All Staff Council voting is open! Use the All Staff Council ballot to vote for your new committee members. Voting will be open through midnight on Wednesday, April 26.
— All Staff Council Governance Committee
All posts by Heather Winslow
Campus safety and security survey
Drake Public Safety would like to get student feedback on safety both on and off campus through a short survey. Please take five minutes to answer a few questions about campus safety and security here.
If you have more information you would like to share with us, please email publicsafety@drake.edu.
— Scott Law, Public Safety & Operational Services
Help form a welcome tunnel for Findley Elementary first graders April 14 at 9:30 a.m.
Start your morning in the best possible way. On Friday, April 14, first graders from Findley Elementary School will be visiting campus. Join us at the south entrance of Cowles Library to form a welcome tunnel from the sidewalk to the door at 9:30 a.m. (Students should be arriving between 9:30–9:40 a.m.). It will only take 10 minutes of your time, yet it will leave a lasting impact on the students. If you can wear your favorite Drake gear, even better.
Drake University has adopted the Findley Elementary School first-grade class and it is a special occasion to have them visit Drake each spring! The students will have a chance to hear from student leaders, go on a “bulldog scavenger hunt,” participate in learning activities with a health sciences class, and do drills with the football team. Thanks to all of those who are involved in making this a special day. Let’s give them the best Bulldog welcome!
— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning
Celebrate Civic Action Week
Civic Action Week is in full swing and there are still ways to celebrate and get involved. All are welcome to join in the activities.
Tuesday, April 11
Careers in Social Change Virtual Panel, 4–5 p.m. on Zoom. Hear from local professionals on how they have used their careers to create change. Contact amanda.martin@drake.edu for the zoom link.
Wednesday, April 12
Food Security: What do you know? 4–5 p.m. in Olmsted, Room 310. Join Next Course Food Recovery for a conversation with Aubrey Alvarez, executive director of Eat Greater Des Moines, on topics of food recovery and food systems. Refreshments will be provided.
Thursday, April 13
Harkin on Wellness Symposium, 9 a.m.–4:45 p.m. in Parents Hall or virtual. Registration required.
Lunch and Learn – Developing Your Impact Plan. 12–1 p.m., Olmsted TMR 133. Pizza provided.
Friday, April 14
Findley Elementary School 1st grade visit. Join a welcome tunnel at the south entrance of Cowles Library at 9:30 a.m.
Sprout Garden Volunteer Day, 1–3 p.m. Help prepare the garden for Spring planting.
Saturday, April 15
2023 Constitutional Law Symposium, 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Cartwright Hall, Room 213 or zoom. Register in advance.
More information on these events can be found here. Follow @drakeservice on Instagram for daily updates!
— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning
Drake Online: The search for a new leader begins
Drake University is in search of a new leader for Drake Online. The position has been refashioned as an Associate Provost over Online Programming. We hope the title update will both attract curious and talented candidates while also better describing the academic and institutional significance of this critical role.
The search committee chairs are Jenny Jones, director, Graduate Programs in the Zimpleman College of Business, and Chris Snider, associate professor of in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. They will support the full committee, which also includes:
- Maggie Fiala, who will wear two hats on the committee—both employee, as the director of Experiential External Affairs, and student—as a current online graduate student.
- Keren Fiorenza, chief information & technology officer
- Jenny Trans-Johnson, registrar
- Ryan Wise, dean, School of Education
- Ryan Zantingh, director of Student Financial Aid
The search committee is excited to get the search underway. Earlier this week, the search chairs met with the deans to hear their ideas and thoughts on qualities to seek out during the search.
“One of the phrases that stuck with me in listening to the deans,” shared Chris Snider, “was that the new hire will be in the position to create a vision to move Drake University to the next phase in online learning. This will be a great way to frame the role as we talk to candidates.”
In reflecting upon Drake Online’s journey, the Provost shared, “five years ago, bringing fully online program pedagogy to Drake was a huge turning point in Drake’s history. Christina Trombley led us through that change, put a strong and stable organizational foundation in place, supported program growth and financial stewardship, and achieved enrollment goals. We are taking the opportunity now to consider what the next five years of online programming look like. I expect the next leader to bring expertise to facilitate having that discussion and building consensus around a vision.”
The posting is now live on Drake’s job board, Jobs@Drake, and the search chairs are working with Drake Human Resources to get the job posted on external sites to assure it gets appropriate visibility to attract a large, diverse, and exciting pool of applicants. University Marketing & Communications is getting in on the collaborative spirit as well and will help finalize a detailed position profile, similar to what we used in the recent Dean of Admission search.
— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources
Five tips to manage stress
April has been designated as National Stress Awareness Month. Stress can affect anyone, it has many different symptoms, and not everyone will experience it the same way. Although not all stress is bad—chronic (or long-term) stress can put you at risk for a variety of physical, mental, and emotional health problems. From headaches and stomach disorders to depression and sleep disorders—even stroke and heart disease can be a result of chronic stress.
While there is no such thing as eliminating all stress, there are ways you can minimize and manage stress to improve mental and physical well-being.
Follow these suggestions from the CDC to find healthy ways to cope during stressful times:
- Take a Social Media Detox: Periodic breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media, is good for you—especially if this is a stressor for you. It is good to be informed, but constant information about negative events can be upsetting.
- Take care of your body. Staying physically healthy can improve your emotional well-being. Try to eat healthy, get enough sleep (7 or more hours per night), and be physically active (move more and sit less).
- Limit alcohol intake. Choose not to drink or drink in moderation. Moderation means two or fewer drinks a day for men and one drink or less for women. Also avoid using illegal drugs or prescriptions drugs in ways other than prescribed. This includes never taking someone else’s prescription. And avoid smoking, vaping, and the use of other tobacco products. You may think this is your best way to deal with stress, but at a great cost.
- Make time to unwind. Try deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, stretching, and mindfulness meditation. And take time to do some activities you enjoy. Try a cooking class, go to a ballgame, or plan a vacation.
- Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. And if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days, contact your healthcare provider.
Remember, too, that Drake has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which employees and their families can access. Our EAP provider is Employee & Family Resources (EFR). They offer phone-based support and in person counseling with a licensed mental health therapist. You can reach EFR by phone (800-327-4692) or visit their website at https://efr.org/how-we-help/work/. All EAP benefits are confidential and available 24/7/365.
EFR offers webinars (check out Drake HR’s monthly email for upcoming webinars) and posts past webinars for on-demand access. Consider checking out: What’s Your Stress Pattern, Give Yourself the Gift of Relaxation, or Stress & Burnout. You can also take a DASS-21 self-assessment (measuring depression, anxiety, and stress).
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
Campus buildings switch from heating to cooling this week
Facilities Planning and Management will begin transitioning campus buildings from heating to cooling mode the week of April 10. Due to above average temperatures, the switch to cooling is happening a week earlier than last year.
Turning on the air is much more complicated than simply flipping a switch. The University’s heating and cooling system consists of miles of underground pipes which are filled with steam to heat and chilled water to cool, but not both at the same time. For this reason, the process to change buildings from heating to cooling, is a manual and labor-intensive process due to the need to drain and refill the pipes.
The process will take HVAC staff several days to complete with priority given to residence halls.
Thanks for your patience during this transition. If a room is not comfortable, please let Facilities Planning and Management know so our staff can see if adjustments can be made.
— Kevin Moran, Facility Planning and Management
Bulldogs Connect networking luncheon April 12
All Staff Council is holding a Bulldogs Connect networking lunch on Wednesday, April 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Recognition Committee is hosting this month. Enjoy learning what staff on this committee focus on throughout the year. Anyone is welcome to come for a $5 lunch at Hubbell. Look for the table with the Drake swag and a special Bulldogs Connect table tent in Hubbell.
Also a reminder that All Staff Council invites you to share any suggestions, concerns, or other feedback you’d like us to look into using this form. (If you’d like us to respond to your feedback directly, please include your name and contact information, otherwise let us know your thoughts anonymously.)
— Megan Franklin, On behalf of All Staff Council
Bulldogs Pack and Give Back, Meals from the Heartland event
What if we thought of Relays week as a time to have fun while also giving back to the community?
Student Senate Community Engagement Committee is putting together a campus-wide Meals from the Heartland event: Bulldogs Pack and Give Back on Friday, April 21, at 1 p.m. in the Knapp Center. Hosting near Drake Relays should help with traction and add a service component to Relays. We want to make 40,000 meals with 150 volunteers, sending half of it to local food pantries and half of it to people across the globe that need it.
Sign up today, and let’s give back together!
— Aaron Gumm, JO, AS
Get involved in campus sustainability during Earth Week
If you have ever wanted to be involved with sustainability initiatives at Drake, April is the month to do it! Drake is going all out for Earth Week, working with DEAL, DOLC, the Student Alumni Association, and the Office of Sustainability. Take a minute to see what is going on.
April 14, 1–3 p.m.: Come help prepare the Sprout Garden and Food Forest for the season. Planting and other preparation work will take place to ensure a bountiful harvest. The compost pile DEAL sifted last weekend is also ready to be used.
April 21, 11–1 p.m.: Celebrate Arbor Day a bit early and join DEAL and Facilities Planning & Management to plant trees around Drake’s campus. Meet at the Southeast GK courtyard to help retain our Tree Campus Higher Education recognition for the 12 year.
April 22, 10–12 p.m.: Meet at the Harkin Institute parking lot for Paul Morrison Spruce Up Day! Spend part of Earth Day honoring the legacy of Paul Morrison through sprucing up the Drake Neighborhood. After the clean-up, participants are invited to join a tabling event and tour the Harkin Institute over doughnuts and coffee.
April 17–21: DEAL presents 2023 Earth Week. An entire week dedicated to celebrating the Earth, concluding with live music, the Veggie Thumper food truck, and prizes on April 21 at the Olmsted Pit from 5–9 p.m.
April 27–29: Join the Sustainability Coordinator to collect recycling during relays. Sign up here, for an hour time slot.
For questions, contact hannah.remke@drake.edu.
— Hannah Remke, Facilities Planning & Management