Yesterday morning CNN announced it will broadcast a live town hall forum with declared presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris in Sheslow Auditorium on Monday, Jan. 28, at 9 p.m. Drake has been allocated a limited block of tickets for the event. Look for an email from Provost Mattison to campus later today regarding how students, faculty, and staff can request tickets.
Jarad Bernstein, University Communications and Marketing
Drake Relays ticket packages go on sale Wednesday, Jan. 30. Drake faculty and staff receive a discount on ticket packages and single-session tickets. To get the best available seats, purchase All-Session tickets today.
Faculty and staff pricing can be found at DrakeTix.com/drakerelays. Discounted tickets can be purchased by visiting the Knapp Center Ticket Office and displaying your Drake ID.
For more information, please contact the Drake Athletics Ticket Office at 515-271-3647 or visit DrakeRelays.org.
Ryan Harris, Athletics
Students, final grades for J-Term courses are due on Wednesday, Feb. 6. You may view your final grades by clicking the My Grades link under the Student Records area in MyDrake.
Kevin Moenkhaus, Associate Registrar
The Provost’s February Drake Social will be held Wednesday, Feb. 13, from 4–6 p.m. in Shivers Hospitality Suite. During the social, faculty and staff who exemplify All in This Together, our third Drake Core Value, will be recognized. If you’d like to submit a colleagues name for recognition, email drinda.williams@drake.edu. In the email, include the name of the person you are nominating and a sentence or two telling how they exemplify “All in This Together.” All those who have been nominated will be included in a scrolling presentation, and three winners will be drawn at random to select from a menu of prizes.
All in This Together: We embrace robust communication and transparency. We thrive through collaboration and teamwork.
Please come to enjoy this social time with colleagues and to recognize those who exemplify collaboration and teamwork. Beer, wine, and soft drinks will be served, along with popcorn and snack mix.
Drinda Williams, Provost’s Office
Beginning this spring, students may add classes via MyDUSIS through Friday, Feb. 1. Students may drop classes via MyDUSIS through Friday, Feb. 8. Paper add/drop forms will no longer be necessary to add or drop a class once the semester begins.
Additionally, wait lists that exist at the beginning of the semester will continue to be automated through Friday, Feb. 1. This means that waitlisted students will receive an email notification when a seat has become available, and they will have 12 hours or until noon of Friday, Feb. 1 (whichever comes first) to claim the seat via MyDUSIS.
However, once the semester begins, students will no longer be able to place themselves on wait lists.
Once the spring semester begins, students and instructors will receive an email whenever a student adds or drops a class. Nevertheless, we strongly encourage students to review their class schedules and instructors to review their class rosters for accuracy, as the enrollment validation policy will remain in effect.
Students who add a class after it has begun are responsible for contacting the instructor to discuss course expectations, catch up on any missed content, and ask any questions they have about the syllabus.
The online add feature does not apply to courses that belong to the Law School, Drake Online graduate programs, or classes that meet on weekends.
The intent of this change is to enhance students’ ability to make timely schedule adjustments and ensures the schedule of classes reflects accurate seat availability in courses.
Kevin Moenkhaus, Associate Registrar
Drake’s Big Ideas submission period is open! The Big Ideas initiative calls upon Drake faculty, staff, and students to develop bold, forward-thinking ideas which dramatically advance Drake’s strengths and mission, and create momentum for the University’s next comprehensive campaign.
As you develop your Big Ideas, think about what will advance the University for decades to come. What will transform lives in our local communities, throughout our state, across the nation, or around the world? What will inspire students to forge meaningful personal lives and accomplished futures? No idea is too big.
For those who have already submitted a Big Idea or are in the process of forming a proposal, consider joining the Drake University Big Ideas Facebook Collaboration Group. The private Facebook group is a place where faculty and staff can collaborate and seek insight around which to enhance their Big Idea. In addition, submitters are encouraged to utilize members of the Big Ideas Steering Committee as a resource for support and feedback.
Proposals can be submitted on the Big Ideas website. The deadline is Feb. 15. For questions about the initiative, contact John Smith, vice president, University Advancement, at john.smith@drake.edu, or a member of the Big Ideas Steering Committee.
The Big Ideas initiative is an opportunity to be part of something truly extraordinary. Thank you for your commitment to advancing the University.
John Smith, University Advancement
Diana Reed, beloved faculty member, passed away on Jan. 9 in Des Moines. Diana taught organizational behavior, organizational theory, and business management in the College of Business and Public Administration since 1981, where she also served terms as assistant and associate dean. She retired from Drake only two weeks ago due to deteriorating health.
Diana was known across campus and throughout the community for her dedication and commitment to service and engagement, evidenced by her leadership in Rotary and in receiving the Levitt Distinguished Community Service Award, among many other recognitions. She was a true scholar educator.
Services will be held at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway, in West Des Moines, on Thursday, Jan. 17, with a visitation from 4–7 p.m., and a service of remembrance following at 7 p.m. Condolences and Diana’s full obituary can be found here.
Earlier this year, Facilities Planning and Management staff walked the campus with a registered arborist from Perficut Companies to develop a maintenance plan for trees on Drake’s campus. The work includes crowning, pruning away from buildings, and removal. The trees being removed have begun to decay and have become safety hazards. Removing them helps to preserve the health of remaining trees and maintains the safety of everyone who visits campus from falling limbs that have died. Perficut will be on campus over the next 2–3 weeks completing the tree work depending on weather and accessibility to the trees with equipment. View a map to see the areas and trees in this year’s plan. If you have questions, please contact Patrick Williams, grounds supervisor, or Aaron Edwards, building and grounds manager.
Aaron Edwards, Facilities Planning and Management
Nominations are now being accepted for the Madelyn M. Levitt Employee Excellence and Distinguished Community Service Awards. Nominations are due to Human Resources by Friday, March 29, at 4:30 p.m. Late nominations will not be accepted.
Distinguished Community Service Award
Madelyn M. Levitt established the Distinguished Community Service Award to recognize the outstanding contributions of Drake faculty and staff to the Drake community. Recipients are chosen on the following criteria:
Employee Excellence Award
The Employee Excellence Award is presented to a staff member who demonstrates exceptional commitment to excellence in the performance of their duties. Criteria for the award include:
To nominate a colleague, submit a letter of nomination to the Levitt Award Committee, care of (c/o) Human Resources. Nomination letters may be sent through campus mail or electronically to drakehr@drake.edu. The letter should detail specific examples of how the nominee exemplifies each of the applicable criteria. Additional letters of support are not necessary.
The screening committee will review all nominations and make appropriate recommendations to the President’s Council.
The 2019 recipient of the Madelyn M. Levitt Employee Excellence Award and Distinguished Community Service Award will be announced during the Sapphire Awards on May 9 at 1 p.m. in Levitt Hall or during the Faculty Honors Luncheon.
Linda Feiden, Human Resources
As we look to the spring semester and all the visitors we’ll welcome to campus, please remember our neighborhood businesses such as the Holiday Inn Express.
The Holiday Inn Express is located at 1140 24th Street, just blocks away from campus. To reserve a room call 515-255-4000 or visit the Holiday Inn Express website.
Ryan Arnold, Community Relations
