Back to school

August 28

Students returned to their studies this week, marking the start of the fall semester. Pictured above is Sara Nelson (center), a graduate student in the School of Education, who took her CI 377 (The Teaching of Reading and Language Arts in the Primary Grades K-3) class outside for an icebreaker activity on the south side of Lagomarcino Hall. Some faculty and staff members shared their back-to-school class selfies and first-day photos on the Iowa State Facebook page. Erin Wilgenbusch (lecturer, Greenlee School of Journalism and Mass Communication) and Ben Chamberlain (academic adviser, agricultural education and studies) produced first-day videos in their PR 220 and AgEdS 110 classes, respectively.

New meets old

August 28

Students in the Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Design class (ME 270) have no trouble taking notes from the new projector screen in the Catherine J. MacKay Auditorium in MacKay Hall, built in 1926. The screen is one of the auditorium's modern additions, which also includes new stadium seating for 271 students, rotating chairs for classroom discussions and four monitors mounted throughout the space.

The auditorium was part of a $3.23 million renovation of MacKay that began in May 2013 and wrapped up this month. A classroom on the second floor also received a technological facelift, with two large monitors and four smaller versions throughout the 36-person capacity room. A welcome center for College of Human Sciences students was added behind the auditorium, while the vestibule south of the auditorium was brought back to its 1926 roots, now showcasing its original dark-stained wood panels. Photo by Amy Vinchattle. 

PeopleAdmin upgrade enters home stretch

August 28

The launch of PeopleAdmin 7, Iowa State's online classification and hiring system, is less than two weeks away. Here's what you need to know prior to the Sept. 9 go-live date.

New look for applicant portal

PeopleAdmin 7 features a new, user-friendly applicant portal (see image above) that makes it easier for applicants to apply for positions at Iowa State and track the progress of their applications through the recruiting process.

On Sept. 9, the new portal will appear at iastatejobs.com, where all job postings can be accessed. Following the launch,  the original portal will remain in service for jobs that were posted before Sept. 9. The original system will be retired in July 2015.

"The new portal advances ISU's efforts to attract outstanding faculty and staff," said Julie Nuter, associate vice president, University Human Resources. "We have arrived at the home stretch with broad campus involvement – the PeopleAdmin 7 project team, Iowa State's human resources liaisons, information technology services, the provost's office, university marketing and especially everyone who has received training to date."

Help line and training ensure a smooth transition

Nuter said it's very important for faculty and staff who will regularly use the new system for recruiting and hiring to complete training before the launch date.

Training for faculty and staff is available through face-to-face sessions or online tutorials. Visit the "New Position, Recruiting and Hiring Tools" page for more information about PeopleAdmin training options.

Beginning Sept. 1, the page will include a PeopleAdmin 7 help line. 1. A cadre of HR experts will staff the help line (8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday), answering questions related to position management, applicant tracking and user access. Email after-hours questions to UHR at employment@iastate.edu.

Users also can subscribe to PA (PeopleAdmin) News and stay up to date on new position, recruiting and hiring tools.

Contract transfer process changing for Merit staff

Employees covered by the state's collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME will receive a letter next week that outlines changes to the contract transfer process in PeopleAdmin 7. UHR and local AFSCME representatives worked together to streamline the request process for contract transfers.

Beginning Sept. 9, employees wishing to request contract transfers will do so within the online application. They'll no longer need to complete a paper request form.

For more information about the PeopleAdmin upgrade, contact Kristi Darr, 4-3753 or kdarr@iastate.edu.

President's annual address is Sept. 12

By Diana Pounds
August 28

"Taking the University to the Next Level" is the theme of President Steven Leath's annual address on Friday, Sept. 12.  The address will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Refreshments will be available, starting at 8 a.m. 

Government of the Student Body president Hillary Kletscher will introduce Leath. After his remarks, the president  will answer questions.

Video, tweets

A live video stream of Leath's talk will be available from the president's website, and tweets will be available at (@IowaStateUNews). Archived video of the president's remarks will be posted to the president's website. 

Summer 2014: A look back

By Paula Van Brocklin
August 28

Campus comes alive each August with new and returning students, and this year is no exception. But that doesn't mean the summer break was mundane. In fact, history was made on Aug. 7 when President Steven Leath announced his decision to discontinue Veishea, supporting the recommendations of the 2014 Veishea Task Force. Leath established the task force following an April 8 ruckus in Campustown that caused property damage and personal injury.

Here's a look at some of the summer's other top news stories.

Faculty and administrative changes

• ISU alum Megan Landolt became President Leath's assistant for communications in late April. She previously was a television producer with KCCI-TV in Des Moines.
• Teresa McLaughlin, director of Reiman Gardens, announced in May that she is leaving her position to run the Nature Connects LEGO exhibit, a position that will drive revenue to the gardens. She will remain director until her replacement is named.
• Adam Schwartz took over as director of the U. S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory on June 2. Previously, he was a division leader at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif.
• Katharine Johnson Suski became Iowa State's director of admissions on July 8. She had been director of admissions at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
• Employees in the ISU Research Foundation and Office of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer have temporarily relocated from the Lab of Mechanics offices to the State Avenue office building, south of U.S. Highway 30. The group will move to Iowa State's new economic development building in the ISU research park in 2016.
• Lisa Shimkat became the statewide director for the Iowa Small Business Development Center on Aug. 18. She had been a regional director for the organization, based in Fort Dodge.
• Olivia Madison announced in late June that she is stepping down as library dean on Sept. 1. She will join the provost's office as a special assistant supporting Iowa State's Higher Learning Commission accreditation review.

Construction update

• Sweeney Hall sustained extensive smoke and water damage as the result of a fire in the building's mechanical penthouse on May 30. No one was injured. The building reopened on July 21, but some equipment repair or replacement continues this semester. 
  

  Biorenewables complex

• Marston Hall is closed for a $24.1 million renovation. Employees have temporarily relocated to buildings across campus until spring semester 2016, when Marston is expected to reopen. 
• Construction began in July on Jack Trice Stadium's $46 million project to enclose the south end zone with permanent upper and lower seating.
• Faculty and staff moved into Elings and Sukup halls in July. The two buildings house the agricultural and biosystems engineering department, and complete the biorenewables complex.
• The Farm House Museum closed on July 1 for several remodeling projects, including updates to windows and wallpaper. The museum is scheduled to reopen later this fall.
• Troxel Hall earned LEED Gold certification, the second-highest level in the green building rating system, making it Iowa State's eighth LEED-certified building.
• Work wrapped up on the $3.23 million renovation of MacKay Hall's auditorium, vestibule and welcome center just in time for the start of fall semester.

Technology improvements

• A $4 million wireless network upgrade to academic and student areas began this summer and will take about two years to complete.
• Better support for faculty during classroom changeovers and streamlined access to electronic learning tools are among likely outcomes of an IT needs assessment report.
• An upgraded version of the MyState mobile app was launched this summer, giving students, faculty and staff upgraded digital tools in the palms of their hands.
• A revamped lost-and-found website provides new tools to help campus regulars and visitors reunite with their lost possessions.
• PeopleAdmin 7.0, Iowa State's online classification and hiring system, was upgraded this summer, streamlining the hiring process for both managers and job applicants.

Good to know

• Check out Iowa State "by the numbers," with stats on new students and faculty, housing and the all-important food trucks (now up to five) on campus. 
  

  Horticulture farm

• Iowa State saw another year of record summer enrollment with 11,530 students, a 2.6 percent increase over last summer.
• A new website allows the campus community to purchase fruits and vegetables grown on Iowa State's horticulture farm near Gilbert.
• Transportation services may now upfit vehicles it leases to Iowa State departments. Options are extensive and could include snowplow blades, running boards, canoe racks or whatever makes employees more efficient.

Cyclone Cinema fall season opens tonight

By Anne Krapfl
August 28

You'll see your share of superheroes in this fall's edition of the Student Union Board's Cyclone Cinema. The feature film series opens tonight with two showings of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (7 and 10 p.m., Carver Hall auditorium). The fall lineup includes three other Marvel comics characters: Spiderman, the X-Men and Transformers; as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Prepare for action, dude!

Each week, the film series offers eight showings of one title over four nights, Thursday through Sunday. The 'oldest' film was released in theaters in April; the most recent hits theaters in mid-September -- and then the Cyclone screen on Dec. 4. (An 11th-hour substitution, the original Ice Age animated feature from 2002, is the exception.) Films start on time, so plan accordingly.

The public is welcome and admission is free -- but bring a few dollars for treats. Popcorn (kettle or buttered) and candy are $2; bottled soda and water are $1.

Cyclone Cinema fall lineup

• Aug. 28-31, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (rated PG-13), starring Chris Evans, Samuel Jackson
• Sept. 4-7, Ice Age: Sub-Zero Heroes (PG), animated, voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary
• Sept. 11-14, The Fault in Our Stars (PG-13), Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort
• Sept. 18-21, Neighbors (R), Seth Rogen, Zac Efron
• Sept. 25-28, The Amazing Spiderman 2 (PG-13), Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone
• Oct. 2-5, Maleficent (PG), Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning
• Oct. 9-12, 22 Jump Street (R), Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum
• Oct. 16-19, X-Men: Days of Future Past (PG-13), Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman
• Oct. 23-26, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (PG-13), Gary Oldman, Andy Serkis
• Oct. 30-Nov. 2, Transformers: Age of Extinction (PG-13), Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci
• Nov. 6-9, Guardians of the Galaxy (PG-13), Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana
• Nov. 13-16, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (PG-13), Megan Fox, Will Arnett
• *Nov. 20-21, The Grand Budapest Hotel (R), Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham
• Nov. 27-30, no film due to Thanksgiving break
• Dec. 4-7, The Maze Runner (PG-13), Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario

   *Thursday-Friday showings only, due to start of Thanksgiving break