2:10—two articles with a read time of 10 minutes—is a communication series by Deputy Provost Renée Cramer sharing important scholarship, teaching, and development news and opportunities.

If you’re like me, you’ve watched your Facebook, Twitter, Mastodon and Post accounts explode, in the past few weeks, with concern about how to respond appropriately to the fact that  AI-generated essays can be so convincingly good.*  With faculty partners from our AI major, and our Writing Workshop, I’m hosting an “emergency” faculty development opportunity on Friday, February 3, from 11:30 – 1:00.  We’ll investigate some strategies we might employ as faculty to be sure we’re assessing student (not AI generated) work, and to begin a conversation about how academic integrity policies should look given this new way to generate responses to the questions we ask our students.  Please sign up here, we’ll provide lunch.   I’m collaborating with our writing faculty, our AI faculty, our ITS specialists, and our assessment specialists on this workshop – and I promise this will be a first cut, we’ll be returning to AI over the course of the semester, sharing resources in OnCampus and scheduling more opportunities for conversation.

While I’ve got you here … lured by a sensational headline … I want to alert you to other faculty development opportunities running this spring, and invite your participation.  Books for Breakfast will meet on February 7 and 21, from 8:30 – 9:30, to discuss the classic Courage to Teach, by Parker Palmer.  Sign up here to get a copy of the book, and so we know you’d like breakfast.

And, if you are working on a particular writing project this semester, and would like community, support, and strategies, please consider showing up for the Deputy Provost’s Writing Group – nine of your colleagues who have committed to 90 minutes of writing time at regular times throughout the spring semester. Email me (renee.cramer@drake.edu) and I’ll send you our schedule – I’ll ask that you use the time exclusively for making progress on a particular project, and that you commit to 4 or 5 sessions – but you can drop in on any of the 16 that I’ve got on the books.

*yes, a footnote: if you’re like me, you actually aren’t on Post, Mastadon, Twitter, and Facebook …. but …  you get the idea.  It was for dramatic effect.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

2:10—two articles with a read time of 10 minutes—is a communication series by Deputy Provost Renée Cramer sharing important scholarship, teaching, and development news and opportunities.

The office of the deputy provost has restricted and endowed funds available to help support faculty research, faculty enrichment, and project-based hiring of undergraduate assistants.  The deputy provost’s office also administers the process by which university-wide professorships are named – such as the Troyer Research Professorship, as well as the Madeline Levitt Mentor and Teacher of the Year awards.

Drake Research Grants are intended to support research and creative activity that is not already funded by other sources, to jumpstart proposals for external grant seeking and to provide supplemental funds to ongoing projects, as necessary.  Drake Research Grants offer up to $3,000 per project to underwrite the direct cost of faculty conducting advanced research or creative activity, including expenses like: travel, materials, services, and student research assistants.  Applications for these grants are accepted on a rolling basis; an interdisciplinary group of Drake faculty, in consultation with the deputy provost, make determinations on these proposals.

Faculty Development and Enrichment grant proposals are also accepted on a rolling basis; determinations are made at the discretion of the deputy provost.  These grants are available to support a variety of development and enrichment activities related to teaching, professional development, leadership development and collaboration.  We prioritize funding that benefits teaching and pedagogy, involves community partners, or engages faculty in developing skills and capacities.

Drake Undergraduate Student Assistantships facilitate departmental and faculty-led hiring of undergraduate student assistants.  These paid student assistants receive mentorship from faculty, while contributing in significant ways to departmental and faculty projects.  These assistantships are funded through matching funds – half comes from your department or college/school, the other half is provided by Student Financial Aid.  Applications for these assistantships are due to your college/school Dean by March 18; the deans will rank these applications and forward them to the deputy provost for collaborative determination (with Student Financial Aid) of funding.

Finally, please begin thinking of nominating your colleagues for our distinguished university-wide research, teaching and mentoring awards: the Troyer Research Fellowship, the Madelyn M. Levitt Teacher of the Year Award, and the Madelyn M. Levitt Mentor of the Year Award.  The deadline for nominations for the Teacher and Mentor Award, as well as for applications for the Troyer Award is Friday, February 17.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

Nominations are being accepted for the Principal Global Citizenship Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to global engagement and internationalization efforts on the part of faculty or staff. The selected awardee will receive a plaque, up to $3,000, and will be announced at the 2023 Global Citizen Forum in March. A screening committee will review all nominations and make recommendations to the Provost. Nominations should be submitted to Bonnie Ehler at bonnie.ehler@drake.edu by Tuesday, Feb.14, 2023. 

A letter of nomination should be submitted recommending an individual for the award and explaining the context and manner in which the nominator has come to know the faculty or staff member. This letter should speak to the following qualifications:

Pursuant to the University’s mission to develop “responsible global citizens,” explain how the nominee has made outstanding contributions at Drake toward realizing the following:

1. Support Drake University as a global institution by creating linkages to global partners in local, national, and international settings;
2. Develop and/or actively support global and intercultural learning opportunities for Drake students;
3. Develop infrastructure, resources, and partnerships to support internationalization and global engagement.

The nominee must be a faculty or staff member with at least four years of service at the University. The nominee cannot have won this award within the past five years. Faculty and staff members who report directly to Global Engagement are ineligible.

Nominees who indicate a willingness to be considered will be invited to submit a resume or C.V. and a statement discussing their contributions to the above goals. Up to three letters of support from unit or institutional leadership, faculty, staff, or students will be accepted (this is optional).

Any individual who was nominated for the award in 2022 may be re-nominated if the nominator resubmits a letter offering the individual for consideration this year. Files of previous nominees are maintained for one year. If a faculty/staff member is re-nominated, the nominator will be invited to review the file from the previous year to ensure that the nomination is as current as possible.

Past recipients include:

2022 – Debra Bishop, Professor of Practice in Management & International Business

2021 – Sally Haack, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Clinical Sciences
2020 – Jody Swilky, Ellis and Nelle Levitt Professor of English/Writing Workshop
2019 – Pramod Mahajan, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
2018 – Tim Knepper, Professor of Philosophy/Comparison Project Director
2017 – John Rovers, Professor of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
2016 – Ellen Yee, Professor of Law/Director of International Programs

Nomination letters are due by Feb. 14, 2023, and should be sent as an attachment to bonnie.ehler@drake.edu. Questions may be directed to Annique Kiel, executive director of Global Engagement and International Programs, at annique.kiel@drake.edu.

— Bonnie Ehler, Global Engagement

The Relays Team is a small but extremely important and valued team. Each year, they work to put on the Drake Relays—one of the biggest events in the state, currently in its 113th year.

On behalf of the University, this group proudly serves as a primary point of contact for thousands of athletes and coaches, hundreds of volunteers, our dedicated Relays Committee, and countless others who come together each April to celebrate the century long tradition of America’s Athletic Classic alongside Drake students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

The team led an effort to rethink the Drake Relays competition format to better benefit the collegiate athletes. This culminated in the successful announcement at the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Convention in December, placing Drake Relays at the center of the National Conversation.

You may have noticed the #RelaysResolution campaign—encouraging those across the state of Iowa to make a healthy resolution in 2023. We have hundreds who registered for the Drake Road Races during this campaign and ensured the event will host thousands of walkers and runners on April 23, 2023. The team did all of this while the rest of the University was closed for winter holiday. Completely dedicated to the event, this team, this campus, this community, and the ever-evolving art that is track and field.

There have been big updates over the last few years to the Drake Road Races and the Grand Blue Mile. The Drake Relays team worked diligently at these events for two years before seeing them come to life in their new, full form.

The team really exemplifies the Drake Relay vision of generating a unique experience for athletes and spectators while honoring athletic achievement. They really drive home the mission of delivering thrilling and memorable events, all within the rigid federation protocols by educating, entertaining and inspiring. A constant Commitment to Mission, a continuous All in This Together attitude and an abundance of Generosity of Spirit.

There is a lot of work that goes into putting on any athletic event, let alone one of the top track and field events in the United States. Drake University Recognition Committee would like to celebrate the Drake Relays team for all the determination and perseverance they exhibit every day to ensure a successful event is held. Your time, effort and daily commitment are genuinely appreciated!

— Trevon Smith, On Behalf of All Staff Council

The Athletics Department is hosting faculty and staff appreciation days during the Drake basketball games on Jan. 24 and March 2. Faculty and staff can claim four complimentary tickets to attend the games listed below.

Tickets must be claimed online and are not available at the ticket windows on the day of the event.

• Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. – Men’s Basketball vs Indiana State
• March 2 at 6 p.m. – Women’s Basketball vs Missouri State

How to Redeem:

1. Press on Claim Tickets below or go to draketix.com/facultystaffdays.
2. Enter your Drake email as the password to claim your tickets.
3. Tickets will be sent to your AXS MobileID. For help with the AXS App please go to draketix.com/axsmobileid

Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day Men’s Basketball: Claim Tickets
Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day Women’s Basketball: Claim Tickets

For questions, email tickets@drake.edu.

— Logan Krause, Athletics