your own time accruals to participate in the Breathe Easy program, so long as you are compliant with attendance at the meetings and your supervisor approves release time.

A limited number of off-campus employees now have the option to participate in the program via teleconferencing. Participants will join the information session, support sessions and medical-related sessions through Zoom. If you’re interested in participating remotely, let Health4U know when you register for the information session.

Year-end Records Tips for Tax Filing

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For some, the end of December brings the need to de-clutter and reorganize their lives before the new year. Unlike many habits, this practice is one people should pick up, especially when pertaining to tax records. TurboTax offers several tips for year-end records and tax filing that can help make April a little easier.

The first tip is to start tracking paperless records as they arrive. Create a spreadsheet dedicated to tax records, and don’t forget items like expense titles, check numbers, payee names, dollar amounts and dates. Also be sure to track potential deductions such as charitable donations, outlays for health care, job-search expenses and unreimbursed work expenses.

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Next, try to think about deductions throughout the year, especially with life events you experience. Maybe keep a mileage log in your car to record the miles you use for volunteering, work, business or medical appointments. Be sure to keep cash receipts that document transportation, charitable work, job-search and other tax-deductible activities. Also, keep documents related to events like the birth or adoption of a child, marriage, death of a spouse or divorce, and buying a home.

Tax returns and supporting documents should be kept for at least seven to 10 years, but consider shredding anything past then. Creating a system for tracking and organizing your tax records, potential deductibles and other documents, while updating it throughout the year, will help make the days leading up to April 18 a little less stressful.

Winter Break Dining Hall Hours

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Now that fall semester is over, students will be leaving for winter break and the dining halls on campus will be altering their hours.

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Student employees work at The Gallery. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

The dining hall hours for winter break are as follows:

December 17-22:

Brody Square and The Edge at Akers are open 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

December 23 – January 2:

All dining halls are closed.

January 3:

Brody Square and The Edge at Akers are open 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

January 4-6:

Brody Square and The Edge at Akers are open 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Riverwalk Market at Owen is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

January 7:

Brody and Akers are open 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to midnight.

Riverwalk Market at Owen is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Heritage Commons at Landon, The Vista at Shaw and Holmes are open 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

South Pointe at Case is open 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Gallery at Snyder / Phillips and Wilson are open 5 p.m. to midnight.

January 8:

Normal hours resume.

To find additional information about winter break dining hours, visit the Eat at State website.

Get to Know ALEX

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Do you still have questions about your benefits? ALEX is available to help!

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To learn more about ALEX, click here.

ALEX is a virtual benefits counselor that is
provided by MSU HR to walk you through everything you need to know about your benefit options. Even though open enrollment has ended for the 2017 plan year, ALEX can still be used in order to learn more about your benefits.

When you first navigate to ALEX, it will ask you some basic questions in order to figure out which benefit plans apply to your situation. You then have the opportunity to go through and take a closer look at all of the plan options. ALEX will give you the choice to learn more about each plan or to move on to the next section. There is also a menu bar on the side if you want to skip around and learn about certain plans.

It is important to note that ALEX is strictly an educational tool; you are not able to enroll for any benefits through this tool. Enrollment must still be completed through the EBS portal. To navigate to ALEX, visit the HR website and select the link under the section that applies to you (faculty and academic staff, support staff, variable hour employees or graduate assistants). Be sure to take advantage of this helpful interactive tool!

2016 Outstanding Supervisor Award Recipients

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MSU Human Resources would like to congratulate the 2016 Outstanding Supervisor Award recipients!

The University-wide award was established to draw attention to MSU supervisors who are highly regarded by their employees for their consistent support of the work/life (professional/personal) needs of their employees.  Previously established by the former Family Resource Center in the spring of 2001, this award is now managed through the WorkLife Office. Various academic and support staff units submitted excellent nominations this year. The nominees and nominators represent a wide variety of departments and position levels.

In celebration of “National Bosses Day and Work & Family Month” the recipients were honored at surprise celebrations with their staff and family held on various dates surrounding National Boss’s Day on October 16.

This year’s five winners include:

Karen Crosby – Chief Financial Officer, Deans Office, College of Human Medicinekaren-crosby-team

“Karen has fostered a culture of support and respect. The office is a very positive place to work, and I feel our team is professional, personable and high performing.”

 

 

 

Amy Driver – Data Entry Supervisor, Enterprise Information Stewardshipamy-driver-team

“[Amy] assumes and believes in the excellence of our staff which empowers us all, and has created a work environment that makes me want to come to work every day.”

 

 

 

Sherman Garnett – Dean, James Madison Collegesherman-garnett

“Whether there is a need for flexible hours, for a long time away to care for loved ones, or our own health issues, Dean Garnett has created a productive and engaging environment where faculty and staff know that they are respected, listened to and cared for.”

 

 

Jessica Nakfour – Management Analyst, MSU Extension Director’s Office jessica-nakfour-team

“[Jessica] is a cheerleader who motivates me to be a better employee.”

 

 

 

 

Jeremy Wilson – Director, Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection, Jeremy Wilson Team.JPGSchool of Criminal Justice

“Jeremy has high expectations of high quality work that are balanced with the desire to  attend to the needs at home”

 

 

 

 

MSU is proud to have leaders who support the balance between work and personal well-being. Thank you for making our university a great place to work!

 

 

TIAA Visa Gift Card Challenge

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Sometimes a little knowledge goes a long way. At least that’s what happened to Eric Strouse of IPF Safety and Security Services who stopped by retirement vendor TIAA’s table at the Big Ten Network MSU vs. Wisconsin game tailgate on September 24. Eric simply tested his knowledge about financial life and work fundamentals and won TIAA’s Apple Watch sweepstakes.

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TIAA sweepstakes winner, Eric Strouse, is a proud new owner of an Apple Watch!

You too can be entered to win amazing prizes through TIAA’s educational challenge quiz. Now through December 15, each time you play, you are entered for a chance to win one of 60 $25 Visa gift cards. Take the challenge as many times as you’d like, and learn something new about work life and finances each time. Put your knowledge to the test today!