Inside Iowa State for faculty and staff
Jan. 26, 2023
Inside news
Iowa State Online is working on four pilot projects this semester to better assess instructor needs, define university-wide guidelines and help instructors and center staff get to know each other. 

The university community will celebrate the state of Iowa's first George Washington Carver Day on Feb. 1 (5 p.m., Memorial Union Great Hall). Bookended by receptions is a program featuring reflections on Carver's legacy and readings of some of Carver's works. RSVPs are requested.

Workday Learning went live Jan. 23 and will replace Learn@ISU in September. It delivers training for faculty, staff and student employees, and provides easier access to professional development opportunities and better reporting options.

Jump-start funding helped the Academic Success Center and colleges assist more students fall semester in efforts to improve student retention and graduation. Senators also heard about the impact in classrooms of advances in artificial intelligence.

The task of moving student-related data from multiple legacy systems into Workday is so vast -- and so important -- that Iowa State will take the unusual step of pausing edits to the catalog for about a year to help get it done.

Turning off the service in the university Google account prevents individuals from quickly or unknowingly exceeding their individual storage quota, which was capped at 3 GB this month.
Announcements
The following announcements were added this week:
  • Apply for fall undergraduate research program
  • Lunch hour workshops focus on personal finance
  • Qualtrics library is getting an update
  • Pipette calibration, cleaning service is Feb. 6-10
  • Reminder: Nominations due Feb. 1 for student employee, supervisor awards
  • Spring sessions set for library's Open Scholar Café
  • Next Goldfinch Room concert is Jan. 26
  • Spring movie titles posted for Cyclone Cinema
  • MU poster sale runs through Jan. 27
Around campus
Iowa State researchers are part of a multistate, five-year, $10 million project exploring the potential to increase diversification of crops and livestock on Midwest farms. Researchers hope to improve the resilience of individual farms and the region's agricultural landscape.

Between January and June, about 80 foals will be born on campus. The team at the horse barns welcomes many of the new arrivals on social media.
Appointments
  • Sara Nelson, interim director and former assistant director for education and outreach, to director of the Iowa Space Grant Consortium, effective Jan. 1
  • Leah Barton, assistant director and operations manager, Center for Industrial Research and Service, to interim director of CIRAS, effective Jan. 5
  • Heather Robinson, kinesiology, to youth and volunteer programs coordinator, office of risk management, effective Jan. 11
  • Nicole Bartolozzi, Hixson Opportunity Awards and National Student Exchange Program, to University Innovation Alliance fellow for ISU 
  • Bruce Arendt, Northeast Iowa Community College, to regional director, ISU Extension and Outreach (region 5: Howard, Winneshiek, Allamakee and Chickasaw counties), effective Feb. 6
Open houses and retirements
This week
  • Housewarming, Student Innovation Center, refreshments, demonstrations, giveaways, Jan. 26 (3:30-6:30 p.m.)

Next week
  • Retirement, Sara Compton, music and theatre, Feb. 1 (4-5 p.m., lobby, Simon Estes Music Hall)
  • Retirement, Tim Ashley, office of payroll, benefits and tax, Feb. 3 (no public event)

Employees, their colleagues or supervisors are invited to submit retirements and departures to inside@iastate.edu. Inside doesn't receive this information from a central source.
Seminars and conferences
  • Cultivate 2023, annual professional development conference, hosted by Professional and Scientific Council, Feb. 22, Gateway Hotel and Conference Center, registration is $120 through Jan. 31; $140 after
Arts and events
The annual MLK Jr. Legacy Series lecture, "Tearing Hate from the Sky," is Monday, Jan. 30 (6 p.m., MU Great Hall) with contemporary civil rights leader Bree Newsome. Recipients of the university's 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Advancing One Community Awards will be announced at the lecture.

Ranked women's hoops squad battles at Hilton
The 18th-ranked Cyclone women host No. 14 Oklahoma on Saturday, Jan. 28 (3 p.m., Hilton Coliseum) in a conference rematch. General admission tickets are $10 (youth $5).

If you're new to the university or Ames, stop by WelcomeFest Tuesday, Jan. 31 (5:30-8 p.m., MU Great Hall) to learn more about the university and Ames-area businesses and services. It's free.
Learning opportunities
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) programming
Previous Inside coverage
About us
Inside Update is published Thursday mornings by Strategic Relations and Communications. Questions may be directed to 515-294-7065.