New Employee Onboarding
Iowa State University is an international university with a friendly, welcoming personality. Students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries come to Ames, Iowa to choose from 100 majors, study with world-class scholars, and develop leadership skills through more than 800 student organizations. Iowa State offers an environment where you can reach your potential and discover your passions.
The College of Design is committed to educating students to become successful designers, planners, artists, and scholars who improve quality of life, enhance human experience, and advance environmental sustainability. We serve as a resource for Iowa and beyond through research, creative endeavors, extension, and outreach. Our values include innovation, curiosity, collaboration, open exchange of ideas, diverse perspectives, and environmental and social responsibility. Our vision is to be the leading comprehensive college of design in the world, recognized for interdisciplinary collaboration and informed, innovative responses to challenges and opportunities.
The College of Design is home to seven departments: Architecture, Art and Visual Culture, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning and Development. We have more than 160 faculty members, 40 staff members, and nearly 2,100 students. We are a small college within a large university, offering the best of both worlds.
Most undergraduate students begin in the Core Design Program, a first-year foundation curriculum that prepares them to apply to any of our undergraduate majors. Graduate students can choose from a variety of master’s programs in design disciplines and related fields.
Welcome to our community. We are excited to have you join us as we work together to shape the future of design!
Starting Your Employment
The following steps are suggested to help you get started as a new employee at Iowa State University. Some steps may vary depending on your role or department.
- Sign up for payroll through University Human Resources; this step is required before continuing and will also start your benefits package.
- Get your ISU ID card from the Card Office.
- Sign up for a Net-ID through Account Services Online; your Net-ID will serve as your login name for most campus applications, including email, and will automatically set up your Workday and email accounts.
- Inform Amy Bannister (amyb@iastate.edu) or the Administrative Assistant in 146 Design of your University ID number (found on your ISU ID card) and your email address; they will begin the process for building access and office or studio keys.
- Meet with your departmental partner in the Administrative Services Office to review any department-specific information.
- Purchase a parking permit through ISU Parking Services if needed, as parking is not included as an employee benefit.
- Navigate to Microsoft My Apps and sign in using your ISU Net-ID and password; customize your dashboard by creating sections and adding apps you need.
- Log in to Workday using your ISU ID and update your personal information, paying special attention to Emergency Contact Information and ISU Alert settings.
- Open the Workday portal from Microsoft My Apps to access your Welcome Page; use the menu button in the upper left corner to navigate tasks, and click the red Iowa State University logo to return to the Welcome Page.
College of Design Resources
The college sends an e-newsletter to all faculty and staff called “This Week in the College of Design.” This email is sent every Monday morning during the academic year (mid-August to mid-May, except some university breaks). This is the primary source of information sent from the college. It includes current activities and events as well as important information from the university, college and departments, in addition to faculty, staff and student recognitions. We recommend you read “This Week” regularly as it may contain important information applicable to you.
Submit a communication request to be included in the weekly e-newsletter.
The College of Design maintains a comprehensive website at design.iastate.edu. The site is recruitment-oriented to appeal to prospective students.
Resources that includes quick links to D-TRAK, online room reservations (Skedda), CyBox, university directory, schedule of classes, etc., as well as forms and guides (travel authorization request form, field trip participation agreement, design P&T information), governance documents, marketing and communication requests, etc. can be found on the Inside the College of Design internal site.
Submit a website update request for either the college of internal websites.
The college maintains an electronic directory of faculty and staff. The directory is populated from information mostly provided by you. This information is entered using the college intranet (D-TRAK). Login using your Net-ID and password. The category “Update Your Info” provides links to update your information (education, current research, etc.), add faculty activities (grants, publications, exhibitions, classes, etc.), upload a vita, etc.
You are required to maintain your faculty/staff info. In addition to providing current info on you, it can also be used as part of your annual reporting process for performance reviews.
Meeting spaces: If you need to reserve a room for a meeting or want to use another classroom for something, please schedule this with the Administrative Assistant in 146 or by using Skedda and you may check out the keys. Certain rooms may need to be reserved through your departmental partner.
Office space: Most full-time faculty have an office with furniture (desk, chair, file cabinets, shelving, phone, network connections). Some offices are shared due to space constraints and usage. For tenure-track faculty only, computers are typically provided as part of your startup package; the college currently has a 4-year replacement cycle for basic machines (subject to annual budgets).
For all employees, if you need equipment, please start the conversation with your department chair or supervisor. If you need a cart to help you move materials, please see the Administrative Assistant in 146 Design, to check out the key to unlock the cart.
The university recycles white paper and cardboard. White paper can be placed in any of the blue bins in your offices and studios. Cardboard should be taken to the dock (on the ground level of the SW corner of the building). Please make sure that all packaging materials are removed from the boxes. Please do not put any flammable liquids or leave any broken appliances or furniture on the dock. Contact the building manager, Jeremy Thurlby (jthurlby@iastate.edu), for information about disposal procedures.
You will be authorized for a key to your office. Key requests are initiated through the college. You are expected to go to Facilities Planning and Management located at 108 General Services Building to pick up keys when they are ready. Your ISU Card also serves as a key card to access the building. You will be authorized for all-hours access to the building.
The mail room, 158 Design, requires an individual code unique to you that you can find on your D-TRAK profile page. Some of the studios in the building have electronic locks, and some use a realtor’s lock box. The Administrative Assistant, in 146 Design, can assist with classroom access.
USPS and express mail are delivered by the college Administrative Services Office to your mailbox in Room 158 College of Design. University business-related outgoing mail should have a mailing slip attached to it with the appropriate bar code sticker and can be deposited in the outgoing mail slot in 146 Design. Barcode stickers and mailing slips are available in 146 Design at the main reception desk. Sending or receiving personal mail or packages is not allowed. Please use other means.
College of Design’s mailing address:
146 Design Iowa State University
715 Bissell Road
Ames, IA 50011-1066
Your office may have a phone. If so, the office phone is not to be used for personal calls. The university has contracts with U.S. Cellular and Verizon; however, your department will not provide for cellular service for your business use unless your position requires extensive travel (e.g., Extension faculty) or if you pay for it from contracts or other sources (assuming it is allowed). Any university-paid-for phone is not intended for personal use. To dial out: Press 81 then dial phone number
Restrooms are located on each floor of the main College of Design building and the King Pavilion. An inclusive/family restroom and lactation area is located on the ground floor of the College of Design, near the loading dock entry.
A majority of campus information technology services are handled by the Office of Information Technology. Their website has many subareas of information and how-tos. The college also has an IT unit headed by Mike Miller (mcmiller@iastate.edu). The college IT team will work with you to get the right equipment ordered and set up with the software you might need. The team can be contacted through the support help line, 294-1774.