Featured Staff Member

David Elfstrom

David Elfstrom - Student Housing

October 2021, I’m beginning my seventh year as an MSU employee. MSU first hired me as a custodian in Residence Life. This opportunity gave me a chance to learn the buildings and understand the procedures around campus. I’ve now spent nearly 3 years as Maintenance Coordinator, working with Trades, Students, Directors, Supervisors, Residents, and Vendors to solve maintenance related problems in our residential and office environments. Each day is another opportunity to rely on 20 years of Maintenance, and 30 years of business management. In my free time, I am the President and lead instructor of Bozeman Jujitsu. We are a non-profit organization that teaches adults, the Japanese Martial Art, known as Dan Zan Ryu Jujitsu. I also, Latin dance, country swing, and dabble in Watercolor - oils, charcoal and pastel. I’m a hunter, gatherer, fisher, and enjoy recreating and spending time outdoors with family and friends.


A Seat at the Table - Discussion Concerns and Hopes of the Area

A Seat at the Table is an initiative of the One Valley Foundation, formerly the Bozeman Area Community Foundation that pairs together people from all over the Gallatin Valley to discuss the most prominent concerns and hopes for our county. 

A Seat at the Table conversations root our work and decisions in the lived experiences of community members and elevate issues important to them. We all feel the tensions that can come with a growing and changing community. There is no individual business, government entity, nonprofit organization, or neighborhood that can address our community challenges or create solutions alone. The simplicity of conversation and listening is the basis for shared understanding and building solutions that make a difference.

A Seat at the Table is a simple concept – many county-wide conversations that are hosted by community members. Beginning Thursday, October 14, 2021 and through October 31st, neighbors will come together, share a meal or coffee or online call, and talk about their concerns, ideas, and solutions to housing needs in Gallatin County.

A Seat at the Table brings together citizens from all walks of life, all across the county, to share ideas and find ways to make Gallatin County a more connected, engaged, and successful community. The results will be exciting new relationships, elevated civic conversations, and genuine pathways toward collaborative action – outcomes that make our communities more connected, resilient and resourceful. More specifically, local leaders and funders are challenged by allocating scarce resources to address the housing and livability needs of the people who live, work, and do business in Gallatin County. The results of A Seat at the Table will give local government leaders much more diverse, broad, and rich public input than they would otherwise have.

To find out more about A Seat at the Table or to get involved: https://www.atthetablegv.org/2021conversation

Chosen Name - A New Service for Staff, Faculty, and Students

On October 21, 2021, Montana State University will offer a chosen name service to all staff, faculty, and students on all four MSU campuses. A chosen name is a first, middle, or last name that is different than your legal name that you wish to use during your employment or academic career at the University.

Requests for a chosen name for staff will processed by Human Resources. Once processed, the chosen name will be updated in Banner and most applicable systems will be updated within 48 hours. A new University email may also be issued as part of this process.

The exact location where chosen names are displayed will increase over time. Commonly used systems where chosen name will be displayed are:

  • Applicant Tracking System
  • Campus Directory*
  • Cat Card
  • Course Catalog
  • D2L
  • Rec Sports and Fitness Center
  • Employee Information Center (Banner)
  • Many University Communications
  • University Email

*Employee will need to submit a TNSR request form for this to take effect. https://www.montana.edu/uit/telephone/tnsr-form/index.html

Common locations where legal name will continue to be used are:

  • Employment Verification
  • Employee Information System (Banner)
  • Federal and State Agency Reporting
  • Immigration Status Reporting
  • Medical Insurance and Retirement Process
  • Payroll
  • Tax Processing

You can find more information about the chosen name service at https://montana.edu/chosenname/

Get To Know Your Council Members

Patrick Baciu

Patrick Baciu - University Information Technology (UIT)

Patrick started at MSU in 2006 working for the Information Technology Center (now UIT) in Desktop Support. Being in this position gave him an opportunity to interact with many different people across campus and showed him how the departments work together to make the university a community. During his time, Patrick has advanced to the position of Systems Administrator and now helps support Central Services.

In 2020, Patrick became a member of the MSU All Staff Council. As part of his duties on the council, he serves as a member of the Parking Services Board. Being a part of something outside of his job on campus has given him an opportunity to give back and be a voice for staff.

During his time away from campus, Patrick is an amateur photographer and likes to rock hunt, fish, and spend time with his golden retriever, Walter.

 

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Janet "Susie" Beardsley - Office of Financial Aid

A specialist with MSU financial aid services, Janet Beardsley (better known as Susie,) loves helping current students and parents navigate the intricate and shifting landscape involving the infamous FAFSA, grants, scholarships and student loans, as well as prospective students plan for upcoming attendance.  

As a dedicated part of the Bobcat community as an alumna and now staff, she endeavors to personally and professionally pick up better ways to help students map their path through a better understanding of financial aid, as much as to join with fellow staff to find authentic connections with each other. 

When not on campus, she relishes time with family, four grandkids (and all their pets and projects,) thinking about traveling, getting out and trying to keep up with all the rapid changes in our extraordinary valley.

 

 

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Kristin Blacker - Office of Sustainability

Kristin Blackler is proud to serve as Montana State University’s Director of the Office of Sustainability, a position she has held since 2013. Kristin works to build partnerships among faculty, staff, and students to advance sustainability in all areas at Montana State University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Montana, Missoula. She is a member of the Bozeman Climate Partners and is on the Streamline Advisory Board. When she is not working you can find Kristin fly-fishing, mountain biking or skiing with her fiancée and their two dogs and friends. She also can’t resist Parks and Recreation reruns.


What is the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?

EAP (Employee Assistance Program) is provided by Reliant Behaviorial Health (RBH) to ANY Montana University System Employees and their families at NO COST. The EAP can help with almost any problem. The EAP offers confidential advice, support, and practical solutions to real-life issues. You can access these confidential services by calling the toll-free number and speaking with a consultant. 

Access EAP & Work-Life Services:

CALL: 866-750-1327
WEBSITE: ibhsolutions.com

Select Members from the top right corner then:

  • Click on the Reliant Behavioral Health (RBH) logo
  • Enter your Access Code: MUS
  • Click the My Benefits button

EAP Services for Employees and Families

Counseling Services

  • 24-hour Crisis Help: toll-free access for you or a family member experiencing a crisis.
  • In-person Counseling: up to 4 face-to-face counseling sessions for relationship and family issues, stress, anxiety, and other common challenges.
  • RBH eAccess: Convenient access to online consultations with licensed counselors.
  • Peer Support Groups - During your call with an IBH counselor, you may receive a referral to participate in an online group support program. Peer Support is available for a variety of issues including: post-partum depression, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, addiction and caregiving.

Online Resources

The EAP includes access to online tools and educational resources to help make life easier.

    • Webinars
    • Monthly newsletters
    • Wellness resources
    • Assessments
    • Self-directed courses
    • Articles
    • Healthy recipes
    • Current health news + movies
    • Stress tools
    • Financial calculators
    • Legal resources
    • Retirement planning resources
    • Tip sheets
    • Child/elder care locators 

Balancing Life at Work and Home

Your EAP provides a wide range of work-life balance services to help you survive a variety of challenges.

  • Childcare Services: childcare professionals provide information and support on parenting, school issues, adoption, teenager challenges, summer camps, daycare, and other important issues for parents.
  • Adult and Eldercare Services: specialists assist in finding quality information and services including transportation, meals, exercise, activities, prescription drug information, in-home care, daytime care, and housing.
  • Legal Services: access a free, half-hour consultation, by phone or in person, for any non-work related issue, followed with a 25% discount in legal fees.
  • Financial Help: 30 consecutive days of free phone consultations for debt counseling, budgeting, college/retirement planning, and taxes, including 25% discount off certified public accountant services for tax preparation.
  • Mediation Services: request free consultations for personal, family, and non-work related issues such as divorce, neighbor disputes, or real estate.
  • Online Legal Forms: create, save, print, and revise online legal forms including wills, contracts, leases, and many more.
  • Home Ownership Program: get free support and information about making smarter choices when shopping for a new home, making financing decisions, relocating, or selling a home.
  • Identity Theft Services: access support in planning the recovery process or restoring your identity and credit after an incident.
  • College Planning Program: access a free 15-minute consultation with a college planning specialist to assist with SAT/ACT prep, scholarships, grants, financial aid and other college related issues followed by a 30% discount in program fees.

Your EAP benefit is provided by your employer and delivered by Uprise Health.