All posts by Renee Cramer

Deputy Provost 2:10: Look what your colleagues have done

I am so excited to highlight the work of some of our Fall 2022 FYS instructors, who created amazing experiences for our entering first year students. Janalyn Phillips (CPHS) taught The History of Hip Hop; not only did her students listen to great old school hip hop, they spent a class session making graffiti to commemorate the ethos of the era. See the group art photo below.

And, almost any time I walked campus last fall, I ran into Chuck Sengstock’s (SOE) FYS Photography: Capturing Moments out an about … capturing what it felt like to be newly on campus and enrolled in college.  I love the flickr accounts from students Blythe Kelly, Chase Stephens, and Kate Hagemeier that Chuck shared with me; the students featured here gave permission for you to look, too.

What excites me most about the courses Janalyn and Chuck taught last fall is that they are courses that follow their passions, not their professions.  Like so many of our FYS offerings, these faculty help meet our mission by providing an opportunity for our students to develop their whole selves, to participate in a liberal arts curriculum, and to meet other entering first years who share a common interest in something as meaningful as the music they love, or how they see the world.

If you’re teaching an FYS next fall, I hope you take inspiration from these two courses.  And if you want to talk about teaching an FYS later on down the road, please reach out!  But also: when you see your colleagues doing cool things with students in their classes, please let me know – I’d love to feature them in a coming installation of Look What Your Colleagues Have Done!

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

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 opportunities.

Helping your students use Uwill

The new partnership between Drake and Uwill will significantly improve the well-being of our students as they will have increased access to mental health services. However, helping our students access this service will require all of our support. Please see the recommendations below to help ensure that students have access to this platform:

  1. Remind students about the service. Each student has enough credits through the application for two individual telehealth therapy sessions. They may also utilize the credits provided for a scheduled chat or message with a clinically licensed therapist.

  2. Include information about Uwill in your email signature:

    We care about your mental health and wellness. Students have free, immediate access to teletherapy through our partnership with Uwill. Get started. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call 833–646–1526 for help 24/7/365. For medical emergencies, call 911. 

  3. Encourage your students to contact the 24/7 Uwill Crisis Hotline at 833–646–152 when they are experiencing an emergency or need immediate support. You may also utilize this number when you are talking with a student that needs to speak with a counselor immediately. It will be important to continue to utilize Starfish and your department’s protocol for student mental health concerns.

  4. Encourage students to utilize the Urise educational features included through the application.

  5. Remind students about the various Drake Student Counseling Center resources when they need additional support.

  6. Visit our new internal website to learn more.

For questions, contact Kayla Bell-Consolver, director, Drake Student Counseling Center

— Kayla Bell-Consolver, Drake Student Counseling Center

Last chance to submit Nelson Student Research Symposium proposals

The Nelson Institute will again be hosting a student research symposium as part of the spring Global Citizen Forum to be held March 1–3, 2023. Proposals to present research as the symposium are due Friday, Feb. 10. The theme for the 2023 Global Citizen Forum is Social impact and responsibility.

The Nelson Student Research Symposium promotes a university-wide discourse on global intercultural tops. It is recommended that presentation topics for the 2023 symposium with one (or more!) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs provide a framework for tackling complex global issues such as poverty, sustainable communities, climate action, and justice.

While Research presentations that support the theme are encouraged, all global topics from any academic discipline are welcome. We anticipate that the presentations will be about 15 minutes each. Undergraduate and graduate students are both eligible to present at the symposium.

Below are a few reasons why students (including, potentially, you!) should be encouraged to consider submitting papers for the symposium.

  • It is a great opportunity to practice presentation skills, and obtain useful feedback!
  • It is a platform to share the outcomes of research on a global topic of interest.
  • It is a great addition to resumes, especially for students who are considering going to graduate school.

Proposal Submission

Papers (or concepts) should be submitted via Qualtrics form. Deadline: Friday. February 10th, 2023.

Questions?

Learn more by visiting the Nelson Institute website or by contacting Professor Jimmy Senteza at jimmy.senteza@drake.edu.

— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Engagement

Drake Law School named a 2022 top school for criminal law by PreLaw Magazine

Drake University Law School earned an A- ranking for criminal law in preLaw Magazine, placing Drake among the top law schools in the nation for this field.

The publication based the rankings on law schools’ offerings in criminal law, including clinical programs, certificates, externships, partnerships, and courses. The results are reported in preLaw’s Back to School 2022 issue.

Drake Law offers students substantial opportunities to learn about and develop skills in the field of criminal law. With coursework ranging from prosecution and defense to scientific and expert evidence to global issues in criminal law, students can explore a range of subject areas. The Drake Criminal Defense and Juvenile Delinquency Clinics provide students hands-on experience representing indigent clients in court appearances, depositions, and negotiations. Since the ranking was completed, Drake has expanded its criminal law program even further with the introduction of a new Wrongful Convictions Clinic.

Students also gain practical experience through internships with offices such as the Polk County Prosecutor’s Office, Federal and State Public Defender, and U.S Attorney’s Office. The Law School offers a certificate in Prosecution and Defense which is specifically designed to prepare students for careers in criminal law.

Professor Bob Rigg, director of the Criminal Law Clinic, said “This honor reaffirms what we as faculty at Drake Law have known and worked hard to achieve.”

The issue also highlights a collaborative effort between Drake’s Criminal Defense and the Refugee Clinics to serve clients with issues involved in “crimmigation,” the merging of these two areas of law. Students from the Refugee Clinic provide research regarding subjects such as detention and deportation that may be triggered by a criminal conviction. Through this effort, the Drake Legal Clinic has been able to provide high-quality legal representation to noncitizen defendants and gives students the opportunity to develop essential skills and learn from real experiences.

— Taylor Johnson, Law School

Anderson Gallery celebrates 25 years

The Anderson Gallery is celebrating 25 years with the release of a book that chronicles the Gallery’s history and its first 25 years of exhibitions. In its 25-year history, the Anderson Gallery has left a mark on many individuals and on Drake University as an institution. Serving as a space for the community to see high-quality and innovative art exhibitions as well as an invaluable teaching space that supports material-based learning, the Anderson Gallery’s impact is significant.

The Art and Design Department invites you to a reception and book release that commemorates this milestone. The 25 Years of the Anderson Gallery Celebration will be held in the Anderson Gallery and the adjoining Performing Arts Hall lobby on Feb. 9 from 5–7 p.m. with a brief program at 5:15 p.m. More details can be found on the Anderson Gallery webpage.

— Lilah Anderson, Anderson Gallery Exhibitions and Community Engagement Manager

Calling Out Race: Art and Activism

You are invited to a panel discussion Calling Out Race: Art and Activism on Friday, Feb. 3, from 5:30–7 p.m. in the Turner Jazz Center, Harmon Fine Arts Center. The panel will explore ways that artists and activists work to change current ideologies of race and racism. Panelists will include: Ako Abdul-Samad, former lieutenant of distribution for the Black Panther Party in Des Moines in the 1960s and 70s; Patti Miller, a Drake student in the 1960s who participated in Freedom Summer Project in Mississippi in 1964; artist Nate Young, whose art includes video, sculpture, and installation; and Phillip Chen, a print artist. Both Young and Chen pinpoint racist attitudes and offer different ways to imagine race through art.

Lenore Metrick-Chen, associate professor of art history, will be the panel moderator. This panel is offered in conjunction with the exhibition A Thin But Powerful Difference: Race | Embodiment, which is running through Feb. 19 at Drake’s Anderson Gallery.

Lilah Anderson, Anderson Gallery Exhibitions and Community Engagement Manager 

Study abroad applications open

Student deadlines for studying abroad are fast approaching. The deadline to apply for a summer study abroad scholarship is Wednesday, Feb. 1. Study abroad applications will continue to be accepted until Feb. 15.

For students thinking about studying abroad during the fall semester, or next academic year, the study abroad scholarship deadline will be March 1. Study abroad applications will continue to be accepted until March 15.

To find more information about joining an international program, please check out Drake’s study abroad website: https://www.drake.edu/global/studyabroad/

J-Term 2024 study abroad programs will open on March 8 during the J-Term Fair.

Spring 2024 study abroad programs will open in April, and the application deadline for spring study abroad has moved to Sept. 1.

Students can find a full list of approved study abroad programs and apply on our website: https://drake-sa.terradotta.com/.

If you have any questions about studying abroad while at Drake, or want meet with a Peer Advisor or Study Abroad Advisor, email: studyabroad@drake.edu.

— Karen Williams, Global Engagement

Periphery, Drake’s student literary magazine, now an award winning journal

Periphery Art & Literary Journal, a student publication at Drake, has been recognized with distinction for excellence in art and literary magazines in the REALM (Recognizing Excellence in Art & Literary Magazines) Contest on Jan. 31 by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

This year, schools in 42 states and five countries nominated 262 student magazines. Magazines from middle school, high school, and higher education were welcomed for the 2022 contest.

Editor-in-chief of Periphery, Anna Richardson, stated, “Periphery is honored to receive recognition for our publication on a national scale. We would especially like to thank the editorial staff on the 59th edition (myself, Aanika Pfister, Atlas Desmond, Jordan Roubion, Taryn Ripple, Lily McIntosh, Emily Albers, Andrew Reitman, and Ashley Peldiak) plus all the writers and artists who entrusted us with a home for their creative endeavors. Cheers to another great edition this year!”

The REALM program publicly recognizes excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. REALM is designed to encourage all schools to develop literary magazines that celebrate the art and craft of writing.  Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, US territories, Canada, and American schools abroad are eligible to nominate magazines.

For more information about the REALM program, visit: https://ncte.org/awards/program-to-recognize-in-student-literary-magazines/.

— Carol Spaulding-Kruse, Professor of English

Complete the transportation survey to help track our carbon footprint

The Office of Sustainability is conducting a transportation survey to gain insight on the transportation behaviors of students, faculty, and staff. Your feedback will provide important information to make sustainable transportation more obtainable and convenient. More importantly, it will provide a baseline for Drake to accurately track scope three greenhouse gas emissions. This will allow Drake to complete an updated carbon footprint report and track the University’s progress toward meeting the carbon reduction targets outlined in the Climate Action Plan.

Thank you to those of you who have completed the survey.  If you haven’t, please take five minutes to complete it.  The survey is quick, anonymous, and will help Drake identify opportunities to reduce our Carbon footprint.

For more information about alternative transportation and Drake’s sustainability initiatives, visit Drake’s Sustainability Website.

— Hannah Remke, Sustainability Coordinator

Drake recognized as Tree Campus for 11th consecutive year

Drake has been honored with the 2022 Tree Campus Higher Education (formerly Tree Campus USA) recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation. The hard work of Drake’s Grounds Department has ensured this designation for the 11th year in a row. Facilities Planning and Management is committed to promoting healthy urban forest management and engaging the campus community in environmental stewardship.  The dedicated team cares for over 1,500 trees on campus and recently updated and published a new Tree Care Plan

Trees on campus and in urban spaces can lower energy costs by providing shade, cleaner air and water, and green spaces for students and faculty. In addition, trees improve students’ mental and cognitive health, provide an appealing aesthetic for campuses, and create shaded areas for studying and gathering making their care a high priority. 

If you are interested in being involved, stay on the lookout for information on how you or your groups can participate in our annual Arbor Day observance tree planting in May, or reach out to Hannah Remke, Sustainability Coordinator at hannah.remke@drake.edu. You can also visit the Tree Campus Higher Education page on Drake’s Sustainability website

 — Hannah Remke, Sustainability Coordinator