Student Announcements
May 2021
Workspace announces summer hours
Opening June 1 for the summer, the Workspace in the east basement of the Memorial Union will offer crafts for drop-in or carry out and weekly themes in pottery painting. Summer crafts are open to children if accompanied by a grown-up. Through the end of July, summer hours are 2-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 am.-4 p.m. Saturday.
PGA qualifying event comes to Veenker this week
ISU's Veenker Memorial Golf Course will host pre-qualifier (about 60 amateur and professional male golfers aged 50 years and older on May 28) and qualifier (about 25 golfers on June 1) competitions for the Principal Charity Classic PGA Tour event June 4-6 at Des Moines' Wakonda Club. Play at Veenker will begin at 7:30 a.m. both days and conclude around 4 p.m. May 28 and 2 p.m. June 1. On both days, golfers will complete 18 holes. Up to five golfers will qualify for the Des Moines tournament. Spectators should park in the overflow gravel lot off the Veenker driveway. Veenker head golf pro Greg Dingel said Veenker will have some public tee times starting later in the afternoon on those two days.
Changes to events, gatherings guidance take effect May 19
Face coverings no longer are required and allowable crowd densities moved to 100% of a room's rated capacity in new (non-classroom) large events guidelines for the time period May 19-Aug. 1. However, classroom capacities for summer session remain at 50%. Physical distancing indoors still is recommended, for example in lines or around a beverage bar.
Faculty-Staff Inspirations winners to be honored June 4
A virtual ceremony June 4 (noon-12:30 p.m.) will honor the three 2021 winners of the ISU Alumni Association's Faculty-Staff Inspiration Award, which recognizes current or former ISU faculty and staff who have had a significant influences on students' lives. Winners this year are Brianna Burke, asssociate professor of English; Manju Reddy, professor and Doris A. Adams Endowed Chair of food science and human nutrition; and Giles Fowler, associate professor in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication (awarded posthumously). Click here to register for the event and leave a note of congratulations for one of the recipients. Registration closes at noon on June 3. The event will be livestreamed on the Alumni Association's Facebook page.
Virtual spring Honors poster sessions are available now
The University Honors Program invites the campus community to visit its Spring 2021 virtual poster session. The online platform features the capstone research projects of 109 Honors students and spring graduates and includes recorded presentations.
Temporary road closures start May 24
Short sections of several roads in the north part of campus will close Monday, May 24, for summer projects:
- Pammel Drive between Winlock and Morrill roads will close for an anticipated two weeks for the removal of an underground steam tunnel across Pammel to the site of Genetics Lab, which was demolished this spring.
- North University Boulevard between Wallace and Stange roads will close through Sunday, May 30, for concrete road patching. Stange Road south of Pammel Drive will be opened to Osborn Drive as an alternate route. The east entrance to Lot 79 will be open, and the south and east entrances to Lot 39 will be open.
Online training modules assist home-based food operators
ISU Extension and Outreach offers online training in food safety, food preparation and Iowa regulations designed specifically for cottage food producers. The modules, targeting home-based food operators, including farmer's market vendors, are available 24/7 in Moodle, an online learning management system. The registration cost to access them is $35.
Chad Hart will present on carbon markets May 19
The May 19th Conversation About Carbon will feature Chad Hart, professor of economics and ISU Extension crop markets specialist, whose presentation is "Let's Talk About Carbon Markets." It will begin at noon via Zoom, with an audience Q&A beginning around 12:30 p.m. The series is hosted by the Bioeconomy Institute.
Class attendance returns to standard policy this fall
Following discussions among the provost's office, Faculty Senate executive board and the Academic Continuity Working Group, the university will return to its standard policy for class attendance for the 2021-22 academic year, as outlined in chapter 10.4.1 of the Faculty Handbook.
College Creek cleanup is scheduled for June 12
Second-dose clinics announced; J&J vaccine available May 18-19
Employees and students interested in receiving their second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on campus can schedule an appointment for clinics May 12-13 and May 18-20. Appointments are also available May 18-19 for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Testing site, contact tracing operations are shifting
The COVID-19 testing site at Johnny's lounge in Hilton Coliseum will close May 6. On-campus testing for faculty, staff and students will continue to be available this summer at Thielen Student Health Center, though employees are encouraged to seek testing through their health care provider, local pharmacies or Test Iowa. Contact tracing and case investigation for cases of COVID-19 on campus, which have been handled by ISU staff since last summer, will shift soon to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Both changes were announced in a May 5 campus message sent to faculty, staff and students.
No changes to face covering policy, for now
University policy on when and where face coverings must be worn due to the risk of transmitting COVID-19 have not changed, according to a May 5 campus message from President Wendy Wintersteen, chair of the Moving Forward Coordinate Committee John Lawrence and associate vice president for student health and wellness Erin Baldwin. With some specific exceptions, the policy mandates wearing a face covering inside all university buildings and outdoors on university property when in spaces where staying 6 feet from others may not be possible, such as sidewalks and parking lots. Senior leaders are monitoring the situation daily, and their decisions will remain rooted in science-based information and public health guidance, the campus message said. More information about the face covering policy for the fall semester will be released in mid-July.
Sign of the times: Symptom checker will cease May 7
The final Cyclones Care Symptom Checker of the semester will go out Friday morning, May 7. The daily communication -- sent via email or text -- launched last August to remind employees and students to self-check for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to campus or participating in university activities. Even without the daily check, as a good health practice, students, staff and faculty are encouraged to self-monitor for symptoms of illness and stay home if they're sick.
Summer office hours can begin May 10
Units may choose to use summer hours May 10-Aug. 13. During the transition to pre-pandemic levels of campus operations this summer, offices will start to reopen to the public and an increasing number of services will be offered in person. Depending on how that shift develops, the summer hours schedule of 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. with a shorter lunch break may be observed as office hours or an employee's working hours. Summer schedules need to maintain service for students, customers and clients, including summer orientation participants, and support daily operations -- for instance, ongoing research, public service programs, public safety and utilities management. To adopt a summer schedule, units need approval from the appropriate senior leader.
Innovative teams sought for LEGO competition
ISU teams of two or three students, staff, faculty or alumni are invited to participate in a LEGO™ brick-building challenge during the Iowa State Fair (Aug. 12-22) around the theme of "Innovate at Iowa State." Register your team by June 1, submit your concept by July 1 and then build it during a two-hour time slot during the fair (LEGO™ bricks provided). Five prizes ($500-$3,000) will be awarded.