Campus tour for a worldwide audience

By Anne Krapfl
October 14

Photos by Christopher Gannon.

Alex Boylan, host of "The College Tour," visited campus Oct. 5 to film his introductory segments for an upcoming episode about Iowa State. Each 30- to 60-minute program in the television series, which launched last November, is designed to give young people an inside look at what it's like to be a student at a specific college or university. An episode focuses on one school, public or private, and highlights campus life, academics, housing, sports and other student activities, featuring actual students, administrators and faculty.

The 18 Iowa State students selected for segments of the show auditioned with ISU's admissions staff, who coordinated the nine days of filming (Oct. 4-12) with "The College Tour" staff. Director of enrollment marketing Erica Fischer said her team was able to choose topics for the segments and focused on the eight colleges, housing and dining, academics and faculty, wellness, traditions, innovation, athletics, student outcomes, campus beauty and the city of Ames.

Host Alex Boylan

Each episode of "The College Tour" airs first on the show's website and app, and Fischer said a launch party will be scheduled when the early spring release date is known for the Iowa State episode. Amazon Prime Video subsequently will release the entire fourth season of the show in late April, she said.

Other universities featured in "The College Tour" include Big 12 Conference members Baylor, TCU and University of Texas, and Land Grant 11 universities of Illinois and California, Davis.

Boylan gained fame by winning CBS's "Amazing Race" reality show in spring 2002, and since then has hosted travel and food shows for PBS, CBS and the Travel Channel.

Winter session tweaked for year two of pilot

By Anne Krapfl
October 14

Registration opens Oct. 20 for the second year of Iowa State's winter session pilot, a compressed four-week option available to continuing undergraduate students. They'll choose from approximately 55 courses this winter, 90% of which provide three credits, the maximum allowed due to the shorter session. All six undergraduate colleges and the library are offering at least one course. Like last year, courses will be 100% online.

Winter session begins Monday, Dec. 20, and concludes Friday, Jan. 14. Three university holidays or designated holidays falling in that period will be observed: Friday, Dec. 24; Monday, Dec. 27 and Friday, Dec. 31.

Courses will feature a mix of synchronous and asynchronous components, as well as individual learning requirements and peer learning opportunities, said Ann Marie VanDerZanden, associate provost for academic programs who, with College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean Beate Schmittmann, co-chairs the winter session executive planning committee. That group moved mountains last fall to develop the 2020-21 winter session proposal in about five weeks.

"It will be a time-intensive session, essentially a full-time job for the student," VanDerZanden said. "The content and learning outcomes are the same as in a typical semester-long (15 weeks) or summer session (eight weeks), but the pace is much more rapid.

"Students need to make sure they have the time and ability to engage in the work as intensely as it will need to be," she added. "And we learned we need to communicate more with them, up front, about that commitment."

More upper level courses in year two

VanDerZanden said about half of the courses offered last winter made the class list this winter. At first glance, that might be surprising, since last winter's courses saw strong enrollment, with just one dropped for low enrollment. A small reason behind the change is four-credit classes aren't allowed this winter term.

More significantly, colleges -- where the course decisions are made -- are offering more 300-level and 400-level courses this winter, in response to high enrollment rates last year among upperclassmen. More than 70% of those enrolled in the first winter session were juniors or seniors, and most of them completed a course that filled a requirement in their major program, VanDerZanden said.

About 55% of this winter's courses are 300-level or 400-level classes. A key consideration for any course remains its capacity to meet curriculum requirements for many students.

VanDerZanden said another continuing winter session strategy is to try to use faculty who previously taught their course in a condensed form, most likely for a summer session, to make the short winter session easier to plan for.

The goal of the winter session pilot is to tweak the structure to eventually get to a "steady state," she said. One of the biggest questions is about creating adequate space in the academic calendar for a winter session. That calendar is set by the state Board of Regents, but the three regent universities together are studying options that could create room for a permanent winter session.

Winter married to spring

Winter session registration runs concurrently with registration for spring courses and, like last year, winter tuition will appear in students' spring U-Bills. Because current business systems don't recognize a winter term, enrolled winter students won't pay mandatory fees. They also aren't assessed any differential tuition that normally would apply to upper division courses in certain academic areas.

Like last year, student services departments across campus will be open during winter session with the exception of the three university holidays. Hours of operation and service mode -- virtual or in-person -- may vary by department.

Charles Small appointed to interim VP post

By Megan Landolt, office of the president
October 14

Charles Small will serve as the university's interim vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, effective Oct. 15 and pending approval by the state Board of Regents.

Charles Small

President Wendy Wintersteen said Small will retain his current role as senior associate athletics director for student services, overseeing academic services, student-athlete and letterwinners' engagement, sports medicine and strength and conditioning in the athletics department. He's also the deputy Title IX coordinator for athletics and the sports administrator for wrestling and men's basketball.

"Dr. Small is highly regarded on campus and in the community, and has demonstrated success as a leader, collaborator and relationship-builder," Wintersteen said. "He will be a great partner for faculty, staff and students to advance our shared commitment to diversity and inclusion and a campus where everyone feels welcome, supported and valued."

Small has served in his current athletics role since 2018. Prior to Iowa State, he spent four years at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, in various administrative roles in student-athlete services and as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Social Work. He holds three degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, bachelor's and master's degrees in social work and a doctoral degree in education.

Small also works with two nonprofit organizations in Ames. He's a member of the foundation board of trustees for Youth and Shelter Services and a board of directors member for the Assault Care Center Extending Shelter & Support (ACCESS).

Small succeeds interim vice president Margo Foreman, who accepted a position at Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts. He will return full time to his athletics duties when a national search for the next vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion has been completed. Senior vice president for student affairs Toyia Younger is chairing the search committee, supported by the Spelman Johnson search firm. The search firm will begin reviewing applications Oct. 15.

WorkFlex addresses longstanding P&S Council goal

By Dave Roepke
October 14

For several years, the Professional and Scientific Council has advocated for greater flexibility in when and where staff can do their jobs. With the new WorkFlex program announced last week, the council's longstanding aim will become reality beginning in January, which prompted a discussion about the program at the council's Oct. 7 meeting.

The program will allow P&S and merit staff -- if it makes sense for their job duties, supports Iowa State's mission and is approved by their supervisor -- to work alternative or reduced hours or adopt a hybrid schedule that could include working remotely up to three days a week.

Patrick Wall, chair of the council's compensation and benefits committee, said the options available in WorkFlex are in most cases similar or better than those offered by other institutions.

"The program we have ended up with is very good," he said.

Staff can begin to submit WorkFlex requests during an initial application window that runs Nov. 1-26. Supervisors will make decisions about requests by Dec. 23, and WorkFlex arrangements will be effective Jan. 18. More detailed information will be released to staff next week, and the council is hosting a seminar series on WorkFlex with university human resources Oct. 19 (2-3 p.m., via Webex).

Developing the program has taken time, as will implementing it. But it's important to allow for supervisor training on considering requests and understanding the options available, Wall said.  

"What we don't want is for an entire department to turn in a WorkFlex application and have the supervisor go, 'Everybody wants Friday off. I can't do that, so the answer is no,'" he said.

Supervisors will evaluate employee requests by considering the needs and staffing of the unit and Iowa State's research-intensive and residential campus, which relies on in-person learning, support and services. Full-time remote arrangements will not be allowed in the initial round of WorkFlex applications, pending an evaluation of remote-work pilot studies being conducted in finance and information technology services.

Some council members shared concerns that willingness to approve WorkFlex proposals may vary from unit to unit. Council president Chris Johnsen said the guidelines balance differing perspectives, and he expects approval rates will be equitable across campus. He encouraged staff to extend some grace as they discuss WorkFlex with co-workers, managers and direct reports.

"Allow supervisors and staff to digest and understand the program. Assume good intent. And recognize that being flexible, like communication, is a two-way street," he said.

Former council president Tera Lawson, serving as a substitute councilor, said while there's more work to be done on the issue, the council has been advocating for flexibility since at least 2015, and it's important to recognize that WorkFlex represents significant progress.

"This is definitely moving in the right direction," she said.

Flex meetings, too?

To allow for greater physical distancing, the council's meetings Nov. 3 and Dec. 2 will be moved from the usual location in either the Gallery or Pioneer room on the third floor of the Memorial Union to the South Ballroom on the second floor. That may not be the only change coming for council meetings.

Johnsen asked the council to discuss offering meetings in a hybrid format, allowing members to participate virtually. An option to join the in-person meeting from a remote setting potentially could address growing retention and recruitment concerns, though it presents technological and financial challenges, he said.

"Hybrid meetings are not as easy as having a laptop on in the back of the room," he said.

Council members weighed in both for and against offering meetings in a hybrid format, though no formal proposal was discussed.

Representation committee chair Jason Follett said hybrid meetings might be valuable once WorkFlex is in place because some members may not be working on campus when the council or its committees meet. Fellow representation committee member Mickie Deaton said a virtual option would make meetings less of a time commitment for observers and would make sitting on council easier for P&S staff whose regular workplaces aren't in Ames.

Council president-elect Jamie Sass and others were more skeptical, noting that council meetings have been livelier and more engaging since resuming in-person starting in August. Regardless, Sass said she'd be open to hybrid meetings if the council can find a good solution for holding them.

Faculty Senate continues discussion on U.S. diversity requirement

By Jeff Budlong
October 14

The Faculty Senate discussed summer executive board changes to the number of learning outcomes students must achieve to fulfill the U.S. diversity requirement at its Oct. 12 meeting.

In May, the Faculty Senate approved four new learning outcomes for U.S. diversity courses and the requirement that students achieve all four. In July, the executive board met with provost's office staff and reached a compromise that three of the four objectives should be met.

The four learning outcomes are:

• Identify the experiences and contributions of underrepresented or marginalized groups and how they have shaped the history and culture of the United States.
• Understand the analytical concepts of culture, ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality and/or religion and be able to apply these concepts to an analysis of the United States.
• Analyze systemic oppression and personal prejudice and their impact on marginalized communities and the broader U.S. society.
• Evaluate important aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion so they can live, work, and collaborate with others in the 21st century United States.

Faculty Senate secretary Annemarie Butler introduced a motion to rescind the executive board's amendment and return to the standards the senate passed in May. Several senators raised concerns about the executive board's action because the full senate had voted down the three-of-four objectives proposal at both its April and May meetings.

Senior vice president and provost Jonathan Wickert said two considerations cause concern about the number of learning objectives that must be met.

"We have concerns over House File 802 and the mandatory training component," Wickert said. "On the advice of counsel, we have concerns about the four out of four conflicting with the mandatory training part of that. I take the advice of counsel very seriously, as does President [Wintersteen]."

Having enough courses available to serve more than 5,000 students each year that meet all four requirements is another concern, Wickert said.

House File 802 prohibits public universities from conducting mandatory employee or student trainings that teach, advocate, act upon or promote 10 specific concepts defined in the law.

"This motion to rescind will harm every senator in this room, every faculty member and every student on campus," said Faculty Senate president Andrea Wheeler. 

Because rescinding the amendment, or any similar action, she said, likely would lead to returning to Iowa State's previous U.S. diversity requirements, which date back to the 1990s.

Senators will vote on the motion to rescind at their Nov. 9 meeting.

Mentoring programs

Assistant provost for faculty development Tera Jordan spoke to Faculty Senate about opportunities to mentor faculty at the university. Jordan said the primary goal of faculty mentoring is to cultivate a university community in which the faculty thrive. That can lead to three positive outcomes:

• Increase faculty retention and success
• Ensure successful faculty reviews, promotion, tenure and advancement
• Cultivate inclusion, belonging and collegiality among faculty

Continuing to improve the required faculty mentoring program for all first-year, tenure-eligible faculty is key, Jordan said.

"What is new this year are faculty mentor resources," she said. "The goal is to raise the floor for the institution, and clarify for our faculty mentors their roles, responsibilities and expectations."

Providing faculty access to mentors as early as the hiring process, and continuing the service throughout their careers will help faculty retention, Jordan said. Recognizing the work of exceptional mentors keeps faculty engaged in that role.

Jordan pointed to three groups for whom optional mentoring opportunities could expand:

• Advanced assistant professors
• Associate professors
• Term faculty

Other business

In other senate business:

• A transdisciplinary undergraduate certificate in science communication was sent back to the academic affairs council. Some collaborating departments identified in the proposal requested more information about it. 

Senators will vote at the November meeting on:

• A new undergraduate major in health care management in the Ivy College of Business. Administered by the management and entrepreneurship department, it will focus on economics, financial and quality management and law related to health care services. It consists of 24 major credits and a total of 122 degree credits. The college has received consistent demand for the major with a 32% increase in jobs in the field expected by 2029.
• A new master of entrepreneurship in the department of management and entrepreneurship, Ivy College of Business. The program would focus on understanding the entrepreneurship process and practices in and out of the classroom. It would add to ISU's entrepreneurship offerings that include a cross-disciplinary minor, undergraduate major, graduate certificate and a doctorate. The 30-credit program would be a first in the state.
• A master's degree in community development that converts an online interdisciplinary program associated with the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (of which ISU is a member) to a College of Design program. It would be administered by the department of community and regional planning. ISU students currently enrolled would be allowed to enroll in the new program and apply earned credits. The move would lead to a shorter time to complete the degree and streamline curriculum. The online degree requires 30 credit hours over two years, saving students more than $5,000.
• The minutes from the September Faculty Senate meeting. They were removed from the consent agenda and put in new business. Not all senators received the minutes to review, and some expressed concerns about potential inaccuracies.

Reminders on flexible spending accounts

October 14

As the end of 2021 approaches and before open enrollment for 2022 begins, here are a few things to note regarding employee flexible spending accounts (FSA).

• Re-enrollment required. Employees who wish to contribute to an FSA for health care or dependent care expenses must sign up and choose their elections each year. Enrollment and the previous year's elections do not carry over.
• Health FSA carryover. The provision in the federal CARES Act that temporarily eliminated the carryover cap was extended into 2022. All unused funds from the 2021 plan year will carry over into 2022, allowing additional time to incur expenses and use funds that would otherwise be forfeited. The annual contribution limit for plan year 2022 will remain at $2,750.
• More over-the-counter products are covered. The CARES Act also expanded the list of eligible items that can be purchased with FSA funds, including over-the-counter medications and medical supplies, feminine care products, and PPE such as masks and hand sanitizer. This can help maximize your tax savings and reduce your healthcare expenses.
• Dependent care accounts. The grace period for the Dependent Care Assistance Program was extended from March 15, 2022, to Dec. 31, 2022. Any unused funds from 2021 can be used for eligible childcare expenses incurred in 2022. However, the annual contribution limit will go back to $5,000 ($2,500 for married filing separate) for plan year 2022.
• Mid-year changes. The temporary change allowing employees to update their flex account elections mid-year without a qualifying life event will end Dec. 31. As of Jan. 1, 2022, a qualifying event will be required. So, it is important to review current account balances and budget for 2022 when making selections during open enrollment this fall.

For more information on flexible spending accounts, check out the FAQ. Questions about flex plan rules and tax impacts may be sent to the payroll, benefits and tax office, fbac@iastate.edu.

Give your DOB for a free T-shirt? Be skeptical

By Jeff Budlong
October 14

The days of a king or queen from a faraway land sending tremendous riches for responding to an email with your bank account number are not as numerous. It's not because scammers have gone away. They are just more sophisticated.

October is cybersecurity awareness month and the Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach (CyIO) hosted its first fair last week. Faculty, staff and students saw how important cybersecurity is and how easily information can be exploited.

"We want to raise awareness of the things that don't get stopped by information technology services (ITS) because they do a good job behind the scenes that most people never see," said CyIO director Doug Jacobson. "We are taking the next step from awareness to trying to better educate people on what they can do to protect themselves."

Jacobson said education is key because attacks are more often directed at people rather than technology because of advances made over the years.

Passwords

Passwords are a part of daily life for everyone on campus, but the key is to create strong ones.

"A strong password is a long one because length is probably more important than all of the magic characters," Jacobson said. "The amount of time it takes to break a password is directly proportional to its length and the complexity of it."

For people who change passwords often, Jacobson recommends creating a strong front half of a password and tweaking the last few digits. If the password is strong enough on the front end, someone trying to steal information likely would never get to the back half, he said.

Multifactor authentication is required at Iowa State, and Jacobson said is a "relatively painless" way to add another layer of protection.

Reusing passwords on multiple websites is dangerous because they can be stolen from a third party and used without your knowledge. Multiple passwords limit what information scammers can access.

There are several ways to keep your passwords safe. Using a virtual private network (VPN) creates a secure network from a public internet connection to offer online privacy. Never share information on a website not secured with the small padlock in the left-hand corner of the address bar in a browser, Jacobson said. Information transmitted on secured sites hides data like passwords and credit card numbers.

Phishing

Phishing is a cybercrime where people are contacted by email, telephone or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution seeking sensitive data like bank or credit card numbers and passwords.

"It changes constantly, and they are very adaptive because once we learn what they are doing, we tell everyone," Jacobson said.

Skepticism anytime a business like a bank or credit card company tries to reach you through email or text is key, he said. Avoid clicking on links in an email and go directly to the source by logging into a bank's official website or physically going to the building.

Recent email phishing scams have scammers posing as a friend or family member reaching out for financial help, usually in the form of gift cards. Jacobson said the key is not to engage and delete the email or text.

"I don't recommend this for anyone, but I spent two or three hours interacting with someone posing as a friend asking me to give them $500 in gift cards," he said. "I think they eventually figured out what I was doing, but I thanked him for providing me with a whole series of screenshots I could use in my class."

Password sniffing

A password sniffer is a software application that allows hackers to steal usernames and passwords by observing and passively recording unencrypted network traffic.

"For about $100 I can buy something that will sniff passwords on the internet," Jacobson said.

Only use encrypted wi-fi networks while visiting secure websites or use a VPN to prevent a password from being stolen.

What to do?

Anyone on campus who may have been part of a phishing scam or other cybersecurity attack should report it immediately to security@iastate.edu. Anyone who clicked on a link or otherwise engaged in a cybersecurity threat should change passwords.

"Usually people contact us when they don't know and we tell them, 'Even if you are not sure, reach out to us,'" said Linda DeSchane, IT Solution Center customer success analyst. "Sometimes they send us screenshots, which are fantastic."

Reporting suspicious emails is important because ITS can review email logs and see if it is a larger problem on campus. ITS also can block a sender's email address or the sites that links send people to.

For other issues, contact the Solution Center through the IT portal and click the "Get Help" button to create an incident ticket. Emails also can be sent to solution@iastate.edu or call 294-4000.

What we learned: Year one of the new P&S classification/compensation system

By Anne Krapfl
October 14

If the first year of the new market-based classification and compensation system for professional and scientific employees is an indicator, this won't be a "set it and forget it" project. That was a pledge the university human resources (UHR) team made leading up to the September 2020 launch, following its four-year review and development process.

"We've said from the beginning it's a living structure, and we're constantly working on the health of that structure," said UHR compensation analyst and project team member Whitney Grote. "We know it's never done."

Before leaving Iowa State last month, UHR classification and compensation director and team leader Emma Mallarino Houghton completed a summary report on the first year. Included in the progress checklist:

• Since the system went live, just 12 employees (of more than 3,200 total) have been relinked to another position to correct their initial link in the summer of 2020.
• Promotions were awarded to 139 employees in a non-competitive process (in which an employee doesn't have to apply for another position to be promoted). This option didn't exist in the old system and needs to be promoted more as an opportunity for employee development, Grote said.
• 439 employees received salary adjustments outside of the annual performance review process, including 182 employees whose salaries were moved to their new pay grade minimum or higher. "That number is a testament to managers who are dedicated to moving employee salaries forward so this project has a positive impact on employees," Grote said.
• Working with managers, UHR approved a dozen new classifications, including a four-level technical project specialist series in the research job family, what Grote described as a combination of scientist and project manager.
• UHR identified funding this year to participate in, and purchase data from, a half dozen salary surveys, up from two annually. The intent is to receive data on a lot more jobs this fall. The data set includes general industry, research and development, and higher education surveys, for a broader perspective.

Adjusting to a new system

Grote said some of the growing pain of the first year is related to employees and supervisors learning a new system. That's to be expected, she said.

"In university time, this is still very new. We implemented during COVID, when many employees were working off campus and going through a lot of different things. So, amid all the change, it's understandable that some are still adjusting to the new system," Grote said.

While the project team developed many "how to" resources on using the new classification/compensation system, education gaps exist, and they're considering other ways to provide training. HR delivery teams remain a frontline resource, she said. Examples of topics that would benefit from more education include:

• Minimum job qualifications and how to interpret and use them.
• Career development, career paths and helping employees understand what opportunities are available within the university. The new structure lays the groundwork but isn't "the fix." "The path might not be direct upward movement, but the paths employees want to take in their careers aren't always linear," Grote said.
• How to use market-based pay grades, especially in job offers.
• Overall, how to use the structure to find solutions to individual classification or compensation issues rather than seeing the structure as the reason for the issue.

In other cases, a year of implementation has exposed areas that need more attention from the UHR team, Houghton wrote. For example:

• For some jobs, the pay grades may be too low. More data continually is collected.
• Job profile descriptions generally are easy to understand but could be more robust to provide clarity.
• Separate salary increases for excellent performance from market or equity adjustments. Years of small or no performance-based salary increases trained managers to request market adjustments to address exceptional performance. "Employees should be able to progress through a pay grade with meaningful performance increases," Houghton wrote in her report.

Grote encouraged managers and employees to send classification- or compensation-related questions to their local HR delivery teams, who partner with supervisors to address concerns, determine how widespread an issue is and identify possible solutions, she said.

'Corners Grove' offers modern take on an American classic

By Stacey Maifeld, LAS communications
October 14

ISU Theatre's "Corners Grove," opening Oct. 14 in Fisher Theater, follows a group of young people as they come of age in their town of Corners Grove.

Written by playwright Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin, "Corners Grove" is a thoughtful nod to "Our Town," Thornton Wilder's classic American drama about the early 20th century residents of small-town Grover's Corner. Garvin's modern take, set more than 100 years later, follows a diverse cast of young people from high school into adulthood as they deal with their own set of challenges -- leaving home, falling in love, gender identity and the death of pop vocalist Whitney Houston.

Described as a story of "growing up and hometowns, friendship and drinking in parking lots," the cast hopes the show's universal themes of love, loss, nostalgia and conflict resonate with audience members of any age.

"We are all college students who have been through at least one thing in this play," said Morgan Wolfe, junior public relations major, who plays the role of Julia Gibbs. "Having to separate from your high school friends, someone in your life dealing with drug abuse and losing someone you are close to aren't uncommon events. It's a relatable story that I think our cast puts on very well."

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14-16 and 2 p.m. on Oct. 17. Admission is $20 for adults and free for Iowa State students and youth. For ticket information, visit theatre.iastate.edu. This show contains adult content and language.

"Corners Grove" is ISU Theatre's first performance for a live Fisher Theater audience since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sharing stories about the ups and downs of early adulthood -- stories that can be heartfelt, heartbreaking and hilarious -- and finding your family along the way, has been fulfilling for the cast.

"It gave us all a little of what we needed right now," said Tiffany Johnson, assistant professor of practice in the department of music and theatre and the show's director. "It's reminded us of how supported you feel, how confident you can be when you have your community to hold your back straight. It's reminded us that life happens, the good times and the bad times. These things begin to draw contrasts for each other, and because we know them both, we can understand the fullness of each better. We know how to love better because we have experienced hate, and we can know happiness better because we have experienced sadness."

Wolfe said the most inspiring lesson she has gained from the show is to embrace her present experiences. 

"Growing up, everything will change," she said. "It's important to cherish the people you're surrounded by and experiences you hold before they become only memories. Always be kind and know you aren't alone in even the hardest years."

Sunday parade kicks off Homecoming week

By Anne Krapfl
October 14

Iowa State Homecoming 2021 opens Sunday, Oct. 17, with a parade in downtown Ames and continues through Saturday, Oct. 23, with football game festivities in and around Jack Trice Stadium. CY of the Storm Homecoming buttons ($5) can be purchased at the ISU Book Store, using this online form or at the Food on Campus tent on central campus Monday-Friday next week.

Back by popular demand, the campus office decorating contest will have two divisions: Door or office decorating. To participate, sign up by Friday, Oct. 15. Winners will be chosen for their creativity, effort and representation of this year's homecoming theme, CY of the Storm.

Here's a quick rundown of some (not all) Homecoming activities:

• Sunday, Oct. 17, 2 p.m. Homecoming parade, downtown Ames
• Monday-Friday, Oct. 18-22, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Food on Campus, free with a Homecoming button, a faculty and staff-only line will be open noon-1 p.m. daily, central campus
• Friday, Oct. 22, 1:15 p.m., Honors and Awards ceremony, Benton Auditorium, Scheman Building and livestreamed, recognizes the recipients of six Alumni Association awards as well as college awards for alumni
• Friday, Oct. 22, 5-9 p.m., Happy hour and pep rally, cash bar, kids activities, merchandise sale, dinner from Pizza Ranch served 5:30-7 p.m. while supplies last ($5 or free with Homecoming button), pep rally program begins at 7 p.m., ISU Alumni Center
• Friday, Oct. 22, 8-10 p.m. ExCYtement in the Streets, view the lawn displays in Greekland, south campus neighborhood
• Friday, Oct. 22, 10 p.m.-midnight, pancakes, fireworks and mass campaniling, $3 for pancakes, fireworks and mass campaniling at midnight, central campus
• Saturday, Oct. 23, 11:30 a.m., Cyclone Central, entertainment, giveaways, games, shopping, food and drink; free and open to everyone; tailgate meal must be preordered by noon Oct. 20, Alumni Center

A short list of virtual Homecoming events is available for those not on campus. For ISU students only, the week also includes sports and e-sports tournaments, Yell Like Hell and online bingo contests, 5-kilometer fun run, lawn decorating and CyFactor vocal competition.

Follow the ISU Homecoming social media channels for daily updates.