Category: News Flash

This category is for general news and announcements.

Source Newsletter – August 2016 Edition

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In case you missed it, here’s the August 2016 HR Source newsletter.August_2016_Source_Newsletter

Headlines at a Glance:

 

  • Welcome Letter from AVP Sharon E. Butler
  • Ask MSU Human Resources Now Live
  • Retirement Plan Core Investment Menu Update
  • Difficult Conversations in Performance Excellence
  • Go2Gateway: Your Refreshed EBS Portal
  • Outstanding Supervisor Award Nominations Due
  • MSU Tobacco-Free Ordinance Reminder
  • Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Training Move
  • MSU Coordination of Needs Calendar
  • MSU Holiday Posting Deadline
  • Important I-9 Reminders
  • EBS Portal Tips Listserv
  • Upcoming Events

Go2Gateway coming to a close

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The Go2Gateway project began more than a year ago, and now, as all employees have transitioned to the refreshed EBS portal, it is coming to a close. We would like to thank everyone involved in Go2Gateway, from the Human Resources IT team to all of the MSU employees that provided essential feedback. We also had great participation in our in-person and online road shows. The support of the MSU community for the project has been instrumental in its success. Continue Reading… Go2Gateway coming to a close

Get a look inside the FRIB!

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The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams in July 2016. Photo courtesy of FRIB.
The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams in July 2016. Photo courtesy of FRIB.

Chances are, you’ve passed by the ongoing construction on the corner of Wilson Road and Bogue Street. You might have been curious about research taking place in National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, or what the under-construction Facility for Rare Isotope Beams has in store for the future. Now, you have the opportunity to get a sneak peek inside these state-of-the-art facilities.

The FRIB and NSCL will have an open house on Saturday, August 20, from 1 to 4 p.m. People of all ages are welcome. During the open house, you can expect the following:

  • Explore the fields of FRIB research with several hands-on activities and demonstrations.
  • Meet nuclear scientists as they talk about their work on the frontiers of rare-isotope research.
  • Tour the FRIB linear accelerator tunnel and surface building.
  • Tour the currently operational experimental areas in the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory that will be used in FRIB experiments.
  • Enjoy some educational videos in the “FRIB Theater.”

This is the chance to step inside a facility that will be instrumental in the advancement of scientific knowledge; it’s a place for important research and discovery in the areas of rare isotopes, nuclear astrophysics and more.

No RSVP is required, through you can RSVP at the open house Facebook event. Both admittance and parking are free.

Learn how to navigate difficult conversations in new elevateU class series

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Difficult conversations photo
Watch the Difficult Conversations: MSU Series overview video.

MSU depends on its employees to support its myriad of operations and initiatives that continually advance the university as a top-tier research and education institution. Performance Excellence provides the tools and structure to aid employees’ continued development. Throughout the Performance Excellence process, supervisors and employees need to have conversations that can be difficult on both ends if they involve differing opinions or pointing out unmet expectations. It takes specific skills to navigate these conversations effectively.

To aid employees in this process, MSU Professional Development Services is pleased to offer a new series of online classes within elevateU titled Difficult Conversations: MSU Series. Watch the overview video.Continue Reading… Learn how to navigate difficult conversations in new elevateU class series

Students need your help as the school year begins!

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Freshman fall move-in. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.
Freshman fall move-in. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

Hopefully you have enjoyed these past quiet summer months, but it’s nearly time to get back into the swing of things. The essence of the university, students, arrive in the thousands just before classes begin on Wednesday, August 31. You have the opportunity to help MSU and the local community in a big way: by volunteering to help move students in and donating to Fill the Bus.

Student Move-in Volunteering

Last year, more than 500 people signed up with the Alumni Association to come back and help new Spartans move in to their residence halls. You can choose when and where to volunteer; pick a residence hall and a shift on Saturday, August 27 through Monday, August 29. Sunday will have the most need for volunteers.

Volunteers get a free T-shirt and a complimentary meal in one of the dining halls. Learn more and register here.

Fill the Bus

Younger students in the Lansing area need your help, too. The 8th annual Fill the Bus event, organized by the Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and the Center for Service-Learning & Civic Engagement, will take place August 28 to September 2. Your donated notebooks, backpacks, pencils and other school supplies will fill up a bus and be sent directly to the children and classrooms that need them. You can find donation bins either in your building, provided by your department’s team captain (register your team here) or in various locations on campus.

Four percent pay raise for student employees

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Madeline Fetchiet and Mike Kidd, WKAR-TV student employees, monitor PBS feeds in the station's master control. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.
Madeline Fetchiet and Mike Kidd, WKAR-TV student employees, monitor PBS feeds in the station’s master control. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

Student hourly employees at MSU can expect something extra in their paycheck.

The Board of Trustees approved a 4 percent pay increase effective August 7, 2016. The raise was processed in the HR/Payroll system July 25 through August 5. Students who have an active record as of August 7 will receive a 4 percent increase to their current hourly wage.

Please note that retroactive pay increases that are effective earlier than August 7, and are received after the raise has been applied, will cause a recalculation of the four-percent raise.

Student hourly employees received the same wage increase last August. Student supervisors can view the Student Employment Manual for more information about working with student employees.

Please contact MSU Payroll at 517-355-5010 or payroll@ctlr.msu.edu if you have any questions.

2016 Outstanding Supervisor Awards

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Does your supervisor understand the work/life balance? Is he/she supportive of each employee’s well-being and promote teamwork? You have the chance to nominate your supervisor for the 15th Annual Outstanding Supervisor Award for 2016. This award is presented by the MSU WorkLife office to honor supervisors who have consistently demonstrated work/life sensitivity and support of the professional and personal needs of the employees in his/her unit. The award is significant for reasons such as:

  • The managerial style of a supervisor has a direct impact on the quality of the employees’ work and their loyalty to the university. Any supervisor, at any employment level and from all staff and academic units, may be nominated.
  • When sincere consideration is given to an individual’s personal responsibilities outside the job, absenteeism may be reduced and morale and productivity are improved.
  • By recognizing supervisors who do it well, we are setting an example of what makes a good supervisor. This will serve as a model for others in hopes of positively impacting managerial practices across campus.

Members of the MSU community are invited to nominate a supervisor/administrator who consistently demonstrates qualities such as:

  • A positive leadership style which empowers others.
  • Humanizes the work environment and treats employees as people first.
  • Promotes teamwork while supporting individual’s well-being.
  • Treats everyone with dignity, respect and integrity.
  • Allows flexible schedules.
  • Understands work/life balance.
  • Sensitive to individual needs.
2015_Outstanding_Supervisor
Gladys Raymond, Office of Sponsored Programs Manager, is pictured above with members of her staff. She was one of the 2015 award recipients.

Nominations are currently being accepted online now through Monday, August 29. The Outstanding Supervisor Award Committee will review the nominations, and the selected recipients will be honored with surprise celebrations on or around National Bosses Day on October 16, 2016. Visit the WorkLife Office website for additional information. For any questions, contact the MSU WorkLife Office at 517-353-1635 or email Stroml@msu.edu.

 

Go2Gateway road shows available to watch

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On June 22 and 24, MSU Human Resources held virtual road shows that walked through the ins and outs of Go2Gateway for unit administrators and unit time administrators, supervisors and employees. The road shows included information on how user testing was conducted, what will and will not be changing in the refreshed EBS portal, a description of the new layout, the rollout schedule and how to get additional help learning the new portal.

View the road shows below:

We also shared this handout, which offers ways to receive help with the refreshed EBS Portal.

If you have questions about Go2Gateway, please visit the Go2Gateway website or contact the HR Solutions Center at 517-353-4434 or SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu.

Congratulations to the “Square Up Your Savings” Winners!

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Congratulations to the three winners of the “Square Up Your Savings” challenge in April! MSU Human Resources and TIAA, one of our retirement vendors, partnered to bring this fun and educational opportunity to the MSU community as part of Financial Literacy Month.

A total of 749 participants completed 10 missions centered on savings education. When a mission was completed, players earned a square to place on a campus map where they thought virtual hidden savings might be located. Players were then entered into a drawing to win one of three iPad minis.

This year’s winners were:

Danielle_sm2
Danielle Ferguson, Veterinarian with Animal Care Program
Pearl_sm2
Pearl Wong, Collection Coordinator with the MSU Museum
Sharon_sm1
Sharon Ruggles, Academic Program Coordinator with Geography Environment Spatial Sciences

Thank you to TIAA for sponsoring this challenge! We hope everyone who participated enjoyed the new, more interactive format.

 

Join the “big ride” at upcoming College of Human Medicine Gran Fondo

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If you like biking and supporting a great cause, then you’re in luck! The MSU College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids is organizing their fourth Gran Fondo, a long-distance, mass participation event geared toward cyclists of all abilities. The big ride on Saturday, June 25, will include four courses: a 12-mile, a 25-mile, a 40-mile and an 80-mile that goes all the way to Lake Michigan and back.

All funds raised from this event go toward skin cancer awareness, prevention and research. Nearly 70,000 people in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with skin cancer this year, and the College of Human Medicine is committed to researching this disease. The cost to register is $80, and each rider is automatically given a $50 fundraising goal. So if you can’t make it out to the ride that day, you can still help by donating on the website. Donations for this event are tax-deductible.

You can also help out by volunteering. The Gran Fondo is very large, and many people are needed to help it run smoothly. Volunteer duties include setting up the event, registration, assisting riders and working on the courses.  Volunteer orientation is Wednesday, June 22.

The races will end in a finish line festival with live music and food open to the public. Whether you want to join a ride, donate or volunteer, you’ll be supporting a fun event for a great cause! Find out more on the Gran Fondo website.