A scorching start

August 29

Students attending fall classes Monday and Tuesday were welcomed by an estimated 175 employee volunteers who answered questions, offered directions and plied them with fresh fruit and cold water. Unusually warm back-to-school weather turned the five Iowa State welcome tents into true oases. Photo by Bob Elbert.

President's annual address is set for Sept. 13

By Anne Krapfl
August 29

The university community is invited to President Steven Leath's annual address on Friday, Sept. 13 (8:15 a.m.) in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Leath will review university achievements over the past year and share his priorities and goals for the 2013-14 academic year. Government of the Student Body President Spencer Hughes will introduce Leath.

Coffee and other refreshments will be available at 8 a.m. Particularly for the benefit of employees who work off campus, a live video stream of Leath's talk will be available from the president's website.

Parking project incorporates storm water management

By Erin Rosacker
August 29

With the addition of six apartment buildings in Frederiksen Court comes parking needs for more residents. Facilities planning and management staff capitalized on that need by integrating storm water management solutions within the former pasture on the east side of Haber Road. Work began this month on a 500-space parking lot and green space improvements and should wrap up in November. This week, crews are moving soil from water retention areas and compacting it on the parking lot site.

Mark Huss, assistant director of facilities planning and management, said storm water management is a major component of the project that utilizes the existing pasture to help alleviate erosion issues into Squaw Creek. He said the work being done in the former horse pasture will leave the green space in better environmental shape.

"The site is being reshaped to create storm water retention areas that will control large rain events and promote water infiltration into the aquifer," Huss said. "This storm water management system will control the locations where water enters the creek, will slow down and reduce the flow and will promote water infiltration."

Student input

An Iowa State landscape architecture studio class, led by associate professor Mimi Wagner, developed the initial concept for the project. Outdoor classroom and experiential learning activities are part of the site's future use.

"One teaching activity that happens in this area involves some of the existing trees," Huss said. "The design of the storm water management system considered the importance of these trees and preserved them."

High and dry

During the most recent major flood, water from Squaw Creek filled much of the former pasture area. But the project's storm water management and parking lot grade should keep residents' cars high and dry.

"The parking lot is not being constructed in the flood way, but will be in an area that is affected by major flood events. The surface of the parking lot will be above the recent high-water levels," Huss said.

The $1.25 million project includes a new bike path along Haber Road. The concrete parking lot -- which measures about 650-by-300 feet -- is scheduled to open for spring semester with the last four new apartment buildings.

Ames Laboratory director search is under way

By Rob Schweers, Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost
August 29

The search committee tasked with finding the next director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory has begun its work. Mufit Akinc, professor of materials science and engineering; and Cynthia Jenks, assistant director for scientific planning and division director of chemical and biological sciences in the Ames Laboratory, are the group's co-chairs.

The search committee currently is advertising the position, with an application deadline of Oct. 9. The interview process will begin in late fall. The committee held two open forums this summer to solicit feedback on the search and to encourage nominations.

Jenks said the committee is looking for both internal and external candidates and already has more than 50 nominations from the laboratory and Iowa State community.

"We continue to develop a strong pool of candidates through advertising and by networking with our peers in the Department of Energy, national labs and other research universities," she said.

Joining Akinc and Jenks on the search committee are:

• Iver Anderson, scientist, Ames Laboratory, and adjunct professor of materials science and engineering
• Matt Besser, assistant scientist, Ames Laboratory
• Paul Canfield, faculty scientist, Ames Laboratory, and distinguished professor of physics and astronomy
• Matt Kramer, scientist and division director of materials sciences and engineering, Ames Laboratory, and adjunct professor of materials science and engineering
• Breehan Lucchesi, communications specialist, Ames Laboratory
• Diane Muncrief, personnel officer, Ames Laboratory
• Jake Petrich, faculty scientist, Ames Laboratory, and professor of chemistry
• Marek Pruski, scientist, Ames Laboratory, and adjunct professor of chemistry
• Beate Schmittmann, dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and professor of physics and astronomy
• Andrea Spiker, manager, purchasing and property services, Ames Laboratory
• Theresa Windus, faculty scientist, Ames Laboratory, and professor of chemistry

Julie Johnston, executive assistant in the provost's office, will provide support to the committee.

"The Ames Laboratory is a world leader in materials development and computational chemistry," said senior vice president and provost Jonathan Wickert. "The lab has a history of innovative leadership -- it's in great shape right now, and I'm confident we'll find a new leader who will take the lab to even greater heights."

The next director will succeed Alex King, who left the position in May to lead the laboratory's new Critical Materials Institute, a five-year, $120 million program to address the shortage of rare-earth materials critical for U.S. energy security. Tom Lograsso, Ames Lab division director of materials sciences and engineering and an adjunct professor of materials science and engineering, is serving as interim director.

The laboratory, one of the DOE's 10 Office of Science labs, is administered by the university under contract. Many of its scientists and administrators also hold Iowa State academic appointments, most notably in the departments of physics and astronomy, chemistry and materials science and engineering.

UBS textbook site offers Half, Amazon price comparisons

By Diana Pounds
August 29

Put a textbook title into University Book Store's online site and, as expected, you'll see UBS' prices for new and used versions of the book. What you might not expect to see are Amazon.com and Half.com's prices for the same textbook.

The bookstore's handy textbook comparison tool may not be familiar to many faculty and staff.  But students have been using it since fall 2011. The UBS site allows them to compare textbook prices, click on the best bargains and buy a semester's worth of books in the time it would have taken students of earlier eras to walk to the bookstore.

"It's convenient for students and it's saving them money," said UBS book division manager Heather Dean. "That's really important to us."

The price-comparing website also appears to be a win-win for all three booksellers involved.

Competing

It helps UBS compete in a market that includes Internet giants like Amazon. The Verba software that powers the bookstore website monitors prices on the dot-coms and helps UBS keep its prices competitive.

"We're not always going to be the cheapest or the most expensive," Dean said. "But we're competitive with the marketplace."

She added that UBS has an 85 percent "win-rate" with students, meaning that 85 percent of items are purchased through the UBS site rather than the online retailers. Statistics show that when the bookstore's price is within $10 of Amazon or Half's price, UBS generally “wins” the purchase.

That’s important, Dean says, as UBS is owned and operated by Iowa State University and is a self-operating entity that receives no state-funding.

The local store has advantages. Local returns are faster. There are more payment options (U-Bill, CyCash). UBS carries all course materials, including offering 800-1000 rental titles and 200-300 ebook titles each semester.

However, Amazon and Half like the cost-comparing website, as well, Dean said. They even provide a small commission to the bookstore for textbooks sold on the site.

How the textbook site works

• A student gets a class list and book list through AccessPlus.  The book list is fed directly into the UBS textbook site from AccessPlus.  Or the student can go to the bookstore website, www.isubookstore.com, and manually select books.
• For each textbook, the screen displays price lists from UBS, Amazon and Half. Generally, there are many options for new, used, rental, and ebooks. .
• The student selects a book with the usual "add to cart" button. Items from UBS, Amazon and Half all can be added to their individual carts.
• Once all selections have been made, the student selects the "checkout" button.
• If the student has purchased from more than one store, for example, Amazon and UBS, he or she will need to complete payment for each during checkout.
• Books are delivered to the address specified by the student. Delivery fees vary by the seller. UBS charges $7.99 for ground shipping, or students can purchase in-store.

Federal requirements on textbook selections

The convenient price-comparison tool for students is one good reason for instructors to get textbook requirements to UBS in early March for summer and fall terms, and early October for spring term. Another is federal compliance. The Higher Education Opportunity Act requires universities to publish, prior to class registration, a list of all required and recommended textbooks and their costs. The UBS handles this requirement by collecting and publishing fall and summer semester titles in March and spring titles in October.

Enrollment, student demand fuels growth for online courses

By Angie Hunt, News Service
August 29

Instead of walking across campus to attend class in a lecture hall this fall, a growing number of Iowa State students will log on from home, the library or even a coffee shop. The university continues to offer more online undergraduate and graduate courses to meet the demands of record enrollment and student preferences.

"The student experience is different than what it was 20 years ago," said Tom Brumm, professor in charge of online learning for the colleges of Engineering and Liberal Arts and Sciences. "Students have a lot of other things going on in their lives; they're working jobs, some of them have families, they're parttime or fulltime. So the flexibility that online learning gives them is tremendous."

Much of the growth in online learning includes students who are taking a mix of courses on campus and online. Enrollment among ISU students taking a combination of courses increased by nearly 40 percent in fiscal year 2012 and enrollment in online-only classes jumped by more than 25 percent. In response, Iowa State increased online courses for undergraduates by nearly 30 percent and graduate students by 3 percent during that same time.

Online courses make it easier for students to get the classes they need to fit their schedule and help keep class sizes from growing by increasing capacity beyond classroom limitations. However, it is the goal of the provost's office to make sure all students are engaged in face-to-face courses that provide interaction and hands-on experience, said David Holger, associate provost for academic programs.

"I think some of the biggest potential for online learning, for traditional students, is in the realm of using technology to enhance a face-to-face class," Holger said. "Instead of having three large lectures a week, you might have one large face-to-face lecture, augmented by the equivalent of a lecture in some online material, and then a third meeting that might be some kind of smaller group, active-learning session."

Holger sees the greatest potential for growth in online-only programs targeted at working professionals and graduate students. Iowa State currently offers 20 online master's degree programs and more than 15 graduate certificates. While there is demand for online courses, Holger said now is not the time to expand online degree options for undergraduates. Instead, Iowa State needs to provide adequate courses for existing online and on-campus programs that all are experiencing record enrollment, he said.

"We've got such a huge demand right now from 18-to-25-year-old students for our bachelor's degrees. It would surprise me if those students all of a sudden say, 'No, what I gain in personal development outside class isn't worth it,'" Holger said. "For them, the personal maturation and personal development that happens outside class is as important as what happens inside class and you can't do that online."

The best of both worlds

Iowa State faculty and staff are incorporating online learning in ways that do not require a complete transformation, by shifting to blended and flipped classes to improve student learning and outcomes. This gives professors the flexibility to use technology best suited for the course material and the makeup of the class. For example, in a flipped class, a professor would post all lectures and course materials online for students to review outside of class and then spend class time working on assignments, group discussions or team-based activities. In a blended class, lectures and information are presented both online and in the traditional classroom setting.

"It's moving from that sage on the stage, to the guide on the side. This is a new world; we are not the sages on the stage anymore," said Brumm, who added that this approach does not work for every course. "It depends on the situation and the class, but there are some real opportunities for better learning or different learning online that sometimes we don't have face-to-face."

Regardless of how the class is structured and delivered, providing students with a quality education still is the top priority. Faculty members invest the same amount of time and energy in a course, whether it is online or face-to-face.

"Our overarching philosophy is to infuse instruction across the institution with different kinds of technology, in ways tailored to each discipline, to augment individual courses and entire degree programs," said Jonathan Wickert, senior vice president and provost. "Our faculty care deeply about the student experience, and they are increasingly using online instruction to enhance the quality of their courses and improve access."

To accommodate the needs of faculty and students in flipped classes, the university recently renovated several more classrooms and installed new technology. This makes it easier to reconfigure the classroom, if needed, so students can work in small groups. The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) also works with faculty to offer guidance in adapting new technology.

"It doesn't have to be a monumental leap. You can take a course to a blended platform incrementally, so faculty can begin to infuse small amounts of technology into the presentation of the class. Over a period of three years or so, they could phase in small pieces of technology," said Ralph Napolitano, CELT associate director of online learning.

Assessing value and outcomes

It is Napolitano's charge to track use and evaluate the impact of online technology on student learning at Iowa State. His goal is to develop a method that will be a model for other colleges and universities. Assessment will be similar to the way face-to-face courses are evaluated for quality and outcomes and a coordinated effort among colleges and departments. 

There already is evidence of how online technology is working to improve student performance even in large lecture classes. In a presentation to the state Board of Regents earlier this month, Napolitano explained how changes to college algebra and trigonometry courses resulted in a 20 percent decline in the number of students either earning a D, failing or dropping the classes over the course of two academic years.

Associate professor of math Timothy McNicholl headed the effort to streamline the courses and coordinate exams, quizzes and homework so that all homework is completed online and at the same time across multiple sections. McNicholl said students benefit from being on the same page as their friends in other sections.

"We know a lot of learning takes place through social interaction between students. So when everybody is doing the same problems every week, it gives more opportunities for students to compare notes on the homework and talk about what they're doing," McNicholl said.

Because all homework assignments are completed online, McNicholl said students get immediate feedback on homework instead of waiting several days for assignments to be graded. The coordination also guarantees students in all sections of the course have completed the same material by the end of the semester. Class lectures are posted on Blackboard, an online learning management system, so students in a traditional or online course can review the material. Faculty also can post reminders about exams or assignments on Blackboard, which has proven to be helpful.

"Using the technology to communicate with students really seems to work, especially as far as getting the students to keep up with their homework," McNicholl said.

By working with faculty to better understand what tools work best in the classroom, Napolitano wants to develop an online learning approach that focuses on value, reach and service.

"We don't want to use technology simply because it's available," Napolitano said. "But the more tools that are available, the more likely we are to find the right match to enhance student learning and success."

Employee vanpools have open seats

By Anne Krapfl
August 29

All six of Iowa State's employee vanpools are opening the academic year with a vacant seat or two. If your work schedule is fairly consistent and you'd like to reduce commuting expenses, consider joining a vanpool, organized by ISU's transportation services.

Here are details on the six:

Community	Employees' work schedule	Monthly cost	Stops
Ankeny	7:30-4	$75	(1) Near Delaware Ave  and 1st St
Boone	7:30-4	$60	Home pickup
Des Moines	7:30-4	$80	(3) Follows I-235 corridor: Valley West Dr, 42nd St, Iowa Events Center
Roland	7:30-4	$90	Home pickup
Story City	7:30-4	$50	Home pickup
West Des Moines	8-5	$90	(3) Follows I-80/35 corridor: University  Ave in Clive, 86th St in Johnston, SE Convenience Blvd in Ankeny

 

The monthly fee, which is deducted from employees' paychecks, covers fuel, insurance, parking and weekly vehicle service at transportation services. Variables in the rates reflect fuel consumption and size of the vanpool. The fee is waived for the vanpool's primary driver.

Vanpool riders receive 10 daily parking passes per calendar year for personal use when their work schedule varies and they're unable to ride in their vanpool. They also are guaranteed a ride home in the case of illness or a family emergency.

Transportation services manager Kathy Wellik said there is some interest in a Marshalltown vanpool (including the Highway 30 communities between there and Ames). Contact Wellik, 4-1657, for more information on any of the vanpools.

A look back at summer 2013

By Paula Van Brocklin
August 29

The students are back, and you're probably getting reacquainted with your work routine. As you settle in, take a minute to read about some of the summer's top news stories from around campus.

Faculty and administrative changes

• David Spalding became the Raisbeck Endowed Dean of the College of Business on Aug. 1.
• Martino Harmon was named associate vice president for student affairs in May. His start date is early September.
• Michael Crum, holder of the Ruan Chair in Supply Chain Management, became senior policy adviser on economic development to President Steven Leath on Aug. 1.
• John Schuh, ISU Distinguished Professor emeritus of educational leadership and policy studies, became director of the School of Education for up to two years on July 1.
• Deb Sellers, Kansas State University, became associate dean in the College of Human Sciences and director of Human Sciences Extension and Outreach on July 22.
• Arun Somani, an Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in the electrical and computer engineering department, became associate dean for research in the College of Engineering on July 1.
• Cathy Kling, Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture and Life Sciences, professor of economics and interim director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, was named director of the center on July 2.
• Shirley Knipfel (PDF), assistant to the president, became transparency officer for Iowa State on Aug. 12.

Construction update

• Troxel Hall -- The 400-seat general university classroom is finished and welcomed students on the first day of fall semester, Aug. 26. The building's official dedication is Aug. 30.
• Harl Commons -- The new student-centered space in Curtiss Hall is slated to open Sept. 3. It features two locations for student meetings, a public computer bank, lounge seating, study tables, restrooms and The Global Café. Staff offices for the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are located on the mezzanine level.
• Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center  -- The $7.3 million facility, featuring a 1,000-seat arena, classrooms and a conference room, should be completed by the end of fall semester.  It is located on Mortensen Road, south of the Towers residence halls.
• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Building -- Work continues on this large project, which will add office and laboratory wings to the site adjacent to the Biorenewables Laboratory and connect the three buildings with an atrium. The new buildings should be enclosed this fall. Move in will begin next summer, with occupancy expected in fall 2014.

Campus happenings

• New telephones -- You've probably noticed that you have a new telephone on your desk. Over the summer, crews installed about 8,000 new telephones in offices and units across campus. The new phones, which employ cloud computing, are less costly than the previous ones and offer a plethora of new features.
• Large class continuous improvement plan requirement -- Iowa law mandates that courses at the three state Board of Regents universities with more than 300 students must implement a continuous improvement plan. This impacts 167 courses at Iowa State this fall.
• Humanities salaries get a boost -- President Steven Leath, provost Jonathan Wickert and Liberal Arts and Sciences dean Beate Schmittmann allocated $450,000, collectively, toward FY14 salaries and benefits for faculty in six departments. The allocations, which are permanent, are intended to bring the average salaries of tenured and tenure-track Iowa State humanities faculty closer to peer salaries at other institutions.
• Summer enrollment sets a record -- A record 11,233 students enrolled in summer session at Iowa State this year. That's a 4 percent increase over last summer's enrollment.
• Campus prepares for record fall enrollment -- For many Iowa State departments, summer is among the busiest times of the year. Add to that a record incoming freshman class and an estimated overall enrollment of approximately 32,000, and it's been all hands on deck to prepare for fall.

For your convenience

• Food trucks offer more lunch options -- Iowa State's food truck pilot over the summer was so successful that three more trucks have been added to the fleet. Vendors and locations are Finley's Curbside Beastro, intersection of Stange Road and Osborn Drive; Smokin' G's BBQ, southeast side of Bessey Hall; Battle's BBQ, Carver Hall courtyard; and Indian Delights, west of Marston Hall.
• Water-filling stations -- Touchless water stations, devices that sense your water bottle under the spigot and deliver fast fill-ups, were introduced in four campus locations over the summer. Stations are in State Gym, Lied Center, Bergstrom Indoor Training Facility and Friley Hall.
• Self-service bike station -- Campus bikers can air their tires and make repairs at a free bike station strategically placed near the bike rack on the Memorial Union's west side. The stainless steel station includes a mount that lifts bikes up for easy access, and provides eight bicycle tools and a tire pump. 

Flu shot clinic planned for Oct. 7-18

By Paula Van Brocklin
August 29

It still feels like summer, but flu season will be here before you know it.

Occupational medicine staff will administer flu shots at no cost to employees (while supplies last) weekdays from Oct. 7 to Oct. 18 (10 a.m.-4 p.m., 205 Technical Administrative Service Facility). No appointment is necessary. Be sure to bring your ISU ID card or your university ID number to the shot clinic. There is limited parking in front of TASF.

Flu shots will be provided at no cost for these employee groups:

• Faculty
• Merit
• Professional and scientific
• University Child Care
• Miscellaneous affiliate employees enrolled in ISU health plans (ISU Foundation, Iowa State Daily, Greek house directors). Some affiliate organizations will need to pay for their participating employees' vaccinations.
• Retirees on university health plans who are not yet 65

Students, post docs and visiting scholars are not eligible to receive flu shots at the clinic. These individuals should contact the Theilen Student Health Center, 4-5801, for flu vaccine information.

Employees are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible during the specified October time frame. For more information, call 4-0874.

First Cyclone warning hits this weekend

By Erin Rosacker
August 29

Even if you don't have tickets to the Cyclone football team's sold-out season opener against the University of Northern Iowa Saturday, there still are plenty of reasons to wear your cardinal and gold this weekend. Here are some options.

Friday, Aug. 30

CyDay Fridays are back for home football Fridays (and one Thursday, prior to the Oct. 3 game vs. Texas). If you're caught wearing Iowa State apparel near Cy's perch (locations announced on Thursdays via ISU's Facebook page) or spotted by the roving Pride Patrol, you may earn a free water bottle or T-shirt. If you need to buy some Cyclone gear, the University Book Store will post a specially discounted product on its Facebook page each CyDay Friday.

Friday Afternoon in Campustown (FAC), 4-8 p.m., 200 block of Welch Avenue. Admission is free and includes a performance by Standing Hampton (70s, 80s and 90s rock cover band) and a beer garden for those 21 and older.

Saturday, Aug. 31

Cyclone Central Tailgate, Alumni Center, 4-6:30 p.m. Beverages and merchandise are available for purchase; admission is free. The Cyclone marching band will perform on the steps of the building 80 minutes prior to kickoff, weather permitting.

Football vs. UNI, 7 p.m., Jack Trice Stadium. The game is sold out, but there is no charge for the Cyclone Experience, located outside the stadium gates (4-6:30 p.m., between lots 85E and S8), or the Spirit Walk. The Cyclone Experience offers family-friendly games, attractions and activities, including autograph sessions with Iowa State student-athletes. Fans are encouraged to line up along the Spirit Walk route to support the football team as it walks from the buses (parked on South Fourth Street) to the Bergstrom Football Complex prior to the game.

Cy's Locker Room has merchandise for sale in a tent on the north side of the Olsen Building, and -- new this year -- an adjacent HyVee Express (PDF) location has tailgate items such as cups, plates, ice, grilling necessities and snacks.

Sunday, Sept. 1

Soccer vs. Minnesota, 1 p.m., Cyclone Sports Complex. Admission is free. The Cyclones improved to 3-0 this season with a home-opening win over Western Illinois Tuesday.