Announcements for Faculty and Staff

Study Abroad Fair is Jan. 19

Learn about adventures abroad at the Study Abroad Fair Thursday, Jan. 19 (10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., MU Great Hall). Students can learn about interning or studying abroad during experiences ranging from one week to one year. And anyone from the Iowa State community may apply for a U.S. passport during the fair. More information about the fair and passport service is online.

Iowa State Online launched Jan. 3

Iowa State Online, a new unit within the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT), officially launched Jan. 3, centralizing expertise in online learning and delivery in a single service center. Iowa State Online will be a central point of contact for prospective students exploring online programs at Iowa State, and will partner with colleges and departments to provide consistent marketing and branding, student support and new program development for online programs.

The CELT staff has expanded to a unit of approximately 45 individuals working in four collaborative units:

• Course design and quality
• Enterprise instructional technology
• Instructor development
• Iowa State Online

This semester, staff will pilot processes and services with selected courses, instructors and programs. CELT resources are available to all instructors at Iowa State, with additional CELT service information available through the 2023 spring and summer semesters. Questions may be directed to celt-help@iastate.edu.

ISU Dining announces new director

Christian Wise joined the Campus Life community Jan. 4 as the director of ISU Dining. He oversees the operations of a campus dining system that includes three residential dining centers; multiple cafés, convenience stores, restaurants and get-and-go locations; food court; catering and a central production bakery. He succeeds Mohamed Ali, who left the university in March. Karen Rodekamp and Stuart Essex served as co-interim directors.

Suicide prevention training for employees is Jan. 12

Student Counseling Services (SCS) staff will lead a free day of suicide prevention and intervention training for Iowa State faculty and staff on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023 (8 a.m.-4 p.m., Hach Hall). Breakfast by Panera and lunch from The Cafe will be provided. Attendees also will receive a certificate of attendance. Register online; questions may be directed to Michelle Roling, SCS assistant director.

SHOP seeks volunteers to operate through winter break

The SHOP food pantry, 1306 Beyer, needs faculty and staff volunteers over winter break (Dec. 19-Jan. 13) to keep the pantry open to students. There are many open volunteers slots in January. Use this link to sign up. SHOP has new service hours, effective Dec. 19:

• Monday, 1-6 p.m.
• Tuesday, 5-8 p.m.
• Wednesday, 2-7 p.m.
• Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Senior leaders announce partial closing for Thursday

Due to the severe weather forecast for the end of the week, senior leaders announced today the university will partially close on Thursday, Dec. 22. Winter session classes will meet virtually as scheduled. Friday, Dec. 23, is a university holiday.

Many units are operating on winter break schedules, and supervisors are asked to provide maximum flexibility for employees to work remotely or take leave on Dec. 22. If remote work is not an option, supervisors should consider potential training opportunities their employees can complete remotely. Supervisors in police, public safety, security, power plant, food service, animal care and critical maintenance should confirm team members can report safely to campus. Employees who can't make it to campus should contact their supervisors.

Winter storm alert begins Thursday

The National Weather Service, Des Moines office, has issued a Winter Storm Watch, including strong winds leading to possible blizzard conditions, for all of central Iowa from Thursday through Friday night.  There's a high likelihood of dangerous wind chills (-20 degrees to -40 degrees) and blowing snow. Travel could be difficult, even dangerous at times.  The system arrives with light to moderate snow by late Wednesday. Strong winds into Saturday could continue to impact travel.

Employees planning to travel are urged to consult university guidelines, shared earlier this fall, before they head out. Employees also are reminded to close and lock windows when they leave their offices for the day, especially this time of year, when frigid temperatures can cause building damage if water pipes freeze.

Inside takes a break until Jan. 5

Dec. 15 is the final edition of Inside Iowa State for fall; editions aren't planned for Dec. 22 or 29. Inside will resume publishing on Thursday, Jan. 5, with a submission deadline of noon Wednesday, Jan. 4. The writing team extends winter holiday greetings to our readers.

Ukrainian orchestra will perform at Stephens March 3

The Ames International Orchestra Festival Association announces that the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine will play Stephens Auditorium on Friday, March 3, 2023. Oksana Rapita, one of Ukraine's most prominent pianists, will perform with the orchestra. Concert tickets go on sale to the general public at noon Tuesday, Dec. 20. As part of this tour, the orchestra also will play New York City's Carnegie Hall and Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 

Iowa State wine available for purchase this weekend

Limited quantities of the inaugural vintage (2021) wine produced and bottled by the Iowa State University Winery may be preordered through noon Thursday, Dec. 15. La Crescent, Marquette and Rosé varieties are available. Preordered wine can be picked up and paid for ($24.99/bottle) from noon Dec. 15 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at Cyclone Liquors, 626 Lincoln Way. The wine is sold through Cyclone Liquors and will not be shipped to purchasers. Individuals must be at least 21 years old to preorder and purchase the wine. Erin Norton, Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute, advises purchasers to drink the wine now, rather than let it age.

January WorkCyte readiness workshop looks at student records

Learn more about WorkCyte Phase II: Student Information and Receivables at the readiness workshop on Wednesday, Jan. 11 (2:10-3 p.m., via Webex). Members of the student records project team will provide a first look at the new features and functionality for student records management. More information, including a registration link, is on the WorkCyte website.

Recycle greeting card fronts

Through Jan. 15, recycling services and the office of sustainability will collect greeting cards for reuse in the St. Jude's Ranch for Children's recycled card program. Greeting cards for any occasion can be donated; only the card fronts are needed (recycle the backs). Cards can be donated two ways -- drop them in collection boxes in the General Services Building (first floor, by the key/information desk) or send them in campus mail to Steve Kohtz (152 General Services Building) or Merry Rankin (108 General Services). Due to copyright restrictions, this program is not able to use cards from American Greetings, Disney or Hallmark.

Holiday show in the Goldfinch Room is Dec. 18

The Goldfinch Room Iowa artists concert series at Stephens Auditorium will hold its first holiday show on Sunday, Dec. 18 (5 p.m., Goldfinch listening room). Central Standard Time, a singer/songwriter duo of Matt Hibbard and Charlie Rod from Iowa City, will be joined by cellist Patrick McAlpine for an evening of Christmas hymns and carols. Guests can reserve a table for up to four for $40. A limited number of general admission seats will be available for $15. Concessions will be sold as well. In a partnership with KHOI Community Radio, the performance will broadcast live at 89.1 FM, a first for the Goldfinch Room series.

Explore the legacy of Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day is celebrated internationally in December, commemorating the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Learn more about the UDHR and Human Rights Day on the office of diversity, equity and inclusion website.

Vaccine clinic for employees is Dec.16 at State Gym

Iowa State is partnering with Hy-Vee to offer a vaccine clinic for employees on Friday, Dec. 16 (noon-4 p.m., State Gym). Hy-Vee will offer the Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 booster as well as the flu vaccine.

Use the links below to schedule an appointment online. Appointments must be scheduled by noon Thursday, Dec. 15. While there is no cost for the booster vaccine, you will need to upload your insurance information when you schedule your appointment to cover administrative fees. If you're receiving the COVID-19 booster, bring your COVID-19 vaccination card to the clinic. A copay may be required for the flu shot. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and details.

• Schedule an appointment for the Pfizer booster vaccine
• Schedule an appointment for the flu vaccine

Graduate and undergraduate students can receive the COVID booster, flu and mpox vaccine by calling Thielen Student Health Center at 515-294-5801 or scheduling online at cyclonehealth.org/appt.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting a COVID-19 booster shot. Clinical trials have shown boosters increase immunity.

Central Stores' new system goes live Dec. 28

Central Stores will launch a new e-commerce catalog and inventory management system on Wednesday, Dec 28. The new system will give customers a more streamlined shopping experience and provide Central Stores with more data analytics and operational efficiencies than the current system. In addition to its refreshed website design, the new system will allow customers to place quick (bulk) orders, view their previous purchase history and reorder previously ordered items. The new catalog's URL will remain the same. It will require customers to sign in using single sign-on (OKTA) to order products and to input an address. Users who order for multiple locations can add multiple delivery addresses. For more information or questions, contact manager Bill Spratt, 294-0402, or email centralstores@iastate.edu.

ISU police fundraiser to benefit SHOP

The ISU police department is selling 1:64 scale die-cast models of an ISU Police 2021 Ford interceptor vehicle for $10. All proceeds will be donated to SHOP, the student food pantry on campus. Make your purchase at the public safety department's parking division counter, 27 Armory Building. 

Submit requests now for winter and spring course reserves at library

Instructors who need to place required materials on reserve for winter session and spring semester courses should submit requests now via Canvas. More information and instructions are on the library's website.

Postal and parcel service update for holiday break

Postal and parcel services will be closed Dec. 23-27 and Jan. 2 to observe university holidays, and there will be no delivery, collections or dispatch on these dates. Postal and parcel services will be open Dec. 28-30 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily) with normal delivery, collections and dispatch for all buildings that are open. For buildings that are closed during the Christmas to New Year break (Dec. 23-Jan. 2), postal and parcel services will hold all mail for delivery after the break. Questions may be sent to rtott@iastate.edu. Inquiries sent to the department email address (pps@iastate.edu) on days the office is closed will receive a response when the office reopens.

Therkildsen building construction is focus of virtual meeting

Facilities planning and management (FPM) will hold a virtual meeting Wednesday, Dec. 14 (9-10 a.m. via Webex) to share information about the Therkildsen Industrial Engineering Building with those who work in or visit buildings near the site on the west side of campus. The presentation will focus on construction activities and their impact on campus circulation, including nearby buildings. The meeting will include time for Q&A. Email FPM project manager Liz Clarke to receive the meeting link.

Creamery offers curbside pickup on Dec. 21

To assist with special orders for the winter holidays, ISU Creamery staff will offer curbside pickup for preorders of ice cream and cheddar cheese blocks Wednesday, Dec. 21 (4:30-5:30 p.m., semi-circle drive, east side of Food Sciences Building off Wallace Road). Email orders to creamery@iastate.edu.

Art sale continues through Dec. 9

The College of Design Art Club's fall sale continues Thursday-Friday, Dec. 8-9 (10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily) in the Design building's central foyer. Most items for sale are ceramics but may include prints, photos, wood, jewelry and textiles created by undergraduate and graduate students in the college. A majority of proceeds go to the artists and the rest help fund club activities.

Reminder: Complete regents' free speech training

The state Board of Regents expects all students and employees to complete virtual training about free speech and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by the end of spring semester. In about 20 minutes, the training emphasizes the importance of how to both use speech and expression in classroom and out-of-class activities and respect the protected speech and activity of others. Beginning last year, Iowa's three regent universities are required to provide free speech training annually.

Learn more about student loan policy changes

With many recent updates to student loan policy, including the resumption of loan payments in 2023, employees with student loans to repay are invited to a free educational webinar on Dec. 14 (1-2 p.m. CST). Register online. It's hosted by Savi, a student loan benefit offered by TIAA at Iowa State since 2021. Savi sorts through more than 150 state and federal assistance options to propose personalized repayment and forgiveness plans based on income, family size, debt amount and employment history. ISU employees can sign up for Savi online anytime and don't need to be a TIAA client.

Rec services opens gender-neutral restroom at Lied center

Recreation services has completed a remodeling project to open a gender-neutral restroom on the first floor of the Lied Recreation Athletic Center for building users who are nonbinary or feel more comfortable in a gender-neutral space. With the new restroom, rec services provides gender-neutral restrooms in its three indoor facilities. The others are a restroom on Beyer Hall first floor between the men's and women's locker rooms and two changing rooms with showers near the pool at State Gym. Rec services' policy allows patrons to use any facility or space, including locker rooms and restrooms, consistent with their gender identity.

Gardeners, stay busy this winter

ISU Extension and Outreach's Master Gardener program will host a home gardening webinar series via Zoom from January through March. The sessions are free and open to the public (up to 500 participants); registration is required. The series is an educational opportunity for existing master gardeners, those interested in becoming master gardeners and those who just want to learn more about gardening topics. Participants will hear from experts at Iowa State, Reiman Gardens, University of Illinois, North Dakota State University and Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Honors program's fall poster presentations, convocation are Dec. 7

The University Honors program invites the campus community to its fall poster presentation, featuring Honors capstone projects, on Wednesday, Dec. 7 (3-5 p.m., MU Great Hall). Fall 2022 Honors graduates and other Honors students will answer questions and speak with individuals interested in their projects. The Honors fall convocation will follow at 5:45 p.m. in the MU Sun Room, preceded by a reception (5-5:45 p.m.).

Two more weekends to shop at forestry club tree and wreath sale

Forestry club members will sell Christmas trees and wreaths Dec 2-4 and Dec. 9-11 in the Reiman Gardens parking lot. Select from Korean ($70-$80), Balsam ($80-$100) and Canaan ($70-$80) fir and white pine ($60) trees. Wreaths come in two sizes, 25-inch ($25) and 30-inch ($30). Sale hours are Fridays 3-6 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sundays 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Payment is by cash or check. Questions may be directed to jmerry@iastate.edu.

School of Ed's technology center celebrates 25 years

The School of Education's Center for Technology in Learning and Teaching will celebrate its 25th anniversary Dec. 5-8. Events include a superhero activity, laser cutter projects and a keynote lecture by Punya Mishra on Dec. 6. Mishra is the associate dean of scholarship  and innovation and professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University.

Holiday purchases should be shipped home

The postal and parcel services (PPS) staff reminds the campus community that university policy (and state law) prohibits employees from using university equipment and services -- including mail services -- for personal use during any season. Personal online shopping increases this time of year, but those purchases should be mailed to employees' homes, not to campus addresses, where PPS staff make the final delivery.

Poinsettia sale runs Nov. 30-Dec. 3

The horticulture club is selling poinsettias as a fundraiser to cover club activities, traveling expenses and student enrichment. Club members grew the plants in the horticulture greenhouses. Pot sizes are 4.5, 6 and 10 inches; prices vary from $10 to $40. Plants may be purchased (and pre-orders picked up) this week at these campus locations: 

• Nov. 30 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.), ground floor rotunda, Curtiss Hall
• Dec. 1 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.), ground floor counters, Beardshear Hall
• Dec. 2 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.), atrium, Horticulture Hall
• Dec. 3 (10 a.m.-2 p.m.), main corridor, Reiman Gardens

Questions may be directed to Hannah Kramer, student chair of the sale.

Jennette McCurdy appearance canceled

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED. Tickets are on sale for actress, director and New York Times bestselling author Jennette McCurdy's appearance on campus Friday, Dec. 2 (8 p.m., MU Great Hall, doors open at 7:30 p.m.). Her August memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died," stayed at No. 1 on the Times' nonfiction bestseller list for eight weeks.

Classrooms designated for open study during prep week evenings

Room scheduling will offer these 10 general university classrooms for students to use as study rooms during prep week, Dec. 5-9 (5:30-11 p.m. daily):

• Black Engineering 1028
• Carver 0184, 0190
• Pearson 3143, 3157
• Physics 0052
• Ross 0027, 0029
• Town Engineering 0250, 0290

Save the date: George Washington Carver Day program planned for Feb. 1

Iowa State University is making plans to observe the state of Iowa's first George Washington Carver Day in 2023. Last June, Gov. Kim Reynolds approved Senate File 2380, an act to designate Feb. 1 each year as George Washington Carver Day. Carver is only the third person to be recognized by the state with a day of recognition; the other two are Herbert Hoover and Norman Borlaug. Iowa State will hold a recognition program in the Memorial Union Great Hall during the evening of Feb. 1. Planning for the program, which also will be available virtually, is underway.

Carver was Iowa State's first Black student and faculty member before leaving for a lifelong career at Tuskegee Institute (now University) in Alabama. He introduced improved farming systems and developed hundreds of food products from plants such as peanuts, sweet potatoes and others native to the southern United States.

Reminder: Benefits open enrollment closes at 5 p.m. Friday

Open enrollment is the one time each year when employees can add, drop or make changes to most benefits, other than adjustments allowed to accommodate qualifying life events such as job and marital changes, births and deaths. This year's open enrollment closes at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18. Elections are made in Workday and go into effect Jan. 1. More information about options is online. Instructions on how to enroll or make changes are in this slide presentation.

You can help Iowa State students in need on Giving Tuesday

As part of the global philanthropic Giving Tuesday on Nov. 29, the Iowa State University Foundation will promote four programs on its FundISU website that assist ISU students in critical need:

• SHOP, on-campus food pantry serving students
• STORIES, support programming for students in all colleges who experienced foster care, or are homeless or financially independent
• Completion grants, for seniors within a semester or two of graduation with an outstanding U-bill and no other means to pay it, register for classes and graduate
• Emergency grants, for any ISU student in an emergency beyond their control and struggling to pay bills and remain enrolled

In addition to electronic gifts, payroll deduct and checks (mailed to the ISU Foundation) are options for donations to these programs.

Application deadline is Dec. 2 for spring Startup Factory cohort

The ISU Startup Factory incubator program is accepting applications through Dec. 2 for its spring semester cohort. Over 18 weeks, researchers, inventors and founders looking to validate their scalable idea receive training, resources, guidance and access to a network of mentors, alumni and advisors. Participants develop their business acumen, build their communication skills and learn more about their customers. Questions may be sent to Startup Factory director Peter Hong.

No Inside on Thanksgiving Day

Inside Iowa State will not publish next week, Nov. 24, due to the national Thanksgiving holiday. Remaining editions this semester are Dec. 1, Dec. 8 and Dec. 15. The first edition of 2023 will be Jan. 5.

Package delivery service update during holiday week

To align with private carriers (UPS/FedEx) and to minimize service disruptions, ISU's central receiving will remain operational during the winter holiday break, with exceptions for the dates listed below. Modified services means that all next-day, time-sensitive and perishable packages will be received and delivered to campus that same day, to open buildings. All standard and non-time-sensitive packages and freight shipments will be securely received and held at central receiving and delivered to campus the following non-holiday business day(s).

Christmas 

• Friday, Dec 23: open with modified services
• Monday, Dec 26: closed
• Tuesday, Dec 27: open with modified services

New Year's Day

• Monday, Jan. 2: closed

Questions about package delivery during the holiday breaks may be directed to manager Corey Bickelhaupt, 515-294-1804. Package recipients also may view their central receiving package status online.

Chicago will play at Stephens in May

The multi Grammy Award-winning band Chicago will perform at Stephens Auditorium on Thursday, May 25, 2023. Tickets ($80-$129) and VIP packages go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 18, via Ticketmaster. Chicago released its 38th studio album, "Born For This Moment," earlier this year.

GoldSheet, Cardinal Sheet to phase out next summer

Iowa State's research enterprise will discontinue use of the GoldSheet and Cardinal Sheet in June 2023 after more than 20 years of use. The internal routing forms and related systems will be replaced with Streamlyne, an enhanced "one-stop shop" proposal development and routing system that will offer faculty and administrators many new features and functionalities. Streamlyne dashboards will provide better transparency of the process and content at all stages. Budget development is included, and Streamlyne has a system-to-system portal for grants.gov submissions that eliminates the duplicate entries required with Cayuse. User training will begin in spring 2023. Additional information about the new system is online.

Researchers sought for Research Experience for Teachers program

Iowa State researchers interested in mentoring a middle or high school STEM teacher are invited to participate in the office of biotechnology's summer 2023 Research Experiences for Teachers program, June 16-July 26. The six-week program provides hands-on lab experience and virtual learning for high school and middle school instructors with oversight from ISU researchers. Questions may be directed to program coordinator Maureen Griffin.

Last employee walk of the semester is Friday

ISU WorkLife will host its final Friday Walk and Talk of the semester on Nov. 18. All who want to participate in the one-mile group walk around campus should meet at the Beardshear Hall front steps at 12:10 p.m. No registration is required; bring your colleagues.

City snow ordinance takes effect at noon Tuesday

The city of Ames' snow ordinance will go into effect at noon Tuesday, Nov. 15, and remain in effect until it has stopped snowing and the streets are plowed curb to curb. Vehicles on city snow routes (identified by red and white signs) should be moved to off-street parking or to streets not designated as snow routes. To assist with the plowing effort, owners are asked to not park vehicles on any residential street, particularly on circles and cul de sacs; however, only vehicles on snow routes are required to be moved or risk being towed.

Thankful? Submit your CyThx now

In its fifth year, CyThx gives Iowa Staters a chance to thank the faculty, staff, graduate teaching assistants or anyone else who makes them feel like a valued member of the ISU community. Your gratitude will remain anonymous, but your CyThx honoree will receive an email with your message and an acknowledgment on the CyThx webpage. Submissions can be made through the end of the month. The initiative is a partnership of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, ISU learning communities, multicultural student affairs, student government, Graduate and Professional Student Senate, student engagement and student union board.

Football game time announced

The Cyclone football game Nov. 19 with Texas Tech at Jack Trice Stadium will begin at 6 p.m., with the TV broadcast on Fox Sports 1.

Presentation proposals for ISCORE '23 due Dec. 2

The Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) planning committee encourages faculty, staff and students to submit presentation proposals for the 2023 ISCORE conference. The faculty-staff preconference is March 1 and the full-day, all-ISU conference is March 3. Proposals for a 50-minute presentation about a topic in race and ethnicity should be submitted online by Dec. 2. Notification of presentation status will occur on Dec. 16.

Employee flu shots available on Nov. 16

Another flu shot clinic will be available to benefits-eligible employees on Wednesday, Nov. 16 (9 a.m.-4 p.m., room G11, Technical and Administrative Services Building, 2408 Pammel Dr.). Bring a phone. No appointment is necessary, but when you arrive outside TASF, call 515-294-2056 for access to the building. The vaccine is provided at no cost to employees.

Wi-Fi updates increase connectivity in high use areas

More than 5,000 new access points are being installed across campus to improve Wi-Fi performance in high-density areas such as classrooms and popular public areas. The phased installation is underway and scheduled to be completed in early February. When installed, the new access points can support Wi-Fi connections that are up to three times more efficient. The new access points will support most devices. If you're unable to find or connect to Iowa State's Wi-Fi networks, contact the IT Solution Center.

On Veterans Day, honor all who served

Observed annually on Nov. 11, Veterans Day honors military veterans in the U.S. Armed Forces. Though both holidays honor military personnel, Veterans Day differs from Memorial Day in that it acknowledges the service of all military veterans. Memorial Day honors those who died while serving. Learn more on the office of institutional diversity, equity and inclusion website.