Announcements

July 28

50 nominations for ISU presidency, so far

More than 50 people have been nominated for the ISU presidency over the past few weeks, search firm executive Daniel Parker told the search committee during its July 28 teleconference meeting. Only a few weeks into the search process, it's already a very good pool, he added.

July 27

BugGuide Gathering July 29-31

Entomologists and nature photographers will descend on Iowa State this weekend for the annual BugGuide Gathering. Participants will take field trips to photograph Iowa insects in a variety of habitats and add their shots to the department of entomology website BugGuide.

July 26

Presidential Search Committee to meet July 28

The Presidential Search Committee will meet via conference call on Thursday, July 28, beginning at 1:30 pm. To dial in to the conference, call (866) 390-5250 and use this participant code: 9026659. Those on or near campus also can monitor the meeting in the Krieger Board Room (room 2200) in the Gerdin Business Building. (See agenda.)

July 26

MU art lending open house is Aug. 2-3

Support arts programming at the Memorial Union with a rental (semester or year) of a framed print or painting from the 175-piece art lending collection. Pick out yours during an open house Aug. 2 (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) and Aug. 3 (10 a.m.-noon) in the MU browsing library. Most pieces rent for $12 to $25 for the year.

July 19

Roads may buckle in 90-plus-degree heat

The Iowa Department of Transportation has alerted drivers that pavement surfaces may buckle or blow up on afternoons with 90-degree or hotter temperatures. Reduce your speed and use caution if you approach broken pavement areas. Contact the local law enforcement agency to assist with traffic rerouting. If drivers see pavement blowups on campus streets, they're asked to call 4-5100.

July 18

James Schwartz dies

James Schwartz, longtime chair of the ISU department of journalism and mass communication, died July 12 in Edina, Minn. Schwartz retired as chair of the department in 1979. The Schwartz Award, the highest journalism-related honor at Iowa State, is named for him. Services will be held Saturday, July 23, at 3 p.m. at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, 50th Street and Knox Avenue, Minneapolis. Burial at the Iowa State Cemetery and a memorial gathering is planned for early September. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the James W. Schwartz Environmental Fund, c/o Ten Mile Lake Association, P.O. Box 412, Hackensack, MN 56452 or to the ministries of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church.

July 15

RAGBRAI riders: Get your Cyclone on

A new feature of RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) is College Spirit Day on Friday, July 29. Iowa State alumni and fans are encouraged to don Cyclone gear for the ride from Grinnell to Coralville. In Coralville, look for the Iowa State tent in the "College Campus Tent City. Inside the tent are:

• Giveaways of Cyclone slap bracelets, Rice Krispies Treats, and stickers, from ISU staff and alumni volunteers
• Iowa State merchandise from University Book Store
• Drawings for prizes
• Photos with Cy
• ISU trivia games and other activities.

The ISU tent is open from noon to 8 p.m. It's in the parking lot north of City Hall, 1512 7th St. Drop by the area at 6 p.m. for the RAGBRAI Mascot Challenge,

July 13

TIAA-CREF confirmation statements are on the way

Have you received a Confirmation of Transaction statement from TIAA-CREF in the past few days? The statements are the result of recently announced changes in the investment choices available through TIAA-CREF, as well as a lowering in the overall expenses. These changes occurred on July 8. Statements will arrive either by email (for those who signed up for eDelivery) or in the mail. Participants can find more information about the changes by logging in to their TIAA-CREF accounts or contacting Ann Doty, retirement specialist in the benefits office, 4-4800.

July 13

Portion of new small animal hospital will open July 19

Part of the new small animal hospital at the College of Veterinary Medicine (Phase 2 of renovations to the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center) will open to clients on Tuesday, July 19. The new space includes treatment and examination rooms, canine rehabilitation, intensive care, species-specific waiting areas (dog, cat and exotic) and a new entry and reception area. Visitors to the small animal hospital will continue to use Entrance A to the college; signs will direct them to the door. Appointments may be made Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; emergency services are available 24 hours a day. The renovation and expansion project will continue through fall 2012.

July 13

Hill shares short-term plans for dean of students

Vice president for student affairs Tom Hill said he expects to name an interim dean of students early in the fall semester. In the meantime, student affairs staff members are sharing the dean's various responsibilities. During the regular workday (7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. this summer), members of the university community should call 4-1020 and they'll be connected to the appropriate staff member for assistance. After hours, including weekends, they should call 231-6483.

Former dean of students Dione Somerville left Iowa State June 30 to become vice president for student affairs at Bloomsburg University, Pennsylvania.

July 12

Board of Regents elects new leadership

During a special meeting today of the state Board of Regents, board members elected Craig Lang as president and Bruce Rastetter as president pro-tem to serve through April 30, 2012. They succeed David Miles and Jack Evans, respectively, who resigned their leadership posts July 11 at the request of Gov. Terry Branstad. Miles and Evans will continue to serve as board members.

July 11

Register now for teaching seminars, new faculty orientation

Online registration is open for a seminar series offered in August by the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching that includes:

• University teaching seminars (2), Aug. 16
• Orientation for new faculty, Aug. 17
• Seminar for teaching assistants, Aug. 17

The sessions you attend depend on your teaching appointment -- new tenured or tenure-eligible faculty member, non-tenure eligible faculty member or teaching assistant.

July 11

Submit requests for fall course reserve

Instructors who wish to place required materials on reserve in Parks Library for fall semester should submit requests now. The request forms are available online.

July 11

Kids Club memberships available for Stephens season

C.Y.'s Kids Club memberships give youth admission to three performing arts events in the "Season at Stephens" lineup plus the annual Nutcracker Ballet performance for $50. More information, including an order form, is online, or contact Sara Compton, 4-7389.

July 6

Register now for Aug. 11 FBI-facilitated biosecurity workshop

ISU Environmental Health & Safety will host a Regional Biosecurity Workshop facilitated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Aug. 11 (8 a.m.-noon, MU Gallery). There is room for up to 75 attendees; registration is free. The targeted audience includes faculty, postdocs, students, institutional leaders, HR, biosafety and EH&S professionals, First Responders and emergency management leaders. Interested individuals should call 4-5359 or email Angela Jewett or Betsy Matos. The workshop is scheduled following the 2011 Midwest Area Biosafety Network Symposium Aug. 8-10 on campus.

July 6

Changes to federal policy on academic progress affect students with financial aid

The federal government changed the regulations regarding Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Students must meet federal SAP requirements (different from ISU's academic probation policy) to maintain eligibility for financial aid. To be in compliance with the new regulations, ISU's Financial Aid SAP policy for undergraduate students has been revised for the 2011-12 academic year. Key components of the new policy include:

• Assessment of an undergraduate student's SAP every semester (instead of annually)
• Minimum and maximum pace-of-progression requirements
• New definitions of the terms Probation and Warning
• Implementation of an Academic Plan

The Office of Student Financial Aid will communicate the new SAP policy to students who previously were notified of not meeting the SAP requirements to maintain eligibility for financial aid. A mini-conference will be offered this fall for faculty and staff to learn more about the SAP policy and other financial aid topics. For more information, review the Financial Aid SAP policy online.

July 5

Host families sought for Japanese teachers

The Intensive English and Orientation Program is looking for host families for a group of Japanese high school English teachers who will be studying at Iowa State this summer. A small stipend will be provided to homestay hosts. The homestay dates are July 24-Aug. 15. For more information or to request a host family application form, contact Joan Chamberlin in the English department.

July 1

Reopening of Sixth Street may be delayed to July 6

Work to reconstruct Sixth Street (Brookside Park entrance to University Boulevard) will be extended, possibly to July 6. Road crews have encountered complications in restoring the embankment for the bike path along the south side of the road. July 1 was the targeted completion date.