Category: News Flash

This category is for general news and announcements.

2015 MSU Holiday Arts & Crafts Show

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Get something original and hand-crafted this season at the 52nd Michigan State University Holiday Arts & Crafts Show!

UAB arts and crafts pic-small

On Saturday, December 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, December 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Union will be filled with the work or more than 130 artisans from across the country. This event is one of two arts and crafts shows presented by the University Activities Board each year.

Some of the handmade items for sale include candles, furniture, jewelry, home and yard decor, aromatherapy, clothing, children’s toys, painting, photography, pottery, sculpture and much more! You’ll be sure to find the perfect decoration or gift with such a variety of specially crafted items, and attending the event supports the UAB and the artists.

Make sure to check out the abundance of family-friendly activities just north in downtown East Lansing at Winter Glow!  The free event is Saturday, December 5 from 2 to 5 p.m. and features ice carving, a winter barnyard, horse and carriage rides, a special outdoor holiday farmer’s market, a heated music tent, carolers, games and much more.

Remember that parking at MSU is free on weekends, too!

Find out more about the holiday craft show here.

Safe Commuting Tips

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This article was written by the MSU Bike Advisory Committee.

MSU has upgraded to the silver level of the Bicycle Friendly University Award! As we continue to advance the bicycle-friendly nature of MSU, it’s important for drivers to do their part in ensuring safety on shared roads.

A cyclist travels alongside cars on Farm Lane. Photo courtesy of Tim Potter.
A cyclist travels alongside vehicles on Farm Lane. Photo courtesy of Tim Potter.

As you drive to work, why not use more attention and compassion towards your fellow commuters and make the morning commute safer and more enjoyable for everyone? Remember that your fellow commuter might be on foot or on a bike and that every one of them means one less car on the road and one less car competing for a parking space!

If you drive a car to work you should take special care when passing cyclists. Cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities on Michigan roads as other vehicles. When passing a cyclist, make sure to pass at a safe distance. Don’t attempt to squeeze by cyclists in the same lane even though you think there’s enough room, as they may suddenly need extra room to avoid potholes, dead animals, or an icy patch on the road. Many places, including the City of Grand Rapids, already have safe passing laws that require 5 feet of safe passing distance.

Also, don’t forget to watch out for pedestrians at cross walks. Michigan law requires vehicles to yield to pedestrians in cross walks.

At the same time cyclists and pedestrians are required to follow traffic rules: don’t cross a street when you have a “don’t walk” signal or a red light. Michigan law requires cyclists to stop at stop signs and red lights just as any other vehicle.

But besides following basic rules, even more important is to be alert and courteous. This makes commuting a better experience for everyone. Just remember, the cyclist you just buzzed might be working at the Clinical Center and giving you a flu shot later, or it might be the professor of your next MSU class.

All commuters share two goals: get to work safely and get home safely after work. Let’s work together to make that happen!

Want to help MSU become more bike friendly? Attend a meeting of the MSU Bike Advisory Committee

Resources:

MSU Police MOVE SAFE campaign 

League of Michigan Bicyclists safe cycling handbook 

MSU Bike Commuter Benefits:

Learn More about Safe Bicycling 

Michigan Law Regarding Bicycling

Clerical-Technical Award 2015

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Congratulations to Mindy Nienhouse, the 2015 recipient of the Michigan State University Clerical-Technical Award!

CT Award 2015
From left to right, Clerical-Technical Union President Deb Bittner, MSU Human Resouces Assistant Vice President Sharon E. Butler, award recipient Mindy Nienhouse and director emeritus of the MSU Study Abroad program Dr. Charles Gliozzo at the 2015 CT Award ceremony.

The Clerical-Technical Award is sponsored by the Thomas and Concettina Gliozzo Endowment Fund and recognizes outstanding clerical-technical employees. For six years Mindy has done amazing work with the College of Human Medicine, and she embodies the ideals emphasized in the award. These include respect for everyone in the workplace, concern for students, faculty, staff and colleagues, providing significant contributions to the community and innovative thinking.

Mindy exhibits these qualities every day as she juggles two clerkships, two elective rotations, serving as the administrative assistant to the Emergency Medicine department and the variety of additional responsibilities that Mindy has volunteered to take on. In her nomination, one faculty member wrote that she is “innovative, creative, and has an amazing capacity to complete her own work diligently, while still taking time to help others in the unit.”

Outside of work, Mindy serves as a youth counselor, advocates for healthy living and fundraises for important causes. One staff member wrote, “What is impressive is that her fundraising efforts are typically not a requirement of any of the races – her fundraising is a result of her own care and passion.”

Watch this video to learn more about Mindy and her work with the College of Human Medicine.

Mindy’s efforts were recognized at an award ceremony in Grand Rapids attended by her family, colleagues and Human Resources staff. Congratulations and thank you to Mindy Nienhouse for serving MSU, your colleagues and your community!

As winter approaches, learn your COOP responsibilities

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MSU Snow Plow
Snow removal crews work hard to clear roads and paths for everyone walking and driving on MSU’s campus. Photo courtesy of MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities

The university never completely shuts down, and it needs support to maintain vital operations even during severe weather, major utility failure, health or environmental crisis, or any other emergency. MSU recently developed guidelines for departments to use in these situations, and each faculty and staff member needs to know their role during an emergency and if they are required to work.

The Continuity of Operations Plan, or COOP, was due November 1 by each Major Administrative Unit. Those responsible for completing and submitting their COOP need to do so immediately.

Each unit administrator or supervisor is responsible for sharing the COOP with their employees to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities. It’s also very important to notify critical personnel that they have been designated as such. Critical personnel are MSU faculty and staff who perform designated critical functions and services and are, therefore, required to work when a modification or curtailment of normal operations occurs, as detailed in the department’s COOP.

In addition, the best way to find information about an emergency or modification of operations is through the MSU website and MSU Alert. Get the COOP template and find out more about the guidelines for maintaining critical functions at MSU here.

2015 Outstanding Supervisor Award recipients

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Congratulations to the 2015 Outstanding Supervisor Award recipients!

The Outstanding Supervisor Award was established by the Family Resource Center in the spring of 2001 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. Various academic and support staff units submitted excellent nominations this year. The nominees and nominators represent a wide variety of departments and position levels.Continue Reading… 2015 Outstanding Supervisor Award recipients

Reminder: Benefits Open Enrollment ends October 31

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Benefits_OE_Masthead_purple_web
Enjoy Halloween knowing you have completed Open Enrollment!

You have had the month of October to look over and sign up for benefits options. Benefits Open Enrollment ends Saturday, October 31. You will not be able to change most plan options for the 2016 after this date.

To complete Open Enrollment, log in to the EBS Portal. Read all you need to know about Open Enrollment in our 2016 guide, which includes cost of benefits, coverage summaries, new and important information this year and details about the various plans and benefits options offered through MSU.

If you have not enrolled, now is the time! Many important decisions about health insurance, dental insurance, flexible spending accounts and much more need to be made before October 31. It’s also important that you complete the Health Care Affidavit to ensure 2016 coverage for your spouse or Other Eligible Individual.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the HR Solutions Center. This team is prepared to help faculty and staff during the Open Enrollment period. Email your questions to SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or call 517-353-4434. Computer help is available through Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day in the Nisbet Building.

Reminder: Upcoming award nomination deadlines

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Every weekday, thousands of MSU employees come to work to maintain and improve the university’s top tier programs, athletics, services and more. The following two awards recognize the stand-out individuals who go above and beyond in their work.Continue Reading… Reminder: Upcoming award nomination deadlines

National Retirement Security Week

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Man standing at laptop computer with paper documents
It’s estimated that retired households spend about 80% of what working households spend. Photo courtesy of TIAA-CREF.

Retirement may be late in the future, but the time to save for it is now. This week, formerly known as National Save for Retirement Week, is an important reminder to assess your savings progress. Are you where you should be?

Retirement vendor TIAA-CREF has prepared a checklist that details all of the important tasks you can complete this week to help secure your retirement.

Planning for retirement involves making a variety of important decisions early on about investment options, portfolio assets, amount of monthly contributions, beneficiaries and much more. Making the right decisions now will determine your security and comfort during retirement.

Both Fidelity and TIAA-CREF offer online resources, retirement savings plans and advising sessions.

Benefits Open Enrollment is a time of planning for 2016, but it can also be an opportunity to look forward to your future and consider your options for retirement. Establish some peace of mind during National Retirement Security Week by completing the checklist and securing your future!

Reminder: Open Enrollment Benefits Fairs occur Oct. 20–22

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After several weeks of Open Enrollment, MSU faculty, staff and retirees should be familiar with the plans and options available to them.  The Open Enrollment Benefits Fairs  are here to help with MSU Human Resources and vendor representatives available to answer questions.

The following are the dates and times of the Benefits Fairs:

Benefits_OE_Masthead_purple_webOctober 20, noon to 6 p.m.

October 21, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

October 22, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

While at the fair, eligible employees and retirees can receive a free flu shot. Find out more here.

You can also take some time to relax in a free 10-minute chair massage. Read about the times these are offered, which vendors are attending the fair and directions and parking information here.

Sign up for benefits during Open Enrollment

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Benefits Open Enrollment for MSU staff and faculty is going on now!

Benefits_OE_Masthead_purple_web
It’s that time of year! Benefits Open Enrollment is going on now

Sign up for health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts and other benefits offered through MSU before Saturday, October 31, 2015. This annual month-long enrollment period is crucial in determining your benefits coverage for the 2016 year.

Read all you need to know about Open Enrollment in our 2016 guide, which includes cost of benefits, coverage summaries, new and important information this year and details about the various plans and benefits options offered through MSU.

Remember to attend the Benefits Fairs October 20-22 at Breslin Center to talk to vendors and MSU Human Resources Benefits staff members.

Open Enrollment is completed online through the Employee Self Service option in Enterprise Business System for health, dental, life and flexible spending accounts. Find detailed enrollment instructions in the Open Enrollment guide.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the HR Solutions Center. This team is prepared to help faculty and staff during the Open Enrollment period. Email your questions to SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or call 517-353-4434.