Hump day treat

November 12

Photo by Christopher Gannon.

Juniors Sam Swift (left), biology, and Krista Naaktgeboren, animal science, chat over ice cream Wednesday in Kildee Hall. The Dairy Science Club sells eight-ounce cups of ice cream for $1 each week (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) near the north doors to Lush Auditorium. Club members typically prepare up to a half dozen flavors for sale. This week's menu featured vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, Oreo, Reeses and Butterfinger flavors.

Proceeds help pay for club activities, including conference registration and public education events.

Stategic plan pace quickens

By Diana Pounds
November 12

The six subcommittees that will work on key components of Iowa State's next strategic plan have been assembled from a list of nearly 200 nominees.

The subcommittees were built by the Strategic Planning Steering Committee and announced this week by Steve Freeman, steering committee chair and University Professor of agriculture and biosystems engineering.

"The steering committee recognized that not every interested person or group could be represented on each subcommittee," Freeman said. "However, the committee worked to ensure that every subcommittee includes faculty, staff and students; embodies the diversity of the university community (and, where appropriate, external stakeholders) and contains expertise related to the subcommittee's work."

First forum next week

The new subcommittee members will be on task quickly. The first of two input-gathering public forums is next Wednesday. Faculty, staff and students are invited to share their thoughts on any of the subcommittees' six areas of focus at either forum:

• Wednesday, Nov. 18 (noon-1:30 p.m.), Memorial Union Oak Room
• Tuesday, Dec. 1 (4:30-6 p.m.), Memorial Union Oak Room

Each subcommittee is charged with developing by Feb. 26 specific, measurable actions to support its focus. There are five areas of focus:

• Enhancing the student experience
• Enhancing the university's research profile
• Supporting state and regional economic development
• Enhancing the university infrastructure
• Ensuring a welcoming, safe, inclusive environment

The sixth subcommittee will look for creative, out-of-box ideas related to the other five subcommittee areas.

The first draft of the strategic plan should be ready for public review by mid-spring semester 2016. Once input is gathered, the plan will be finalized and submitted for presidential approval by June 1, 2016.

The new plan will span fiscal years 2017 through 2022 (July 1, 2016-June 30, 2022).

Senate approves policy changes for job descriptions

By Erin Rosacker
November 12

The Faculty Senate approved changes to policies and guidelines for faculty position responsibility statements (PRS) Nov. 10 after months of discussion. PRS documents, described in the policy as "a tool that describes the range of responsibilities undertaken by a faculty member," are used in faculty reviews and evaluations.

The policy changes, developed from a February task force report, were introduced as a single motion in April. After continued senate discussion and consideration of submitted feedback from faculty, the motion was broken into four parts for Tuesday's senate meeting. The four motions included changes that:

• Moved the PRS procedures from the "evaluation and review" section (chapter five) of the Faculty Handbook to the "appointment policies and procedures" section (chapter three)
• Included all faculty, not just tenured and tenure-eligible positions, in the dispute mediation policy
• Provided guidelines for creating, reviewing and maintaining up-to-date PRS documents
• Required PRS to contain distribution or proportion of effort for each area of position responsibility

It was the final motion that task force chair Veronica Dark said generated the most feedback from faculty.

"This is the one that addresses the major points of contention in the comments we received and the major points of contention among the senate's executive board," Dark said.

"We have removed some of what the faculty have referred to as inflexibility," she said. "We list examples of areas of responsibility, but faculty and their chairs are free to describe whatever areas of responsibility they believe is needed for an individual's PRS."

Senators voted down multiple motions to delay a vote until December and passed each of the four PRS policy motions nearly unanimously.

More business

Two academic items were introduced and will be voted on next month, including:

• A proposed interdisciplinary undergraduate minor in geographic information science, housed in the College of Design
• A discontinuation of the graduate program in botany, which has not admitted students since a 2003 departmental reorganization

Sky view

November 12

Photo by Christopher Gannon.

Kevin Doyle of campus services wraps a light strand around the top of a 48-foot Norway spruce on central campus Monday afternoon. Mild weather made for ideal conditions to tackle the multi-day job of lighting the university's holiday tree. The tree will be lit for the first time this season on the evening of Dec. 4. 

Flipped, hybrid classes to be showcased at Nov. 19 event

By Anne Krapfl
November 12

Assistant professor of kinesiology Laura Ellingson sought a way to break up a daunting three-hour weekly lecture format for a 400-level elective course. Ecology, evolution and organismal biology professor Arnold Van Der Valk wanted more activity (and less time lost to preparation) during a three-hour 300-level ecology lab and standardized lab materials for students across all 18 lab sections.

Both faculty members received grants last winter to "flip" class content – in which students study readings, videos or other academic content before class, typically online, in order to use class meeting time for more active learning options. Their projects were two of 22 announced last February, supported by $262,000 in awards from the office of the senior vice president and provost and assistance from learning design specialists in the Online Learning Innovation Hub, a service unit of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT). The program's primary aim was to improve students' learning experiences. It also helped a broader effort to ease scheduling demands for classrooms. The program assisted more than 60 faculty working on about 80 courses.

Ellingson, Van Der Valk and faculty from the 20 other flipped or hybrid class projects will be the focus of a showcase event on Thursday, Nov. 19 (2:30-4 p.m., Memorial Union Campanile Room). All are welcome.

Ralph Napolitano, professor of materials science and engineering and CELT associate director for online education, said the projects raised awareness and "paved the way" for nontraditional teaching options.

"The participating faculty have realized their objectives and seen the potential for alternative teaching styles," he said. "This [flipped classes] is just one example of the opportunities when you step away from the traditional lecture system."

What they did

Ellingson developed a series of online lectures (PowerPoint slides with voiceover) and quizzes, and selected readings and videos her 45 students study online. Her goal was to push one hour of material online, preserving the now two-hour class period for discussions about concepts and strategies and team work involving case studies. The change compelled her students to "engage with the material" at least two times a week instead of one and has made class time more interactive, she said. The shorter meeting time allowed the class to be scheduled in the late afternoon rather than its previous 6-9 p.m. slot.

Van Der Valk developed about 10 online modules to prepare hundreds of students for their ecology labs with higher consistency. The modules contain original videos, scientific papers, quizzes and links to relevant videos created by others. He also moved some lecture content into the modules, opening class time for discussion. Students receive the same lab preparation, regardless of their teaching assistant, he said, and come better prepared for the labs, many of which are outdoors.

Nov. 19 showcase event

The 90-minute event features a 45-minute program followed by a poster session and reception. The program will include a five-minute video overview of the grant program, project highlights from three participating faculty and a short panel discussion by three undergraduates enrolled this semester in courses with flipped content.

Asked to focus on outcomes and the impact on student learning, the three faculty presenters are:

• Jackie Baughman, senior lecturer in mechanical engineering, who developed online instructional and assessment modules for use across a four-course engineering design sequence (100- to 400-level)
• Autumn Cartagena, academic adviser in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, who developed online components and redesigned in-class activities for a one-credit orientation course (LAS 101) required for all open-option and pre-professional students in the college – approximately 550 students each year
• Locke Karriker, associate professor in veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, who developed a series of multimedia clinical cases for use in eight courses, one of which will use the case studies as the basis for in-class discussions with lectures posted online

Another round?

The provost's office is in the early stages of gathering faculty feedback on the flipped class grant initiative. If there's still a significant amount of demand for creating flipped or hybrid classes, the provost would consider continuing the program, said Rob Schweers, director of communications for the office.

Related story:

Grants will help 'flip' 80 courses Feb. 19, 2015

Council makes progress on priorities

By Erin Rosacker
November 12

In a special report at the Nov. 5 Professional and Scientific Council meeting, president Tera Lawson said eligibility requirements for the provost's Emerging Leaders Academy will change. She said discussions with the provost staff about the criteria stemmed from the council's priority planning activities.

Previously, participation in the program was limited to P&S staff classified at or above the P-level 35 pay grade. Tenured faculty also are eligible. Beginning in 2016-17, P&S employees will be eligible if they hold a "demonstrated leadership role," regardless of P-level. The council president-elect also is eligible to participate.

Lawson said work is continuing on other priorities:

• Raising tuition reimbursement for staff from three credits to four credits
• Creating guidelines and best practices for P&S staff with teaching responsibilities

Other business

Council members voted to endorse changes for two existing policies and a proposed policy. They are:

• Amendments to the smoke-free campus policy that restrict e-cigarettes on university buildings, property and grounds
• Changes to the facilities and grounds use policy that outline approval procedures for the use of drones on university property
• New guidelines for administrative uses of video cameras, with council recommendations to clarify camera system requirements and options

Appointment bylaws

Councilors will vote next month on proposed changes (download) to council bylaws that better align council roles with university committee appointments. Appointments would include:

• Council vice president of equity and inclusion to the university's committee on diversity
• Policies and procedures committee chair to the university's policy library advisory committee
• Compensation and benefits committee chair to the university's benefits committee

The council president can designate representatives if the intended appointee is unable or unwilling to serve.

Strategic plan subcommittee members

November 12

And the bands played on

By Paula Van Brocklin
November 12

Cyclone Marching Band. Photo by Christopher Gannon.

If you're looking for a fun (and loud) event to cap off your weekend, check out the music department's annual Band Extravaganza on Sunday, Nov. 15 (7 p.m., Stephens Auditorium).

More than 400 student-musicians in the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble I and Cyclone Marching Band will give separate performances in one evening, showcasing their musical prowess.

The evening begins with the Wind Ensemble, directed by professor and chair of music Michael Golemo. The 60-member band will perform selections from Star Wars. The smaller, 21-member Jazz Ensemble I, directed by associate professor of music Jim Bovinette, will take the stage next, turning back time with its performance of big band tunes.

Following an intermission, the 300-plus-member Cyclone Marching Band, directed by music lecturer Steve Smyth, will dwarf the Stephens stage as it plays traditional school songs and selections from this football season's halftime shows. The drum line, flags and baton twirlers also will join the band. This is the marching band's last public performance of the year.

"The audience will be blown away by the excellence of the ISU bands," Golemo said. "They will be filled with cardinal-and-gold excitement from hearing the marching band, and they will be amazed at the musicianship and artistry of the Wind Ensemble. They also will enjoy the quality and variety provided by Jazz Ensemble I."

Tickets are $10 for adults ($5 for students), and available at the Iowa State Center ticket office or through Ticketmaster.