This category is for general news and announcements.
Get a free scoop of delicious Dairy Store ice cream Tuesday, July 28! The Spartan Experience is bringing ice cream to a location near you to show appreciation for being a part of Team MSU. Save the date!
View an accessible PDF version of the flier here.
Part of being a member of the MSU community is cheering on our Spartan athletes. Faculty and staff can attend games at discounted prices. Discounts for all games only apply to season tickets. Individual tickets are purchased at public prices.
Employees eligible for discounts are faculty and staff that work a minimum of 50 percent full time and former employees that retired with full campus benefits. For these retirees up to two tickets can be purchased as well, but only spouses can receive the extra ticket.
Football
Public $308 season tickets are discounted to $252 for faculty and staff. Closer seats have an additional fee that goes to the Spartan Fund. Season tickets are on sale now.
Men’s basketball
Seating is more limited in Breslin Center so discounts only apply to upper chair seating at $324 for 18 home games, which is subject to availability. Upper bench seating is $234. Tickets are available to purchase October 15.
Ice hockey
Tickets go on sale September 1. To attend the 20 home games, faculty and staff can purchase up to two season tickets for $240 for bench seating and $280 for chair seating. That’s a savings of $60 for either of the season tickets compared to public prices.
Women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, wrestling, gymnastics, softball, baseball
Faculty and staff can attend all of the regular home season games played by the above teams with the purchase of a physical $50 Go Green card. More than two cards can be purchased if desired, and with it children 8 and under can attend the events for free. Go Green cards are most easily purchased in August at Jenison Field House.
The home games of every other official MSU sport are free for everyone to attend.
Purchasing
Before buying discounted tickets, an employee verification form needs to be completed. This needs to be completed every year, even if season tickets are just being renewed. An athletic customer number is required to complete the form.
To find your customer number, purchase tickets or to have any additional questions answered, contact the Ticket Office.
Get ready to cheer on the Spartans this year. Go green!
Retirement might be far away for many, but it’s never too early to start planning and preparing. Starting to save and invest now can lead to financial security and a big pay-off in the future. On July 15 and 16, retirement vendor TIAA-CREF is coming to MSU as a part of their Financial Essentials education to provide free workshops to staff and faculty. All sessions take place in the MSU Union. Click the dates to register for one of the sessions.
The Starting Line: Why and how retirement saving should begin now
Wednesday, July 15, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
This session shows the real effect of time on money, why saving is important and how to plan, and how budgeting can help you find and save. Snacks are provided.
Halfway There: A retirement checkpoint
Wednesday, July 15, noon – 1 p.m. or Thursday, July 16, 8 a.m. – 9 a.m.
This session provides a mid-year financial checkup that allows you to evaluate current savings, formulate a plan to reach your savings goals and how to manage what might be competing with retirement savings, such as college savings, short-term savings and so on. Lunch is provided at the afternoon session and a light breakfast is provided at the morning session.
Inside Money: Managing income and debt
Thursday, July 16, noon – 1 p.m.
This session demonstrates how to make your money work, the importance of cash flow and how to use it. It describes good and bad debt and ways to help manage it. Lunch is provided.
Register soon! Seating is limited. If you have questions, contact TIAA-CREF at 800-732-8353 or MSU Human Resources at retirementinfo@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.
Two hundred thirty-nine years ago the Continental Congress approved the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. The Fourth of July is a day to reflect on the birth of our nation and celebrate with family and friends. It’s also a day to eat great food, attend parades and watch fireworks.
The Fourth of July falls on a Saturday this year, so the university is closed Friday, July 3. The next university holiday is Labor Day on Sept. 7. View the university academic calendar here.
On July 3, all Sparty’s sites and the Riverwalk Market at Owen Hall will be closed, but all other Eat-At-State hours of operation are the same. View the hours of operation for Independence Day here.
Enjoy the long weekend!
MSU HR would like to thank everyone who participated in the “What’s Your Financial IQ?” challenge! To celebrate Financial Literacy Month, we teamed up with retirement vendor TIAA-CREF to quiz faculty and staff on their financial knowledge. Beginning on April 1, for 22 days five questions were added each day. The more participants played, the more they were entered to win a tablet computer.
The 1,100 participants, who ranged in age from 18 to over 65, received an average performance of 66 percent on the quiz this year. Participants self-identified their financial subject matter knowledge, ranging from “clueless” to “ready to retire.” MSU employees scored highest on questions related to taxes and lowest on questions related to retirement.
Congratulations to our winners!
Thanks again to TIAA-CREF for sponsoring the challenge. We hope staff and faculty learned the extent of their financial knowledge, and can study in preparation for next year’s challenge!
MSU Culinary Services Ranks No. 24 in the Nation
Niche.com recently released its 2015 rankings for Best Campus Food, placing the Michigan State University Culinary Services dining program at No. 24 with an A+ score among traditional four-year colleges and universities in the United States. According to the rankings, Culinary Services—a department of the Division of Residential and Hospitality Services—is the top university dining services in Michigan.
The 2015 Eat at State summer hours of operation run through August 28 for the following locations:
Brody Square will be open Monday – Friday between 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
The Vista at Shaw will be open Monday – Friday between 7 a.m. – 9 a.m., 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Riverwalk Market at Owen Hall will be open Monday – Friday between 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. through August 20.
Sparty’s locations:
The MSU Union Deli will be open Monday – Friday between 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Crossroads Food Court at the International Center:
Eat at State ON-THE-GO is MSU’s own Food Truck service with two trucks in operation. Check out the Food Truck website for their Weekly Specials!
And Don’t forget the MSU Bakers! Deliveries are available Monday through Friday between 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
You can view the Eat at State Dining Plan options here.
Summer calls for barbecues, beach days, camping and, of course, construction. Read on to find out where roadwork is taking place in and around campus.
The construction that began on the southern half of West Circle Drive on May 11, which will continue until about July 12, has closed the stretch of road from the Spartan statue entrance to just past Main Library.  Lots 11 and 6 are also closed, which means the surrounding lots and ramps fill up quickly. Check out the detour here.
After July 12 one lane will be opened until Aug. 15, when construction is completed. Lot 6 and part of Lot 11 will also reopen. The summer project will upgrade steam tunnels, the water main and the telecommunication and electrical lines, among other improvements.
In addition, the length of Chestnut Road between Wilson Road and Trowbridge Road will be closed for construction from June 1 to July 24. Drivers can detour on nearby Red Cedar or Birch roads.
The city of East Lansing closed the length of Bogue Street from Grand River Avenue to Shaw Lane for construction on May 11 as well. A detour will be posted until its approximate scheduled reopening, June 12.
Following this project, Abbot Road between Burcham Drive and Saginaw Street will undergo construction. Fortunately, much of the work will take place at night, but for one week the road between Saginaw Street and Whitehills Drive will be completely closed to replace a cross section. The entire project is estimated to end Aug. 14.
Some smaller projects include asphalt paving on Virginia Avenue between Burcham Drive and Snyder Road and sidewalk ramp improvements on Grove Street between Burcham Drive and Linden Street.
Direct deposit is available for all MSU employees through the Michigan Automated Clearing House Association (MACHA). The university will deposit your paycheck electronically into an account you designate at any financial institution within the U.S. Your pay will be automatically deposited into your checking or savings account safely and confidentially on pay day. You will also be provided with a detailed earnings statement accessible on the EBS Portal.
Enrollment is simple. Access Employee Self Service (ESS) at www.ebs.msu.edu and follow the step-by-step directions given here.
After an extended absence, the ability to reprint the W2 form can be handled online using ESS at www.ebs.msu.edu.
Find easy-to-follow directions and other important information regarding W2 Reprints here.
MSU is in the process of adding steps to safeguard personal and institutional data by implementing two-factor authentication. The first system to be protected in this way is the EBS Portal. Many more will follow. All employees will be required to complete two-factor authentication to log into the EBS Portal on April 13.
What is two-factor authentication?
Two-factor authentication pairs something you have (e.g., a security credential) with something you know (e.g., a password).
If you use an ATM, you’ve been using two-factor authentication for years. You perform transactions like withdrawing money from an account by having a bank card (something you have) and a PIN (something you know). If one of these two items is lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised, another person is unable to withdraw money since they are unlikely to possess both factors. That’s why you should never write down your PIN or keep it with your ATM card. Two-factor authentication is a much stronger method over a user name and password alone. It provides added protection for both individuals and the MSU community.
You will see two-factor authentication more often as an increasing number of our daily tasks are completed online. If your financial institution or other organizations with whom you exchange confidential information offer two factor, take advantage of it. It’s always good to protect yourself if given the opportunity.
The What’s Your Financial IQ 2.0 challenge, sponsored by one of MSU’s retirement plan vendors TIAA-CREF, just might be the easiest way to win a free tablet computer. From April 1 to April 22, participate by answering questions that will help you learn important information regarding financial planning. Every day, What’s Your Financial IQ 2.0 will feature new topics and questions, allowing you to show what you know. Every time that you play, you will be entered to win one of three tablet computers. The more that you play, the better your chances are to win. Sign on frequently to keep the odds in your favor! Don’t worry if you aren’t in the financial know either, all responses are completely confidential.
So go ahead, get started today! Topics vary and will cover retirement, taxes, healthcare and privacy. All MSU employees are eligible to win. You can see last year’s winners here.
