The Office of Community Engaged Learning and Service is looking for volunteers to help with this year’s Poverty Simulation on Nov. 16 and 17 from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Community partners, students, faculty, and staff are all welcome to volunteer for one or both days.

The simulations will be held Nov. 16 and 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. Sign up to volunteer.

We ask that volunteers come 30 minutes before the simulation starts in order to complete training for the experience. The simulation will conclude by 3 p.m. but you are welcome to stay for the debriefing and reflection from 3 to 4 p.m.

The poverty simulation is meant to help sensitize participants to the struggles people in poverty face on a daily basis. During the simulation, participants role-play the lives of low-income families, from single parents trying to care for their children to senior citizens trying to maintain their self-sufficiency on Social Security. Time is represented by four, 15-minute periods, each representing one week. The task of each family is to provide food, shelter, and other basic necessities during the simulation while interacting with various community resources, such as the bank, pawnshop, childcare center, school, employer, and grocery store. Afterward, participants and staffers conduct a debriefing.

Please see the description page for a list of all the job descriptions in the poverty simulation. You can click on each individual position for a more in-depth look at the job tasks.

—Gabriella Gugliotta

An important aspect of Drake’s Continuous Improvement Plan is to examine our processes. The Survey of Administrative Services occurs once per year in the fall. The goal is to communicate to faculty, staff, and students the process of self-evaluation, thoughtful planning, and implementation to elevate professional practices toward improved customer service.

This feedback helps departments, such as Facilities Planning and Management, understand how to improve services and where gaps may exist. Responses to the survey help to shape future efforts.

Survey respondents provided largely positive feedback about Facilities Planning and Management services. Responses were provided on a five-point scale, with five being the highest.

Satisfaction with FPM staff – Total Average 4.41

Respondents assessed their satisfaction with FPM staff including their courtesy, professionalism, knowledge, timeliness, and resolution of issues. Satisfaction with FPM staff was generally high; an area of opportunity across campus is timeliness (4.11).

Satisfaction with FPM support and services – Total Average 4.42

Respondents assessed their satisfaction with FPM support and services, including: custodial, grounds maintenance, snow removal, moving, cooling and heating, painting, construction, carpentry, trash/recycle, and postal. Satisfaction with FPM support and services was generally high for ground maintenance (4.69), postal (4.62), and custodial/trash/recycle (4.50). The lowest areas were cooling and heating (4.01) and construction (4.21).

The preservation of historic buildings can be demanding when upgrading mechanical systems. It is our goal through heating and cooling to establish a comfortable environment, while understanding the capacity of the system along with individual preferences. The same holds true for construction and the learning space. Moving forward we promise to service all needs on campus through collaboration and communication.

Overall satisfaction—Total Average 4.27

Overall satisfaction is above average, but FPM still has room for improvement.

In reviewing the data and reflecting on the comments provided by the respondents, FPM has concluded that:

It is our goal to remain consistent over time with the above benchmarks. While strong ratings were seen in FPM, we are actively developing strategies to improve our services and overall quality. The development of a capital review process and new work order portal are just a few strategies recently implemented.

—Manny Toribio, Facilities Planning and Management

Drake Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) is organizing a one-time event to pick-up unwanted, regulated materials (chemicals, solvents, paint, cleaning products, and aerosols) starting Nov. 22. The final day for pick-up will be Dec. 8.

During this event, the University will take advantage of an exemption from the EPA that will allow us to exceed our normal monthly waste totals without being subjected to increased regulations. This event has a strict timeline so it is important that departments that wish to take advantage of this opportunity begin to identify and segregate potential waste as soon as possible.

It is important to note that normal waste collections will continue during this period so departments that generate regulated (hazardous) waste can continue to collect that waste and request pick-ups as normal. Other waste, such as e-waste, batteries, broken glass, sharps, etc., will also continue to be picked-up as normal. The following guidelines should be followed for those wishing to take part in this event:

Begin identifying and segregating unwanted items as soon as possible. Unwanted items which may be regulated when disposed of may include, but are not limited to:

• Unused chemicals
• Unused solvents
• Cleaning products
• Paints (including spray paint)

If you have any questions about what materials would apply, contact Drake EHS. Please refrain from bringing items from home as this is for University materials only. If you have questions about how to dispose of household waste, Drake EHS can provide resources and information on how to do so.

Items may be set to the side and labeled as “potentially unwanted materials;” do not label as waste. Those departments that utilize Satellite Accumulation Areas for waste should keep potentially unwanted materials separated from their normal waste as it will be counted separately. These departments should avoid using the same labels that they use for normal waste.

Create an inventory of the items you wish to dispose of. This will make collection easier and quicker. You may send inventories to EHS at any time.

When all potentially unwanted materials have been identified, request a pick-up from EHS. Pick-ups can be requested by visiting the EHS website: drake.edu/ehs and filling out a “Request a Pick-up Form” or by emailing josh.haines@drake.edu.

Collection of unwanted materials will not begin until Nov. 22. EPA regulations prohibit collection prior to this date. We realize that this coincides with the start of Thanksgiving break and that this is a busy time for many members of the Drake community, which is why it is important to begin the process of identifying potentially unwanted materials as soon as possible. Once collection begins, the University will have 30 days to collect materials, prepare them for shipment, and have the waste shipped off site.

Drake EHS contact information:

• Chris Nickell, director: 515-271-3804, chris.nickell@drake.edu
• Josh Haines, environmental specialist: 515-271-3159, josh.haines@drake.edu

—Chris Nickell, Environmental Health and Safety

Drake’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program (WGS) is working on a project to help survivors of human trafficking here in Iowa. We are organizing a massive supplies drive to put together overnight bags full of much-needed supplies for survivors when they arrive at local community help agencies, such as Teens Against Human Trafficking. Last year, these organizations needed supplies for 160 victims, and they hardly had any. Therefore, we have worked closely with them to develop a “wish list” of supplies. Our goal is to provide them with at least 150 packed bags.

We are asking any and all individuals or groups to consider contributing to our cause by donating supplies and/or purchasing backpacks for the drive. Sign up to pledge supplies.

To purchase one of the backpacks or one of the blankets we will supply, see our Amazon Wish List (with the pre-filled WGS shipping address).

Please share these links with community groups, churches, or other people who may wish to donate.

Contact Jocelyn Rimes, project leader, at jocelyn.rimes@drake.edu with questions or to express interest in helping with this project.

—Jocelyn Rimes

All Staff Council and Campus Mail Operations are proud to support Drake’s Free Little Pantry project, which is in need of donations year-round. Simply drop off donations at any time­ to the mail spot located in your office. Campus Mail Operations will pick up the donations and distribute them to one of three Free Little Pantry locations on campus. Pantries are located at Sprout Garden near 24th Street and Forest Avenue, in the Olmsted Parking Lot, and at the bus stop across from Aliber Hall.

The motto of the Free Little Pantries is “take what you need, leave what you can.” Anyone is welcome to either take from or give to the pantries. Much of the Drake Neighborhood resides within a food desert––a USDA classification for an urban area where it is difficult to buy affordable or high-quality fresh food.

The project was funded thanks to a kickstarter grant from the Wellmark Foundation, and implemented with support from the Office of Community Learning and LEAD students and faculty. Local artisan Doug Hesseltine created and built the pantries. More information about the project can be found on the organization’s Facebook page. Contact ascspecialevents@drake.edu with questions.

—Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning/All Staff Council