All posts by Amanda Martin

Campus Announcements Archive

Hunger and Homelessness Week events

Food insecurity is an issue both here at Drake and in the Des Moines community. Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) which oversees the food pantry network in Des Moines, recently experienced its busiest day in its history. In October of this year, the DMARC Food Pantry Network assisted 19,385 unique individuals, a 63% increase over October 2021. There is work to be done around the issue of food insecurity.

During Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Nov. 12-20, the Drake community has the opportunity to learn more about the issues facing our community, and ways to get engaged to make a difference. Whether it’s through direct service such as delivering food, philanthropic efforts of raising funds or donations, or advocacy and policy work by doing research and talking to policymakers, there’s many pathways to making a difference.

Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to a fireside chat on Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 6-7pm at Olmsted’s Pomerantz Stage. The Get Fed Up: Fight Hunger Fireside Chat will consist of student, faculty and community partner representatives to talk about the landscape of food insecurity in and around Drake, what’s being done about it, and how others can get involved in the efforts.

The chat will be moderated by Luke Elzinga, Communications and Advocacy Manager at DMARC, and panelists include EJ Wallace, State and Electoral Campaigns Advisor for Save the Children Action Network (SCAN); Erin E. Lee Schneider, Assistant Dean for Student Services at Drake University Law School, and Nachalah Gardiner, student representative of Next Course Food Recovery and Save the Children Action Network (SCAN).

Other events through the week include:

  • Thursday, Nov. 17, 6-8pm in the Drake Room. Film viewing and discussion, Next Course Volunteer Open House. Open to all. Learn about issues of food insecurity and volunteer opportunities. Popcorn will be provided. Come and go as you are able.
  • All Week – Canned Food Drive. Donation boxes will be setup around campus. Drop off non-perishable food items and personal hygiene items to be donated to the Little Free Food Pantries, the Law School Food Pantry, and DMARC.
  • All Week – Volunteer with Next Course Food Recovery to rescue leftover food from the dining halls on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sign up on DUgood.

Learn more at https://www.drake.edu/community/learningservice/upcomingevents/ or contact Amanda Martin, assistant director of community engaged learning, at amanda.martin@drake.edu.

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

Campus Announcements Archive

Drake hosts disability rights and inclusive education scholars for IE Week

The Office of Global Engagement is pleased to partner with The Harkin Institute to welcome visiting scholars to campus during International Education Week whose research focuses on topics related to disability rights and inclusive education. 

Zhou Xiaorong is a research scholar at St. Cloud State University. She holds a master’s degree in rehabilitation and languages. Xiaorong specializes in collaborating, cultivating, and utilizing her broad global network for the purpose of research and development of Deaf culture-based programs and sign languages for both Chinese and American Deaf academic communities. She also provided multicultural guidance regarding accessibility laws, cultural sensitivities, empowerment of Deaf identities, and facilitations & collaborations of American Sign Language/Chinese Sign Language/Korean Sign language for international Deaf communities.

Xiaorong will be joined by colleagues from the Center for International Disability Advocacy and Diplomacy at St. Cloud State University. While on Drake’s campus, they will visit an American Sign Language class with Professor Polly Brekke and share their expertise during the U.S.-China Symposium and International Education Week Forum.

Renci Xie is a Chinese woman with disabilities and a disability rights self-advocate. Her story about embracing her disability identity was broadly reported. In January 2022, Renci was featured in a National Public Radio All Things Considered interview, “China excels at the Paralympics, but its disabled citizens are fighting for access.” She is currently working on a Ph.D. in disability law at Syracuse University.

Meet these scholars and learn more about disability rights and inclusive education in China at the following events during International Education Week:

Interview with Zhou Xiaorong

  • Moderated by Daniel Van Sant, Director of Disability Policy at the Harkin Institute
  • Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 9:30-10:30 am
  • Tom and Ruth Harkin Center
  • ASL will be provided
  • Register

U.S.-China Symposium Panel Discussion

  • Thursday, Nov. 17, at 10:30-11:30 am
  • Sussman Theater
  • ASL will be provided
  • Register

International Education Week Forum: China

  • Collier Scripps Hall, 3rd Floor Classrooms
  • 8:00 am Research presentation by Dr. Amy Knopf, Harkin Fellow 2018-2019 and Director of the St. Cloud State University Center for International Disability Advocacy and Diplomacy (ASL will be provided)
  • 8:00 am Research presentation by Renci Xie
  • 9:15 am Research presentation by Zhou Xiaorong (ASL will be provided)
  • Registration not required. Learn more

— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Engagement

HR Information Archive

Update: New applicant tracking system

As many of you already know, the applicant tracking system we are currently using, HireTouch, supported by ImageTrend, is being sunset at the end of this year. We will be rolling out Jobs@Drake, supported by PageUp next month.

This week, we will be reaching out to managers and budget managers with additional information, and we will be looking to schedule a virtual session where we demonstrate Jobs@drake—highlighting similarities and differences to HireTouch.

The HR team is working on a detailed user guide and will also create some bite-sized video tutorials.

As we transition to the new system, it is likely that we will stop posting new jobs in HireTouch and hold them until the Jobs@Drake site is live. The timing is actually perfect. Recruitment from Thanksgiving until the first part of January dramatically slows down. For staff searches already posted, we will vet the existing pools and remove them from the web. If no hires are made, we’ll open them in the new system in late December or early January.

We will work with the academic units on faculty searches—as those will likely require a case-by-case assessment as to which we may want to move into the new system, and which are far enough along in the recruitment process that we may not need to do that (or we only move viable candidates if the application screening process is complete).

This will be a big change and we know there will be some hurdles as we all adjust. This was an unexpected project we had to pick up and run with, due to HireTouch being sunset at the end of the year. However, we are really excited about the look and feel of Jobs@Drake. Once we get the kinks worked out, we are confident this will be a notable improvement and despite the amount of work left to do, we are truly excited about this change.

More to come!

— Kris Brewster, ITS; Maureen De Armond, HR

For Faculty Archive

Writing in your field, faculty development opportunity

Written communication is important in almost any academic field, but the genres and accepted conventions of writing vary from discipline to discipline. In this project, we will discuss ways to integrate writing instruction into courses for which written communication is not necessarily the primary learning outcome, as well as courses that require students to communicate in field-specific ways (for instance, lab reports or business memos).

Instructors who participate in this project will have a one-semester commitment that will include:

  • Working with the Director of Writing, Megan Brown, on the development of a writing assignment, writing activities, or a writing project for one of their spring classes.
  • Attending hour-long meetings of all participants in the program in February, March, and April (or early May) 2023.  These meetings may be structured as two sessions each month, half at each session, in order to facilitate more in-depth discussion.
  • Requiring all students enrolled in the class to attend tutoring sessions at the Writing Center at least twice during the semester.

After the initial meeting(s) with the Director of Writing to develop a writing assignment or writing project, participants will receive a stipend of $500. After completing the project and attending the final meeting, participants will receive an additional $500.

Participation is limited to 10 individuals.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Nicki Kimm by Friday, December 2.

If you have questions, contact Megan Brown (megan.brown@drake.edu).

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

Campus Announcements Archive

Coffee Conversations with students/faculty/staff who are disabled

Come to the Tom and Ruth Harkin Center on Friday, Nov. 18, at 11 a.m. for free refreshments and supportive conversations.  

The Harkin Institute is hosting a safe space for all Drake University students, faculty, and staff with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Registrations is not required but you can let us know you’re coming here.

Coffee Conversations is a chance for students, faculty, and staff to come together and discuss experiences, successes, and struggles, build relationships, and form support systems on Drake’s campus. American Sign Language (ASL) and real time captioning (CART) will be provided. Contact harkininstitute@drake.edu with any questions and to request other accommodations. 

— Lila Johnson, Harkin Institute

HR Information Archive

Employee perks and discounts – limited time offer

Drake offers a range of discounts and perks, including discounts on your phone bill, car batteries, Dell computers, free Mango language training, special pricing on Adventureland tickets, car rentals, and much more.

Review the full list of Perks & Discounts available to Drake employees. Three discounts—including a new partnership and limited time offer—are highlighted below.

Bank of America (coming soon)
A new discount program is in the works with Bank of America. Once finalized, we will share more details and add the discount to the list above.

Limited time only—20% discount for Drake employees at Raygun
I am excited to share a limited time discount at Raygun! Drake employees will receive 20% off their in-store purchases at Raygun from Nov. 20–23 only. To get the discount, you must print or show on your phone this Raygun flyer. (This flash sale is only for Drake employees and only for in-store purchases on the applicable dates).

Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile discounts available
Recently, I realized I was not taking advantage of a discount offered to Drake employees by Verizon. So, I logged into my Verizon account, searched for “employer discounts,” and followed the simple steps. After Verizon confirmed my Drake email, I got this message:

Access Fee Discount up to: 18%
Accessory discount: 25%
Please allow 1–2 billing cycles for updates to appear on  your bill.

I wish I would’ve taken advantage of this offer sooner!

Review the Perks & Discounts list to learn more about the discounts and deals available to you.

— Linda Feiden and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Bulldog Connect luncheon Nov. 16

All Staff Council is holding a Bulldog Connect Networking lunch on Wednesday, Nov.16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come join us for a $5 lunch at Hubbell Dining Hall. We encourage attendees to wear their Drake name tag. Anyone is welcome to come—bring a fellow Bulldog along with you. 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

Campus Announcements Archive

Bulldog Bucks users can win GrubHub gift card

Did you know you can use your Bulldog Bucks at awesome local businesses and on the GrubHub app? To show our appreciation to our Drake community, we’re partnering with GrubHub this week to give out $50 gift cards to five lucky winners that use their Bulldog Bucks during the week of Nov. 14–20.

Simply load funds into your Bulldog Bucks account, and either spend funds at some of our local participating businesses or on the GrubHub app.  You can also enter in the GrubHub App to win using this mobile link (no purchase necessary to enter).  We’ll pick 5 winners on Nov. 21, and winners will receive an email from studentservices@drake.edu.

As a reminder, Bulldog Bucks are different than Dining Dollars (Dining Dollars are just used for on campus dining).  Bulldog Bucks are an optional account, loaded by any Drake cardholder, and they carry forward from semester to semester as long as your card is active.  Bulldog Bucks can also be used for on campus dining, but have a variety of other uses.  They can be used for food (both on and off campus and in the GrubHub app), at the bookstore, at the mailroom, and for campus printing.

If you have any questions about this giveaway, or our Bulldog Bucks program, please feel free to email studentservices@drake.edu. 

— Sara Heijerman, Campus Card Office

For Students Archive

Drake in China documentation project panel discussion

The Drake in China documentation project will be conducting a panel discussion that everyone is welcomed to attend. The discussion involves material collected from the Drake special archives and relations between Drake University and China. Information about the presentations are below.

Drake in China: A Documentation Project
Moderated by En Li, Assistant Professor of Chinese History

10:30–11:30 am, Collier Scripps Hall Room 335 
Presenter#1 Kaiya Kield Young (International Relations and History) 
Title: “Christianity in China through the Drake University Bible College”. 
Presenter#2 Tavia Swarney (Anthropology and Sociology) 
Title: “Chinese Cultural Exchange in the Modern Day” 

Discussants;  
David Skidmore, Professor of Political Science 
Liping Zheng, Professor of Economics 
Hope Bibens, Associate Professor and Director of Archives & Special Collections 

— Kaiya Kielb Young, AS, Senior