Inside Iowa State for faculty and staff

Feb. 20, 2025

Inside news

Proposed strategic plan edits, new degree go to regents next week

Also on the Iowa Board of Regents' Feb. 27 agenda are requests for two spring honorary degrees, ramp parking permit increases and two building renovation projects. 


April enhancements are coming to TIAA retirement plan

In addition to aligning with industry best practices, the enhancements respond to preferences employees have shared previously.


University assists the state with child care website

It's the first statewide effort in the nation to help families find near-real time child care vacancies in their area. The website launched in August and gets hundreds of visits each month.


All-funds budgeting now possible in Workday

An employee team has completed a months-long project in Workday Adaptive Planning to bring budget planning and analysis for all university funds into Workday. Previously, only the general operating fund portion of the university budget was managed there.


Faculty Senate, student government hold first joint meeting

For an hour-plus Monday evening, more than 30 students and 11 members of the Faculty Senate discussed four preset topics.
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Announcements

The following announcements were added this week:

  • Ombuds offers June conflict management training
  • Registration is open for digital scholarship symposium
  • Sign up for Landscape Club's March 1 home design sessions 
  • Encourage research students to present at April women's and gender studies conference
  • Help identify fall 2025 juniors for the Roy J. Carver scholarship
  • Documentary, Q&A shine a light on eating disorders
  • Workshop presenters sought for June 4-H state conference
View all announcements
 

Around campus

When weather hits, how is a campus closure decided?

It feels more relevant this week than when it first ran in December, so here's another look at our conversation with ISU police chief Michael Norton about the university process of deciding when to close -- and partially close -- campus, most commonly for weather reasons.


Cyclone Civics is underway

More than 130 faculty and staff participated in Wednesday's civics instruction professional development conference at the Memorial Union, the first major event in Iowa State's new Cyclone Civics initiative.


An update on CyTown

In a 15-minute video, athletics director Jamie Pollard provides insight to the planned facilities in the CyTown development at the Iowa State Center, including a 200-room Marriott hotel connected to Scheman and Hilton.
 

Appointments
 

Receptions and retirements

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.


Next week

  • Reception, Art-Music-Poetry student exhibition, Feb. 25 (6-7:30 p.m., MU Art Gallery, award recipients recognized at 6:15 p.m.), 47 pieces by 31 student artists
  • Retirement, David Webber, agricultural and biosystems engineering, Feb. 28 (no public event)


Upcoming

  • Retirement, Hillary Howard, contract administration, real estate and capital planning, March 3 (no public event)
  • Retirement, Julie Roberts, Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, March 3 (no public event)
 

Arts and events

Family morning at the Brunnier Art Museum

School of Education faculty and students will lead nature-inspired activities during a University Museums family event on Saturday, Feb. 22 (10 a.m.-1 p.m., Brunnier Art Museum, 295 Scheman). In connection with the current exhibition, Journeys: Landscapes as Self-Expression, children and their families are invited to go on a nature story walk through the landscapes. Registration is encouraged, but not required for this free event.


Sustainapalooza is Monday evening

Find green-it-yourself activities, table displays, a clothing swap, the popular ISU Repair Cafe (bring your small electronics, clothing, accessories), give-aways and more at the Live Green initiative's annual Sustainapalooza on Monday, Feb. 24 (5-8 p.m., MU Great Hall). Tuesday evening features Olin College of Engineering's Deb Chachra, who will present the Symposium on Sustainability keynote, preceded by recognition of the 2025 recipients of Iowa State's Live Green awards (6 p.m., MU Sun Room).


Jazz concert is Wednesday

Several of Iowa State's student jazz ensembles, jazzOne and the jazz combos, will play a selection of songs with "heart" in their titles during a Hearts concert on Wednesday, Feb. 26 (7:30 p.m., Tye Recital Hall, Estes Music Building). Tickets are $5 at the door.
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Learning opportunities

Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) programming

Register online.
 

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Inside Update, the companion email to Inside Iowa State, is sent Thursday mornings during the academic year by Strategic Relations and Communications. Questions may be directed to 515-294-7065.
 
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