Ag and Life Sciences ONLINE

COLLEGE NEWS



- And there's a great view of the Butter Cow



- Wanted: News on college alumni



- Faculty/staff retreat



- Summer orientation



- Animal Science Roundup



- Virtual university



COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK



- E-mail brevity



INFOGRAZING



- If it's been bugging you



EXTERNAL VOICES



- Shortcuts



MARGINALIA



- Avoid sand traps by satellite







C O L L E G E N E W S







AND THERE'S A GREAT VIEW OF THE BUTTER COW



Blue ribbons to all who have volunteered to staff the college's

Iowa State Fair exhibit. Thanks! Still, there are openings that

need to be filled. Volunteers get a FREE admission ticket and

parking pass to the fair, which runs Aug. 10-20. The exhibit,

"Gardens Excite the Senses," focuses on the Reiman Gardens.

No special knowledge is needed. To find out when volunteers are

needed, call Ed Adcock, 294-2314, or edadcock@iastate.edu.



WANTED: NEWS ON COLLEGE ALUMNI



The College of Agriculture Alumni Society is getting ready to

publish Ag Alumni Forum, its annual newsletter mailed to 17,000

alumni. The Forum includes a "People You Know" section

with one-sentence items on alumni accomplishments. If you know

of a former student, friend or colleague who is a graduate of

the college and has a new job, received an award or had another

recent recognition, contact Ed Adcock, 294-2314 or edadcock@iastate.edu.

Include major and graduation date if possible. DEADLINE: Aug.

4.



FACULTY/STAFF RETREAT



External communications will be spotlighted at the College of

Agriculture's faculty/staff retreat, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Aug.

17, Holiday Inn-Gateway Center. A presenter from the Foundation

for American Communications will outline ways academia can best

work with the media. The retreat also focuses on communication

with current and potential stakeholders. A sign-up sheet was recently

mailed to faculty and staff. RSVPs are due Aug. 4 to Norma Hensley,

23 Curtiss. For more information: Robert Martin, Ag Education

and Studies, 294-0896.



SUMMER ORIENTATION



Summer orientation in June brought 447 prospective students to

College of Agriculture departments. This was the first year that

individual departments organized sessions for students and their

parents. Some reactions: Ron Deiter, ag economics adviser, said,

"Having parents and students together made them more comfortable

and willing to ask questions." Woody Hart, entomology adviser,

said, "Students and parents seemed to like the open atmosphere"

of the sessions, and that "our first experience hosting an

orientation meeting was encouraging." The next round of orientations

is Aug. 17-18.



ANIMAL SCIENCE ROUNDUP



More than 140 high-school-age 4-H members from 55 Iowa counties

learned about modern animal-science technologies at the 10th annual

Animal Science Roundup in June. The Roundup also is a chance for

young people to learn about ISU and consider careers in animal

agriculture. Workshops were taught by more than 40 ISU faculty

and staff and livestock industry representatives. The 4-Hers competed

in a quiz bowl on material presented in workshops; prepared video

public service announcements on current issues; and had a make-your-own-omelet

breakfast. The Roundup is coordinated by animal science faculty

and the state 4-H and youth program office.



VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY



Distance education, or the "virtual university," will

provide a variety of educational opportunities to more people

-- that was a future trend noted by participants at a Visioning

the Future forum in March. Sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

and the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies, the

forum looked at the future of graduate studies in ag education.

Implications of this trend: Ag education providers must be prepared

to deliver distance education. Strategies: Determine the learner's

needs and identify educational experiences that can be delivered

via distance education. For more information on forum results,

contact Alan Kahler, 294-0894.







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









E-MAIL BREVITY



Be brief. Generally, the easiest-to-read e-mail is short and to

the point. If you have more to say on a listserv, send a message

to the list announcing a long message, or "book," and

how other subscribers can request it. It is bad form to drop a

huge message into 2,000 mail boxes, which can cause enormous management

problems. The best rule for considering the size of a message

is the same one you should consider as to the content of your

message: THINK BEFORE YOU SEND. (A tip from David Riggins, Gopher

Jewels Project.)







I N F O G R A Z I N G







IF IT'S BEEN BUGGING YOU



It's summertime, and people's thoughts (and flyswatters) turn

to insects. Here's a couple "Did you know . . . ?" college

facts to shoehorn into the conversation at your next backyard

barbecue:



Number of specimens in the Iowa Insect Collection, located

in the entomology department (approximate): 1 million



Number of phone calls fielded by Extension entomology

specialists last year (approximate): 5,300







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







SHORTCUTS



"There is no shortcut to anywhere worth going." -- Beverly

Sills.







M A R G I N A L I A







AVOID SAND TRAPS BY SATELLITE



Golf cart makers are adding global positioning satellite technology

to the vehicles to help guide drivers through unfamiliar courses,

especially when traversing them involves a little street driving.

GPS systems have another advantage: when parked close to the ball,

they calculate the distance -- give or take a few feet -- to the

flag. Golf course managers say eliminating the uncertainty speeds

up the game, making way for additional golfers. (Business Week,

July 3)