rhs.msu.edu
NEWSLINE
ISSUE 5.12 | DECEMBER | 2014
upcoming events
SHG Gingerbread House Display,
Kellogg Center Lobby
Winner announced December 19
Forest Akers Holiday Sale
November 28 – December 31
DECEMBER
Final Exams
December 8 – 12
The State Room Dickens’
Christmas Dinner, Kellogg Center
December 10
Spartan Linen Services Dock Sale
December 10 – 12
Collegiate Merchandise Sale,
Lake Huron Room, MSU Union,
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
December 11
Halls Close
December 12
Culinary Services
Manager Symposium
December 15
NEWSLINE, the monthly newsletter of the Division of Residential and Hospitality Services, features content of divisional interest contributed by departmental and subject matter experts.
PCI ComPlIanCe aChIeved —
maIntenanCe BegIns
A milestone approximately two years in the making has been achieved: RHS received an official status of “compliant” and is authorized to continue accepting payment cards at Spartan Hospitality Group venues including the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, the Breslin Center, the MSU Union and Spartan Stadium. This compliance effort by RHS was part of a bigger campus project undertaken by a total of 200 MSU units and is required by MSU’s partner banks and the Payment Card Security Standards Council.
Compliance was achieved through painstaking adherence to the PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), which lays out 291 points of compliance for complex networks like the one used by RHS. In scope for this project was creating clear policies and procedures for securing all parts of the payment card network. It required detailed testing and upgrading of: servers, firewalls, software applications, printers, computers and point-of-sale devices. Special training sessions were held for IS and SHG team members. RHS also engaged a third-party consulting firm, 403 Labs, to methodically test the network in order to identify and eliminate possible security holes. A project of this magnitude could not have been completed without remarkable collaboration and cooperation. Congratulations to all the RHS Information Services managers, administrators and technicians who contributed to this job-well-done. A huge thank you goes to the management and team members of SHG who collaborated in the planning and execution of this project. They surmounted technical difficulties, navigated change, provided necessary feedback and continuously rebooted computers during testing.
Additional thanks is due to several campus partners for their expert assistance: the MSU Cashier’s Office / PCI Compliance Office, IT Services and the office of the MSU Chief Information Security Officer and contracted employee, Dennis Hile. Gene Willacker, the MSU PCI Compliance Officer, was a constant source of guidance and encouragement. Pointing out the silver lining to this long and arduous project, Gene said, “On the bright side, the process and practice of achieving this level of PCI compliance positions RHS Information Services as a world class enterprise level
IT organization.”
Now that compliance is achieved, the project moves into the equally challenging phase of maintaining compliance. Maintenance will continue to take up a large portion of Information Services’ time and resources. It will consist of monthly testing, updates and remediation. Efforts are also underway for meeting the next version of the security standard (PCI 3.0) by mid-2015. Thanks, RHS, for your ongoing commitment to protecting our customers’ cardholder information from cyber
arouNd thE dIvISIoN
msu culinary services places 24tH in
national ranking
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.
Best Campus Food ranks 1,175 colleges based on data sourced from the Department of Education and more than 471,000 survey responses about campus food from more than 64,000 current students and recent alumni. A high ranking indicates students are happy with the quality of campus dining; the university offers a variety of healthy, quality food options that accommodate various dietary preferences; and dining services operate during hours convenient for students, including offering late-night food options.
Culinary Services offers on-campus dining options daily from 7 a.m. to midnight. Dining plans include Combo-X-Change, which enables dining plan holders to use a meal access to get a combo from on-campus Sparty’s convenience and coffee shops, on-campus quick service restaurants, the Eat at State ON-THE-GO food truck and to get takeout from the dining halls.
“This is great recognition,” said Culinary Services Director Guy Procopio. “We have achieved a lot over the past five years — having completed six of seven major renovations with the opening of Heritage Commons at Landon. We are excited to bring parity to all campus neighborhoods when The Edge at Akers opens in January.”
In a review on Niche.com, an MSU junior wrote, “Most/all of the cafeterias have recently been completely redone, they are great with many available options. Some are open to public and are nice enough that many outside people come to eat there as well.”
“On campus dining is actually great!” an MSU sophomore wrote on Niche.com. “There are so many cafeterias to pick from and the food is superb. There is a great variety of food and using Combo-X-Change between classes is super convenient.”
To determine rankings, student survey responses counted as 85 percent of the overall university score, with average meal plan cost determining the remaining 15 percent of the score. “There are a ton of options, and the meal plan is very friendly financially,” an MSU freshman wrote
on Niche.com.
Culinary Services employs more than 3,500 team members — including 3,000 student team members — to provide the services students and the campus community expect when they dine at MSU. “Our ranking reflects the University’s commitment to an excellent residential experience and the hard work and dedication of our team members,” said Procopio. “We couldn’t nourish our Spartans without contributions made daily by all Culinary Services team members — from the front line to management — and all of MSU.”
town Hall recap
Last month, Vennie Gore took the opportunity of the Fall Town Hall Meeting to discuss the future of RHS and how we will make the leap forward as an organization. We have come a long way since the 2008 strategic plan and have been well rewarded for it — with industry recognitions, individual prizes and the positive comments and return business of our guests. In order to continue on our trajectory of success, we will be required to work both smarter and harder. View the PowerPoint presentation on MyRHS and be sure to join us in the spring for another Town Hall.
Continued from page 1
upcoming events
DECEMBER
Values and Victories, Kellogg
Center Big Ten Rooms,
8:30 – 11 a.m.
December 17
Sustainabilitiy, The RHS Way,
9 a.m. – noon
December 18 & 23
The State Room Holiday Tea
December 20
JANUARY
Using Frequencies and
Descriptive Data, 10 – 11 a.m.
January 5
Spring AOP/POP
January 9
Heritage Commons at Landon Hall
Grand Opening
construction upDates
Keep up with all the latest construction information by visiting www.construction.msu.edu. The site contains project information, detour maps, Construction Junction meeting information and more. Also get construction updates by following the MSU Physical Plant in social media. The December Construction Junction is scheduled for 8:30 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 11, in the MSU College of Law, room 343.
recap: live on Fall Festival anD sign-up For
2015-2016
On the cool, crisp morning of Nov. 12, online sign-up opened for any student wishing to select a room on campus for the 2015-2016 academic year. At the same time, the Fall Festival planning committee, made up of representatives from across the division, was eagerly prepping last-minute details for a fun evening of food, games, answering questions and maybe even signing up a few students at the event. What they didn’t plan for was the higher-than-anticipated turnout of students accessing the online system that morning which, unfortunately, took the system offline. When the Fall Festival planning committee and event staff arrived at the MSU Union an hour before the start of the festival to set up, what they found was a small crowd of nearly 500 students waiting to claim their spot on campus! As the start time got closer, the crowd grew bigger.
An SOS call went out and the response was amazing. Staff from every area of RHS dropped what they were doing to help. Food, drinks and giveaways were handed out for free to those who waited. Culinary Services gave out more than 1,000 slices of pizza and MSU Bakers stayed open late to bake and deliver 27 dozen cookies. Residence Education and Facilities staff talked with students, provided updates on the status of filled halls and kept spirits high with spontaneous bursts of the fight song.
It was a complete divisional team-effort and all things considered, a relatively successful event. But sign-up is far from over. The manual process will continue for 2015-2016 returning students. We’re asking everyone to help by knowing the sign-up options available so you can help students who may need assistance.
Thank you to everyone across RHS for your continued support.
Farewell to tHe green on-tHe-go FooD truck
The green ON-THE-GO food truck will not return for service as of spring 2015 semester. Culinary Services has leased the green truck from Mobi Munch since its debut on campus in fall 2012. The department purchased the white ON-THE-GO food truck, which appeared on campus this fall, to replace the leased green truck.
The green food truck remained on campus during the fall 2014 semester to provide an additional dining option to students in East Neighborhood while Akers Dining Hall was under construction. The white food truck will continue service for the MSU campus community.
All menu items served from the white food truck during the fall will continue to be served during the spring. “Culinary Services is blending in some of the popular entrées from the green truck, including the food truck grilled cheese,” said Corporate Chef Kurt Kwiatkowski. “In addition, we will alternate the award-winning smoked cheddar cheeseburger with the white food truck’s new classic cheeseburger.”
The white ON-THE-GO food truck will serve at Wells Hall or The Rock for lunch and in East and South Neighborhoods for late night during spring semester.
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please accept our
sincere tHanks
On Nov. 12, online sign-up opened for any student wishing to select a room on campus for the 2015-2016 academic year. An important day as our division has a goal of signing up 41 percent of returning students to live on campus.
The student response was great, and the higher-than-anticipated turnout of students accessing the online system actually took the system offline. But the RHS team members could not be stopped! At an event that had already been scheduled for that evening, staff from across the division came to the rescue by assisting with manual sign-up of the more than 1,200 students that appeared at the MSU Union.
Please accept our sincere thanks! Sign-up is far from over, and we will continue with the manual process for returning students reserving rooms for the 2015-2016 academic year. Each and every one of us is responsible for our students’ experience when they live on campus. So the next time you see a student, look them in the eye, smile and ask them how they are doing. Go team RHS!
lanDon Hall granD opening
January 20
The Michigan State University campus community is invited to celebrate the grand re-opening of Landon Hall on Jan. 20, 2015, from 2 to 4 p.m. The newly renovated hall features Heritage Commons at Landon dining hall, updated residential spaces and common areas throughout — including four soundproof music rooms.
Remarks will begin at 2:30 p.m. with MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, Vice President for Auxiliary Enterprises Vennie Gore, Culinary Services Director Guy Procopio and Residence Education and Housing Services Director Dr. Kathy Collins. A ribbon cutting will immediately follow.
Guests may also sample menu items prepared by Sous Chef Dien Ly and her team from Heritage Commons at Landon’s four restaurant venues: Global Flavors, Grains & Greens, Landon Bistro and Sizzle.
winter HoliDays reminDer
Most years, the University is closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. This year, due to the way the dates fall during the week, the University will instead be closed on the holidays and the day after. Please keep this in mind as you create your holiday time-off schedules. Of course, with students to serve, some of our operations will remain open during all of these days.
HoliDay Breaks anD
spring opening
With the upcoming holiday season and winter break, please be mindful of the following dates and service alterations:
Fall Semester Closing and Between-Semester Housing • Residence halls will close for the semester break on Dec. 12,
2014, at 8 p.m. and will reopen at 8 a.m. on Jan. 11, 2015. • All dining halls will close at 2 p.m. on Dec. 12. Riverwalk
Market at Owen Hall will remain open until 7 p.m.
• All students (except those living in Owen Hall, Van Hoosen Hall or University Village) are required to leave the residence halls by 8 p.m. on Dec. 12, unless they have applied for and been approved to stay in their current room in a designated Between-Semester Housing residence hall on campus during the semester break.
• Residence halls designated for Between-Semester Housing include: Hubbard Hall, McDonel Hall and Wonders Hall. • Between-Semester Housing is also available at the Kellogg
Hotel and Conference Center for all residence hall students. • Between-Semester Dining Plans are available to students
Dec. 13 – 21 and Jan. 5 – 11.
The following dining halls are open from Dec. 13 – 21, 2014, and Jan. 5 through lunch on Jan. 11, 2015. Normal spring dining hours will resume at dinner on Jan. 11.
Brody Square and Holmes Dining Hall *
Dec. 13 – 21: 8 – 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., 5 – 7 p.m. Dec. 22 – Jan. 4: Closed
Jan. 5 – 10: 8 – 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., 5 – 7 p.m. Jan. 11: 8 – 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., 5 p.m. – close. Riverwalk Market at Owen Hall
Dec. 13 – 21: 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Dec. 22 – Jan. 4: Closed
Jan. 5 – 10: 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Jan. 11: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
* During periods of low occupancy, some venues at Brody Square and Holmes Dining Hall may not be open.
arouNd thE dIvISIoN
greenup conFerence
On Nov. 12, 2014, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) held its annual GreenUp Conference at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center. This year’s conference strove to be a ZERO-WASTE event, with 96 percent of the waste generated by the event being diverted from landfill. The zero-waste initiative was spearheaded by MDEQ Pollution Prevention Program Analyst, Chris Affeldt, partnering with RHS and Culinary Sustainability and MSU Recycling, and supported by Kellogg Center’s banquet and kitchen managers, including recent Green Hero and Kellogg Banquet Manager Lucretia Mansfield.
In an effort to achieve the zero-waste goal, china and silverware replaced disposable dishes and cutlery, and jugs of creamer were used in place of individual plastic cups. Kellogg followed its standard procedures for recycling plastic, metal, glass and paperboard food containers. The event was considered a success with 78 lbs. of food waste collected that would normally have gone to landfill or water treatment systems. The food was taken to the MSU Student Organic Farm to be composted.
In breakout sessions during the conference, MSU faculty, staff and students gathered to discuss their initiatives for providing zero waste services on campus, supporting MSU’s commitment to active engagement of the campus community in its sustainability efforts.
10 golDen rules oF social
meDia marketing
Social media. It’s quite the buzz word these days, and how people are connecting – and how companies are messaging – more and more. Why is it so important and why does it work? Join RHS Director of Communication, Kat Cooper, as she shares the 10 Golden Rules of Social Media Marketing in an engaging, participatory presentation. Rather than focusing on how to use any one platform, this session will share rules that bridge all platforms, both now and in the future.
This session will be offered on Wednesday, January 14 from noon until 1 p.m. in the RHS HR Training Room located at W 9 Holmes Hall. To register for this opportunity, please do so through our LMS using the following steps:
• Log in to our at www.msu.claritynet.com • Choose the “Catalog” tab
• Click the “Show Only Events” option
• Click on “Register” for the course, “Feeding Great Minds – date of your choice.”
You will immediately receive a popup message informing you that your registration has been accepted.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Cathy Lugibihl at lugibihl@rhs.msu.edu with any questions.
elevateu FeatureD course
Last month, we re-introduced elevateU and provided an overview of what is available in the system. In the upcoming months, we will be highlighting specific courses and content of interest. This month’s featured course is entitled “First Time Manager: Understanding a Manager’s Role.” For individuals wishing to pursue a leadership or supervisory position for the first time, this course is for you.
Overview/Description: Most new managers don’t realize how much their new role differs from that of an individual contributor. Often, they have misconceptions about what managing entails, and they may be surprised to learn that the skills and methods required for success as an individual contributor and those needed for success as a manager are very different. This course describes some of the myths about management and their corresponding truths in order to clarify what managers really do. It also points to the typical demands and constraints of a manager’s job. Finally, it describes strategies for dealing with common mistakes of first-time managers.
Target Audience: Anyone who is exploring a career move into management, or who has been promoted or hired into a management role for the first time
Duration: One hour
Users will need to login through EBS, go to the Employee Self-Service (ESS) tab, and then click on Professional Development to locate the elevateU link. You can also access directly by visiting https://elevateu.skillport.com/skillportfe/custom/login/elevateu/ login.action.
For more information, please visit the elevateU information site at http://professionaldevelopment.hr.msu.edu/elevateu.
tHanks to graDuating
stuDents
It’s the time of year when we bid a fond farewell to many student team members as they graduate and venture out into the world. We appreciate their essential contributions to RHS and Team MSU. We’re proud to have been a part of their collegiate experience and hope they remember their time with us and the valuable lessons they learned fondly. Congratulations to the Class of 2014!
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SharE your commENtS
values anD victories
Make sure you join us from 8:30 – 11 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 17 at the Kellogg Center for our annual celebration of all things RHS: Values and Victories! There will be a continental breakfast, card-making at your table for those who would like to send a card to a sick child at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids and, of course, the presentations and surprises that make the event so much fun. What will be the talk of the division this year? You’ll have to join us to find out!
Hr HoliDay carD collection
As part of the Values and Victories festivities, RHS Human Resources Assistant Manager Chet Magaway will be coordinating a collection of homemade holiday cards that will be sent to patients at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.
If you have any questions, please contact Chet Magaway at magaway@rhs.msu.edu or 353-7260.
sparty’s commissary
The Culinary Services corporate kitchen has been whipping up prepared meals, ready to heat and serve at home, available at the Clinical Center and Administration Building Sparty’s locations. A pilot began in September when the corporate kitchen and Sparty’s shared free samples of prepared entrées and sides. Now, these individually packaged meals and sides including chicken and
dumplings, meatballs pomodoro, mac and cheese, spicy green beans, fruit cups and more, are available for purchase Monday through Friday. “O. M. G. Absolutely the best!” wrote Gene Williacker, PCI compliance officer at Michigan State University, who works in the Administration Building. “The only thing that could possibly make it better would be a larger portion, because I don’t want to stop eating it. Ever.”
The prepared meals were added to enhance food options at Sparty’s. Culinary Services plans to expand the program to additional academic Sparty’s locations in the spring.
celeBration team awarDs
Give your co-workers a chance to be honored by the Celebration Team! Each month, the RHS Celebration Team reviews the recognitions submitted on MyRHS and chooses a winner for their monthly award — $100 and a fabulous party! Go to MyRHS or email celebrationteam@rhs.msu.edu to nominate your team members.
Have comments or questions
aBout wHat’s Happening in
tHe Division?
visit tHe weB
• Log onto the divisional intranet, my.rhs.msu.edu, using your netID and password and comment in the “Forums” section.
leave a message
• Call 517-884-6451 to leave your question as a voicemail for Strategic Implementation Officer, Jane Emery.
