Announcements
Library shares prep and finals week offerings
While it won't switch to round-the-clock open hours to close out the semester, Parks Library is offering several wellness options for students during prep week and coffee and packaged snacks for students around 10:30 p.m. most evenings April 26-May 7. And the seating capacity alert on the library's homepage is expected to get some attention in the weeks ahead.
Club ice cream sale is today
The Dairy Science Club's Wednesday ice cream sale will feature vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, Oreo and Resse's flavors today (noon-2 p.m., near the Lush Auditorium north doors in Kildee Hall). The price is $2 per cup. The club also fills orders for events and functions; send an email to dairyscienceicecream@gmail.com for more information.
Congratulations, exemplary student employees
Annually, Iowa State hosts the Student Employee of the Year award, recognizing undergraduate student employees nominated by their supervisors. The resilience and positive impact of ISU student employees was evident throughout the 44 nominations submitted during this pandemic year. The award recognizes demonstrated ability in eight competencies set by the National Association of Colleges and Employers: critical thinking/problem solving, oral and written communications, teamwork, digital technology, leadership, professionalism/work ethic, career management and intercultural fluency. Congratulations to ISU's student employee of the year Jacob Rose, ISU Dining; and students of distinction Tara Hoffman, materials science and engineering department; Elisabeth Remus, ITS/CSV Solution Center; and Alexa Gormley, Writing and Media Center.
Reiman Gardens extends hours for tulip viewing
Reiman Gardens will remain open through 8 p.m. six evenings this spring to give visitors additional time to enjoy the tulips and other spring blossoms. Evening hours will be in effect Thursday-Saturday April 22-24 and April 29-May 1. The gift shop will be open until 7:30 p.m. on these evenings, but the butterfly wing will close as usual at 4:30 p.m. Normal admission prices apply (free for members and ISU students with IDs.)
Your help is needed in Pammel Woods April 20
As part of Earth Day events, the Live Green! program and campus services are organizing volunteers to pull the invasive garlic mustard weed in Pammel Woods Tuesday, April 20 (11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., meet near the ISU Cemetery). A group of ROTC students will help again this year. Participants should wear long pants and closed-toe shoes and bring work gloves if they have them. Campus services will provide garbage bags. Volunteers don't have to commit to the full two hours; any amount of assistance is appreciated.
Apply now for Green Dot facilitator training May 18-21
Green Dot at Iowa State will partner with Gender and Sexual Diversity Initiatives in the office of diversity, equity and inclusion to provide Green Dot facilitator virtual training May 18-21 (9 a.m.-noon and 12:45-3 p.m. daily). The program promotes behaviors and attitudes that can prevent incidents of personal violence. This free professional development opportunity is open to all ISU employees who meet training criteria (attend the training in its entirety and fulfill post-training expectations such as service on a Green Dot work group, help train others, support Green Dot activities). Employees who are LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, disabled or hold other marginalized identities are especially encouraged to complete the training so the facilitator team better reflects the wide range of identities in the campus community. Interested employees should complete the facilitator interest form by 8 a.m. April 26; applicants will be notified of their selection status by end of day Friday, April 30. Questions may be directed to nicci port or Emily Miller.
MU's bridal expo is April 25
"United at the Union," the Memorial Union's annual expo for couples planning a wedding, will be held Sunday, April 25 (1-3 p.m., MU Great Hall). Many central Iowa wedding vendors will take part. Face coverings are required for all vendors and attendees, six-foot social distancing is encouraged and hand sanitizer will be available at entrances.
Scamper with your dog on April 24
Iowa State's student chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association will hold its annual SAVMA Scamper 5K walk/run Saturday, April 24 (10 a.m., College of Veterinary Medicine). Runners are encouraged to race with their dogs. Registration for faculty, staff and the public is $25 ($20 for ISU students). Proceeds support local animal shelters and rescues community awareness campaigns about the OneHealth mission.
Promotion and tenure requests are on regents' April 14 agenda
On the Iowa State portion of the agenda when the state Board of Regents meets virtually Wednesday, April 14, are 69 faculty promotion and tenure actions, a $16 million plan to replace the last two coal-fired boilers with natural gas models, a fire restoration budget for Ross Hall, a gift of 389 farm acres in Worth County, residence system and parking permit rates for 2021-22 and several program or department name changes. The meeting originates from Ames, and public portions will be livestreamed on the board's website.
Live concert will benefit KHOI community radio
A May 9 live concert at Stephens Auditorium featuring Midwest artists Chad Elliott and Bo Ramsey will raise funds for Ames' KHOI Community Radio as part of its spring membership drive. Tickets are $25 for reserved seats, $50 for VIP seats in the first 11 rows. Livestreaming for home viewing also is available for $15/single and $25/group. Tickets and livestream links can be purchased online. Safety protocols will be in place with physical distancing in the seated areas, enhanced disinfecting procedures and face coverings required. The concert begins at 5 p.m.
Register now for symposium on youth programming
Registration is open through April 19 for the office of risk management's 2021 Youth Programs Symposium Friday, April 23 (8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.). This free, virtual conference is open to youth program leaders, staff and other individuals interested in youth programming at Iowa State. Learn about policies, procedures and best practices; share challenges and successes; and identify the campus services and resources that can help you conduct successful youth programs.
ISD semi-annual report is posted online
The Improved Service Delivery Advisory Committee's FY21 semi-annual report, covering the July 1-Dec. 31, 2020 time period, is now available online. The six-page report notes improvements to several key performance indicators (in areas of customer satisfaction, operational efficiency and employee engagement with ISD) in finance delivery and human resources delivery, comparing the first six months of FY21 to FY20.
Based on feedback from senior leaders, for whom the report primarily is prepared, the ISD advisory committee will move to a quarterly reporting schedule.
Celebrate ISU Extension and Outreach Week
ISU Extension and Outreach Week is April 12-17. Iowa's 100 county extension offices will host activities throughout the week to thank Iowans for their support of extension educational efforts across the state. Information about each county's events is available from the county office.
Ugandan basket sale is April 12-24 in the MU
In collaboration with the Uganda Alliance Club, the Workspace is hosting a pop-up basket sale April 12-24 in its space in the Memorial Union east basement. Sale hours are 2-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Baskets sell for $10-$25. By purchasing a handmade basket created by a member of the Tusubila ("hope") Crafts Group, you are supporting women in Kamuli, Uganda. Baskets are made with dried raffia and banana leaves, and the money from sales goes directly toward supporting the artist's family. This initiative began through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Uganda program, and students work with the Tusubila group to bring baskets over, sell them in the United States and send the money to the artists.
Daily trivia, career workshops planned for student employment week
National Student Employment Week is April 12-16. Nearly one-third of Iowa State students work on campus. In addition to the work they accomplish for the university, their employment is a powerful tool for students, helping them manage their time, connect to campus and develop career readiness skills. Virtual and free activities for all student employees include daily trivia events with prizes (1 p.m. Monday-Thursday, registration required) and career readiness workshops led by college career services staff:
- Resumes and job search tips, April 13 (two sessions: 1:10 and 3:10 p.m.), Engineering
- Professional communication and interview preparation, April 14 (noon), Design
- Utilizing your part-time job in your job/internship, April 14 (4 p.m.), Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Salary negotiation, April 15 (3:30 p.m.), Human Sciences
- Trends in hiring/job searching in a pandemic, April 16 (10 a.m.), Business
Election taps 15 members for P&S Council
Fifteen professional and scientific employees were elected to represent their division on the P&S Council during the 2021-22 academic year. The candidates elected in the March election are:
- Academic affairs division: Suzanne Ankerstjerne, geological and atmospheric science; Paula Burns, human development and family studies; Mickie Deaton, registrar; Paul Easker, Virtual Reality Applications Center; Matthew Femrite, human development and family studies; Erin Gibson, Ames Laboratory; Marlene Jacks, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Judy Knoblock, Engineering Research Institute; Autumn Marks, Veterinary Medical Center; Nicholas Streauslin, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory; David Welshhons, College of Engineering; and David Zimmerman, agronomy
- Operations and finance division: Steve Couchman, environmental health and safety, and Katie Getting, Reiman Gardens
- Student affairs division: Jahmai Fisher, dean of students office
There were no candidates on the ballot for a vacancy to represent the president's division. Multiple write-in candidates have accepted their nominations and a run-off election will be held.
Council members serve terms of up to three years, beginning after the council's final meeting of the academic year in early June.
Watch for detours at I-35/U.S. Highway 30 interchange
The state Department of Transportation announced ramp closures at the the Interstate 35/U.S. Highway 30 interchange in order to complete repairs on the north- and south-bound I-35 bridges. The closures begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, and are scheduled to continue to Wednesday, Nov. 24, weather permitting. Several detours will involve rerouting traffic to Dayton Avenue (west of the interchange):
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Southbound I-35 drivers wanting to travel east on U.S. 30 will exit onto westbound U.S. 30, travel west to the Dayton Avenue exit and turn back onto eastbound U.S. 30.
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Eastbound U.S. 30 drivers wanting to travel north on I-35 will exit at Dayton Avenue and travel north to 13th Street, east on 13th Street to I-35 and north on I-35.
- Westbound U.S. 30 drivers wanting to travel south on I-35 will need to proceed to Dayton Avenue and get back onto eastbound U.S. 30 to use the southbound I-35 ramp.
Training session set for April 24 for LEGO innovation contest
Iowa State students, employees and alumni are invited to a virtual training session April 24 (11 a.m.-noon) to answer questions and provide inspiration for an upcoming LEGO design contest. In a competition to be held at the Iowa State Fair in August, teams working in in two-hour time slots will build LEGO models they designed to represent Innovate at Iowa State. See the contest webpage for more information and to access the link to the training session, which will be recorded for later viewing.
Employee volunteers sought for food pantry during prep, finals weeks
Faculty and staff are invited to volunteer in the ISU student food pantry, SHOP, in 1306 Beyer, during prep and final exam weeks (April 27-May 7) so student volunteers can focus on their studies. SHOP's normal hours will be maintained during these two weeks: Tuesday and Friday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and Wednesday 4-7 p.m. ISU employees are asked to use the signup website to volunteer for an hour or more. Details about volunteering will be emailed to those who sign up. Questions may be directed to SHOP advisor Breanna Wetzler, 294-4875.
For the first time, SHOP will have summer hours, and there will be more opportunities for employees to volunteer. When a summer schedule has been set, a corresponding signup site will be shared.
Beware of 'tax refund payment' phishing scam
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has identified a phishing scam targeting individuals with ".edu" email addresses. The phishing email contains the IRS logo and a subject line such as "Tax Refund Payment." Iowa State employees or students who receive a suspicious email like this should not enter any personal information into the phishing form, and are asked to follow this process to report the suspicious email to Iowa State's IT security team. More information.
Student club's Animal Learning Day is April 17
The Block and Bridle Club will hold its annual Animal Learning Day on Saturday, April 17 (9 a.m.-1 p.m., Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center, 2508 Mortensen Rd.). The event is free and provides an opportunity for the public to learn about animals in agriculture and interact with them. Face coverings and social distancing will be required.
P&S well-being seminar series continues April 20
The next event in the Professional and Scientific Council seminar series will be Tuesday, April 20 (2-3 p.m., online via Adobe Connect). As employees begin to emerge from self-isolation and rejoin their colleagues on campus, this session completes a two-part series on health and wellness related to post-pandemic well-being, including resources available to staff on and off campus. Panelists are senior worklife and wellbeing coordinator Stephanie Downs, behavioral health state specialist David Brown, student wellness dietician Lisa Nolting and university human resources worklife and family services coordinator Cris Broshar. A recording of the session will be archived in Learn@ISU approximately one week later.
ISU Creamery is adding Saturday hours
Beginning April 10, the ISU Creamery, 2953 Food Sciences Building, will be open on Saturdays (2-6 p.m.). Weekday hours this semester remain noon-4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. More information about ice cream flavors and sizes is on the ISU Creamery website.
Submit course materials now for summer and fall
It's important for instructors to submit summer and fall semester course material requirements to the ISU Book Store now, giving bookstore staff as much time as possible to overcome any issues with sourcing or shipping. Materials -- which could include textbooks, courseware, eBooks, course packets, manuals, open educational resources or subscriptions -- will be listed for the course on AccessPlus. Instructors should submit selections to their department coordinator as soon as possible. Contact Carl Arbuckle, course materials buyer (carabuc@iastate.edu, 294-0236), or John Wierson, digital course materials buyer (jwwiers@iastate.edu, 294-3501), with questions.
Applications due April 18 for Miller OER mini-grants
Iowa State instructors can apply for grants of up to $5,000 to help use open educational resources (OER) in their courses during the 2021-22 academic year. OER are educational materials that are free for students and free for faculty to customize, which can improve learning outcomes and make courses materials more accessible for all students. Using OER saved ISU students more than $500,000 in 2020-21. Miller Open Education Mini-Grants, awarded annually since 2018, provide ISU faculty funds to locate, adopt, adapt, update or create OER. A virtual Q&A for those interested in applying will be held 2-3 p.m. April 2. Applications are due by April 18.
