The WorkLife Office was very fortunate to talk recently with Anne Bishop Shoup, Associate Vice President of University Advancement at MSU, about her 13.5-plus years of sobriety. Anne declared her recovery publicly for the first time with an article she posted to her LinkedIn profile in December 2021. Following the interview, you can read Anne’s powerful words reprinted with her permission.

The WorkLife Office director supports MSU’s recruitment and retention of a high-performing workforce and the well-being of a diverse community of staff and scholars. "Jaimie and her team contribute to the development of MSU’s policies and special initiatives, and the office oversees MSU’s University-wide work/life strategies viewed through an equity lens," said Dr. Suzanne Lang, the associate provost and associate vice president of the Office for Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs.

Maranda Holtsclaw, Director of Michigan Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) is now co-chair of National HERC’s Dual Career Committee. The purpose of the Dual Career Committee is to advance HERC’s dual career mission and dual career value to HERC’s member institutions.

Our student team is made up of incredible contributors to the WorkLife Office and the MSU community. We are so grateful to have worked with each of them.

The Whole-Person Workplace Column aims to embrace and encourage the whole person workplace. We honor who our employees are inside and outside of work in the multiple roles they have in their lives. To that end, we are offering monthly features that include a wide range of MSU faculty, academic staff, and support staff, including their lives, hobbies, and motivations outside of work. This month, we are highlighting MSU employees that are engaged in different musical activities.

Read more about the Glencairn Neighborhood Piano Club of people from ages 30 to 80. Casey Bye shares about the joy of collaborating with other artists. Grammy-Nominated Singer Isaac Kalumbu invites us to consider how singing contributes to people skills, perseverance, and problem-solving. Rockband member Ellie Louson explains how having a creative outlet has helped her be relaxed and happier. Are you interested in sharing your whole person story? Contact us at worklife@msu.edu.

The Outstanding Supervisor Award honors Michigan State University supervisors who have consistently demonstrated worklife sensitivity and support of the professional/personal needs of the employees in their unit. Supervisors of any level within the university, including support staff, directors, deans, administrators, and executive leadership.

Meet Regina Carey, an Impact Coach and a Passion Instigator. The goal of her work is to help high-performing professionals SLOW DOWN to speed up, especially professionals with Invisible Disabilities! Regina creates the space and energy for people to do the work of growth, decision-making, and learning to quiet the monkey mind. Her methods focus on moving FORWARD, paying close attention to LANGUAGE, and letting go of the CRAP! She has the capability to light a fire in your belly in less than 15 minutes and has been described as a natural dose of an antidepressant for people!

Diversity Research Network (DRN)

Participate in writing workshops and other upcoming programming. DRN connects faculty of color and scholars interested in diversity research, to create scholarly communities, facilitate new interdisciplinary collaborations, and to advance the growth and visibility of research by underrepresented faculty as well as research on diversity across MSU.

Improve communication and provide practical strategies for raising confident, caring, responsible children. Join us for the Parent Talk System, a parenting workshop authored by Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman. Parents of kids from toddlers to teens will explore the following topics; eliminating unwanted behavior, setting limits, teaching about consequences, giving effective feedback, promoting independence, and developing character.

The MSU WorkLife Office is inviting all MSU faculty and staff who are part of a family structure caring for adult children/dependents or elders to take part in a virtual Family Focus Group! This is a crucial piece in providing feedback to the Caregiving Working Group, created in response to the President's 2030 Strategic Plan to create nationally recognized caregiving services (objective 2, bullet 4). It is also crucial for the WorkLife Office as we plan for next year’s services and programming.

Can’t make it and want to provide input?

We are looking for a representation of a wide range of family structures. Some examples of various family structures could include single-parent families, two-parent families, LGBTQ+-parent families, interracial families, grandparent-led families, foster families, adoptive families, couples, etc. This is a crucial piece in providing feedback to the Caregiving Working Group, created in response to the President's 2030 Strategic Plan to create nationally recognized caregiving services (objective 2, bullet 4). It is also crucial for the WorkLife Office as we plan for next year’s services and programming.

​The focus group will provide an opportunity for you to:​

Can’t make it and want to provide input?

The WorkLife Office supports all MSU faculty and staff by connecting individuals with resources and assistance to help navigate the workplace, career, and life transitions. If you are new or returning to MSU, we’d love to be your first stop for family resources, work-life fit questions, and more! Attend one of the below sessions this Summer to hear more about our services and find the right resources for you. 

Personal wellbeing has come into the spotlight more and more in recent years. Finding the experts to support your journey is critical. The goal of this process is for you to end up working with someone you feel comfortable with who is well-equipped to support you. Just like with any relationship, some clinicians are a good fit for some clients, and some aren't. Every clinician has a different set of experiences and abilities, and they are ethically bound to only work with clients they can support effectively.

MSU is a proud partner of ThrivingCampus, an online platform that makes it easier for you to connect with off-campus mental health care and well-being services.

For MSU Community Members Looking for Off-Campus Referrals, with ThrivingCampus, you can:

Visit msu.thrivingcampus.com to see area providers.

Caring for aging loved ones can bring joys and challenges but may also require tough conversations that you’d prefer to avoid. Clear and proactive communication can make a huge difference in getting to the best outcome. Hear from national experts on aging and caregiving how to approach sensitive topics such as driving, finances, changes in memory and cognition, and end-of-life care. You’ll learn how to navigate these challenging conversations with your seniors, siblings, other family members, and even get advice about how best to approach your employer. The subjects may be tough, but the talk doesn’t have to be!

Join Jon Novello for an impactful session focused on how parents and caregivers can help kids through a divorce in the family.

Learning Objectives: