Mental Health First Aid is an international, evidence-based program that teaches people to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges. Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and substance use-related concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. If interested in taking this course, please contact Sarah Grady (sarah.grady@drake.edu) or Christine Urish (christine.urish@drake.edu). We’ll be offering a MHFA course on Thursday, June 2.
June 13–16, 2022, the Honors Program will offer an Honors Teaching Workshop which will meet from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (or longer if participants would like) each of these days. This workshop is for anyone who is interested in teaching Honors courses in the future and would like to be part of a community working through some of the most recent work on most effective practices for student learning. The workshop is limited to 10 participants who will receive stipends for their time.
The purpose of this workshop is multifold. Primarily, to encourage and prepare participants to teach more courses that will count for Honors. Additonally, to create a community of instructors and to further each participant’s thinking about pedagogy as informed by some of the most recent (as well as some of the classic) work in the field.
Honors courses at Drake are not exclusively for Honors students and many are cross-listed within departments (and thus count toward major/minor/concentration requirements). The defining characteristics of Honors courses are
(i) Discussion dependent: in the classroom, students are primary contributors to each other’s learning
(ii) Broadly interdisciplinary: putting into conversation disciplines which are not routinely in conversation with each other – ideally, the arts, humanities, social science and natural/physical sciences are included along with attention to professional fields. The ideal rarely happens but the goal is to accustom students to working with different disciplines even those where they are not experts and to accustom students to talking with people who do not have shared vocabularies
(iii) Capped at 20: to make healthy discussion routinely possible
(iv) Writing intensive: critical thinking and communication skills are fundamental to learners growth and we know that routine writing improves both of these.
Another unofficial common characteristic of Honors Courses is that the instructor is a co-learner with the students. Of course, the instructor is a more experienced learner and has expertise that shouldn’t be ignored, but instructors visibly participating in the practice of learning is identified by many Honors students as important to them.
Prior to the workshop, I will send out a list of possible books to read together and ask participants to identify which books they’d like to work through together. The Honors Program will purchase for participants books that are not available electronically through Cowles.
Please email Jennifer McCrickerd (Jennifer.mccrickerd@drake.edu), director of the Honors Program, and Charlene Skidmore (Charlene.skidmore@drake.edu), assistant director of the Honors Program, to express interest or ask any questions you may have.
You are invited to participate in a one-week faculty/staff development workshop, sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Provost/Center for Teaching Excellence, on the topic of “Responding to Student Writing in and outside of the Classroom.” This workshop will include both FYS faculty and faculty from across the disciplines, and will be coordinated by Jody Swilky.
Participants will meet on five mornings from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. The first three meetings will be Wednesday–Friday, May 25–27. The workshop will then break for the Memorial Day Weekend and continue Tuesday and Wednesday, May 31 and June 1.
Participants will be asked to read and respond in writing to articles that address both the theory and practice of teaching writing in a variety of classroom settings. We will begin the workshop focusing on the different kinds of response one might give to student writing, depending, for example, on the purpose of the writing assignment, the academic discipline, the professor’s goals at different points in the term, etc. We will take up issues of how to help students develop their thinking within their writing, as well as ways of addressing error and other problems students have with written expression. Since any feedback faculty provide to student writing should be considered in relationship to the assignments students respond to, we will also investigate different approaches to designing assignments.
Participants will be asked to respond in discussion to the writing we ourselves produce in the seminar, as well as to sample student essays.
Participants not on a 12-month contract will receive a summer stipend in the amount of $625. All interested faculty/staff are invited to apply. Participation is limited to ten people. First priority will go to people teaching FYS for the first time. Beyond that, preference will be given to full-time continuing Drake faculty or staff, with an attempt to provide broad representation across various schools/colleges/departments.
The Office of the Provost invites faculty and staff to a retirement reception honoring and celebrating Kathleen Richardson, dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Friday, May 6, from 3–5 p.m. in the north lobby of Meredith Hall.
As a student tech, you will be able to support fellow students, faculty, and staff with day-to-day troubleshooting of campus-wide technical resources. Assistance may be needed to promote computing resources across campus and professional customer service is required every day to coordinate with those who need assistance, as well as with the others at Drake ITS.
Preferred candidates have great time management and communication skills, the ability to apply learned knowledge to new and challenging situations, excellent verbal and written skills, and general computer literacy. No prior IT support experience is needed-all majors encouraged to apply. Training will be provided. Apply to be a student tech on Handshaketoday.
Drake University’s Fraternity and Sorority Life commits to providing a collaborative, supportive community that offers students a unique, genuine experience at Drake University.
We challenge our members to embrace individuality, create a sense of belonging, encourage actions based on values, foster inclusivity and diversity, serve with the community, and grow intellectually.
This past week, the FSL community celebrated the successes of the student leaders, chapters, and councils for the 2021 calendar year at their annual FSL Celebration event. Award winners included:
Outstanding New Member Award:
Thomas Karandjeff of the Iowa Delta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Stacia Humphery of the Eta Tau chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Outstanding Philanthropy Award
Iowa Delta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Gamma Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi
Outstanding Drake Spirit Award
Kyle Tekautz of the Iowa Delta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Kiley Kahler of the Gamma Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi
Outstanding Community Service Award
Iowa Delta chapter of Phi Delta Theta
Theta Eta chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated
Outstanding Campus Involvement Award
Erik Iverson of the Iowa Delta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Madyson Sklar of the Phi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated
Outstanding Programming Award
Gamma Tau chapter of Theta Chi
Phi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated
Outstanding FSL Leader Award
Brian Orellána of the Iowa Delta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Claire Hill of the Gramma Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi
Outstanding Harm and Risk Reduction Program Award
Iowa Delta chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Gamma Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi
Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award
Dr. James Albert, from the Gamma Tau chapter of Theta Chi
Outstanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Award
Iowa Delta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Theta Eta chapter of Alpha Delta Pi
Highest Chapter GPA
Iowa Delta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Phi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated
Outstanding Drake Faculty or Staff Member Award
Kristin Economos, Director of Student Leadership Programs
Outstanding Brotherhood and Sisterhood Program of the Year Award
Theta Gamma chapter of Sigma Chi
Beta Kappa chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta
FSL Hall of Fame Award
Austin Ash of the Iowa Delta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Ashwin Sinha of the Iowa Delta chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Layana Sariah of the Phi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated
Kandeija Bagurusi of the Phi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) announced that Drake has been awarded a $79,110 grant to improve the flow characteristics and water quality of campus runoff as part of campus-wide improvements in sustainability and stormwater management, with an additional $6,000 coming from the City of Des Moines. The grants will be used to build a bioretention and bioremediation system in the area between the agora and Harvey Ingham Hall. This system will capture stormwater running off from Helmick Commons and other parts of central campus. Using berms and native plantings, bioretention and bioremediation cells slow the movement of stormwater, allowing plants and soils to filter the water and remove contaminants. In this way, significantly cleaner stormwater is discharged to local streams at a more constant pace, reducing erosion and flooding problems downstream, while also improving soil moisture near the site during dry times.
This was a student-initiated project, with initial investigation of opportunities done by students in the Drake Environmental Action League, in particular Elly Flemming, who built it into her capstone in Environmental Science and Sustainability. Drake Facilities Planning and Management staff, including Sustainability Coordinator Sophia Seigel and Director Kevin Moran, then worked with students, faculty, the City, and IDALS to organize the application and plan the execution. An important part of the grant will be measuring and analyzing the discharge into the stream just north of the Tennis Center (Ravine Creek) to determine the impact of the improvements.
This work is part of a much larger campus effort to remediate stormwater runoff and improve water quality in Ravine Creek. Other projects have included permeable pavement and equisetum planting on 28th Street going through campus, the prairie north of Meredith, native plantings as part of the Ray Promenade project, runoff collection built into recent parking lot improvements, rain gardens across campus, and capstone projects this spring and a Restoration Ecology class this fall that will focus on habitat improvements in the forested region through which the creek flows.
— David Courard-Hauri, Professor of Environmental Science and Policy
May is Mental Health Awareness Month*. While stigma around mental health and treatment has decreased in recent years, there are still people who hesitate to take steps to address mental health challenges, seek care, and talk about mental health with friends, family, and even their medical providers. Given the additional stress and uncertainty that have accompanied the past couple of years, it’s as important now as it has ever been to talk about mental health.
*Note: World Mental Health Day is in October.
The goals of Mental Health Awareness month are multifaceted, and include:
Educating the public and raising awareness
Combatting stigma
Supporting mental health policies
Providing support
Removing treatment barriers for people with mental illness
Now for some history about Mental Health Awareness Month: While it may be hard to believe, this was first celebrated in 1949 (73 years ago!). The commemoration was started by the predecessor to the National Mental Health Association, the National Committee for Mental Hygiene. Today, the National Mental Health Association is the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit mental health organization.
The National Committee for Mental Hygiene was founded by Clifford Whittingham Beers. Beers was born in 1876 in Connecticut. He was one of five children in his family, all of whom—including Beers—suffered from mental illness and psychological distress.
Beers spent time in a mental health institution and would later author “A Mind That Found Itself.” Gaining popularity and support from medical professionals, Beers founded the National Committee for Mental Hygiene. Beers was dedicated to ensuring that mental health patients received appropriate care and did not feel alone.
Another organization, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), helps raise awareness and combat stigma. NAMI has recently published a thoughtful guide for Mental Health Awareness Month this year. For 2022’s Mental Health Awareness Month, NAMI identified “Together for Mental Health” as its theme. This theme pairs nicely with Drake’s Core Value of All In This Together.
Make It OK – Free Webinars May 2 and May 20
Make It OK is a national campaign which encourages everyone to talk more openly about mental illness in hopes of de-stigmatizing it so individuals will feel more open to seek care. If you would like additional resources to help you help others, they are offering a free Make It OK presentation on May 2 and May 20.
In the 50-minute presentation you will:
Learn more about Make It OK
Better understand what you can do to reduce the stigma through key messages and resources
Feel more confident in talking more openly about mental illness, and helping people get the care and support they need
You can access additional Make It OK – Iowa resources here.
For details about additional events, activities, and suggestions to observe Mental Health Awareness Month, please see the May HR Monthly. If you have never explored Drake’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), our EAP provider offers a wonderful range of resources—including confidential counseling, free webinars, podcasts, a blog, self-assessment tools, a free mobile app, and more. Make some time for yourself this month.
You are invited to the next Provost’s Drake Social Tuesday, May 3, in Shivers Hospitality Suite, adjacent to the Knapp Center, beginning at 4 p.m.
During this event, faculty and staff who celebrated (or will be celebrating) a milestone anniversary or retirement between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, will be highlighted. Their names will be scrolled on video screens around the room.
Those who celebrated a milestone service anniversary between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2021, are also encouraged to attend. We were unable to hold this event in May 2020 or 2021 due to COVID restrictions.
There will be soft drinks, wine, beer, and light snacks. President Martin will speak at 4:30 p.m.
Take a moment to stop by and congratulate your co-workers!
Celebrate Drake Relays in style with a piece of retro apparel. Stop by the Office of Community Engaged Learning, located in the lower level of Cowles Library, on Wednesday, April 27, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. and take a photo with the Pathways Photo Background. Post your photo on social media and tag @DrakeService to earn your swag (one per person). Items include T-shirts, tank tops, sweat pants, shorts, and other goodies. While supplies last!
