Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

January 31, 2003

Regents approve parking deck plans

by Anne Krapfl
Construction on a 185-stall parking deck over lot 50B on the east side of campus will begin later this spring following approval Jan. 16 by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. The regents approved a budget ($3.1 million) and schematic design for the structure, which is scheduled for completion in December. Lot 50B will be resurfaced as part of the project.

The parking deck will be made of pre-cast concrete and brick, with metal canopies and railings. Parking system bonds and parking revenues will pay for the project.

The regents also gave Iowa State officials permission to begin planning for the renovation of Morrill Hall. President Gregory Geoffroy announced a $1 million gift to the project from Lyle and Nancy Campbell, Paradise Valley, Ariz., during the meeting.

And the regents received several annual reports from Iowa State, including the Iowa State Center, faculty professional development activities, faculty tenure and faculty resignations. Chris Clover, CEO of Mechdyne Corp, Marshalltown, spoke about assistance his company received from Iowa State during an annual report presentation on economic development and technology transfer.

In other business, the regents:

Approved the appointment of Benjamin Allen as ISU vice president for academic affairs and provost.
Approved phasing out two engineering undergraduate programs: engineering science and engineering applications.
Approved two departmental name changes in the College of Engineering: civil and construction engineering becomes civil, construction and environmental engineering; and aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics becomes simply, aerospace engineering.
Received a report of a new Center for Research on Dietary Botanical Supplements. Staff of the center will focus on the genetic, developmental and environmental qualities of echinacea and St. John's wort. The center will offer a pre-doctoral training program at Iowa State and a professional training program at the University of Iowa. Center funding comes from the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health. A center director will report to the ISU Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition.
Received a report of a new Community Vitality Center, to be administered by ISU Extension. Funded largely by a USDA grant, the center aims to help revitalize Iowa. Center staff and ISU students will work with leaders in small and medium-size towns to establish networks that improve Iowa's competitiveness for attracting business and residents.

The regents' next meeting is March 11-12 in Ames. A Feb. 19 conference call meeting is scheduled.

ISU tenure report

Fall 2002:	1,720 faculty
Tenured	59.3%
Tenure-track	19.5%
Non-tenure-track	21.2%