Thank you Infrastructure Planning and Facilities!

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We might have thought we’d escape with an easy winter this year, but Mother Nature is always prepared to throw us a friendly reminder: this is still Michigan. Fortunately for everyone at Michigan State, the recent onslaughts of snowfall have been no match for Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, and that deserves a hearty thank you from Human Resources and the rest of the MSU community! We admire your dedication to keeping our roads and sidewalks safe. We also are always thankful for the alerts and warnings that go out to keep our community informed, the work you do to keep our campus beautiful year-round, and the construction you are a part of that is constantly improving our campus. Quite frankly, we are glad for all that you do!

Students trekking through North Neighborhood over paths cleared by MSU IPF.
Students brave the cold on snow-free walkways near the MSU Museum on November 30, 2011.

The IPF road crews’ willingness and commitment to be up before the sun and clear the danger from our paths is not something everyone can do, and we appreciate you for it. Thank you Infrastructure Planning and Facilities!

Events Round-Up March 2016

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Here are some events happening over the next month that may be of interest to MSU faculty and staff. Please visit the links for more information. Many events require registration.

Community Events

Friday, March 5 – Sunday, March 7

Michigan Horse Expo, MSU Pavilion

Monday, March 14

Beethoven!, 7:30 p.m., MSU Auditorium 

Tuesday, March 15 – Sunday, March 20

Motown the Musical, times vary, Wharton Center

Thursday, March 17

SEAL (Successfully Engaging All Learners), 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., MSU Museum 

Thursday, March 17 – Sunday, March 20

Lansing Home and Garden Show, MSU Pavilion 

Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19

Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon, 10 p.m., Abrams Planetarium

Saturday, March 19

Dress Like a Flapper, 1–2 p.m., MSU Museum Auditorium

Sunday, March 20

Tower Guard Shamrock 5K Run, Walk and Roll, noon, Conrad Hall

Thursday, March 24 – Saturday, March 26

March Magic Hoopfest, times vary, Jenison Field House

Friday, March 25

Wine Tasting Benefit, 7–9:30 p.m., Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center

Development, Training and Wellness

Tuesday, March 8

Accounting in EBS, 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m., 10 Nisbet 

Tuesdays starting March 15

Wake Up Fresh, 12:10–12:50 p.m., 310 Olin Health Center

Wednesday, March 16

Recipe for Health Cooking Series: Peanut Butter, 12:10–12:50 p.m., Brody Square Demonstration Kitchen

Tuesday, March 22

The Spartan Experience, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., 10 Nisbet

Wednesday, March 23

Sexual Harassment: For Supervisors, 1–4:30 p.m., 10 Nisbet

Thursday, March 24

Ten Tactics for Powerful Business Writing, 8:30 a.m.–noon, 10 Nisbet 

Wednesday March 30

Processing Student Awards and Financial Aid, 1 p.m.–4:30 p.m., 10 Nisbet

Happy Leap Day!

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MSU Food Truck
The Eat at State ON-THE-GO food truck.

Leap Day gives you an extra 24 hours once every four years. So, what are you going to do on your extra day? Here are a few ideas:

  • Go out and do something fun for lunch. The Eat at State ON-THE-GO food truck, the Dairy Store (Grilled Cheese Monday)  and Health4U  can offer new and interesting food or experiences.
  • If you have kids, play leapfrog.
  • Take the extra time to sort out your email, workspace, home, car or anything else.
  • Tell somebody you appreciate them.
  • Write a list of 29 things you want to accomplish before the next Leap Day.
  • Try something new! During these few extra hours you can stargaze, listen to a new album, try out a new recipe, or go rock climbing. If you have never attended a TEDxMSU event, you can purchase a ticket for the March 2 talk.

Have a great Leap Day!

Job of the Week 2/26/16

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This week we are highlighting a Assistant Manager/Analyst of Merchant Services (posting #2867) with the Office of the Controller. The successful candidate will be the primary provider of merchant services to University merchants and supports the University’s overall compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The position includes providing onsite evaluations of merchant environments to review current practices, identify possible improvements, and consult on allowable solutions. General merchant support may include setting up new merchants, designing and maintaining information resource website, evaluating card processing options, providing basic technical support to merchants units for e-commerce solutions, and acting as primary liaison with card processing company and third-party service providers.

MSU Jobs IconFor a complete description of this position, and to view all of our current postings, please go to www.jobs.msu.edu and select Support Staff under the Fast Jobs Search.

At the heart of the matter

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Heart and stethoscope
According to the CDC, in the United States someone has a heart attack every 43 seconds.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America, and heart attacks are among the most common results of the disease. However, diagnosing and even recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack can be difficult, because there are so many other conditions that are accompanied by discomfort or pressure in the chest.

The most common symptom of a heart attack is described as a feeling of pressure or being squeezed by a fist inside the central chest. Additional symptoms that heart attack patients describe include pain in the upper arm or across the back, as well as up into the neck and jaw, while others report feelings of heartburn, nausea, or abdominal pain.Continue Reading… At the heart of the matter

Help MSU compete in RecycleMania 2016

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White paper and mixed paper at MSU recycling center on Tuesday November 9, 2010. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.
White paper and mixed paper at MSU recycling center. Photo courtesy of Communications and Brand Strategy.

Last year, MSU was one of 394 colleges and universities that participated in the friendly competition RecyleMania. MSU contributed more than 1 million of the 80 million pounds that was recycled across the country in the competition. Spartans can do even better during RecyleMania 2016, which runs from February 8 to April 1, by coming together to recycle more and throw out less.

In addition to continuing regular recycling habits, staff and faculty can get involved by hosting an office clean-out. The service is free and provided by the Surplus Store and Recycling Center. If your office already has recyclables prepared and sorted, Recycling Center staff will arrive at your office, help load the items and remove them that day. Or, temporary containers can be dropped off at your office and picked up at a later date. To schedule an office clean-out, call 517-355-1723.

There are a few additional ways staff and faculty can participate in RecycleMania. This year MSU Recycling is emphasizing book reuse and recycling. Books that are collected will be sold for reuse through the Surplus Store, donated to local charities or recycled. Organize a book collection by calling 517- 355-1723.

From noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, at Auditorium and Tuesday, March 15, behind Wells Hall you can get a picture with Scrap Metal Sparty and talk to MSU recycling staff.

Like the MSU Recycling Center’s Facebook page for recycling tips and updates on RecycleMania.

Kicking Off America Saves Week!

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Whether you’re counting down the days or have barely thought about it, retirement is coming for all of us, and this week is dedicated to educating you about the best practices in saving for your future. America Saves Week was started to keep the workforce informed and offer options for developing good savings behavior. If you invest with Fidelity and have questions about how much you should be saving or what you should be investing in,you have access to several online workshops to point you in the right direction for whatever stage you’re at in your career:

Change scattered in front of a piggy bank.
Photo courtesy of 401k Calculator.
  • Confident Investing in Any Market
  • Get Started and Save For the Future You
  • Preparing Your Savings for Retirement

In addition, TIAA-CREF Financial Services encourages developing a strategy and creating a timeline to plan out how much you should be saving now and offers some important guidelines on how to prepare for an emergency, saving for retirement, and starting with a strategy, as well as many more tips freely available on their website. For answers to all the questions you may have and even more information you may not have known about, be sure to take advantage of all the resources available to you this week!

Job of the Week 2/19/16

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This week we are highlighting a Performance Arts Associate Director (posting #2820) with Performance Arts Facilities and Programs. The successful candidate will manage the overall operations activities, contract administration, Wharton Center’s productions, rental activities, venue calendar management and planning for and managing capital improvements for Wharton Center and all related venues. This position oversees all front-of-house, stage crew and other operations staff and the implementation of all performance activity by Wharton Center and all related venues. This position also oversees all contract administration for all Wharton Center presentations and productions, and manages accurate venue calendar activity.

MSU Jobs IconFor a complete description of this position, and to view all of our current postings, please go to www.jobs.msu.edu and select Support Staff under the Fast Jobs Search.

Thank you Office of Admissions!

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It’s that time of the year, and the staff at the Office of Admissions are buried in reviewing the record number of over 35,000 applications they’ve received this year and sending out final decisions for potential additions to MSU’s student body. Michigan State offers rolling admission, and with a university as large as ours, the Office is always busy, but especially so when it comes time to decide the fall freshman class. Admissions is also constantly taking applications from transfer, guest, and graduate students, as well as helping navigate the process for future applicants and prospective international students. All of the time put in is a powerful effort to enhance the student experience, a Bolder By Design initiative that places importance on the ways students learn and grow at Michigan State as well as the value of achieving an MSU degree.

An application form, glasses, and a pen. Sorting out who to welcome into the MSU community is a tedious process, and it’s good to know we have dedicated people making the best decisions to shape the future of our university!

Thank you Office of Admissions, for choosing the new faces of Michigan State University!

Warm up with these savory recipes

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Beef_stew_smallThere’s nothing like a hot meal to warm you up in the cold winter months. Once again, Residential and Hospitality Services Senior Executive Chef Kurt Kwiatkowski has provided us with some delicious recipes to share. These winter warmers will bring a smile to your face and impress any guest! One of Chef Kurt’s favorite recipes is the beef dish below, and you can also try out his Shrimp Scampi and Catalan Seafood Stew recipes.

Slow Cooked Balsamic Beef

4# beef chuck roast
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 T. olive oil
1 c. chicken broth
ÂĽ c. red wine
1 medium onion sliced
2 carrots peeled and rough cut
1 package of baby bella mushrooms quartered
1½ c. large cut pieces of rutabaga
1 bay leaf
8 oz. Tomato Sauce
3 T. Balsamic Vinegar
ÂĽ c. chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
Zest of one lemon
1 clove of garlic minced

Generously season both sides of the roast with salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear each side of the roast for about 3-5 minutes.

Add broth and wine to the hot skillet to de-glaze it, scraping up the brown bits on the pan remove from heat and reserve.

Place sliced onions, carrots, mushrooms then rutabaga in the bottom of the slow cooker and put the seared meat on top.

Pour the deglazed sauce mixture on top of the meat in the slow cooker.

Combine balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce in a small bowl and pour over meat in the crock pot.

Cover & Crock on Low for 6-8 hours.

Remove and serve with lemon/garlic/parsley topping (gremolata)