The College of Agriculture Newsletter
Iowa State University
November 3, 1994 No. 5

C O N T E N T S

COLLEGE NEWS
- ISU Ag Week events, Nov. 7-11
- USDA-NRI grants workshop: Animal systems
- Tuition shortfall
- Report on college retreat
- Fall harvest of judging awards

COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK

- Assistors will listen
- Computer work area tips

INFOGRAZING

- Linear accelerator projects
- State appropriations rise 6 percent

EXTERNAL VOICES

- 'I happily teach this course'
- Improving regulatory policy for biotech

MARGINALIA

- Headlines of the future?

C O L L E G E N E W S

ISU AG WEEK EVENTS, NOV. 7-11
A chili supper will be held at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 7 in the Judging Pavilion; it's $3 per person, sponsored by the Ag Ed Club. Ag Career Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the Memorial Union. On Thursday, Nov. 10, a symposium on Iowa's changing swine industry will be held at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall, Memorial Union; sponsored by the Ag Council, Collegiate Farm Bureau and Alpha Zeta. For more information: Brian Meyer, (515) 294-0706; e-mail: bmeyer@iastate.edu.

USDA-NRI GRANTS WORKSHOP: ANIMAL SYSTEMS
Forty seats are available at an interactive satellite workshop on USDA National Research Initiative grantsmanship, focusing on animal systems. The workshop is Thursday, Nov. 10, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., Room 248, Engineering Annex. Peter Johnson, a program manager in animal systems, will speak. Others who will answer questions on the USDA-NRI competitive grants program are Sally Rocky, acting adminstrator, USDA-NRI Competitive Grants; Peter Brayton, program manager - virology, molecular genetics and growth and development; Kathy Elwood, program manager - food safety and human nutrition; and other program managers. To reserve a seat, contact Kathy Kuehl, 294-1242 (kkuehl@iastate.edu) or Shirley Riney at 4-4544 (sriney@iastate.edu). Workshop sponsors: the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Experiment Station.

TUITION SHORTFALL
Fewer students enrolled this fall has meant a $1.7 million decrease in ISU tuition revenues. The College of Agriculture's share of the tuition shortfall is $30,564. The college intends to address the shortfall through salary savings, according to Detroy Green, associate dean for academic programs.

REPORT ON COLLEGE RETREAT
More than 150 people attended the college retreat in August. Participants brainstormed on what the world and agriculture would be like in the future, and what issues will be important. A summary report on the retreat, "Changing Course: Building a New Foundation for Food Systems Education," was given to each DEO. For more information: Robert Martin, chair, Professional Development Committee, 294-0896 (drmartin@iastate.edu).

FALL HARVEST OF JUDGING AWARDS
Student judging teams are doing well this fall. The soil judging team placed first at the American Society of Agronomy's Midwest Region Contest at Springfield, MO. The meat judging team placed first at the Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest hosted by ISU. The dairy cattle judging team placed first at the Midwest contest, Viroqua, WI; eighth at the All-American Judging Contest, Harrisburg, PA; and 10th at the national contest at the World Dairy Expo, Madison, WI. The livestock judging team placed first at the Mid-Continent Livestock Exposition, Springfield, IL; fourth at the Mid-America Classic, Wichita, KS; and fifth at the National Barrow Show, Austin, MN.

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S K I O S K

ASSISTORS WILL LISTEN
Faculty, staff and students with questions about sexual harassment can talk to an assistor. There are 47 assistors around campus who have been trained to listen, ask questions and provide information about ISU policies, and options and sources of help. They do not provide legal advice or investigate alleged incidents. An important point: If you take a complaint to a supervisor, he or she is required to take action. If you are uncertain what to do and want to discuss your situation first, an assistor is one place to start. A list of ISU assistors was published in the Oct. 28 "Inside Iowa State," page 6. The list also is available in the provost's office and the personnel office, and will be put on Online ISU, the university Gopher site.

COMPUTER WORK AREA TIPS
The December issue of Macworld features a special section on avoiding computer-related disorders. It includes these tips for setting up a computer work area: The equipment you use the most should be in front of you and within 15 inches. The mouse should be close to the keyboard and at the same height. The keyboard should be at a height where you don't have to bend your wrists upward or raise your forearms to type. The area of the monitor you look at most should be slightly below eye level. The monitor should be as far away as possible without straining to read -- 16 inches at the minimum.

I N F O G R A Z I N G

LINEAR ACCELERATOR PROJECTS
From March 1993 through August 1994, almost 75 irradiation projects were conducted at ISU's Linear Accelerator Facility. The research involved scientists from more than a dozen federal, university and private labs. Most projects have tested irradiation's ability to control harmful microbes in beef, pork and poultry. But researchers also have looked at controlling salmonella in eggs; reducing mold in strawberries, corn and soybeans; reducing bacteria on roses; improving the properties of plastics and plaster; and sterilizing soil.

STATE APPROPRIATIONS RISE 6 PERCENT
For fiscal 1994-95, Iowa ranks 24th in the nation in amount of state appropriations for higher education. The total is $641,207,000 -- a 6 percent increase from 1992-93. Appropriations to ISU are $206,448,000 -- a 7 percent increase from two years ago. Appropriations to UI are $211,304,000; UNI, $68,124,000; community colleges, $114,388,000; and private colleges, $32,801,000. Appropriations for student aid are $6,425,000 -- a 2 percent decline from 1992-93. (From the Oct. 19 Chronicle of Higher Education.)

E X T E R N A L V O I C E S

'I HAPPILY TEACH THIS COURSE'
Edward O. Wilson, naturalist and senior member of the faculty at Harvard University, on teaching a course in evolutionary biology for nonmajors: "I happily teach this course because I realize that I am addressing the future news editors, senators, business leaders and other members of society [who need to have a good background in science]." (From an interview on National Public Radio.)

IMPROVING REGULATORY POLICY FOR BIOTECH
From an article by Henry Miller in the September/October issue of The American Enterprise, which calls for a "new intolerance" by scientists and others toward "excessive, illogical" biotechnology regulation: "Improvements in the regulatory climate cannot even be hoped for unless three things occur: First, scientists, as individuals, must learn to discuss complex scientific and technological issues so clearly and logically that nonexperts can understand the arguments and draw conclusions on their merits . . . Second, professional and scientific associations, journals and faculties must also join the debate . . . And third, those who are not directly involved in science but who have a stake in the ultimate applications of science and technology -- venture capitalists, consumer groups, patients' groups and farmers' organizations -- need to become conversant with the basic concepts that relate to biotechnology regulation."

M A R G I N A L I A

HEADLINES OF THE FUTURE?
At the college retreat (see "College News"), participants were asked to write news headlines they'd like to see in the year 2010. A few examples: "United Nations announces that ISU is the first international land-grant university"; "Iowa State University recognized: the world's people university"; "ISU develops sustainable agriculture system"; "ISU teams accept Nobel Peace Prize for development of odorless hog"; and "ISU 50 - Iowa 10."

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO AG ONLINE

Send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag Online subscribe" to bmeyer@iastate.edu (or if you're on the college server, AGCOLLEGE/BMEYER). To unsubscribe: Same thing, with "Ag Online unsubscribe." Comments? Call, write, e-mail or fax to the addresses below.

AG ONLINE
Ag Online is a bimonthly electronic newsletter for ISU College of Agriculture faculty and staff. Editors: Brian Meyer (bmeyer@iastate.edu) and Ed Adcock (eadcock@agcollege.exnet.iastate.edu), Agriculture Information Services, 304 Curtiss Hall, Ames, IA 50011. Phone: 515-294-5616. Fax: 515-294-8662.

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