MSU Administrative Professional Association

APA members are invited to submit works of art for the 55^th Annual MEA/Michigan Art Education Association Art Acquisitions Purchase Exhibition.

The Michigan Education Association (MEA) and the Michigan Art Education Association (MAEA) are proud to announce their annual juried art purchase exhibit to acquire artwork to enhance the MEA headquarters in East Lansing and MEA regional offices throughout the state. This exhibit provides an opportunity to showcase the artwork of our members.

Eligibility

Any member in good standing is eligible to submit artwork. Proof of membership is necessary; however, no entry fee is required. To enter, visit www.mea.org/Art  to get an entry form and exhibit guidelines.  Entries must be delivered to MEA Headquarters (1216 Kendale Blvd., East Lansing, MI 48823) February 18, 2019 through March 1, 2019 from 8AM to 5PM on weekdays and 10AM to Noon on Saturday, March 2^nd.  Each artist may submit up to two works.

Paintings, drawings, prints, ceramics, jewelry, metal work, enamels, mosaics, wood, fibers, stained glass, photographs, experimental media and sculptures are all eligible. All artwork submitted must be original work. Artwork deemed not original by the juror will not be accepted.

Exhibit

The exhibit opens at MEA headquarters in East Lansing on March 4 and continues through May 7, 2019.  

Awards will be given in the following categories: 1) Juror’s award; 2) MEA purchase awards; 3) MAEA purchase award; 4) Best of Show; and 5) Honorable Mention.

View the 55^th Annual MEA/MAEA Art Acquisitions Brochure or contact the APA office at 517-999-4004 if you have any questions.

You may not know that the Michigan State University College of Law is a private school housed on the MSU campus. However, that is about to change as the MSU Board of Trustees voted in October to fully integrate the College of Law with the University.

Since the announcement, many details have yet to be finalized. The APA has been deeply engaged with the University Administration to discuss how this may impact individuals and how we can assist to make a smooth transition for those who will become eligible for APA membership.

MSU has not provided a comprehensive list of those potentially impacted. However, the APA has requested the names and email addresses of those potentially impacted and will host several meetings and Community Luncheons for members who will be part of this College integration.

APA members and potential members in the College of Law should feel free to directly contact the APA at [email protected] or via phone at 517.999.4004 with any questions or concerns.

What is your job title?

Industrial Hygienist

What area of campus, building and department do you work in?

I work on North campus on the first floor of Giltner Hall, the big building just north of the auditorium. I work for Environmental Health & Safety.

How long have you been at MSU?

I have been working full time at MSU since I finished my undergraduate degree in 2011. I started working at MSU in 2007 as a student employee at the college of Communication Arts and Sciences.

How long have you been an Area Representative?

Since 2017.

Why is being a member of the Union important to you and what value does it bring?

Being a member of the Union is important to me because I am part of a larger body advocating for the good of everyone. Having a clear contract and individuals working to backup that contract has helped me on several occasions when the going got tough.

What words of advice do you have for the new hires at MSU?

I encourage new employees to take some time to explore all the training opportunities offered by MSU HR and the APA. I have met many individuals from professions across campus through these trainings. These connections have been very beneficial both day-to-day and as I have moved to new positions across campus.  

What do you love about working at MSU?

MSU has so many opportunities for employment across a diverse range of academic and research support. I have been fortunate to work in information technology, horticulture research, and Environmental Health and Safety during my seven years on campus.

What do you like to do when you are not at work?

I enjoy camping and exploring northern Michigan light houses with my family.

Want more on AR’s?

The AR’s are appointed by the Executive Board and their role is to assist with distributing APA materials and information and to serve as a resource for members. AR’s are assigned to a geographic area of campus, so if there is not an AR in your immediate building, you can find one nearby. For a list of AR’s go to http://lay.wyz.mybluehost.me/about/area-representatives-2/.  If you are interested in becoming an AR, contact Martin McDonough, APA VP at [email protected].

Dependents of APA and Michigan Education Association (MEA) members in good standing can apply to receive a 2019 MEA scholarship. Since APA members are part of the MEA, please encourage any dependents to apply if they will be attending college or a vocational training institution that grants a degree, certification or license. In 2018 MEA gave 20 new scholarship winners received $1,500 and since the scholarships can be renewed for four years, 23 renewed scholarships received $750.

Eligibility Criteria

• Dependent of MEA member in good standing.
• Graduate of a Michigan public high school or private high school that has an MEA bargaining unit. Diploma must be received in the year of application.
• Will attend or is currently an undergraduate student of a Michigan public community/junior college, four-year degree-granting institution, or vocational training institution that grants a degree, certification or license.
• Those attending the following private institutions are also eligible: Baker College-Flint/Owosso; University of Detroit-Mercy; Adrian College; Finlandia University; and Albion College (the aforementioned private institutions are existing local MEA affiliates).
• The scholarship will not be awarded for the purpose of working on a post-baccalaureate degree.

Selection Criteria

Priority is given on the basis of:

• Academic achievement
• Extra-curricular activities
• School and community service

Deadline is February 21, 2019.For eligibility and selection criteria, and to access the application, go to www.mea.org/mea-scholarship/.

As part of the application process the applicant will need to enter your MEA member ID.  If you need help finding that, a quick phone call to MEA and they can remind you what your member number is. Contact 866-MEA-HELP.

As part of the Joint Health Care Coalition, APA is committed to helping members keep health care costs down and Melanie Waltz, APA UniServ Director will be including a new column in the newsletter to pass along tips and share information.

Did you know that MSU has negotiated a special discounted rate for those who require hearing aids?

TruHearing is an exclusive hearing aid savings program that is not open to the general public; only members participating in an MSU health plan have access to the special pricing. The average savings range from 30-50% off the retail price of top-of-the-line digital hearing aid models from five of the industry’s leading manufacturers. TruHearing has negotiated a discounted rate of $75 for the first office visit that includes testing, a full evaluation, recommendation and three follow-up visits with your purchase at no additional cost. You will also receive a copy of your test for future reference. Each hearing aid purchase comes with extra benefits like 48 free batteries per aid, a 45-day trial period with a money back guarantee and a three-year manufacturer’s warranty. This discount is open to employees and retirees enrolled in an MSU health plan and up to four dependents. To learn more and/or to schedule a hearing exam contact TruHearing at 800-334-1807 where a representative will be assigned to you or visit truhearing.com.

The following link provides information on what is available already for hearing aid discounts and other health, fitness and wellness.

This month’s question(s): How many hours of sick leave does a full-time APA member accrue annually? For a bonus question, how many of those hours can be used annually for a dependent child/parent/spouse/Other Eligible Individual?

Email your answer to Sue Brandt at [email protected] by February 13, 2019.  Limit of one guess per person.  Two members who correctly answer will be randomly drawn to win various prizes.  Winners will be announced in the next newsletter. Must be an APA member in good standing to win; however, APA Board Members, Area Representatives and Communications Committee Members are not eligible to win.

Congratulations to the last newsletter winners: Jennifer Zacharias and Marla Goucher who won specialty cookies from MSU Bakers. They were drawn at random from those who correctly identified the art sculpture (Orpheus) featured in the last newsletter as being outside of Wharton Center. To learn more about the collection of MSU art installations visit http://publicart.msu.edu/

If you have at least six (6) years of continuous service, you may have noticed your longevity payment in your December paycheck.  Congratulations!

Longevity pay is awarded after six (6) years of continuous service with the University to members who are working half time or more.  The “longevity year” is the 12-month period beginning October 1 each year and ending September 30 – with the last date of hire used as the longevity date.

Payment is scheduled annually on the first working day of December and is computed as a percentage of the employee’s annual base rate of pay as of September 1 of the calendar year in which the longevity payment is made. Base rate of pay shall not include overtime or premium pay.

A few things to note:

• eligible employees who have periods of inactive service totaling 93 days or more during a longevity year will not receive a longevity payment that year and will have the longevity date adjusted for future years;
• employees who are not on the active payroll because of layoff, but who otherwise meet the eligibility criteria will receive a longevity payment;
• employees who are on leave of absence on October 1, but otherwise meet the eligibility criteria will receive a longevity payment upon return to work.

Payment Schedule:

To review Article 28, or any other APA contractual provision, go to:

If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to ask for assistance by contacting the MSU APA office at (517) 999-4004 or email [email protected].

Terence Brown

What is your job title?

Assistant Director of Admissions

How long have you been at MSU?

As of this month, I have 21 years of full-time employment at Michigan State University.

Have you been a member of the APA the whole time?

I have not. My full-time employment began as a specialist (I was also a graduate assistant prior to that). However, I have been an APA member for a bit over 15 years.

What department do you work in, and can you tell me a little bit about what you do?

I work in the Office of Admissions. I essentially do two things: recruit freshmen and transfer undergraduate students for the university and review credentials for those students. Spending time visiting high schools and community colleges to speak with prospective students is always rewarding. Additionally, [in] recent years, our office has normally received close to 36,000 new freshman applications. The number of applicants for fall 2019 matriculation is already trending upward, from each group from the last half decade.

What brought you to your job at MSU?

Being a Spartan alumnus who had just completed his Master’s degree at MSU, the opportunity to be an MSU employee as well as a lifelong learner was one that I could not pass up.

What do you love about working at MSU?

The ability to work in what is truly an active learning laboratory. For instance, as my office’s liaison to campus faculty, I get to complement my work in recruiting tomorrow’s leaders with opportunities to learn from some of the leading scholars in their respective fields.

What do you like to do when you are not at work?

When not at work or involved with activities such as Homecoming Court selection, my time is largely spent continuing my studies, exercising (interval training, in particular), and spending time with family and friends.