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Inside Update

Oct. 27, 2011
Announcements and news for ISU faculty and staff



News

ISU Plan open change period is Nov. 1-18
Faculty, professional and scientific, and supervisory merit employees enrolled in the ISU Plan may make changes to their health benefits Nov. 1-18 during the annual open change period.

Finalists named for associate VP for human resource services
Four finalists for the associate vice president for human resource services position will interview on campus over the next couple of weeks. Public forums are scheduled.

Organ, bone marrow donation policy helps employees give back
ISU employees may receive paid time off to be organ or bone marrow donors. Learn about the details of this policy and how it could help you give the gift of life.

Internal search for CELT director is under way
A search committee hopes to name a new director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching and co-director of ISU's learning communities program by mid-December. Tenured, full professors currently at Iowa State are eligible for the post. Nominations are requested by Nov. 4; applications are due Nov. 11.

Fennelly is wired for sound
ISU women's basketball head coach Bill Fennelly is using a wireless sound system during practices while he undergoes radiation treatments on his vocal chords. When the Cyclones open their season Nov. 1 with an exhibition game against Coe College, his coaching style, usually verbose, will be a game-time decision.

Margaret Sloss Women's Center celebrates 30th anniversary
This year, the Margaret Sloss Women's Center celebrates 30 years of service and seeks to reexamine how it can best support all women on campus.

Regents meet Thursday in Cedar Falls
Proposed tuition rates for 2012-13, strategic plan and economic development progress reports, and several proposed building names are among the ISU items on the state Board of Regents Oct. 27 meeting agenda. A live audio stream of the meeting is available from the board's website.

More news: Inside Iowa State



Announcements

The following announcements were added this week:
-- Consider other strategies for life insurance
-- Nominations for Business dean search committee due this Friday
-- STEM forum, coffee events scheduled for early November
-- EH&S safety summit is Oct. 28
-- Vote for Iowa State team's project in video game competition
-- University Book Store will be closed for inventory Oct. 30
-- Flu shot clinic for employees continues through Friday
-- Comments sought on research misconduct draft policy

See: Announcements



Teaching

ISU joins learning collaborative
The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching has purchased a one-year institutional membership to the Team Based Learning Collaborative. As members, Iowa State faculty may access the collaborative's database of cases, modules and workshop materials. To take advantage of this resource, request a login and password from celt@iastate.edu.

CELT programs
Register via AccessPlus (click on Employee > HRS Training > Courses). Workshops are in 1230 Communications unless otherwise noted.
-- Student Evaluation of Teaching: Survey Reports and Text Templates with Class Climate, Nov. 1 (10 a.m.-noon)
-- Blackboard (Bb) Learn: Assessments, Nov. 1 (1:10-2:40 p.m.)
-- Communication Strategies for Conflict Management, Nov. 2 (12:10-1 p.m., 2030 Morrill)
-- Respondus: Creating Test Pools, Quizzes, Surveys for Blackboard Learn, Nov. 3 (11 a.m.-noon)

See: Descriptions and times



Appointment

-- Andrew Lenssen, research ecologist and lead scientist, USDA, Sidney, Mont., to soybean systems agronomist, ISU Extension, effective Oct. 1



Around campus

Cyclones post best graduation rate in Big 12
Iowa State student-athletes graduated at the highest rate in the Big 12 according to figures recently released by the NCAA.

Will exercise boost a flu shot's effectiveness?
ISU kinesiology researchers are studying the link between flu shots, exercise and the impact on immunity. Following earlier work with college-age subjects, they are repeating their study with older adults.

Lecture on living credit-smart is Nov. 1
Maxine Sweet, the leader of Experian North America's consumer education, community involvement and corporate responsibility teams, will give a campus lecture, "Good Debt, Bad Debt: How to Live Credit Smart," on Nov. 1 (8 p.m., MU Sun Room).

Land values are topic of Nov. 3 Science Café
Economics professor and CARD director Bruce Babcock will present an informal talk, "Black Gold: Why Iowa Land Prices have Doubled in Value," at the Sigma Xi honor society's Science Café Nov. 3 (7 p.m., Lucullan's, 400 Main St.). All are welcome.

Manufacturing improvements explored in ISU wind energy lab
Iowa State's Wind Energy Manufacturing Lab is helping engineers find ways to make wind energy a more cost competitive energy option.

Animal science names teaching farm for its former manager
ISU's swine teaching farm south of town was named this week for Allen Christian, who managed the farm for more than 50 years and retired from the university last year.



Campus forums

This week
-- LAS dean candidate, Carolyn Cutrona, ISU psychology, Oct. 27 (3:30 p.m., 1951 Food Sciences, reception follows)

Next week
-- LAS dean candidate, Chaden Djalali, University of South Carolina, Nov. 1 (3:30 p.m., 1951 Food Sciences, reception follows)
-- Resource Management Model, with members of the campus budget model review committee, Nov. 2 (noon-1 p.m., MU Sun Room)
-- Associate VP for human resource services candidate, David Trainor, Connecticut State University System, Nov. 2 (1:30-2:15 p.m., MU Gallery)
-- Associate VP for human resource services candidate, Rod Kelly, University of Virginia, Nov. 3 (1:30-2:15 p.m., MU Oak Room)
-- LAS dean candidate, Beate Schmittmann, Virginia Tech University, Nov. 3 (3:30 p.m., 1951 Food Sciences, reception follows)
-- Resource Management Model, with members of the campus budget model review committee, Nov. 4 (noon-1 p.m., MU Cardinal Room)
-- Associate VP for human resource services candidate, Warren Hills, Ferris State University, Nov. 4 (1:30-2:15 p.m., MU Oak Room)

Upcoming
-- LAS dean candidate, Douglas Epperson, Washington State University, Nov. 7 (3:30 p.m., 2019 Morrill, reception follows)
-- Associate VP for human resource services candidate, Pamela Bowman, Western Illinois University, Nov. 9 (1:30-2:15 p.m., 204 Carver)



Open houses/receptions

Next week
-- Open house: ISU Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine's new location in the Thielen Student Health Center, Nov. 3 (11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-6 p.m., second floor atrium and 2015 student health center)

Upcoming
-- Farewell reception: Mary Holz-Clause, ISU Extension and Outreach, Nov. 16 (4:30-6 p.m., Reiman Gardens, program at 4:45 p.m.). Cards and letters are being collected; send to Lynnette Hauser, 2150 Beardshear.

Details about these events are on the university calendar.



Arts and events

Halloween fun for the whole family
The city of Ames designated Oct. 31 as trick-or-treat night, but campus groups have planned several family-friendly events leading up to the spooky holiday.

Free stand-up comedy . . . no joke
The Student Union Board invites all to a free comedy show Nov. 3 (9 p.m., M-Shop), featuring comedian Hannibal Buress. Buress is a writer for television shows 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live, and he currently is writing a new comedy pilot with actor/comedian Jonah Hill.

More campus events
Talks, performances, athletic contests and other campus events are listed on the university calendar. Also, see the Arts and Entertainment page.

 

Submitting your news
Inside Update is published Thursday mornings by the Office of University Relations. Send Update news to inside@iastate.edu. For questions, call 4-7958.

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