Announcements
November 2024
Nominate student employee, student employee supervisor for ISU award
The office of student financial aid seeks nominations through Jan. 31, 2025, for two 2024-25 awards. Follow each link for more information about the award criteria and nomination form.
- Student Employee of the Year. Recognize the outstanding efforts of hourly undergraduate student employees who are making a difference as leaders and innovators in their roles.
- Student Employee Supervisor of the Year (in partnership with university human resources). Recognize the exceptional supervisors of hourly student employees for their mentorship and professionalism.
Workday Student appreciation reception is Dec. 5
Academic advisors, faculty and student support staff involved in the Workday Student transition during the last year are invited to an appreciation event on Thursday, Dec. 5 (11 a.m.-noon, first floor, Beardshear Hall) hosted by the Workday implementation leadership team. Light refreshments will be served.
Forestry club will sell holiday trees, wreaths in December
The forestry club will sell Christmas trees ($65-$110 depending on height and variety) and wreaths ($25-$35) in the Reiman Gardens parking lot on weekends in early December. Cash, check and card are accepted payment. Tree varieties are Korean fir, balsam fir, Canaan fir and white pine. Questions may be directed to club member Delaney Graef. Sale hours are:
- Friday, Dec. 6 and 13, 3-6 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 1, Saturday, Dec. 7 and 14, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 8 and 15, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Nominate your university job supervisor for award
Student employees of the university are invited to nominate their supervisor for the Student Employee Supervisor of the Year award, given jointly by the office of student financial aid and university human resources. The award recognizes mentorship and professionalism in employees who supervise hourly student employees. Nominations are due Jan. 31, 2025. More information, including the award criteria and nomination form, is online.
Dog wash is Nov. 23 at Vet Med campus
Iowa State's chapter of Omega Tau Sigma veterinary professional fraternity will hold its fall dog wash on Saturday, Nov. 23 (8 a.m.-2 p.m., Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine). The service includes a basic wash, towel dry and combing. Nail trims are available for $5 with a wash ($7 without). Prices are (add $5 for matted hair):
- Small dog (under 30 lbs), $12
- Medium dog (30-60 lbs), $14
- Large dog (60-90 lbs), $16
- Giant dog (over 90 lbs), $18
Schedule your appointment by calling 515-294-4900, or stopping by the front desk at the small animal hospital.
Digital accessibility team will host monthly training
The information technology services digital accessibility team will host the first in a monthly Siteimprove webinar series on Nov. 14 (10 a.m., register online). This month's topic is getting started with Siteimprove, the web accessibility checker software.
The schedule is (all webinars begin at 10 a.m.):
- Nov. 14: Getting started with Siteimprove.
- Dec. 12: Connecting your CMS, using Page Inspector and identifying issues.
- Jan. 16, 2025: Quick Fixes: Understanding digital certainty.
- Feb. 13: Best practices: Building accessible sites and preventing issues.
- March 13: Diving into reports: Customizing and presenting.
- April 17: PDF accessibility and Siteimprove's PDF tools.
- May 15: Deep dive into accessibility: Reading order, containers, ARIA labels and more.
Each session will conclude with a 15-minute Q&A. A captioned recording and transcript will be provided after each session. To request disability accommodations, or for additional questions or support, email digitalaccess@iastate.edu.
Chef Freddie Bitsoie to lecture, cook on campus
ISU Dining will co-sponsor a campus visit by renowned chef Freddie Bitsoie Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 18-19. During his Monday public lecture, Native American Cuisine, Foods and the Way of Life (6 p.m., MU Great Hall, free), Bitsoie will discuss a cultural progression of Native American foods. On Tuesday, in collaboration with Chef Bitsoie, ISU Dining will showcase a special menu of Native American-inspired dishes at Friley Windows dining center (3-7 p.m.). The cost of the meal is $15 (dining locations are cashless). Bitsoie's menu features:
- New Mexican green chile corn chowder
- Three Sisters Salad
- Wild rice salad
- Navajo sumac seared steak with juniper sauce
- Chocolate pumpkin bread pudding
"ISU Dining is excited to welcome Chef Freddie Bitsoie into our kitchen as we learn the cultural history behind these inspired dishes," said Paige Ermer, associate director of residential dining. "All are welcome to learn and enjoy."
Benefits open enrollment closes Nov. 22
Benefits-eligible employees are reminded that the annual open enrollment window for 2025 health, dental and pharmacy plans, as well as voluntary benefits (flex spending accounts, vision benefit) closes at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22. Find lots of useful information on the benefits open enrollment website, then complete your enrollment in Workday (follow the tile in announcements).
Purchase tickets to December light show in advance
Tickets are on sale for Reiman Gardens' Winter Wonderscape and must be purchased online in advance. The holiday light show happens Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings (5-9 p.m.) Dec. 5-28, plus Monday, Dec. 23. Tickets, $16 ($14 for member adults and ISU students; $7 for youth 2-12 years) are sold in half-hour time increments from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Once guests enter during their ticketed time slot, they're welcome to stay as long as they wish (the gardens close at 9 p.m. during this event).
Two ISU beers available at the M-Shop
The M-Shop venue in the Memorial Union has started serving locally crafted beer made by Iowa State students in the Brewing Lab, Food Sciences Building. The available beers on tap are Trainwreck Pilsner and ISU Lager.
Postcard prints exhibition returns to College of Design
The University Print Society's 24th Postcard Print Exchange Exhibition will be on view Nov. 18-Dec. 6 in Gallery 181 on the first floor of the College of Design. The show features 170 postcards touching on this year's theme of "Insects and Their Environment." It will showcase postcards from Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New York, Ohio and Texas, as well as international postcards from Belgium, Canada, England, South Korea and the Netherlands. A public reception with light refreshments will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 19 (5-6:30 p.m., Gallery 181).
Workshop will cover the basics of machine learning and artificial intelligence
IT Services' high performance computing (HPC) group will host a free virtual workshop, "Introduction to Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence with High Performance Computing," on Wednesday, Nov. 20 (6-7 p.m., register to receive the link). Taught in collaboration with the university's Translational AI Center, the workshop will cover the basics of machine learning and artificial intelligence and provide hands-on examples using the Iowa State HPC cluster. Attendees will gain a foundation that enables them to learn more about ML/AI and its applications on their own. Experience with Python is recommended. For more information about the HPC workshop series, email hpc-help@iastate.edu.
Academic advising fall summit is Dec. 13
The University Academic Advising Committee will host its annual fall summit on Friday, Dec. 13 (8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Memorial Union). All those who serve in an undergraduate academic advising capacity (faculty and P&S staff) are welcome. Registration is free and requested by Dec. 6 (register by Nov. 18 to receive a special T-shirt gift).
November innovation lunch speaker is Jim Oliver
The November edition of the Innovation Impact Lunch Club will feature Student Innovation Center director Jim Oliver. It will meet on Friday, Nov. 22 (11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m., training room, ISU Economic Development Core Facility, 1805 Collaboration Pl.). Learn more about how Oliver and his team engage students and external stakeholders in the state-of-the-art facility. The free series is hosted by ISU's office of economic development and industry relations especially for its faculty and staff partners but open to all. Lunch is provided; RSVPs are requested to Stacy Dreyer.
Research project management group meets Dec. 10
The Research Project Management Council, supported by the office of the vice president for research, will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10 (2 p.m. via Zoom, register to receive the link). The council is open to all P&S staff who manage sponsored research projects or programs. Even if you can't attend this event, project/program managers are asked to register so council leaders have your information for future opportunities.
The council is a collaborative forum to recognize and enhance the role of research project management at the university. It brings together project management professionals to share best practices, address common challenges and foster a supportive network that advances the success of research initiatives. The group's direction is guided by the needs and priorities of its members, ensuring that the council remains responsive to emerging challenges and opportunities. Contact Nicole Scott or Stacy Renfro with questions.
What's GIS? Learn more at this Nov. 20 event
Iowa State's GIS Support and Research Facility and University Library will host a come-and-go GIS Day 2024 on Wednesday, Nov. 20 (9 a.m.-noon, The Catalyst, 199 Parks Library). All are welcome, from the GIS curious to the GIS user. Learn more about GIS opportunities and programs on campus, and enjoy speakers sharing their research, free swag and food, and a map competition with prizes in two categories.
Help keep SHOP pantry open during fall break
The SHOP food pantry in Beyer Hall is in need of faculty and staff volunteers to maintain its regular service hours during fall break week (Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 25-26). The sign-up form is online; volunteers will receive an email with instructions.
Regents approve 2025-26 faculty development plans
In other Iowa State business at the state Board of Regents meeting Nov. 7:
- The regents approved professional development proposals from 43 ISU faculty (PDF) (see pp. 27-35) during the 2025-26 academic year. The faculty represent all six undergraduate colleges, and their proposals include 33 semester-long plans and 10 for the full academic year.
- President Wendy Wintersteen introduced a new university initiative, "Cyclone Civics," that responds to directive 9 in the board's 2023 directives related to DEI units, positions and programming at Iowa's three regent universities. Cyclone Civics will include a civics literacy program and assessment for students, professional development event for faculty and staff, and a yearlong campus commemoration, "America at 250," beginning fall 2025 and concluding in April 2026.
November concert date set for Goldfinch Room series
The November performance in Stephens Auditorium's Goldfinch Room concert series is the Nashville duo, Goldpine. Married couple Benjamin and Kassie Wilson return to the Goldfinch stage on Sunday, Nov. 17 (5 p.m.). Limited numbers of tables (seating up to four, $40) and general admission seats ($15) are available. C'est la Crêpe, owned by ISU student Mia Nichols, is the food vendor for this performance, offering six different crepes selections.
Workday officially is ISU's system of record
Iowa State's implementation of Workday student and receivables reached an important milestone last week. As of Nov. 1, Workday officially is the system of record with the most current and accurate student information and receivables data. Faculty, staff and students no longer should consult legacy systems for current data; AccessPlus and ADIN will be available for historical purposes only.
Official transcripts now will be generated from Workday. A small set of students have transcript holds in place until all related data is verified. These students still can request an official transcript in Workday; the pending information will be finalized and the transcript then made available.
Flu shots are still available
A limited number of flu vaccinations still are available. Eligible employees can call occupational medicine, Technical and Administrative Services Building, at 294-2056 to schedule an appointment.
New EH&S waste removal request system launches Nov. 18
Environmental Health & Safety is upgrading its waste removal request form to provide a more user-friendly experience for chemical and hazardous waste generators on campus. Effective Monday, Nov. 18, the new system will feature a chemical search function that allows users to search within chemical names. For example, searching "ethyl" will return multiple results like diethyl, poly ethyl, ethyl acetate, etc. Users also will be able to save favorites for waste streams they submit regularly, which is useful when a submittal has a long list of chemicals. Additionally, a user can copy a favorite they created for one laboratory to another within the same building, eliminating the need to create a new request for each laboratory or space. More information, including a video tutorial and operation procedure document, is online.
Council hosts November drive for student food pantry
To support Iowa State students during the university winter break, the Professional and Scientific Council is holding a donation drive for the SHOP food pantry through Friday, Nov. 29. The final pick-up will be Monday, Dec. 2. SHOP's list of needed food items is online, as is the council's list of drop-off locations for this drive.
Bookstore's appreciation event is Nov. 14
Thursday, Nov. 14 (4-7 p.m.) is the semi-annual Cyclone Appreciation Day at the ISU Book Store. Enjoy free popcorn and one-day deals on clothing, gifts and technology. Local businesses will have booths throughout the store with free samples and drawings for prizes.
Confirm winter, spring teaching assignments, then submit course material requests
Faculty who will teach a winter 2024 session or spring 2025 semester course are asked to submit all materials needed for class -- textbooks, courseware, e-books, course packets, subscriptions, immediate access digital course materials and supplies (Design, lab, personal protective equipment, technology, etc.) as soon as their teaching assignment is confirmed. Include courses for which there are no textbook requirements or when open educational resources (OER) will be used. These lists should be submitted to your department academic coordinator. Instructors also may submit their own materials via Verba Collect.
The bookstore team provides custom book lists to students after course registration. Textbook and course material requirements can be found online. Contact Emma Hartman, 294-0362, with questions, or visit the ISU Book Store's Course Material Adoptions website.
For undergraduate courses, most required textbooks, e-books, courseware and course packets will be part of Immediate Access ONE, a one-program, one-price, day-one access program where students receive their required books for one flat rate. For more information, contact immediateaccess@iastate.edu.
Recognize a P&S colleague with a CYtation award
Nominations for Professional and Scientific Council CYtation Awards are being accepted through Dec. 2. Four different awards recognize an employee or employees for a job well done: CYtation Award, Woodin CYtation Award, CYtation Team Award and Outstanding P&S Councilor CYtation Award. A detailed explanation of each, including who is eligible and nomination instructions, is available on the P&S Council website.
Gymnastics season ticket available for $20
The Cyclone gymnastics team will compete five times at Hilton Coliseum during January and February. A $20 general admission season ticket ($4 per event) is on sale now; single meet events will go on sale at a later date.
