Announcements
March 2023
Procedures set for using recording classrooms
The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching's (CELT) media production team has a new website that provides faculty with information about recording classrooms, available services and how to request a room. Iowa State has five media recording classrooms, two in Curtiss Hall and three in Howe Hall, scheduled by media production staff. In addition to these classrooms, a small number of general university classrooms are equipped to record if there is demand. According to the CELT media classroom usage policy, there are three (3) one-month windows for submitting requests:
- Fall term: April 1-May 1
- Spring term: Sept. 1-Oct. 1
- Summer session: Feb. 1-March 1
Media production manager Andrew Sevcik said the windows provide time for his staff to schedule classes in the rooms and for CELT to communicate with the room scheduling team. Production staff will take requests outside of the windows when needed. For additional information, visit the media production website or email celt-help@iastate.edu.
Reminder: Council election ends March 31
Professional and Scientific employees are encouraged to vote in the 2023 election for membership on the P&S Council. There are vacancies to fill in all four representation areas: academic affairs, student affairs, operations and finance and president's division. Short candidate biographies provide insight to the candidates. The election website closes at 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 31; check your inbox for a March 27 email that links you to your ballot.
'State Day' virtual program is archived
The ISU Alumni Association celebrated Iowa State's 165th Founders Day on March 22 with a virtual "State Day" program (archived online, 42 minutes in length). Alumni and friends who joined from around the globe learned about the innovative work happening at the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, stepped inside the historic Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom and saw how students are making an impact on campus and in the community.
Stuart Smith path closes March 27 for several weeks
The shared use path through Stuart Smith Park east of University Boulevard and adjacent to the Iowa State Center, will close Monday, March 27, likely through the end of April. The closure facilitates sewer work across University Boulevard as part of infrastructure upgrades for the CYTown development at the center. The impacted section of the path starts just south of the pedestrian bridge and continues to South Fourth Street. In addition, the pedestrian path along the west side of University Boulevard will be closed all summer for this project. The preferred detour is posted.
Dogs on leashes welcome at Reiman Gardens Tuesdays in April
Every Tuesday (4:30-7:30 p.m.) in April, visitors to Reiman Gardens are welcome to bring their dogs to enjoy the gardens' outdoor areas. During these Rovers at Reiman events, dogs must remain on hard surfaces or turf and aren't allowed in flower beds or other posted areas. Dogs also must be current on vaccinations and remain leashed at all times (non-retractable leashes are required). Dogs and owners will be given a colored ribbon (red, yellow or green) to attach to collars that reflects a dog's comfort level with interacting with other dogs or humans. The fee is $5 per dog; dog owners pay the usual gardens admission (free for members and ISU students) and must sign a liability waiver.
Award recipients: Student employee, supervisor of the year
Last week, the office of student financial aid honored outstanding student workers for their contributions to campus, as demonstrated in five categories: community service, diversity and inclusion, leadership, technology and innovation, and critical thinking. From 47 nominations, a selection committee chose these students (listed with their employing unit):
- Student Employee of the Year: Jamie Hefley, biomedical sciences
- Student Employees of Distinction: Hannah Uhrich, human development and family studies; Alexias Townsend, ISU dining; Jack Stevenson, recreation services
In partnership with university human resources, the student financial aid team also selected an inaugural Student Employee Supervisor of the Year this spring. Selection reflects mentoring, professionalism and leadership provided to hourly student employees. Nearly 30 individuals were nominated, and these supervisors were selected:
- Student Employee Supervisor of the Year: Linda DeSchane, ITS Solution Center, who oversees nearly 40 hourly student employees
- Student Employee Supervisor of the Year finalist: Raquel Espin Palazon, genetics, development and cell biology
The two winners received a prize for their achievement, and their nominations will be forwarded for additional consideration at the regional level.
Veenker golf course opens March 24
Iowa State's Veenker Memorial Golf Course and driving range on North Stange Road will open for the season on Friday, March 24. ISU students, faculty and staff receive discounts on season passes. Additionally, Mondays and Thursdays are designated "ISU student days" year-round, with daily green fee discounts available. More information is online or call 515-294-6727.
Ivy College of Business online MBA available this fall
The Ivy College of Business announced last week that its part-time professional MBA program will be available fully online this fall. Students in the program can choose to take courses online or in a hybrid format with one class/week in person at the college's Capital Square location in downtown Des Moines. Registration is open. To learn more, contact assistant director of graduate recruitment Kim Putz.
Provost office has professional development funds for term faculty
The office of the senior vice president and provost provides funds -- up to $1,000 -- to support the professional development of term faculty; applications from faculty with limited professional development support particularly are encouraged. Faculty who want to participate in a virtual or in-person professional development activity, such as training, workshops or conferences, are encouraged to review the guidelines, including submission directions and application form. Applications are due May 1 for conferences/workshops/training taking place between July 1 and Dec. 31. Awards will be competitively allocated, and recipients will be notified within three weeks of the deadline. Abstracts for conference presentations need not have been accepted by the time of a request for funds.
Dairy science club ice cream sale resumes this week
After a winter break, the Dairy science club's Wednesday ice cream sale starts back up March 22, and will be held weekly through the end of the semester. Outside the north doors to Lush Auditorium in Kildee Hall, get a cup of ice cream Wednesdays (noon-2 p.m.) for $2 per cup. Flavors today are chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, Rocky Road, Kit Kat and Thin Mint. The ice cream is mixed by club members at the ISU creamery, and the sale serves as a fundraiser for club activities throughout the year.
Reminder: Third Workday Student awareness survey closes Friday
As part of the phased rollout of Workday Student and Receivables during 2023 and 2024, employees are encouraged take Awareness Survey #3 so the project team can provide campus with the right resources during the transition. The 5-10 minute survey in Qualtrics is open through Friday, March 24. Survey results will serve as a barometer of employee knowledge and awareness to better shape training and communication in the near future. The more employees who complete the survey, the more data will be available for ensuring a successful transition. Please direct questions to workcyte_feedback@iastate.edu. Workday Student will replace legacy systems such as ADIN and AccessPlus.
Global Gala is March 24
The Global Gala celebrates all cultures and promotes the diversity at the university. Student organizations showcase their cultural heritage through music, dance and fashion. The gala is free and open to the public on Friday, March 24 (7 p.m., MU Great Hall). Doors open at 6 p.m. and light refreshments, including a sampling of foods from different cultures, will be served.
Webinar for supervisors of student workers
The Student Employment Center, in partnership with ISU Extension and Outreach, invites supervisors of student workers to a webniar presented by Brenda Allen on March 28 (10:30 a.m.). Allen will offer guidance on providing meaningful feedback, strategies for approaching difficult conversations in the workplace, a review of the campuswide calendar and creative ways to celebrate and thank your student employees during National Student Employment Week. Register online.
Be weather ready this spring
March 27-31 is Severe Weather Awareness Week, and the department of environmental health and safety (EH&S) reminds the campus community that severe weather can happen at any time. Read the severe weather safety tips from EH&S to learn more and plan for hazardous weather conditions.
City snow ordinance takes effect Saturday afternoon
The city of Ames' snow ordinance will go into effect at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 11, and remain in effect until it has stopped snowing and the streets are plowed curb to curb. The snow ordinance likely will remain in effect until noon on Sunday, March 12, but could vary throughout the community due to plowing challenges. 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 parked on snow routes risk being towed.
Inside won't publish during spring break
Inside Iowa State will take a one-week hiatus during spring break week. The next edition will post Thursday, March 23. The submission deadline is noon Wednesday, March 22.
Hourly updates provided until network restored
There are currently internet outage issues on the Iowa State network impacting the ability to access some services from on campus such as Okta (your Sign On dashboard). Information Technology Services is working with vendors and service providers to resolve the issue.
Please follow the university's Status Hub for updates. Updates will be posted to Status Hub hourly until internet connectivity has been restored.
Last Wednesday for hot chocolate, coffee and donuts in Kildee
Virtual 'State Day' is March 22
On Wednesday, March 22 (7 p.m.), the ISU Alumni Association will host its sixth virtual State Day, a celebration of Iowa State's Founders Day. Register online to participate. During the event, the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship will be recognized as the 2023 recipient of the association's Impact Award, which recognizes individuals, businesses, organizations or units whose programs or accomplishments brought broad recognition to the university in the prior year.
Next Workday Student readiness workshop: registration and course management
Faculty and staff are invited to an online workshop highlighting the student records components of Workday Student. A two-part workshop, led by Iowa State project teams, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 5, via Webex. Register on the WorkCyte website to attend one or both parts:
- 2:10-3 p.m., Class registration
- 3:10-4 p.m., Grading and academic standing
Language and communication justice series continues March 29
Faculty, staff and students are invited to a virtual panel event, Rewriting, Reclaiming and Reorienting in Digital Spaces, on Wednesday, March 29 (4-5:15 p.m., via Webex). Artists and designers Ashlee Bird, Joseph Erb and Casey Koyczan each will share their work advocating for Indigenous language justice through technology and design, followed by a Q&A with attendees. Register to receive the link. The discussion is part of the 2022-23 Series on Language and Communication Justice, hosted by the Academic Success Center and writing and communication consultations.
Math workshop for middle school girls is April 1
Female and non-binary middle school students and their teachers, both men and women, are the intended audience for Sonia Kovalevsky Math Day, Saturday, April 1 (10 a.m.-2 p.m., 2155 Marston). SK Day is designed to increase middle school girls' interest in mathematics, assist them in the transition between middle school and high school mathematics, and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM disciplines. Hosted by the math department, the workshop is free and lunch is provided. Registration is requested by March 10.
Unable to complete her education in her native Russia, Kovalevsky (1850-91) had to emigrate to Germany to attend a university that accepted female students. She was the first woman in Europe to obtain a doctoral degree in mathematics.
Is that a spring in your step?
Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 12. Remember to set any manual clocks ahead one hour and plan to lose an hour of sleep. But enjoy daylight into the early evening . . .
Learn to swim this spring
Recreation services is offering swim lessons for adults and the children (ages 5-12 years) of Iowa State faculty, staff and students this spring, March 28-April 30. Adult sessions meet Tuesdays and Thursdays; youth lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays. Lessons are 30 minutes. The price varies based on rec services membership. Course level descriptions and registration details are online.
ISU therapy dog turns 12 on Wednesday
ISU police department therapy dog Zosia will celebrate her 12th birthday on Wednesday, March 8 from 3-4 p.m. All are welcome to join outside of Parks Library and enjoy cookies, balloons and a goodie bag.
WorkFlex application window is March 6-31
The employee application window for WorkFlex arrangements beginning on May 15 opens Monday, March 6, and closes Friday, March 31. The supervisor decision window is April 3-28. View information about the process and WorkFlex application windows on the WorkLife website. Learn about WorkFlex program options on the website and find directions to submit a request on the ISU Service Portal.
Jump start funds available for low-cost course infrastructure
Proposals are due March 31 for projects to develop a sustainable infrastructure to support low-cost and no-cost course materials for students, one of the nine Jump Start initiatives in the university's strategic plan. A second round of funding will address course content. Criteria and guidelines for submission are online.
Arts and events
The Iowa Senate honored VP for Extension and Outreach John Lawrence Wednesday morning for his many years of service to the university and the people of Iowa.
ISU Theatre's 'She Kills Monsters' follows a young woman as she unlocks mysteries about her deceased sister. The dramatic comedy opens March 30.
