Bylaws and Faculty Resources

Use the following link to request assistance from the College of Arts and Letters’ Office Operations team in updating information and disseminating it across various platforms (the RCS Web site news feeds, the CAL event calendar, the MSU Arts Initiative Calendar, and even reaching out to your social media interns) all through a single form and touchpoint.

Website & Social Media Requests

Please provide as much of the relevant content as you can with your submission, including instructions, text, event details and any accompanying visuals.

For optimal results, please plan ahead and submit your information as early as possible. Last-minute submissions hinder search engine visibility.

Helpful Travel Resource Links:

• Applying for a Travel Card
• University Guest Travel Request Form
• Schedule Univ. Travel Clinic appointment for Travel Assistance (via Outlook)
• Travel at State Reference Library
• Usage Chart for Event Card, Pcard and Travel Card

Four Essential Steps to Remember

One: start by submitting a Travel Request.

• Look for the Concur Travel tile on ebs.msu.edu.
• Click on “request” to start a new request.
• Even if you don’t plan to ask for reimbursement, you need an approved Travel Request to ensure you are covered by MSU insurance.

Two: Register with MSU’s Global Registry if you travel overseas.

• Include any personal travel associated with your MSU travel.
• Also include information on any family members who will accompany you.
• If your plans change, notify the Global Registry.

Three: get a comparison quote if you will add personal travel onto your trip.

• The comparison quote should include MSU business travel only.
• Get the quote at the same time you are booking. (Prices fluctuate.)
• If you use Christopherson Business Travel, just give them your personal travel information when you book. They will provide the comparison.
• If you are booking on your own, append a PDF or screenshot of the comparison to your Travel Expense Report.
• Important: without the comparison quote, you may not be reimbursement, or it may be limited to 50% of ticket cost.

Four: reconcile expenses in a Travel Expense Report (Concur) within 90 days of completing travel.

Help with Concur & Other Travel Issues

• CAL Office Operations holds regular, virtual office hours to offer personalized guidance with multiple issues, including travel and using Concur. Contact Office Operations for details.
• Schedule an appointment for MSU Travel Assistance (via Outlook).
• Contact MSU’s official travel agent, Christopherson Business Travel, at msutravel@cbtravel.com.

CAL Advice for Reducing Out-0f-Pocket Expenses

One: Book airfare using Concur or through Christopherson Business Travel.

• If you book out-of-pocket, you will not be reimbursed until after travel is completed.
• MSU does not recognize airline miles as a reimburseable expense.

Two: use an MSU Travel Card for all other expenses: https://ctlr.msu.edu/COTravelNew/PaymentCards_TCard.aspx.

Three: graduate students with a fellowship get funding in advance and need not wait for reimbursement. They do not need to provide receipts.

Four: students with grants should work with Office Operations at least a week ahead of time to coordinate advances and minimize out-of-pocket expenses.

Five: MSU staff cannot use travel cards to cover MSU faculty expenses, but may use them for guests.

Make your own meeting room reservation requests using Microsoft Outlook.

To make a reservation:

• Open Microsoft Outlook.
• On the Calendar, select the date and time and create a meeting.
• Invite the CAL meeting room (see list of emails and room numbers below).

Be sure to include information about how many people will be involved in the meeting and an organizer contact. When you submit the meeting request, the event goes into workflow for approval.

Once you submit your reservation, it routes for approval. After approved, you’ll be able to find your reservation (and share it) from your own Outlook Calendar. Please note that requests for reservations are aligned with CAL’s Room Reservation Usage Policy.

NOTE: You should be able to see room availability when looking at the scheduling calendar. However, you won’t see requests submitted ahead of yours. Do not assume that because the room looked available that approval is automatic.

Here is a list of the outlook addresses for the meeting room calendars.

120 Linton Hall LIN120@cal.msu.edu

321 Linton Hall LIN321@cal.msu.edu

Wells Atrium 2nd floor B wing CAL.Wells.Atrium@msu.edu

Wells B125 Lab Space CAL.Wells.B125@msu.edu

Wells B129 Lab Space CAL.Wells.B129@msu.edu

Wells B135 CeLTA Main Office (limited availability) CAL.Wells.B135.CeLTA@msu.edu

Wells B240 Small Meeting Room (4 people) CAL.Wells.B240@msu.edu

Wells B241 Small Meeting room (4 people) CAL.Wells.B241@msu.edu

Wells B243 Meeting room (25 people) CAL.Wells.B243@msu.edu

Wells B310 Presentation Space (50 people) CAL.Wells.B310@msu.edu

Wells B342 Meeting room (40 people) CAL.Wells.B342@msu.edu

Wells B402 Meeting room (8 people) CAL.Wells.B402@msu.edu

Wells B440 Small Meeting room (4 people) CAL.Wells.B440@msu.edu

Wells B441 Small Meeting room (4 people) CAL.Wells.B441@msu.edu

Wells B442 Meeting room (12 people) CAL.Wells.B442@msu.edu

Wells B443 Meeting Room (12 people) CAL.Wells.B443@msu.edu

As of FS24, these are the steps to be followed for approving student honors projects.  

Note: Only courses at the 300-level and above are eligible for Honors Options in FRN, ITL, PRT, and SPN. For LTN and GRK, LTN102, GRK102 and for all classes at 200 level are eligible. 

To include in the syllabus: 

• Include RCS policy for minimum grade requirements: student must earn a grade of at least a 3.5 in the course. 

• Instructions for students to complete the project.
  

Sample syllabus instructions (from FRN430):

“Students who want to pursue an honors option in the class must:

1. Meet with the instructor before the end of February to discuss the work to be done.
2. Fill out the FRN430 Honors Option Agreement Form.
3. Initiate the necessary online form before the end of the semester.
4. Complete the project with at least a grade of 90% on the project itself.“

What students do: 

1. Meet with the professor about the project.
2. Complete the departmental form with the professor.
3. Once the content and format of the project is agreed upon, student initiates the online form with complete information.
   

What you do: 

1. When you recieve link from the RO, review the form, add missing information, and approve the plan for the Honors Option. Please make sure to add any missing details.  
2. At the end of the semester, after  submitting grades,  

• Go to reg.msu.edu,
  

• Hover over the “Faculty & Staff” tab at the top of the webpage and click on “Faculty/Staff Systems Menu”,
  

• Click on “Student-Instructor Forms”, scrolling down to “Administrative Action Form Initiation of Student-Instructor Forms”, 
  

• Click “Initiate and Approve”,
• Provide PID, class number, section, a description of the project and your name.
  

• For students who did not complete the work or did not earn a 3.5 in the class, click “delete”, “remove” or cancel the form.

Please fill out the request form and forward it to the Department Secretary.

As of 2024, Katlyn Wright is RCS’ point of contact for student and TOC employment needs.

For help approving student employee hours, consult the CAL SAP Supervisor Approval Instructions.

To hire a student, submit a hiring request form.

To hire a TOC employee, submit this request form.

If a student employee has questions about payroll or hours, refer them to the CAL Payroll e-mail account: cal.payroll@msu.edu.

For card-swipe access to a building, lab or room fill out the Swipe Access Request: 

Swipe Access Request

Office Operations will work with DPPS to accommodate your request. To complete the request be prepared to specify:

• Your ID badge number,
• The building name and room number you wish to access,
• Any after-hours access (after 8:00 pm and/or weekend building
  entry),
• A valid, business purpose for access.

Please request only the rooms you need to access. College staff vet requests and do not automatically grant it. Processing can take up to 48 hours.

For hard-key access, contact an Office Operations representative or e-mail officeops@cal.msu.edu.

Designation B is available to instructors who have brought and are deemed likely to bring exceptional value to RCS programs through the quality of their teaching and other contributions. If approved, Designation B status would provide a three year appointment for the UNTF teaching portion of the assignment.  UNTF bargaining unit members who wish to be considered for Designation B are invited to submit documentation that demonstrates that they meet the following criteria. Documentation should be submitted to the Department’s HR Functional Team liaison named on the RCS Staff contact page.  Applications for fall review are due on or before September 30. Spring applicatinos are due by the first week of February. Applicants should provide:

•  A detailed statement of teaching philosophy that exemplifies how this philosophy is applied in the classroom and why it constitutes an innovative and effective teaching strategy;
• Consistently superior student evaluations;
• Detailed course syllabi that demonstrate course development and highlight innovative aspects of the applicant’s teaching methodology and any original contributions made to the planning of the course;
• Consistently positive classroom observations;
• Evidence of participation in teaching-related professional development activities such as MSU  CeLTA workshops;
• Current CV with evidence of teaching and related professional activities that may include: undergraduate and graduate teaching, methods of assessment, participation in high-impact co-curricular activities, honors options, undergraduate and graduate committees; academic advising or coordination; study abroad and other areas identified by the department.

Click here for links to College of Arts and Letters resources you may commonly use. It includes things like hiring students, getting reimbursed for out of pocket expenses, requesting an East Lansing Tax letter and more.