Would you like to begin learning a few words in Spanish for an upcoming study abroad semester or travel seminar? Do you want or need to keep up your foreign language fluency? Drake’s Department of World Languages and Cultures wants to help.

Spanish Conversation Hours are scheduled for Mondays 4–5 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 204, and Wednesdays 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 228. All levels of Spanish speakers are welcome. The group supports all participants with an opportunity to practice Spanish and no long-term commitment is required to attend. A native speaker facilitates the conversation in Spanish in an informal setting.

Additionally, this semester we are offering an hour conversation about Mexico. Hora sobre México is scheduled every Friday, 2–3 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 204. The purpose of this themed conversation hour is to speak about, learn, and ask questions about Mexico, en español.

For further information, contact Assistant Professor Inbal Mazar at inbal.mazar@drake.edu.

—Dorothy Pisarski, Drake International communications liaison

Facilities Planning and Management is in the process of removing a chiller and cooling tower located at the north end of Harmon Fine Arts Building. Both are more than 30 years old, and the energy efficiency of chillers has improved significantly during the past 10 years. This project started in January and the completion date is early April. The new chiller and cooling tower will be delivered to the Fine Arts building on Feb. 27–28. The equipment will serve the following buildings: Fine Arts Center, Opperman Library, Cartwright Hall, Howard Hall, Old Main, Cole Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Cowles Library.

—Jolene Schmidt, Director, Operations and Support Services

Did you know Cowles Library has more than 250 databases available to Drake students, faculty and staff? We’re highlighting these valuable resources on the Cowles Library blog. Learn more about how Oxford African American Studies Center can help you!

—Leslie Noble, Cowles Library

Drake believes that all faculty, staff, and students share responsibility in maintaining an environment that is safe for learning and work.

Providing an open line of communication to report concerns is a vital component in fostering that environment. Reporting environmental health and safety concerns to the proper individuals is the first step in the process. Follow the reporting steps described to begin the resolution of environmental health and safety concerns that you have observed at the University.

Step 1: Observe an Environmental Health and Safety Concern
When an environmental health and safety concern is observed, determine whether you are capable of resolving it by either correcting the issue yourself or by notifying the correct party (e.g., submitting a work request to Facilities Services). If you are not able to resolve the concern, seek departmental help (proceed to Step 2).

Examples of environmental health and safety concerns include:

• Workplace conditions or actions that could cause harm to employees or the environment;
• Lack of or poor condition of equipment, tools, or personal protective equipment required to perform work safely; or
• Violations of University policies or governmental regulations applicable to occupational health and safety or environmental health.

Please note: Emergencies must be reported directly to Drake Public Safety at 515-271-2222.

Step 2: Seek Department Help
Report the environmental health and safety concern to your supervisor or administrator in your department, and he/she shall initiate the resolution process within the department. Contact Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) if your department cannot resolve the concern (proceed to Step 3).

Step 3: Contact Environmental Health and Safety
You and/or your supervisor can contact EHS for further assistance if the concern cannot be resolved at the department level. You may fill out the REPORT A SAFETY CONCERN form. This form is located on the EHS website; select “Report a concern” on the left-hand side of the page. EHS can also be contacted at ehs@drake.edu or 515-271-3804.

Please note: While the University encourages following the lines of communication described here to cultivate and sustain open dialogue between employees or students and their supervisors, you are always entitled to contact EHS directly at any time. Upon your request, Environmental Health and Safety will hold your identity confidential.

If further action is required, EHS will escalate the resolution of the concern as follows:

• Stage One: EHS will initiate contact with the manager or head of the department.
• Stage Two: EHS will initiate contact with the Dean.
• Stage Three: EHS will initiate contact with the appropriate senior administrator for the area or department.

—Chris Nickell, EHS

Faculty Senate approved March 12–16, 2018, for next year’s Spring Break.

—Nancy Geiger, Student Records and Academic Information