News & Announcements

Mark Your Calendars for 2027 Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment 2027 will be earlier this year, beginning October 26 at 8 a.m. and ending November 13 at 5 p.m. Open Enrollment is your opportunity to make changes to your benefits for 2027. Even if you don’t want to make changes, you must take action to enroll in flexible spending plans (FSA and DCAP) every year. Due to a change in vendors, action will also be required if you want vision coverage for 2027. This earlier timeline is a change from the schedule employees have been accustomed to for many years and is intended to provide more time for coordination of 2027 benefit elections with our benefit vendors before coverage begins. Watch your email for more information.

August Kudos Cart

Congratulations to the Campus Visits team for being awarded the August Cyclones Kudos Cart. That office was selected by the previous month’s cart recipient, the Enrollment Management Customer Experience team, which expressed its gratitude to the Campus Visits staff for “working hard every day to make every student and family feel welcomed and excited about Iowa State! Their enthusiasm, hard work, and attention to detail make such a difference in creating a great first impression and memorable experience.” Pictured accepting the cart were (l-r): Cody Overland, Zoey Lohse, Jen Saas, Brylee Groskreutz, and Elise Osman.

Introducing New LiveWell Wellbeing Portal

We are excited to announce that on August 5, ISU WellBeing’s Adventure2 portal transitioned to LiveWell, a new platform powered by WebMD Health Services. The new name better reflects Iowa State's holistic approach to supporting overall health and wellbeing.  LiveWell delivers a more personalized experience with enhanced features, smarter tools, a more connected platform, and a customized wellbeing journey from the moment you get started.

Because LiveWell is a brand-new portal with a new provider, all previous Adventure2 participants must re-register. Enrolling is quick and easy. Sign up here and start earning points while exploring personalized wellbeing resources designed just for you. 

We invite you to explore LiveWell, discover resources that support your wellbeing, and take the next step toward living well at work and home!

July Kudos Cart

Congratulations to the Enrollment Management Customer Experience team for being awarded the July Cyclones Kudos Cart. That office was selected by the previous month’s cart recipient, the IT Solution Center team, which expressed its gratitude to the Enrollment Management Customer Experience staff “for being a great campus partner and for making a positive impact on new incoming ISU families. As a peer call center, they are helpful when we need to collaborate to get parents and students where they need to go online.” Pictured accepting the cart were (l-r) Cesar Corona, Morgan Olsthoorn, and Jayasri Karthikeyan.

Introducing the new ISU WellBeing Website

We’re excited to share the new ISU WellBeing website, your central hub for faculty and staff wellbeing resources, programs, events, and support. The site brings together everything in one place, making it easier than ever to explore opportunities that support your wellbeing at work and in life. The website includes resources, a new wellbeing events calendar, information about LiveWell, and much more. 

🔗 Visit the website:ISU WellBeing

June Kudos Cart

Congratulations to the IT Solution Center team for being awarded the June Cyclones Kudos Cart. That office was selected by the previous month’s cart recipient, the Information Technology Security team, which expressed its gratitude to the IT Solution staff “for all their work on a range of urgent technical issues and especially for being an indispensable partner in securing technology used by the Cyclone community.” Pictured accepting the cart were (seated, l-r) Bridget Hepworth and Sebastian Naranjo and (standing) Gage Nikolish, Ryan Medus, Nate Manternach, Josh Kawalek, and Alok Shrestha.

Comp Time Payouts Changes

As detailed in a memo to comp time eligible employees and their managers on June 12, compensatory (comp) time payouts currently occur at the end of each fiscal year for employees with a comp time balance greater than zero. Starting in FY27 – July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 – the end of fiscal year comp time payout process will come to an end. The goal in eliminating this end of fiscal year payout process is to give employees and/or departments choice in managing, using, and paying out earned comp time at any time throughout the year while creating administrative efficiencies.

ISU Earns Third Consecutive Platinum Bell Seal Award

For the third year in a row, Iowa State University has been awarded a Platinum Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health by Mental Health America (MHA). The Bell Seal is a first-of-its-kind workplace mental health certification recognizing employers striving to create mentally healthy workplaces for their employees. MHA is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental health, well-being, and illness prevention for all.