Hello, CALS,
The fall colors are incredible – hope you’re getting out to enjoy them! What a spectacular flourish we are treated to each year. It seems to me we have to be reminded anew each year by our eyes just how brilliant and wondrous the fall colors are. It is biology in action – a feast for the eyes! There are autumn sounds, smells and feelings that remind us, too, of this brilliant time between summer and winter.
As you may have heard, there is a campus-wide effort to ensure all digital content at Iowa State is accessible to everyone. This is the result of a federal ruling by the U.S. Department of Justice, which requires that all public entities must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the AA level by April 24, 2026. To learn more:
- Read Inside Iowa State's "What to know about the digital accessibility initiative" article
- Faculty: Complete the Core Digital Accessibility Training for Faculty in Workday by May 15, 2026
- Staff: Complete the Core Digital Accessibility Training for Staff in Workday by May 15, 2026
This week, I hope you'll attend the presentations by the two candidates for Iowa State’s next president. The first will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 5, from 4-5 p.m., and the second on Thursday, Nov. 6, from 4-5 p.m. You can either attend in person in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union or watch the live stream video on the Iowa Board of Regents website.
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 5 p.m. will be the kick-off of the fourth annual Food Insecurity Challenge. That is the start of a two-week effort by teams of undergraduate and graduate students to innovate and propose ideas to help address the uneven distribution, availability and affordability of food across our many communities. It is especially on our minds this year, given federal uncertainty in this regard, and the continuing needs of our communities. Today, approximately 8% of Iowa’s population (259,000 of 3.2 million) receives SNAP benefits, whereas 25 years ago, it was about 4% of our population (123,000 of 2.9 million). Over the same period, from 2000 to 2025, the percentage of children in Iowa’s K-12 schools receiving free or reduced lunch has stayed in the mid-30% range. The need is real, even as criteria and programs shift; thus, there is a need for innovation and new ideas on how to address the challenge. Our students are up for this task.
Later this week, I’ll visit with alums and friends in the western part of the state to help raise interest and funds for a new Beef Teaching and Innovation Farm. Then over the weekend, I’ll head to the annual national Association of Public Land-Grant Universities meetings to learn more about national trends and opportunities in higher education in these changing, uncertain and challenging times.
If you weren't able to attend, the recording of the Oct. 15 CALS Town Hall is now available. You can hear and see what I presented regarding key college metrics and points of pride.
My best for a great week - Dan
Scenes from CALS
