A bicycle ride for staff and faculty will take place tomorrow, May 31. All abilities are welcome. Cyclists should meet in front of Old Main at 4:30 p.m. The route will depend on attendance. In the event of bad weather, the ride will be rescheduled.
— Amy Cutler, Law School
Last year, All Staff Council added a new committee, the Special Interest Committee. This committee explores initiatives, questions, and/or concerns presented to All Staff Council through research, planning, and collaboration with appropriate offices on campus.
Over the year, the committee reviewed recommendations that policy documents be added to the HR website. The committee has also been working on a staff mentoring program that will launch in August, 2018. At that time, if you are interested in becoming a mentor or mentee, you can fill out an application. Mentees will be matched with a fellow staff member and will build their mentoring relationship throughout the year. Stay tuned for the application and more information.
As a reminder, this committee seeks your suggestions, questions, or concerns. All suggestions are kept confidential.
The Special Interest Committee chair is Carla Herling, and the chair-elect is Andy Verlengia. Additional members of the committee are Shelly Biondi, Pam Pepper, Jennifer Reitano, Niki Smith, and Patrick Williams. If you have anything to reach out to the committee regarding, please direct those inquiries to chair Carla Herling at carla.herling@drake.edu or 515-271-2356.
— Niki Smith, University Communications & Marketing
Drake Women’s Basketball Head Coach Jennie Baranczyk and the women’s basketball staff and players would like to invite girls in grades K-12 to participate in one of our exciting 2018 basketball camps. Find the dates of camp and more information on our camp website bulldogbasketball.com. To receive a Drake faculty/staff discount, contact Sarah Hoffman at sarah.hoffman@drake.edu.
— Nicci Hays Fort, Athletics
Summer group fitness classes are in session now through Friday, June 29, at the Bell Center. All classes are free for faculty, staff, and students. View the schedule.
— Ellen Lowe, Wellness & Recreational Services
Community Engagement at Drake has been nationally and locally recognized by the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement Classification, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, and the United Way of Central Iowa Volunteer Award. Read more about the impact of our programs in our updated Community Engaged Learning Impact Report. Highlights from 2017–2018 include:
Tracking Community Engaged Learning:
Building a signature service year program:
Eight students successfully completed 300 hours of service as a result of participating in the Engaged Citizen Corps program, which resulted in $66,663 monetary value contributed to communities.
Faculty development:
Laura Kieran, assistant professor of special education, and Sally Haack, associate professor of pharmacy practice, have been accepted for national publication and presentation. Their manuscript, PRELOAD: A Rubric to Evaluate Course Syllabi for Quality Indicators of Community Engagement and Service-Learning Components, will be published in the Journal of Community Engagement & Higher Education and presented at the International Association for Research on Community Engagement & Service-Learning this summer.
Co-Curricular Service:
Launching an inaugural Paul Morrison Service Week that resulted in over 400 hours of community service.
— Renee Sedlacek, Community Engaged Learning
Each month a faculty member, nominated by their dean, is recognized for their efforts to integrate innovative technology into their classroom.
May’s digital faculty member of the month: Jeff Inman, assistant professor of journalism, School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Read an interview between ITS and Jeff below.
Which courses do you use this technology in?
JMC 195: Mobile Application Development
JMC 172: Journalism Capstone
What type of technology do you use?
In the mobile app class, we bring together three different disciplines—computer science, graphic design, and journalism—to help ideate and execute proof-of-concept applications for Android devices. To make that happen, the class uses everything from Android emulators to InDesign to Trello to create truly inventive products.
As for the journalism capstone, it’s based around Urban-Plains.com, a multimedia website that covers the stories of the Midwest, from the latest trends in Chicago to the tales hidden in the cornfields of Nebraska. To do that, we use everything from 360 video to traditional written stories. Together, it creates a picture of the Midwest that is as eclectic as we all know it truly is.
In what context do you use this technology?
Both classes are built around collaborative projects everyone contributes to based on their skill sets and ambition; it’s all about creation. I merely act as a guide through each, helping students find the best way to achieve their goals. Technology is the tool that makes it happen.
How does this type of technology align with your teaching pedagogy?
Whatever helps tell a better story, create a better project or run a better team.
Where did you get the inspiration to make a change?
We live in a world that, technologically, is in a state of flux. There is always something new to learn, something new to try, and while we could teach students the best new tool, those often end up by the wayside. I think it’s better to teach students to experiment with technology and find the best way to get the results they want rather than stay locked into one tool or another.
Did ITS assist you in implementing this technology?
ITS set up 18 Android tablets for class. Otherwise, the students handle all the magic.
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
If you are looking for used or new furniture for your office and/or classroom, Facilities Planning and Management is here to assist you. We are currently collecting an inventory list of used items available in the warehouse that are free to departments around campus. If you are looking for something we do not have available, we will work with our preferred furniture vendors to help find a solution that fits your budget and space. If your furniture is damaged, notify Facilities Planning and Management and we will check the warranty status to see if the item can be fixed or replaced. Please contact Kelly Foster at kelly.foster@drake.edu for any furniture related inquiries.
— Kelly Foster, Facilities Planning and Management
In preparation for the launch of the new myDrake portal later this month, we’re rolling out a new login screen for Office 365. The current screen will continue to be used for other applications including TeamDynamix and Slate. Here’s the current screen:
This new screen, shown below, will replace the current Office 365 login screen coming this June.
Office 365 is the first system to use this new login screen, but we will be converting other applications to using this same login screen. The new login will allow for single sign-on (SSO) access. With SSO, you only have to sign in once, and your authentication is passed on to other applications without having to enter your username and password again. ITS is working toward connecting many applications, including Blackboard and the IT service portal, through SSO access.
One important change with this new system is that you have to be sure to bookmark the application that uses the login screen rather than the login screen itself. This ensures that your credentials will be passed correctly between systems.
— Carla Herling, ITS
Aliber Hall is undergoing a renovation of its main level near the elevator and east stairwell. Construction is set to begin today, May 30. Please use the south doors (University Avenue) to enter the building beginning today. The north doors will be unavailable.
To access the east stairwell and the elevator, walk through the west doors of Room 101 and exit through the east doors of Room 101. You may also use the stairwell on the west side of the building to access the lower level. Construction is not anticipated during evening class hours, so no noise disturbance is expected during class hours.
Drake Online Programs has successfully completed its first semester with 27 new students enrolled in classes. We have more students starting this summer, including in four new online classes, which started this month. We are well above our projected enrollment numbers and are excited to see what summer and fall bring.
Continuing our growth and momentum, two more graduate degrees—The Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Administration—launched earlier this month. Digital marketing campaigns and social media ads to promote the programs were also rolled out. You can find more information on these two programs on our website under the programs tab. Many thanks to the faculty and staff of the College of Business and Public Administration for their efforts at getting these programs ready for students.
Remember that you can visit with Online Programs to discuss and ask questions regarding the programs at the Olmsted coffee shop on the third Thursday of every month between 1 and 2 p.m. If that time doesn’t work, please contact Christina Trombley at christina.trombley@drake.edu or extension 2506.
— Christina Trombley, Online Programs
