News Briefs

  • Grab some eclipse glasses and take part in this solar phenomenon on the Pentacrest on April 8

    March 27, 2024


    By Charlotte Brookins 

    Seven years after the 2017 eclipse, Iowa City will experience another large-scale solar event when the moon partially covers the sun on April 8, 2024. From 12:46 p.m. to 3:16 p.m., the eclipse will progress up to 89 percent totality, dimming the skies and creating an unforgettable celestial event for all to enjoy.  People look at the solar eclipse with telescopes

    Solar eclipses are rare, making it more special that Iowa City residents have had two chances to experience them in the past seven years. According to physics and astronomy professor Jasper Halekas, solar eclipses are serendipitous in nature. 

    "It's a happy accident that the moon happens to be at exactly the right distance and the right size to basically totally block out the sun but just leave a little bit of light around the edge of it," says Halekas in an interview with the Iowa City Press-Citizen. "You can often see a tiny little bit of light from the outer reaches of the sun still showing from the edge. It is quite spectacular. It feels like night for a few minutes; you start to hear crickets chirping, and all the local wildlife thinks it's suddenly nighttime." 

    Iowa City is in a section of the United States that will see the eclipse reach near-totality, an event that will not occur again in the continental United States for another 20 years.  

    To celebrate, the Department of Physics and Astronomy, housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the University of Iowa Sciences Library are hosting a viewing event on the Pentacrest and in the Sciences Library Courtyard from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the day of the eclipse, April 8. 

    Caroline Roberts
    Caroline Roberts

    “We’ll be giving out eclipse glasses for people to wear to safely look at the sun, there will be solar telescopes people can look through, and if you come at around 2 p.m., you’ll be able to see the maximum eclipse,” says Caroline Roberts, coordinator of the astronomy labs and manager of Van Allen Observatory. 

    Roughly a week prior to the event, on Tuesday, April 2 at 5 p.m. over Zoom, physics and astronomy will share information about the sun and how it transfers energy to the Earth, as well as the process of solar eclipses and tips for safe viewing. The online event is hosted by the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. 

    Roberts says the physics and astronomy department and the Sciences Library are both thrilled for the events’ potential to attract further interest in their fields from students, faculty, alumni and the greater Iowa City community.  

    “We’re very excited about the eclipse because it allows people to see this incredible phenomenon easily and get excited about astronomy,” Roberts adds.  

    Roberts encourages those interested in this event and the field of astronomy to become more involved in the department on campus.  

    “We always encourage people to come to our events, like our regular public observing nights at the Van Allen Observatory,” says Roberts. “Any undergraduate student is welcome to take classes in the department. We welcome any interested students to explore the majors, attend Society of Physics Students meetings, and get involved in any way they can.” 

    The Sciences Library and the Department of Physics and Astronomy are looking forward to the events and welcome all who are interested in attending. Those interested in getting a pair of solar eclipse glasses can grab some for free while supplies last on the Pentacrest and in the Sciences Library Courtyard on the day of the event. 

    Herky looks at the solar eclipse with three people

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  • NASA touches down in Iowa to talk TRACERS

    April 01, 2024


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  • Dale Stille of Department of Physics and Astronomy recognized as APS fellow

    April 01, 2024


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  • Mindset matters: Strategies to boost motivation in crunch time

    March 28, 2024


    Even though finals are weeks away, the end of the semester will come more quickly than you realize! It can be hard to maintain your academic motivation.

    Check out these tips from Learning at Iowa to help you finish the semester strong!

    Proactively combat procrastination

    While procrastination may work in the short term, it is related to burnout in the long term. Act proactively to combat the natural temptation to procrastinate:

    • If you haven’t yet, enter deadlines for your remaining assignments and exams into your planner or calendar. Set up reminders leading up to those deadlines so you can space out your learning.
    • Be intentional about setting time aside ahead of the due date to start on assignments or review for an exam. Start at least a day before the deadline so you have time to take breaks and not get overwhelmed when life happens!
    • Schedule out your week in advance and decide what needs to be finished each day. Then take it one day at a time, working on one assignment or class at a time.
    • Break down your assignments into smaller goals, i.e. do the first three problems vs. complete the entire assignment.
    • If it is hard to get started, try setting a 5-minute timer to do work.
    • Reward yourself when you power through and feel productive! Think about what positive reinforcements or rewards will help you celebrate your progress and motivate you to do it again.

    For more information, check out:

    Bounce back from burnout

    If you start feeling the initial stages of burnout, try the following:

    • Instead of focusing on getting As in every class, set behavioral goals that will help contribute to that desired end result, like “I will go to office hours to seek clarifications.”
    • Remind yourself it is ok to make mistakes and that you are a beginner in your field of study. Give yourself permission to ask questions and reach out for help from your support team (instructors, advisors, peers, family, etc.).
    • Make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating and exercising regularly, and taking breaks to do things not related to your academics!

    For more information, check out:

    Remind yourself why you came to college in the first place

    To keep up your motivation during challenging times of the semester, ask yourself:

    • What kind of information do you want to learn? What kinds of big questions do you want to know the answers to? What type of career are you preparing for?
    • How can each course you are taking this semester help you get closer to these goals? How does each course provide an opportunity to grow in ways that are important to you academically, personally, or creatively?
    • If you are in a class that you aren’t as passionate about, consider how it can help you achieve a longer-term goal, like fulfilling a requirement for your major or learning a skill that will make you more competitive for an internship.

    For more information, check out:

    A student studying

    Problem-solve in advance

    Anticipating the challenges you might face helps you to problem-solve ahead of time, minimizing the impact these roadblocks have on your semester. The first step to overcoming challenges is to notice when they are occurring and in what situations they are most likely to occur for you:

    • What are your most common academic roadblocks? Many students struggle with distractions, procrastination, and feeling overwhelmed.
    • What strategies and resources are you already using to address them that are working well for you? Try adding 1-2 new strategies to address the specific roadblocks you identified. Check out these videos for some practical tips to boost your success: Metacognition and Memory.

    For more information, check out:

    Celebrate small wins

    When the semester gets hard, take time to acknowledge and savor small victories. This will motivate you to stay present and focused as you continue to make progress towards your goals:

    • Save reminders of these wins by keeping a journal, creating an email folder for congratulatory notes, or keep a folder of assignments and projects that you are proud of. 
    • When you are feeling discouraged, remind yourself of how far you've come and everything you have already learned this semester.
    • Remember, you’ve successfully overcome academic challenges before, and you can do it again!

    For more information, check out:

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  • To drop or not to drop a class? These are the questions

    March 28, 2024


    There are still six weeks left in the semester to improve your standing. You also have the option to drop a class or to withdraw from all classes by April 15 with your academic advisor’s permission.

    How do you decide? Think about these things.

    Assess your situation.

    Think about the course as a whole:

    • How many assignments are left in this class, and what grades are you likely to earn based on past performance?
    • What academic support resources are available, and can you make use of them in time?
    • Does the course allow makeup work?
    • If you have missed class, how will attendance factor into your grade?

    Speak with your course professor or TA about what steps you can take to raise your grade and what outcome may be realistically achieved by the end of the term.

    Think about your situation:

    • Will dropping this course allow you to focus on other courses?
    • Are you facing some challenges that will make it hard to do work for the class going forward?
    • Are you on academic probation? If so, it’s especially important to be mindful of your grades.

    Be sure to talk to your advisor about the big picture.

    Get input and act.

    As you make your decision, you may want input about the implications of dropping or keeping a course from the following resources:

    • Your instructor or TA to understand your status in the class
    • Your academic advisor to discuss your schedule as a whole, your timeline to graduation, and your academic standing
    • Office of Student Financial Aid to understand the implications for scholarships, grants, or loans
    • International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) or athletics for eligibility
    • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Programs (CLAS UP) (clas-undergrad@uiowa.edu) for questions about academic probation and late drops or withdrawals

    If you plan to stick with your course, now is the time to use all the resources available to you. Check Tutor Iowa for resources related to your class or area of study, as well as the CLAS website for additional workshops and resources. There are also tips available to you about study strategies and boosting motivation.

    If you decide to drop a course, go to the Courses/Registration tab on MyUI, log in, and then set the session to Spring 2024. Follow these instructions.

    • To initiate your drop, click all the way through “I agree to obtain required permissions.”
    • Note all the permissions required to drop, and contact each area (advisor, ISSS, athletics, etc.).
    • Once you get all the permissions, you will need to complete the drop or semester withdrawal on your MyUI Courses/Registration page no later than Monday, April 15, 2024.

    Did you miss the deadline? It’s never too late to ask for help. Talk to your advisor as soon as possible about options. If you have extenuating circumstances, you may be able to petition for a late drop of an individual course or late withdraw from the entire semester. Contact clas-undergrad@uiowa.edu for more information.

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  • CLAS journalism students help produce book chronicling historic season for Iowa women’s basketball

    March 28, 2024


    By Emily Delgado  

    With all eyes on the University of Iowa’s women’s basketball team, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC), in collaboration with The Daily Iowan, is documenting basketball phenomena Caitlin Clark and the Iowa women's team in a new book that will be published following the end of what has been another storybook season.  

    “For a university known for great storytelling, I think it's important to tell the story of not only this team and this moment, but what it all means for Iowa, women's basketball, and women's sports as a whole,” journalism adjunct instructor Wayne Drehs said. Drehs comes to Iowa after an Emmy-winning career as an ESPN journalist and is now teaching and mentoring students at Iowa.  

    Iowa women's basketball

    The book will include photos taken by Daily Iowan photographers, including scenes from games, practices, and behind-the-scenes moments with the team. The content of the book has been spread headed by the photography team at The Daily Iowan.  

    “While this has been a fantastic collaboration between the DI and the SJMC, I don't want to underestimate or overlook the work of the students in the Daily Iowan's documentary workshop,” Wayne said.  

    The book will also feature essays and articles produced by journalism students, including Drehs’ sports writing class, about this significant moment in Iowa athletics and women’s basketball. 

    There will also be essays written by record-breaking tennis player Billie Jean King, college basketball coach Jackie Stiles, UI President Barbara Wilson, and Gov. Kim Reynolds.  

    “The team just represents what it means to be an Iowa Hawkeye so well. Beyond athletics, I hope this book will remind people about the incredibly talented students we have in the SJMC and The Daily Iowan,” Drehs said.  

    Mia Boulton, a first-year journalism student, and avid women’s basketball fan is thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the book. Boulton, was a part of the students who accompanied Drehs to report on the Iowa vs. Nebraska game.  

    “Iowa women's basketball is changing the future for young female athletes. It deserves this coverage. It needs this coverage. It is only fair to give those athletes, this team, and this sport the documentation they have earned,” Boulton said. 

    McKenna Roering is another student whose work will be in the book and who reported on the Iowa vs. Nebraska game. Roering has spent hours inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena during the season capturing the sport and the atmosphere of the games. 

    “I don't think there's a better group of people to tell this story than students. We go to school with Clark and the rest of the team,” Roering, a third-year student majoring in journalism said. “We are in Iowa City every day and know the team better than most.” 

    Roering said the book will be a great way to show off not just the Iowa women’s basketball team but also the future journalists and communicators in Iowa. 

    “I went to Carver about five hours before tip-off one day and just walked around the arena trying to find workers to talk to. I also went into the crowd and outside to find fans who were first in line or had cool signs. A lot of it was just about observing, too. You can learn a lot by being aware of your surroundings and keeping your ears open,” Roering said.  

    As someone who experienced not just the excitement of the game but of the process of writing the book, Roering is excited to see the final product and be a part of women in sports history as one herself.  

    “There is no better time to be a woman in sports in Iowa,” Roering said. “This historic time in the university's history and the country, in general, needs to be documented for the memories but also as inspiration for future generations.”  

    The book can be ordered online at The Daily Iowan and $1 of pre-sales will be donated to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.  

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  • Tips and tools for registration

    March 28, 2024


    Fall 2024 registration is just around the corner in April. Don’t forget to schedule an appointment with your academic advisor if you need registration authorization!

    Here are some recommendations from your CLAS academic advisors for a smooth registration experience.

    Keep your eyes on the prize
    It’s important to review your requirements and what you have already completed before choosing classes. Run an updated degree audit in MyUI, and check for categories and course numbers you still need. Your degree audit shows the specific requirements you locked into when you started your programs, but you may also want to view your program’s requirements in the UI course catalog to learn more about the courses and link directly to the fall 2024 course schedule.

    Know your tools
    Use Schedule Builder for a more streamlined search. Use the Courses/Registration page on MyUI for a more detailed search. You can use the Courses/Registration search feature to:

    • Search specific GE categories
    • Search by credit hours
    • Search by modality, i.e. In-Person or Online
    • Once registration is ongoing, you can use the Open & Available feature to weed out full courses.

    Sync your tools
    Did you use MyPlan to map out your semesters? Send your MyPlan courses to Schedule Builder with one click! View/edit your MyPlan and use the calendar icon in the upper right corner of your fall 2024 semester to export.

    Waitlists are your friend
    If a course is full, don’t give up. Make sure to enroll in a full schedule but join the course waitlist via MyUI. Waitlists are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and remain active through the first week of fall classes.

    If a seat becomes available in a course, you are notified:

    • Via email
    • MyUI message
    • Text message (opt in!)

    You have 24 hours to accept the seat on MyUI.

    Don't let a hold stand in your way
    It’s important to know your academic advisor cannot lift your hold. Make sure you contact the office listed to learn more about the steps required to remove the hold. To check for holds, log into your MyUI and click the Home tab. Holds and contact information will be displayed under Important Registration Information in the appropriate session boxes.

    • U-Bill restriction: Contact the billing office: Phone: 319-335-0071 Email: ubill@uiowa.edu
    • Unsigned student agreement: This is the notice you get when logging into MyUI. To clear this hold, don't skip the form, click and review, and sign off on the info in MyUI. You need to do this every semester. Questions for Student Agreement: ubill@uiowa.edu
    • Student health: This is usually for missing immunization records and mostly impacts new students. Check with student health if you have questions and submit records at student-immunizations@uiowa.edu.
    • Missing transcripts: This usually pertains to new transfer students. Be sure to send in all final transcripts as soon as possible. Contact admissions if you have questions: admissions@uiowa.edu.

    It’s not too late for summer
    Some UI summer courses may be full, but you can still sign up for open summer classes.

    • Your summer registration time opened before spring break and will remain open through each summer session deadline.
    • Thinking about taking a summer course at another school? Use the transfer course guide to check what will transfer. Be sure to double-check with your advisor.

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  • Support CLAS on social media

    March 22, 2024


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  • Explore CLAS featured areas

    March 22, 2024


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  • Get your gift matched

    March 22, 2024


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The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.