All posts by Ashton Hockman

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

IBM Skills Academy instructors wanted

Drake Online and Continuing Education is partnering with IBM Skills Academy to offer educational opportunities in the area of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, block chain, data science, cloud computing, and/or design thinking. The IBM Skills Academy is the integrated program incorporating a week of faculty training, pre-built curriculum, hands-on cloud based labs, use cases, quizzes, exams and badges.

All of the offerings in these areas will be non-credit and will take the form of boot camps, non-credit certificates, and smaller workshops.  To offer these non-credit workshops and seminars, we are seeking instructors to participate in the IBM Skills Academy.  Potential instructors must be good facilitators and have basic IT literacy, such as working within an operations system such as Windows, copying and pasting items, and using the Internet.  Instructors will attend training and must commit to teaching at least twice within a 12-month timeframe.  To become an instructor, there is a mandatory, weeklong training at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, NY.  Drake Online and Continuing Education will support the travel costs.  Instructors will be compensated for instruction of seminars, although detailed rates have not been set at this early stage.

All faculty and staff who may be interested in becoming an IBM Skills Academy instructor can contact Christina Trombley at christina.trombley@drake.edu or at extension 2506.

—Christina Trombley, Executive Director, Online Programming

Strategic Updates Archive

Big Ideas initiative next steps

Last year, Drake University introduced Big Ideas—a campus-wide initiative that called upon faculty, staff, and students to identify transformative ideas that, with support from passionate donors, will help to define the University’s future and positively impact society for generations to come.

Following a successful launch of the initiative, which generated participation from more than 300 faculty, staff, and students who put forth or collaborated on 50 Big Ideas submissions, we are ready to enter the second phase of the project: capturing the imagination of potential donors.

The Big Ideas process
As a reminder, in April, Drake’s Board of Trustees narrowed the 50 Big Ideas submissions to 29 following thoughtful discussion and per the recommendation of the Big Ideas Steering Committee. These 29 ideas were organized and classified into six themes:

  • Changemaker Initiative
  • Public Democracy
  • Digital Proficiency Platform
  • Intergenerational Campus
  • Sustaining Rural America
  • Drake University Center

What happened over the summer
Champions of the advancing ideas and steering committee members were invited to participate in a weeklong workshop in July with 160over90, the University’s branding and marketing consultant. During the workshops, stakeholders provided important feedback, which is currently being used to develop a case statement summarizing the six themes.

What’s next
Later this month, President Martin and University Advancement representatives will use the case statement to seek feedback on the themes from nearly 150 targeted University insiders. The purpose of these conversations is to invite our alumni and friends to offer their advice, counsel, and insight regarding the six themes. Feedback from these discussions will be shared and discussed with the Board of Trustees during their January meeting, during which the Board will ultimately determine which themes will shape the narrative and priorities of our next comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Throughout the academic year, we will share monthly updates with you on the progress of the Big Ideas—including details surrounding each theme and our future fundraising priorities as they are confirmed. Please reach out to me or a member of the Steering Committee with any questions.

I am excited about the possibilities the Big Ideas initiative creates, and sincerely thank the many members of the campus community who have shown great enthusiasm for the initiative. I am honored to work among such talented colleagues who are passionate about advancing the future of Drake.

—John Smith, Vice President, University Advancement

Campus Announcements Archive

Weekly health and wellness sessions

The Occupational Therapy Doctorate students are presenting various health and wellness information weekly in the Cline Atrium from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The following are the dates and topics to be presented:

September 11: Sleep Hygiene
September 17: Backpack Awareness
September 24: Meal Planning
October 1:  Brain Health
October 22: Life Balance
October 29: Fall Reduction
November 5:  Technology Detox
November 12: Mindful Occupation
November 19: Winter Health
December 3:  Stress Management during the holidays

Please join us!

—Denise Kluever, Occupational Therapy Program

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

All Staff Council introduces networking lunches

New to Drake? Want to get away from your desk and interact with other Bulldogs? The All Staff Council Special Interest committee is launching a networking luncheon series this fall called Bulldogs Connect.

Join your fellow Bulldogs for the $5 staff lunch at Hubbell Dining Hall for the Bulldogs Connect lunch networking series. Members of the Special Interest committee will be at each lunch and will bring networking topic suggestions. Anyone is welcome to come – bring a new Bulldog along with you! Look for the table with the Drake swag and a special Bulldogs Connect table tent in Hubbell!

The networking lunches at Hubbell Dining Hall are scheduled for the following dates from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.:

Wednesday, Sept. 18
Wednesday, Oct. 23
Wednesday, Nov. 6
Wednesday, Dec. 11

The spring dates are still being finalized. As a reminder, staff can take advantage of the $5 lunches at Hubbell every Wednesday, whether it’s a planned networking lunch or not.

—Niki Smith, University Communications & Marketing

Campus Announcements Archive

Define the Line. Respect the Line: Resources available online

Drake’s Title IX webpage is a one-stop resource for information, resources, and policies addressing sexual and interpersonal misconduct, including sexual violence or assault, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, dating/domestic violence, or stalking.  The webpage includes the Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct policy, resources for support, options for reporting, and assistance with safety, housing, or classes or with finding information about our processes and policies.

If you have questions about sexual and interpersonal misconduct, or if you would like to learn more about prevention efforts or Drake’s policies and procedures, please contact the Interim Title IX Coordinator, Tricia McKinney (271-2100 or titleix@drake.edu) or the Violence Prevention Coordinator, Lynne Cornelius (271-4141 or prevention@drake.edu).

Define the Line. Respect the Line. is a Drake initiative to raise awareness of prevention efforts as well as resources and support the University provides as it pertains to sexual and interpersonal misconduct. Define the Line. Respect the Line. emphasizes that while everybody has the right to determine their own line, there is one clear line at Drake: sexual or interpersonal misconduct is not tolerated, accepted, or ignored. Think, talk, learn, listen, and act in a way that respects this line—we are all part of Drake.

— Tricia McKinney, Interim  Title IX Coordinator, and Lynne Cornelius, Violence Prevention Coordinator

Campus Announcements Archive

Define the Line. Respect the Line: Student advisory committee welcomes new members

The Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Student Advisory Committee is welcoming at-large members. The advisory committee is a collaboration between students and the staff most closely involved in matters related to sexual and interpersonal misconduct on campus. The committee is co-chaired by Title IX Coordinator and Violence Prevention Coordinator.

In addition to at-large members, the committee includes several standing positions such as Student Senate, Fraternity & Sorority Life, Residence Hall Association, and Athletics. Last year the committee provided valuable input and feedback regarding webpage development, online reporting, prevention programing and strategies, and University policy language.

The committee will hold three or four official meetings throughout the year. Committee members will also have the opportunity to offer feedback and input on projects. If you are interested in serving as an at-large member, please contact Lynne Cornelius at lynne.cornelius@drake.edu by Sept. 14. For questions about the advisory committee, Lynne.

Define the Line. Respect the Line. is a Drake initiative to raise awareness of prevention efforts as well as resources and support the University provides as it pertains to sexual and interpersonal misconduct. Define the Line. Respect the Line. emphasizes that while everybody has the right to determine their own line, there is one clear line at Drake: sexual or interpersonal misconduct is not tolerated, accepted, or ignored. Think, talk, learn, listen, and act in a way that respects this line—we are all part of Drake.

— Lynne Cornelius, Violence Prevention Coordinator

Strategic Updates Archive

Record year for University fundraising

Drake University is celebrating one of the University’s best fundraising years on record. Fiscal year 2019, which ended June 30, generated more than $42.5 million in new gifts, multi-year pledges, and documented qualified deferred gifts.

Compelling initiatives such as The Harkin Institute building project, The Gregory and Suzie Glazer Burt Boys and Girls Club, the University Streetscape project, and the Lorentzen Sustainability Challenge—which supported several campus initiatives to reduce the University’s carbon footprint—drove many of the generous gifts and commitments. Contributions also included a leadership gift to revitalize one of our academic buildings (more details to follow later this semester), transformational investments in Drake Athletics, and multiple realized estate gifts.

Other highlights from fiscal year 2019:

  • The Drake Fund generated $3.84 million. The Drake Fund supports the most immediate needs of the University, including student scholarships and key priorities among the colleges and schools.
  • Cash contributions totaled $29.25 million, marking the fifth-highest annual amount of cash gifts received in history. These cash payments represent new cash gifts, pledge payments, and estate gifts. This metric is captured within the University’s balanced scorecard under the Volunteer Support of Education (VSE) measure.
  • All In, the University’s annual giving challenge, generated a record-setting number of gifts and donors. In 24 hours, the challenge raised more than half a million dollars from 1,680 donors—340 of whom were faculty and staff.

The University Advancement team is deeply grateful to faculty, staff, alumni, volunteers, and community members for supporting Drake’s mission and vision. It is through philanthropic giving that we can support student scholarships, academic resources, faculty research, new technology, community partnerships, experiential learning opportunities, and state-of-the-art facilities. Put simply, donor support allows us to transform the lives of our students and secure the University’s future.

Throughout the semester, I will continue to share updates in OnCampus on future fundraising goals and priorities. Specifically, look for an article next week regarding the Big Ideas initiative.

—John Smith, Vice President, University Advancement

Strategic Updates Archive

Drake earns STARS Bronze rating for sustainability

As a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), Drake is continuing to advance sustainability as an institution and in the community. Drake is thrilled to announce and share with the community that we have earned a Bronze STARS rating demonstrating Drake’s commitment to sustainability. This is Drake’s first time participating in the STARS reporting process.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a program of AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. STARS is a comprehensive sustainability ratings system for colleges and universities that addresses the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability. STARS was developed by the higher education community through a transparent and inclusive process. The score an institution receives is based on the percentage of applicable points earned in credits across four main categories: Academics, Engagement, Operations and Planning, and Administration. More specifically STARS is designed to:

  • Provide a framework for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education.
  • Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements.
  • Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.
  • Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance.
  • Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.

View Drake’s public STARS report in detail and learn more about sustainability at Drake.

Through this assessment, we have been able to track Drake’s sustainability performance. This process is helping us better identify areas for improvement and connect us with resources to perform better in the future.  Some highlights include:

  • Air & Climate
  • Diversity & Affordability
  • Academic Curriculum & Research
  • Immersive Experiences
  • Community Partnerships

We encourage members of the Drake community to explore and utilize the resources provided as a member of AASHE. Visit the AASHE website to take advantage of our membership resources. AASHE enables higher education institutions to meet their sustainability goals by providing specialized resources, professional development, and a network of peer support. Membership covers every individual at an institution, so the entire campus community can take advantage of member benefits, www.aashe.org.

We would like to thank all the faculty, staff, and students who helped complete this process. Creating a more sustainable campus and community requires a willingness to participate from everyone, and we are excited to see positive changes in the coming years.

Have questions or ideas? Want to get more involved with Drake’s Sustainability? Email Drake Facilities Planning & Management’s Sustainability Intern Sophia Siegel at Sophia.Siegel@drake.edu or Director of Facilities Kevin Moran at Kevin.Moran@drake.edu.

—Sophia Siegel, Sustainability Intern, Facilities Planning and Management