News Archive

The 2023 plan year marks a third year of incremental premium increases, following seven years of flat employee contributions. Iowa State continues to pay almost 90% of the health care costs of the plans.

With the assistance of the provost's office and one of nine jump-start projects backed by President Wendy Wintersteen, students who need additional help with homework are receiving it. The Academic Success Center and each college are providing more academic support to increase student retention impacted by the pandemic.

About 60 faculty and staff recipients of top university awards were honored last week at Iowa State's annual awards ceremony.

Also on last week's state Board of Regents agenda: Inflationary adjustments to construction budgets, funding request for phase 2 at the Vet Diagnostic Lab and a long-term facilities plan for the Cyclone tennis team.

Gradescope is an assessment and analytics tool that pairs with Canvas. Instructors can administer, grade and provide feedback on pen-and-paper, bubble sheet and computer programming assignments. A pilot this fall is open to all instructors.

The U.S. Diversity Course Requirement Committee is ready to review all courses -- new, modified and unchanged -- to ensure they meet three of the four learning outcomes and can be included in the 2023-24 course catalog. Instructors can submit their course information online.

The state Board of Regents' annual free speech online training, required for faculty, staff and students at the three public universities, should be completed by the end of spring semester. It takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Nominees' information may be sent to Parker Executive Search, the firm assisting the campus search committee.

The awards recognize efforts to enhance and cultivate an inclusive university community that embraces justice and equity. There are categories for employees, students or groups; nominations are due Nov. 1.

Catt Center director and professor of political science Karen Kedrowski offers some guidelines to faculty on encouraging eligible students to vote while staying nonpartisan.

CYTown is a planned multiuse district between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum. Over 20 years, part of the revenue it generates would be reinvested in facility improvements at C.Y. Stephens Auditorium, Fisher Theater and the Scheman Building.

Five ISU Dining cafés are serving the light roast coffee, and you can try it at sampling events Sept. 23-24.

It's that season. Faculty and staff may want to review how constitutional protections, state law and university policies apply to political activity and expression on campus, whether in their office or a classroom.

There are plenty of garden-variety vegetables ready for harvest this month at Iowa State's horticulture research farm north of Ames.

Assistant provost for faculty development Tera Jordan joins faculty success coordinator Katharine Hensley as co-director. Monthly sessions return to in-person this fall.

CELT director Sara Marcketti outlined several university-level changes that have been implemented for instructor ratings and local-level decisions that still need to be made during the Faculty Senate's first meeting of the academic year.

The Miller Open Education Mini-Grant projects this year are ambitious and geared toward improving instructional quality by addressing specific needs. The mini-grants have helped expand use of freely licensed course materials at ISU, an effort also supported by the new strategic plan's jump-start funds.

The free shot is being offered in the south court of State Gymnasium for university employees and some affiliated organizations. No appointment or registration is needed.