Month: August 2014

Registration Open for Part One of Staff Search Committee Certification

Register for Staff Search Committee Certification

As announced in the fall of 2013, Human Resources and the Office of Institutional Equity have partnered to develop a two-step Staff Search Committee Certification course that covers best practices of hiring as well as the legal aspects of conducting a dynamic search to ensure the successful hire of the best candidate. This certification will be required of all employees who serve on a staff search committee.

To ensure that all staff search committee members have adequate time to receive training, a phased-in approach has been established:

  • July 1, 2014 – All search committee chairs must be certified
  • July 1, 2015 – All search committee members must be certified

Staff Search Committee Certification consists of two parts:

  • Part One: “Recruiting and Hiring” Training Session – This training covers each area of the staff hiring process, provides direction for effective interviewing, and delivers other resources to support recruitment and hiring.
  • Part Two: “Best Practices of Staff Hiring (Legal Aspects)” Online Course – This online course was designed by the Office of Institutional Equity. It consists of an audio/PowerPoint presentation, hiring scenarios, and a brief survey. This course is made available to those who complete Part One.

If you have not completed the training and would like to, please register for the next session of Part One: “Recruiting and Hiring” Training, which will be offered on September 17, 2014.

Oracle Reports have been created for departments to verify if employees have completed or made progress towards certification.  Oracle reports can be run from Banner form GZAORPT, System “H, Human Resource System,” and Reporting Group “Training.” If a department needs access to these reports, please contact Alex Saari in Human Resources Information Systems at 7-1894 or aksaari@mtu.edu.

Registration Open for Michigan Tech UAW Certification Program

The Michigan Tech UAW Certification Program has been a collaborative effort among President Glenn Mroz, the UAW University Negotiation team,  UAW leadership, Michigan Tech Human Resources, and Gogebic Community College to provide professional development for UAW staff.  UAW employees and their supervisors have recently received information on how to register for the Michigan Tech UAW Certification Program classes.

UAW employees have four classes to choose from, as follows:

  • Business Communication – taught by Gogebic Community College faculty
  • Microsoft Office Suite – taught by Gogebic Community College faculty
  • Social Media – taught by Gogebic Community College faculty
  • Michigan Tech Specific Class – instruction on a collection of University processes, topics, and tools such as Banner, Google Suite, Discoverer, Continuous Improvement, etc. taught by internal University experts

UAW Employees can take one class at a time and the classes are on a first come, first pick process.  Classes will begin the week of September 15 and will complete by November 20. Each class will be take place on Michigan Tech’s campus and release time will be provided if the class falls withing the UAW employee’s normal working hours. Registration for the UAW Certification Program will remain open through August 22, 2014.

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Amazing Challenge Offers Healthy Competition

Last Saturday, 16 teams competed against each other in the 3rd annual HuskyPAW Amazing Challenge hosted by Michigan Tech Benefit Services.   Loosely based on the TV show, The Amazing Race, the teams began at the Lakeshore Center and competed in seven physical and mental challenges, racing to the finish at McLain State Park.

For one challenge a “Detour” was offered; the teams had to make a choice between one of two challenges.  The choice was either physical, rowing a canoe across the canal to collect puzzle pieces that needed to be put together; or mental, testing their engineering skills and building a free standing tower at least 30” tall of spaghetti and marshmallows.

36" Spaghetti and Marshmallow tower challange
30″ Spaghetti and Marshmallow tower challenge

 

Canoe across the canal to build this puzzle...
Canoe across the canal to build this puzzle…

 

Completed puzzle!
Completed puzzle!

 

One wet and sandy challenge!
One wet and sandy challenge!

 

The winning team, the Black and Blue Crew
The winning team, the Black and Blue Crew

 

Teams are required to have a Michigan Tech employee present, but can be comprised of colleagues, friends, and/or family members.  Here are the top three finishers:

  • 1st Place: Black and Blue Crew led by Colleen Erva
  • 2nd Place: The Charge led by Amy Mensch
  • 3rd Place: Yooper Troopers led by Sandy Houle
Thank you to the 2014 Amazing Challenge volunteers!
Thank you to the 2014 Amazing Challenge volunteers!

 

Thank you to all of the volunteers how were instrumental in the planning and execution of this year’s event.  Benefit Services would also like to extend a special thanks to Dave Nordstrom from the Student Development Complex, Brian Cadwell from Public Safety and Police Services, the Houghton County Sheriff’s office, the staff at McLain State Park, and Janet Hayden from Risk Management.