The next documentary film in the Engaged Citizen Experience will be Wednesday, March 7, at 6 p.m. in Sussman Theater, Olmsted Center. Professor Deb DeLaet will lead a post-film discussion. Pizza will be served.
— Art Sanders, Associate Provost
All posts by Heidi Weiss
J-Term Fair
The J-Term Fair is Monday, April 5, from 4:30 to 6:15 p.m. in Parents Hall, Olmsted Center. There will be information about travel seminars, on-campus classes, registration, finance, housing, and all other J-Term issues.
— Art Sanders, Associate Provost
Drake Choir to perform March 6
The Drake Choir and Chamber Choir will perform on Tuesday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium. The concert, on the eve of the choir’s tour of Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, will feature music by contemporary American, Korean, and Lithuanian composers, as well as works by Rheinberger, Handel, and Finzi. There is no admission charge.
— Aimee Beckmann-Collier, College of Arts & Sciences
Community Engaged Learning blog
Visit the Community Engaged Learning Blog to read how this year’s cohort of Engaged Citizen Corps members have been engaging with and serving in the community. The Engaged Citizen Corps is an academic plus service year experience for first year students at Drake. Recent blog posts include “Meet the Engaged Citizen Corps members,” which highlights the work of Service Learning Ambassadors, and “Just Sustainabilities J-Term Course,” which demonstrates how students explored advocacy for alternative transportation in downtown Des Moines. Engaged Citizen Corps is currently accepting applications for the 2018-2019 academic year. If you know of a high school senior who would be a good fit for the program, please encourage them to apply. The application deadline is March 1.
If you would like to be a guest blogger and share your community engagement work, email amanda.martin@drake.edu. Follow Community Engaged Learning and Service on Facebook and Twitter.
— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning and Service
Wellness Library
The Bell Center has a Wellness Library that contains books and DVDs to help you learn more about health and wellness. Resources are available over spring break, so check out a book if you are planning on relaxing and reading.
— Drake Wellness
Digital faculty member of the month: Jill Van Wyke
February’s digital faculty member of the month: Jill Van Wyke, associate professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Each month, a faculty member, nominated by their dean, is recognized for their efforts to integrate an innovative technology into their classroom. Read an interview between ITS and Jill below.
What type of technology (hardware/software) do you use?
Slack, a messaging app that streamlines workflow by centralizing communication and document sharing.
In what context do you use this technology?
We use Slack as our sole communication channel in the capstone. It replaces email, texting, and private messaging. Before we switched to Slack, our communication was splintered and fractious. Slack puts it all in one place. It syncs nicely with Google Drive, and it also archives all communication.
What course(s) do you use this technology?
Our journalism senior capstone joins students from three majors (news, digital media production, and magazine media) to publish the nationally recognized online publication Urban Plains. The class is run as a professional publishing staff. Students are responsible for the entire publication: writing, producing, photography and videography, editing, art, marketing, promotion, web design and analytics, social media, and so on.
How does this type of technology align with your teaching pedagogy?
Our capstone attempts to simulate a real-world professional media company. It runs at a breakneck pace, with a sense of urgency and immediacy. Students often need us at odd hours, and we often need instant answers from them. With Slack, everybody is easily accessible at all times, wherever we are. The basic version of Slack, which allows 5G of storage, is free. Depending on the size of the class, we exchange 15,000 to 25,000 messages in a semester.
Where did you get the inspiration to make a change?
Our students and alumni reported a few years ago that they were using Slack in their internships and jobs. We decided it would be another way to prepare our students professionally.
How long did it take you to implement this technology?
No time at all. At least not any longer than it takes to set up an app. Students take to it quickly. The learning curve isn’t steep.
Are you interested in trying out new technology in your classroom? Want help from ITS staff? Schedule a technology adoption consultation.
—Erin Ulrich, CPHS, and Carla Herling, ITS
Next Bucksbaum lecture: Fall 2018
Drake will not hold a Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lectureship this spring; the next lecture will occur in fall 2018. The event will mark the 40th Bucksbaum lecture. Stay tuned for more details. For questions, or to submit speaker recommendations, contact Erica Hartschen, at 515-271-4990 or erica.hartschen@drake.edu.
— Erica Hartschen, University Advancement
Great Colleges to Work For Survey: Call for more responses
We need more responses. Thank you to everyone who has already completed the Great Colleges To Work For survey. We have not yet reached our participation goal, but there is still time. The survey will close after the end of the business day on Friday, March 2. Please take this opportunity to make your voice heard. Your feedback is valued.
The survey was distributed by email to faculty and staff on Monday, Feb. 19. If you have not received your survey invitation or have other questions about the Great Colleges To Work For survey, contact Gary Johnson, director, HR operations, at gary.johnson@drake.edu or 515-271-4804.
Find an FAQ with more information here.
— Gary Johnson, Human Resources
Save the date to go All In: April 5 and 6, noon to noon!
Five years ago, a powerful tradition began. Get ready for the best year yet. All In, Drake’s annual 24-hour giving campaign, encourages the entire Drake community to support, share, and celebrate all that makes Drake great. Faculty and staff are invited to celebrate All In during a social on Thursday, April 5, from 3:30–5:30 in the lower level of Collier-Scripps Hall. Enjoy beer, wine, or a non-alcoholic drink along with snacks while socializing with your colleagues from across campus. You can learn more about All In and get up-to-date information about the campaign by liking our Facebook page, Drake All In.
Last year, 183 faculty and staff went All In, and overall, the campaign raised almost $155,000 from 852 donors. With your help, this year will be even more successful! So, join your fellow Bulldogs on Thursday, April 5 and Friday, April 6, noon to noon, to give back, spread the word, and go All In!
— Becca Widmer, University Advancement
From the Provost: HLC accreditation reaffirmed
Last Thursday I shared that the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) has reaffirmed Drake’s accreditation. To have the HLC see that we are successfully completing our mission speaks volumes to the work of our faculty and staff, and validates the strength of our institution.
The team reported perceived strengths around Drake as a mission-driven university with an excellent reputation; strong academic programs; committed and accomplished faculty and dedicated staff; sound and transparent fiscal stewardship; improved initiatives in the area of diversity and inclusion; and improvements in communication, transparency, and accountability.
The HLC’s evaluation is based on five primary criteria: (1) Mission; (2) Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct; (3) Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support; (4) Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement; and (5) Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness. Each criterion includes multiple core components and subcomponents. The site visit team is required to render a determination for each of the five criteria, as well as for each core component, indicating that it is either (a) Met, (b) Met with concerns, or (c) Not met.
Drake met all 19 criteria and components reviewed by the commission, 17 of which were met unconditionally and two were “met with concerns.” These two areas of improvement include record keeping pertaining to employee qualifications and performance reviews, and assessment of student learning. A plan to address and improve these areas will be developed, and progress will be reported to the HLC. The accreditation review also included a Quality Initiative that is intended to allow institutions to design an effort to suit its current concerns or aspirations. Drake’s project focused on crafting innovative, institution-based approaches to achieving inclusive excellence. View a summary of the HLC report and the Quality Initiative Report.
Successful completion of our reaffirmation of accreditation is due to the efforts of many people over the course of several years. An important component of the commission’s decision was the on-site evaluation last October. I am grateful to the many faculty and staff who attended the open forums – your participation attested to our engaged and committed campus culture.
On behalf of President Martin and the Drake University Board of Trustees, I would like to commend the entire University on this achievement, and in particular, the members of the HLC Steering Committee co-chaired by Craig Owens and Kevin Saunders, who dauntlessly managed the accreditation process from start to finish. In addition, I want to recognize the successful efforts of the Quality Initiative, including the “We Make Drake” Climate Survey and action plan. A special thanks to Melissa Sturm-Smith, Renee Cramer, and Michael Couvillon for their leadership in this area. The review team positively noted that “Drake University has invested broadly in this initiative through the time and action of leadership, faculty and staff; the engagement of a consulting firm; and taking direct action and planning for data driven future actions.”
The success of our reaffirmation of accreditation is a clear indication of the exceptional learning environment upheld at Drake, and personally, I am deeply proud to be part of such an outstanding institution.
— Sue Mattison, Provost