Are you spring cleaning, tidying up at the end of this semester, or perhaps retiring? Consider donating your Drake memorabilia and treasures to the Office of University Communications and Marketing to auction off for their scholarship fund. Their unique fundraising efforts caught the attention of The Chronicle of Philanthropy in this article.

The office has collected pieces of Drake memorabilia over the years and auctioned them off on their scholarship Facebook page. Many Bulldogs on campus have expressed a generosity of spirit in donating items they have once found joy in, but are now ready to let go after binging the Marie Kondo series. Some past items have included a piece of the blue oval, Bulldog bookends, flags, bobble heads, Drake basketball sketches, signed Bucksbaum posters, and a mixed CD personally curated by Vice President for Advancement John Smith.

If you have any items to donate, or want to make a financial contribution, please email us at socialmedia@drake.edu.

Niki Smith, University Communications and Marketing

Our beloved live mascot, Griff, turns SEVEN on Wednesday, May 8!  We will be celebrating by extending birthday wishes on social media on his birthday, tagging him @drakeugriff.  We encourage you to share your favorite photo(s) and send him virtual birthday wishes, using the hashtag #GriffTurns7. On Friday, we will be throwing him a party from 12–1 p.m. in Helmick Commons in conjunction with SAB’s Final Friday event.  All students, faculty, and staff are welcome!  If the weather does not cooperate, the party will be moved inside Olmsted.  We encourage everyone to stop by and have a frozen treat (while supplies last) and snap a photo with Griff. 

— Erin Bell, Associate Director of Marketing, University Communications & Marketing

Note: The revised Code of Student Conduct and the revised Sexual and Interpersonal  Misconduct Policy and corresponding Guidelines are available for review and comment in the Policy Library. Given the timing between now and final exams, grading, and graduation, the documents will remain posted for an extended period of 30 days.  Any comments or concerns regarding the documents may be forwarded to dupolicies@drake.edu for consideration.  The Dean of Students and Title IX staff continue to remain available for any questions during or after the review period.

During the student conduct process, both the Dean of Students and Title IX staff will meet with reporting and accused students to explain the investigation and discipline process under the Code of Student Conduct.   And while the process itself works, the staff charged with explaining it to students found that doing so was challenging at times.  Some of the challenges had to do with formal language or proceedings, while other challenges arose from specific requirements that applied only to Title IX cases of sexual assault, sexual harassment, or dating violence, for example.  At the same time, the Title IX Coordinator was looking to revamp the Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy into a more user-friendly document that is more accessible while also giving pertinent and helpful information to any student, faculty, or staff who needed to consult the policy for their own use or for someone needing assistance.  Like the Code, the content itself was acceptable, but its use-ability could be improved.  So the two offices went to work.

One of the goals in looking at the Code was that the disciplinary process for all cases – from theft and drugs to racial harassment and sexual violence – will follow the same procedures to ensure a thorough and equitable process, consistent with the requirements of Title IX and fundamental fairness; in short, the University wants to treat conduct that is similar in a similar manner.  This will help with a better understanding of the process and consistent application of the Code.  It will also hopefully make the process feel less intimidating, stressful, and long for any student involved.  The result is that the Code of Student Conduct has experienced an overhaul for the first time in a long time.  Definitions have been clarified and added, important concepts such as “amnesty” (i.e., situations in which a student will not be charged with alcohol or drug violations when it comes to health and safety of campus) are better explained, and more importantly, the formal disciplinary process has been clarified and will be administered the same regardless of the type of complaints.

At the same time, the Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy looks different as well.  The current document is quite long and combines policy statements with procedures, community resources, and appendices.  The Policy applies to all students as well as faculty and staff so it is important that all members of the campus community can locate it and can also find the information they need in a user-friendly, accessible document.  The underlying policy statements in the Policy – that is, the prohibitions and requirements – have not changed.  The result is a cleaner Policy with more headings and clearer language in addition to separate Guidelines that include resources and practical information about how the Policy and university processes will work in specific situations, including both formal and informal resolution options.

The Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy governs the conduct of students, faculty, and staff, while the Code applies only to the conduct of students.  Therefore, the Code and the Policy only work hand-in-hand when a student is accused of sexual or interpersonal misconduct; however, the two offices consulted each other and worked on their revisions simultaneously because of the impact one has on the other.  The Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Student Advisory Committee also shared thoughts on definitions and processes in the past year.  The Code will be presented to the Board of Trustees Teaching and Learning Committee at the June meeting.

— Kathryn Overberg, Title IX Coordinator/Equity & Inclusion Policy Specialist, & Jerry Parker, Dean of Students

Following the successful inaugural Global Citizen Forum, Drake International and the Engaged Citizen Experience are pleased to announce the theme for the 2020 Global Citizen Forum: International Perspectives on Privilege in Higher Education.

As it did this year, next year’s event will include a series of speakers, academic enrichment and professional development opportunities for faculty, staff, and students. The exciting news for the 2020 Global Citizen Forum is that Drake University, in conjunction with our partner university, the University of KwaZulu Natal (Durban, South Africa) will be co-sponsoring a conference on the theme.

The international conference will include inviting our international partner universities and colleagues from 15 different institutions around the world. The benefit of hosting an international conference on diversity and inclusion is the opportunity to learn from a broader worldview and have an opportunity to share struggles, strategies, and solutions. 

The conference will provide a platform to share new ideas, advance research, refine and develop frameworks, and influence policy development. If you would like to participate on the planning committee for the conference, please contact Julie Yankey, director of international partnerships, at julie.yankey@drake.edu.

One component of the Global Citizen Forum is an undergraduate research conference. As such, while developing your courses for the fall semester, we invite you to consider including research on the theme or international topics which could be presented in March 2020. We also anticipate paper development workshops and research colloquia for faculty and staff doing research on diversity and inclusion issues. More details on participating in these activities will be forthcoming in fall 2019.  

Sponsored by Drake International, The Engaged Citizen Experience, The Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, and other campus partners, the Global Citizen Forum is an annual event meant to provide students with opportunities to explore the role of engaged citizenship in an increasingly globalized society.

Melissa Sturm-Smith, Academic Excellence and Student Success

Facilities Planning and Management is responsible for all utilities (electricity, natural gas, and water) on campus. Therefore, the department is continually evaluating different ways the University can save money in regards to utility costs. One cost-saving method is to stop phantom load, which can increase monthly electric bills.

Appliances, electronics, and chargers use electricity whenever they’re plugged in—it doesn’t matter whether the device is in use or not. This wasted power is called phantom load. Please read this pdf from MidAmerican Energy to learn more about phantom load.

Everyone on campus can play a role in reducing phantom load, and thus saving the University money, by simply turning off and unplugging what you can. This is especially important if you are planning to be gone from campus for an extend period. 

Items most likely to create phantom loads are stereos, Blu-Ray and DVD players, window air conditioners, and TV’s.

— Jolene Schmidt, Facilities Planning and Management