Category: Fun & Resources

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

Quote from President Stanley: In addition to the great work you do every day, I am grateful for your dedication and flexibility over the past couple of challenging years.

Congratulations to Service and Retirement Recognition Program Awardees!

Published on by Megan MacGregor7 Comments

The MSU Retirement and Service Recognition Award recognizes support staff employees celebrating a 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50th work anniversary or a retirement falling between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021. This shortened date range is to support a transition from recognizing employees based on the fiscal year to the calendar year. Next year, we will recognize employee years of service between January 1 and December 31, 2022. This year, we recognize over 450 employees celebrating long-term work anniversaries and retirements.

While we are not able to hold an in-person celebration this year, we are no less thankful for our employees’ dedicated service to MSU. We are incredibly disappointed that we cannot celebrate our employees at an in-person event for their talent, loyalty, and contributions to MSU. Our university’s development and growth have been, in large part, due to the contributions made by staff members who have chosen to remain in the service of the university.

MSU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D.

President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. acknowledged awardees and expressed his gratitude:

“Service and Retirement Award recipients, congratulations on this milestone in your career or retirement from MSU. In addition to the great work you do every day, I am grateful for your dedication and flexibility over the past couple of challenging years. Together, we have maintained the university’s momentum across our key missions of education, research and outreach — a great accomplishment. I am proud to be your colleague. Thank you for all you do for MSU.”

For a full list of employees celebrating a milestone or retirement, please review the program here.

Thank you to these employees for their years of dedicated service to MSU! If you recognize any names from the program, we encourage you to reach out to these individuals and offer your congratulations.

Nominate an Employee for the 2022 Clerical-Technical Recognition Award Today!

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Do you work with an outstanding MSU employee performing clerical-technical duties? Acknowledge their hard work and dedication to MSU by nominating them for the Clerical-Technical (CT) Recognition Award! Nominations are now being accepted through Friday, July 29, 2022, at 5p.m.

The winner of this annual award is selected based on the following criteria:

  • Respect of their peers and continuous diligence in attending to their daily responsibilities.
  • Concern for students, faculty, staff, and colleagues in their respective units, particularly (but not limited to) those assisting overseas U.S. students and faculty, international students, international faculty, etc.
  • Extraordinary and significant contributions to the community or public service.
  • Innovative thinking in facilitating unit tasks and responsibilities.

Individuals may be nominated by any member of the MSU community, and the recipient will be selected by the CT Recognition Award Selection Committee. The winner will be profiled in the HR Source monthly newsletter and will receive a monetary award of $1,000 from the endowment fund in recognition of their outstanding service.

This award is given by the Thomas and Concettina Gliozzo Endowment Fund. Charles Gliozzo is director emeritus of MSU’s Study Abroad program. Thomas and Concettina Gliozzo were immigrants who became U.S. citizens and valued the importance of education throughout their lives.

How to Nominate an Employee

To nominate an individual:

  1. Complete a nomination form
  2. Collect a minimum of two support letters (maximum of five) by MSU colleagues. You may include additional information if it supports the applicant’s nomination.

Please Note: nominees must be part of the CT Union.

Nominations are due by 5:00 p.m., Friday, July 29, 2022. Email the PDF nomination form with a minimum of two support letters to bracamontes@hr.msu.edu with the subject line: CT Recognition Award Selection Committee.

children giving flowers to woman

Deals and Discounts for Mother’s Day

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This Mother’s Day (May 8), show the mom in your life that you appreciate them with a thoughtful gift – whether that’s your mom, mother to your kiddos, stepmom, or mother-in-law. MSU benefits-eligible employees have access to many discounts and savings through MSU Benefits Plus.

To access all the discounts, visit MSU Benefits Plus and sign-up for a free account using your ZPID number (located on your Spartan Card ID badge), or you can find the number in EBS.

Check out some of these deals that you can find through MSU Benefits Plus:

Flowers

  • Rose Farmers is committed to providing luxury roses for every special occasion. Get 35% off luxury long stem roses delivered from the farm to your doorstep.
  • Want to send a bouquet of fresh flowers? Enjoy 20% off from 1-800 Flowers, including Fruit Bouquets!
  • From You Flowers is perfect for any occasion and every sentiment. Save 25% all year!

Gifts

  • Give the gift of a great show at Wharton Center and enjoy up to 15% off through MSU Benefits Plus.
  • Lavish the mom on your list with pearly gifts that are sure to be remembered, and save 60% on available jewelry with free shipping from Pacific Pearls.
  • Gift a great getaway to the beach, theme park, or a golf excursion with up to 40% through HVN, the exclusive provider of professionally serviced apartments, homes, villas, and vacation rentals.

Food

  • Go with a gift that’s sure to be a hit and save 15% off chocolate-covered strawberries, one of the most popular gifts from Shari’s Berries.
  • Enjoy a home-cooked meal without the hassle of cooking. Get $60 off your first five orders from Freshly.
  • Save 20% on “the very best treat you don’t have to bake yourself” from David’s Cookies.

Find these discounts and many more by visiting the MSU Benefits Plus portal. Sign-up for a free account using your ZPID number (located on your Spartan Card ID badge), or you can find the number in EBS.

Spring Event Roundup

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There isn’t a better time than Spring to explore, improve, and enjoy everything MSU has to offer as the weather warms up and the sun peeks through the clouds.

Looking for a reason to get outside? MSU Horticulture and Gardens is taking advantage of the April showers and May flowers. You should too!

  • Check out the 2022 garden displays in the Beal Gardens on the East Lansing campus, and learn from MSU Horticulture expert and garden manager Daedre McGrath about what was planted and why by reading this article.
  • Dive into even more about the flora in the Beal Gardens with an MSU Libraries event in May called Wild Foods and the Salad Bar of Spring. Bring your family and friends to a stroll through the dos and don’ts of growing your own vegetables.
  • If you love what you saw in the gardens, mark your calendar for the annual Horticulture Gardens Plant Sale on May 14 at the Plant and Soil Sciences Building. You can even become a Garden Member to shop the sale early and receive 10% off. 

After a day of Spring cleaning, grab a well deserved break at one of the many offerings this season at Wharton Center:

  • MSU’s Music Department is celebrating 150 years of bands with a grand performance on April 30. Purchase tickets and view the seating map here.
  • The Wharton is hosting two Broadway caliber touring shows in the next few months so make sure to pick up your tickets for Dear Evan Hanson and Ain’t Too Proud before they sell out.

No matter the season, prioritizing your health and wellness is always important, and MSU has the tools to help faculty and staff year round:

  • For the first time in two years, Rest with Music at the Abrams Planetarium is back. Discover the healing properties of music once a month in person or on Health4U’s Facebook Live. 
  • MSU’s IM facilities are great places to start preparing for a summer hike, swim or bike ride and offer discounted rates for staff. Visit their website for rates, capacity trackers, and up to date hours, which change after the conclusion of the Spring Semester. 

As always, if you are looking to improve some of your soft work skills or discover a new passion for work, professional development is for you.

Go out and explore this spring, but don’t forget your allergy pills!

Go Green this Earth Day!

Published on by MSU Human Resources1 Comment

Earth Day is April 22, so let’s celebrate because helping the planet is not only recycling but so much more! Here are some ways you can help our Spartan community go green! Whether you are working from home, heading into the office or any combination, use these great tips and resources to make your lifestyle more sustainable.

MSU Recycling Center always leads the charge for reusable materials at MSU. The center is open seven days a week for dropping off materials. These materials can be anything and everything from books, cardboard, glass, plastics and more! Find their hours along with what and how to drop things off at the MSU Recycling Center website. 

If you do spend some or all of your workday away from home, consider looking into clean commuting options. You can try biking, CATA or even Spin Scooters. MSU Bikes can give 1-on-1 bike commuter assistance, helping you find the safest, lowest-stress route from your home to campus. MSU also offers secure covered bike parking and repair and air stations for your convenience. Information can be found on their website. 

Capital Area Transportation Authority offers multiple clean commute options with travel modes that fit your work hours and location. CATA also offers a commute cost calculator by examining how much money you spend driving and how much you can save by using the bus and other CATA services. Visit the CATA website to learn how to add CATA to your sustainable daily routine. 

Spin electric scooters are the newest addition to clean, affordable, convenient and fun ways to get around campus. These scooters are dockless, so no need to find a charger to pick them up or drop them off. They operate seven days a week during all daylight hours. To ride these electric scooters that travel up to 14 miles per hour, just download the Spin App and scan the unique QR code on the scooter you want to ride. Get ready to ride on and around campus by going to MSU’s Spin Scooter landing page. 

Are you looking for some new accessories to improve your work from home space? Do you need something different as you transition back to the office? The MSU Surplus Store is worth checking out! Finding items second hand is a great way to make a pledge to go green, especially when everything is at such great prices. Read MSU HR’s feature on the Surplus Store to learn more about the great services and items they offer!

This Earth Day, it has never been easier to make a pledge and go green! Reduce your carbon footprint with a clean commute, reuse and shop second hand at the MSU Surplus Store, and of course, recycle at the MSU Recycling Center. Putting in the effort this Earth Day and every day after that will make a difference for our planet!

Pet Care Options and Employee Discounts on Pet Insurance

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Updated April 2023

Pet lovers already know, and the Center for Disease Control confirms, that there are many benefits to caring for pets. Pets increase opportunities for exercise, enjoying the outdoors, and socializing. These health benefits can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. The companionship of pets also makes us less lonely and reduces depression and anxiety. Along with the joy and health benefits our pets bring us, caring for them also comes with responsibility. Make sure you’re aware of all the services and resources available to the MSU community.

Primary Care and Emergency Services with the MSU Veterinary Medical Center

The MSU Veterinary Medical Center (VMC) on campus can provide for all the health care needs of your entire animal family, including cats, dogs, equine, pigs, cows, camelids, sheep, goats, pocket pets, zoo animals, and wildlife. They provide care in 20+ specialty services including cardiology, oncology, primary care, and much more. Find a complete list of VMC services.

The VMC also offers emergency services for your small or large pets. If you have an emergency, you can bring your animal to the VMC at the corner of Bogue and Wilson on the MSU campus. For exotic or pocket pets (non-canine or feline), please call the MSU Small Animal Clinic prior to bringing them in to make sure they can care for your animal. Learn more about VMC emergency services.

The VMC uses the most advanced technology combined with cutting-edge research to provide optimal care for all animals. Similar to specialists in human medicine, veterinarians pursue additional education and certification beyond veterinary school. That training allows the hospital to offer 20+ specialty services with clinicians who supervise and teach our senior veterinary students, interns, residents, and veterinary technology students to fulfill the hospital’s commitment to educating future professionals. 

Exclusive Employee Savings on Pet Insurance

Maintaining optimal health for your pets is a financial investment, and emergency care can be costly. Keep those expenses manageable with MSU employee-preferred pricing from Nationwide pet insurance offered through MSU Benefits Plus. You’ll also receive additional benefits for services such as emergency boarding, lost pet advertising, and more. Visit the MSU Benefits Plus website to learn more and enroll at any time.

For assistance with pet insurance, the MSU Benefits Plus Customer Care Team is available to answer questions and help you enroll in new plans or make changes at 888-758-7575.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, April 29). How to stay healthy around pets. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/keeping-pets-and-people-healthy/how.html

Three photos placed side-by-side. First an image of a sailboat with the MSU helmet, then a photo of a group doing yoga, and lastly an image of a tennis racket and tennis balls with the MSU logo.

Get Active this Spring: Fitness Resources for MSU Employees

Published on by Megan MacGregorLeave a comment

Updated March 2023

Warmer weather on the horizon means more opportunities to get outside! If you need some ideas to help you and your family get active this spring, the following resources and opportunities are available for MSU employees:

In-person Opportunities

  • Biking: One of the easiest ways to add exercise to your daily routine is to attach it to an activity or habit you perform already, such as your commute to work. MSU Bikes provides support with a variety of commuter resources to help you bike to work with confidence, including a 1-on-1 Bike Commuter Assistance service which helps you find the safest, lowest-stress route to and from campus to your neighborhood. If you’re working remotely, there are a variety of Greater Lansing area biking groups you could join instead. The MSU Bikes Service Center also offers new and used bikes, rentals (long and short term), as well as a repair service.
  • Sailing, Stand-Up Paddleboarding, and Kayaking: The MSU Sailing Center is located on Lake Lansing in Haslett just east of campus. The Sailing Center strives to provide a safe, supportive, and welcoming learning environment for all participants. Consider participating in one of their many programs, including a learn-to-sail course, paddle sports, group outings, and private lessons. MSU employees can receive a discounted rate for membership.
  • Tennis: At the MSU Tennis Center you can book a court for singles or doubles or participate in one of their adult instructional classes or drill sessions. There’s something for everyone with classes geared toward both beginners and pro-level players.
  • Golf: MSU Forest Akers offers teaching programs for golfers of all ages and abilities, including adult group classes and private instruction, and a casual golf league for all skill levels. MSU employees can also access the golf range and courses at discounted rates.
  • Swimming: Present a valid staff or faculty ID to use one of the pools available on campus for laps or open swimming during designated pool hours.
  • Group Fitness Classes: MSU Recreational Sports and Fitness offer a variety of group fitness classes with membership pricing for MSU employees.

Virtual Opportunities

  • MSU Benefits Plus offers a bunch of health and wellness discounts, including a virtual gym membership through GlobalFit. After you log in to MSU Benefits Plus, select Employee Discounts from the top navigation, then Health and Wellness – GlobalFit will be one of the options.
  • Sign up for a virtual Chair Yoga or Good Form Walking/Running class through MSU Health4U.

Articles and Resources to Increase Motivation:

Celebrate 10 Years at the Broad Art Museum

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2022 marks the Broad Art Museum’s 10th anniversary! To celebrate, we sat down with lead museum curator Steven Bridges to discuss what he does for work and what to check out during the festivities!

Question: What does a day in your job look like?

Answer: It can change very drastically day to day. Typically, a day involves quite a lot of meetings, emailing, and a lot of administrative work. My position is to lead the curatorial team in developing, conceptualizing and implementing the exhibition program at the museum. That involves all different kinds of exhibitions from solo exhibitions of individual artists to working with a collection to developing group shows, all different kinds of projects.

Question: What are the current exhibits on display for the anniversary? 

Answer: 

History Told Slant:

We are leading this 2022 anniversary year with a focus on our collection. The collection has been around much longer than the museum itself. Formerly it was a part of the Kresge Art Museum and the collection started even before then. The approach within the exhibition is to confront and address that collections of art along with many other institutions were founded and built in such a way that have privileged white male artists and those perspectives and voices. A lot of the work that we are doing in the museum presently is confronting and trying to change those narratives. 

Recovery:

We have a large commission from the artist Beverly Fishman who is a Michigan native and formerly showed with the museum in 2013. She has two works in the museum collection and we have commissioned two new works that are on view. We are really celebrating her and her work. 

Art Along the River, Grand:

We also have an exhibition that addresses public art both here at the university and also pointing to all the great things that exist within our communities in the Greater Lansing Region. 

Kahlo without Borders:

Finally, we also have an exhibition that looks at Frida Khalo and her relationship with her doctors. It is a very intimate portrait of the artist that offers a lot of new perspective of who she was and her interpersonal relationships and how that influenced her and her work. 

Question: What is the legacy of the Broad that you and your team are highlighting during this celebration?

Answer: These anniversaries are a great time to reflect on the past ten years. There have been many successes and also many challenges. These moments offer the opportunity to look back, to learn, to celebrate the successes, but also think about, what do the next ten years look like? Where do we go from this moment? What are we excited to build on? In terms of the life of museums, ten years is actually pretty young. The legacy has a lot to do with celebrating the history of art and you see that in these collections. 

Question: What do you say to members of the MSU community who have not visited the museum or believe they won’t enjoy it?

Answer: I fully recognize that not everything is for everyone and that is why, with the range of exhibitions we have on view currently, if you don’t like one thing, hopefully there is something else for you to see. There’s options there. At any given time in the museum, there are so many things to take in, to explore, and to push yourself a little bit. If you are unsure, but you are curious about the museum, come inside and explore it for yourself! You might be surprised by what is inside.

Question: Who is the audience for the Broad Art Museum and the 10th anniversary celebration?

Answer: It is very important to me that faculty, researchers, staff and students of the university really know that we are here for them. We are always free and open to the public and whether you come to see the exhibitions or to visit the cafĂ© and work in the beautiful environment and architecture, we love to have you here. 

The Broad Art Museum turns 10 years old in November, so the exhibitions and celebrations to commemorate the birthday are changing and expanding all year long! Starting in September, the museum will add a new exhibition created to feature the architect of the unique building that catches the attention of so many on campus, designed by Zaha Hadid. Visit the Broad Art Museum’s website for more information on events and exhibitions all through 2022!

Don’t Forget Your Optional MSU Benefits and Resources

Published on by Megan MacGregorLeave a comment

Updated March 2023

MSU is committed to offering valuable benefits to support you and your family. As a benefits-eligible employee, you’re probably aware of MSU’s health and dental care benefit options. However, on top of those, there is a range of optional benefits we’d like to remind you about as well.

Beyond meeting your health care needs, these optional benefits can help you save money on needed products and services. We realize keeping track of all these different resources can be overwhelming. To help, we’ve created the following recap to jog your memory with links to more detailed information to learn more.

This graphic provides a quick summary of these optional benefits (click the image for a PDF version):

Benefit Highlights Infographic

Optional benefit programs available:

You might not always need or think of these resources but keeping them tucked away can make it easier and more cost-effective to manage your family’s health. As always, if you have any questions about these benefits options, please visit the HR website to learn more or contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

Put Mental Health First on Employee Appreciation Day and Beyond

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Employee Appreciation Day (Friday, March 4, 2022) is an opportunity for MSU employees to reflect on how you prioritize your mental health, how you talk about it with your supervisors, and how supervisors can show appreciation by supporting the mental health of their employees. Emphasize rest and recognition, learn about your self-care preferences and learn how to utilize the resources available to you!

Why we prioritize

Mental health should be treated like physical health. It should be discussed as normally as physical illnesses especially because physical and mental health can be connected. We should prioritize mental health because it has spent so long in the background. To break that cycle, put your mental health first and make it part of your everyday conversations.

Other reasons to prioritize mental health include:

  • Having high job demands makes it easy to put work over mental health, but it is not worth it in the long run
  • In a time of mostly online interactions, some of the natural in-person social interactions that are missing can inadvertently lower well-being
  • Therapy is still stigmatized, and prioritizing mental health helps release that

Self-care ideas

Becoming burnt out at work is easier than you might think, and the best way to tackle or prevent burnout is self-care. Engaging in self-care in the simplest terms is making sure that as you prioritize work, you also prioritize sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Other suggestions for self-care include:

  • Unplugging when social media and news get overwhelming
  • Treat yourself with compassion no matter how you respond to burnout
  • Enjoy the little things like an ice cream cone or some alone time with your pet
  • Close your laptop at the end of the workday and do your best not to open it again until the morning
  • Seek out help from an expert rather than relying on yourself or your team for mental health related answers

Start the conversation with your team

You don’t have to be the supervisor on your team to start a discussion around mental health. Use empathy to address situations regarding mental health and give space your coworkers space to speak openly about their experience. If you aren’t sure how to start the conversation, use the MSU resources linked below and ease into it.

If you are a supervisor, here are four ways you can show appreciation for your team in support of their mental wellbeing:

  1. Show sincere interest in the needs, hopes and dreams of other people
  2. Watch for signs of burnout in yourself and others
  3. Demonstrate a willingness to help others and refer to appropriate resources
  4. Lead with compassion to contribute to a welcoming and inclusive workplace culture

Michigan State University recognizes the value of its employees and to show appreciation for the important work we all do, the university’s Worklife Office provides a variety of resources to support our wellbeing: 

Take a moment this Employee Appreciation Day to not only be thanked by those around you but also by your body as you begin to prioritize and destigmatize your own mental health.