COLLEGE NEWS
- Telford joins institutional advancement staff
- Schedule Brenton Center classrooms now
- LEA/RN new teaching skills at workshop
- Spring enrollment in the college up from a year ago
- Animal career day set March 30
- Seven of nine state FFA officers are ISU students
- Provost's Workshop on China set in April
- Grants for globalization goals in strategic plan
- International opportunities for students: a discussion
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- Use caution when adding backgrounds to web pages
INFOGRAZING
- Fewer freshmen say they drink
EXTERNAL VOICES
- Colleges must slow rising costs of tuition
MARGINALIA
- Where you born in a computer-simulated barn?
C O L L E G E N E W S
TELFORD JOINS INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT STAFF
On April 1, Mike Telford will join the institutional advancement
staff (formerly "development") for the College of Agriculture.
Telford has been the executive director of the Iowa Pork Producers
Association for 20 years. His responsibilities will include fundraising
and involvement with alumni and agricultural organizations.
SCHEDULE BRENTON CENTER CLASSROOMS NOW
The Brenton Center is accepting requests for scheduling classes
and events for the summer and fall. Regularly scheduled offerings
in the College of Agriculture for ICN or videotape delivery have
first priority, followed by agriculture offerings that use the
capabilities of the classrooms. These priority requests must be
received by Friday, March 13. Forms have been sent to each department.
For more information: Richard Carter, 4-6950 or ricarter@iastate.edu.
LEA/RN NEW TEACHING SKILLS AT WORKSHOP
Agriculture faculty and staff are invited to a workshop on ways
to improve teaching skills and more actively involve students
in learning. The LEA/RN (Learning Enhancement Action / Resource
Network) workshop will be held Friday, March 13, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.,
Scheman Building. Barb Licklider of the College of Education will
facilitate. Pre-register by March 1 by contacting Ann Holtz, 4-1167
or caholtz@iastate.edu. The workshop is sponsored by the Department
of Forestry through an Innovative Teaching Grant from the College
of Agriculture.
SPRING ENROLLMENT IN THE COLLEGE UP FROM A
YEAR AGO
Spring semester enrollment in the College
of Agriculture is 2,630 undergraduate and 630 graduate students.
Spring enrollment a year ago was 2,511 undergrad and 646 grad
students. The numbers include both on- and off-campus students.
ANIMAL CAREER DAY SET FOR MARCH 30
The Block & Bridle Club is organizing an animal science, dairy
science and pre-veterinary career day for March 30. The career
day will coincide with the Experience Iowa State Program, in which
prospective students and parents visit campus. For more information:
Paul Brackelsberg, 4-7235.
SEVEN OF NINE STATE FFA OFFICERS ARE ISU STUDENTS
Seven of the nine state officers for the Iowa
FFA Association are ISU students. During National FFA Week, Feb.
21-28, the officers will travel to many of the state's 234 FFA
chapters to visit with their 11,400 members. The state FFA president
is Lisa Ahrens, a double major in agronomy and ag business. Other
state officers at ISU are: Matthew Chizek, ag education; Mary
Hardy, speech communication; Scott Johnson, ag education; Laura
Denniston, ag education; Robin Simmons, ag education; and Kathleen
Block, animal science.
PROVOST'S WORKSHOP ON CHINA SET IN APRIL
The Provost's Workshop on China will be held
April 10 in the Scheman Building. The meeting will be similar
to the workshop held last semester on Russia and Ukraine. For
more information: Glenn Schrader, 4-0519 or schrader@iastate.edu.
GRANTS FOR GLOBALIZATION GOALS IN STRATEGIC
PLAN
ISU's Council on International Programs seeks
applications for projects that advance the internationalization
aspects of the university's strategic plan. Deadline for the $100,000
grant program is April 13. For more details: Glenn Schrader, 4-0519
or schrader@iastate.edu, or check the website.
INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS:
A DISCUSSION
Phi Beta Delta, the honor society for international
scholars, will host "Great International Opportunities for
Students," a panel discussion, on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 3:45
p.m. in the Gold Room, Memorial Union. For more information: Shelley
Taylor, 4-3803 or szim@iastate.edu.
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
March 1: Pre-registration deadline, LEA/RN Workshop, 4-1167.
March 2: Instructional development project proposals due, 130 Curtiss
March 2-3: "Hello Dolly: The Biotechnology Revolution for
Agriculture Has Arrived," 1998 National Forum for Agriculture, Des Moines
March 13: Foreign travel grant applications due, 138 Curtiss
March 13: Deadline, Brenton Center classroom scheduling, 4-6950
March 13: LEA/RN Workshop, Scheman Building, 4-1167.
April 2-4: MANRRS National Conference, 4-8574
C O M M U N I C A T I O N S K I O S K
USE CAUTION WHEN ADDING BACKGROUNDS TO WEB PAGES
Web pages with colorful backgrounds risk lowering readability
and lengthening download time, says C.C. Chamberlain, a web designer
at New Mexico State University. He told an Agricultural Communicators
in Education meeting that choosing a light solid color from the
Netscape Color Palette is usually the best background for a Web
page. But it is necessary to make sure that type can be easily
read over the background. And it's a good idea to test it on several
monitors. How to use the Netscape Color Palette and other "easy
enhancements" for Web pages can be found online.
I N F O G R A Z I N G
FEWER FRESHMEN SAY THEY DRINK
In a survey of ISU freshmen last fall, 50 percent said they frequently
or occasionally drank beer during the past year. Ten years ago,
that percentage was 71 percent. Fifty percent of 1997 freshmen
said they frequently or occasionally drank wine or liquor, compared
to 69 percent in 1987. Twenty-five percent said they partied six
or more hours per week, compared to 36 percent 10 years ago. (From
ISU's Office of Institutional Research)
E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
COLLEGES MUST SLOW RISING COSTS OF TUITION
"It's plain and simple: It now costs too much to go to college.
While Congress and the Administration can take some steps to help
higher education institutions contain costs, this issue is primarily
in the hands of college and university administrators. They must
take steps now to slow the ever-rising cost of college tuition.
If they don't, the cost will soon be beyond the reach of many
Americans and more and more of our young people will be deeply
in debt." Rep. Bill Goodling (R-PA), chair of the House Committee
on Education and the Workforce, in accepting the report of a national
commission that studied the rising cost of tuition. Recommendations
contained in his response can be found online.
M A R G I N A L I A
WHERE YOU BORN IN A COMPUTER-SIMULATED BARN?
Computer-simulated animals (called "animats") may one
day be used for designing barns, pens and livestock-handling facilities
without the trouble and expense of using real animals in research
projects. "We've developed animats that move, compete for
social dominance and are motivated to obtain food, resting sites,
water and other needs," says Ray Stricklin, a University
of Maryland researcher. The result should be facilities that make
animals more comfortable and productive, and more profitable for
farmers. (The Furrow, February)