Leath talks funding, budget and more with senate

President Steven Leath addressed the Faculty Senate on Feb. 10, speaking about performance-based funding, budget issues, research priorities, Des Moines learning space and more.

Simply delicious 

The new Simple Plate venue at Union Drive Marketplace offers delicious, healthy meals that are perfectly proportioned.   

Student technology funding, made easy

Submitting ideas for technology projects that benefit student learning is easy on ISU's Techstarter crowdsourcing site.

Regents approve alternative admissions index

To be used only for applicants hailing from Iowa high schools that have ceased providing class ranks, the alternative index changes the weighting assigned to two of the factors in the 2009 Regent Admission Index.

Chief diversity officer hunt: Search firm selected, town halls set

The national firm Spelman & Johnson Group will assist in the search for a chief diversity officer. The firm will join the university search committee in collecting input on the chief diversity officer's role. A series of town hall meetings are planned to gather ideas.

ISU working group will develop policy for P&S search committees

The state Board of Regents is requiring Iowa State, Northern Iowa and Iowa to establish standards, services and support for P&S search committees by March 1.

Council hears IT preview

Interim vice provost and CIO Jim Kurtenbach outlined three priorities for information technology services -- security, customer service and TIER compliance -- at the Feb. 5 Professional and Scientific Council meeting.

The following announcements were added this week:

• Valentine's Day treats for sale Thursday-Friday
• Main floor of Lied Center closed Thursday-Saturday for track meet
• Afternoon employee workshop precedes ISCORE

• John Lawrence, to a second five-year term as associate dean for extension in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director for agriculture and natural resources for ISU Extension and Outreach
• Dr. Tom Johnson, Iowa Veterinary Medical Association, to director of hospital operations at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, effective Feb. 9
• Larissa Holtmyer Jones, vice president for development, ISU Foundation, to president and CEO

• Iowa NSF EPSCoR Energy Policy seminar, "The Challenge of Creating a Low-carbon Economy in the Age of Natural Gas," Roger Aines, Livermore National Laboratory, Feb. 19 (12:30-1:30 p.m., Lee Liu Auditorium, Howe Hall), lunch is available at noon, Howe Hall ground floor atrium, lunch RSVP required by Feb. 16 to Jill Cornelis
• Iowa State Symposium on Sustainability, Feb. 23-24, Memorial Union
• Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE), March 6 (9 a.m.-5 p.m., Memorial Union), pre-conference employee workshop, March 5 (1-4:30 p.m., MU Sun Room), both are free, registration required
• Seminar, "Rescue Me," for individuals who work with rescue animals, March 7 (10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., College of Veterinary Medicine)

Catch the The Great Gatsby tonight

The Montana Repertory Theatre brings F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic The Great Gatsby to the Stephens Auditorium stage Feb. 12 for a 7:30 p.m. performance. Tickets are $20-$49 ($26 for youth and ISU students) and available at the Iowa State Center ticket office or through Ticketmaster.

Be my Valentine

Friday's lunchtime carillon concert will feature some Valentine's Day flair, including sweets and love notes. Valentine candy will be handed out at the base of the campanile during the concert and Tweets using the @bellsovercampus handle or #campanileLOVE will be displayed during the live webcast of the concert, which begins at 11:50 a.m.

Happy (Chinese) New Year

Celebrate the Year of the Goat on Sunday, Feb. 15 (6:30-8:30 p.m., MU Great Hall), with traditional Chinese costumes, song, dance and comedy routines. The annual spring festival, hosted by the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, is free and open to the public.