MAINTAINING CRITICAL FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES AT MSU

Review the resources for departments to use in the event of emergency conditions due to weather, natural disaster, major utility failure, health or environmental crisis, or other unforeseen circumstance that might cause a modification of operations.

Pre-Event Planning Tools

Checklist for Supervisors/Unit Administrators:

• Know the critical functions/services in your department’s Business Continuity Plans (BCP)
• Notify all faculty, staff and student employees of the critical functions/services in your department and who is responsible for each one; provide all employees with a copy of your department’s BCP
• Notify other faculty and staff who may be assigned to other responsibilities as pre-determined by each supervisor or unit administrator
• Review the BCP communication plan to be used in the event of a modification or curtailment of normal operations/services
  • During staff meetings, new employee on-boarding programs, planning new departmental events, yearly evaluations, etc.
  • If you know something is coming that may modify or curtail University operations, remind your employees of the procedures you have in place for such events.
• Obtain contact information from your employees (faculty, staff and student employees)
• Provide employees your contact information
• Notify variable shift employees when and if they are to report if the University re-opens in the middle of a work schedule
• Know the contact information for individuals making deliveries or attending meetings or appointments and for others scheduled to come to campus
• Change your office voicemail from home and transfer your office phone to your cell phone, if necessary  (https://tech.msu.edu/support/help/)
• Sign-up for MSU Alert ( www.alert.msu.edu )
• “Like” the MSU and  HR Facebook page or Twitter

Possible Methods of Communication

• Landline, cell phone or text message
• Departmental intranet, Facebook page or email
• Departmental voicemail message – have employees call in and listen to instructions

Remember – it is the responsibility of the administrators in every MSU department to:

• Identify the critical functions/services that must be maintained during a modification or curtailment of normal operations in their departments
• Identify and inform employees that support critical functions or services
• Have a communication plan in place for all faculty, staff and student employees in their departments
• Know what procedures to follow if the University declares a modification or curtailment of normal operations

If you have additional questions regarding these Guidelines, please contact MSU Human Resources at 517-353-4434 or email SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu.