All posts by Timothy Knepper

For Students Archive

Iowa Interfaith Conference

Drake will be hosting students and faculty from eight other Iowa colleges for the annual Iowa Interfaith Conference April 8–10. The conference includes a Friday evening reception, poster session, and Hindu bhajan at the Mercy Holiday Inn (7–9 p.m.); interactive sessions on interfaith leadership and religious literacy at Meredith Hall, Room 101, on Saturday and Sunday mornings (9 a.m.–12 p.m.); and site visits to a Buddhist temple, Hindu temple, and Islamic mosque on Saturday evening (4–9 p.m.). All meals are included.

For more information, contact tim.knepper@drake.edu or visit comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu/iowa-interfaith-conference-2022/. To register, go to iowainterfaithexchange.com/conference/.

— Timothy Knepper, Professor of Philosophy

Campus Announcements Archive

Civic Action Week list of events

Happy Civic Action Week! The Office of Community Engaged Learning is excited to partner with many departments and organizations to raise awareness of community and global issues, and to have the opportunity to participate in service. Please join for whatever events and initiatives you’re able to and share how you’re engaging with the week by tagging @drakeservice on social media. Together we can have a collective impact!

Tuesday, April 5

  • Sexual Assault Awareness Month Day of Action, 9am-3pm, Olmsted and/or Helmick Commons. Sign a pledge to support survivors, learn about Drake prevention response and resources around campus, and grab some swag. Wear Teal and get free food! (9am Donuts, 11:30am Jimmy Johns, 1:30pm Ice Cream). Sponsored by Drake Prevention Ambassadors.  (Pathway- Community Organizing & Activism). 
  • Careers in Social Change Virtual Panel: Direct Service, 4-5pm on Zoom. Panelists include Cecily Robinson from Easter Seals Iowa, Michelle Raymer from Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, and Johnathan Preston from Community Youth Concepts. Register on Handshake. Contact amanda.martin@drake.edu. Sponsored by Office of Community Engaged Learning and Professional and Career Development Services. (Pathway – Direct Service)
  • Las Cafeteras Concert, 7:30pm, Turner Jazz Center. Las Cafeteras combine music with social justice and higher education. Songs and themes range from the Civic Rights Movement to immigration reform. Sponsored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion. (Pathway – Community Organizing & Activism)

Wednesday, April 6

  • Sprout Garden Volunteer Day, 2-4pm. Help prepare the garden for Spring planting by sprucing up the area, amending soil, and other projects as needed. Come and go as you are able. People are welcome to just come out and visit the space, as well! Contact marlee.rutledge@drake.edu. Sponsored by the Sprout Garden through the Office of Community Engaged Learning. (Pathway – Direct Service)

Thursday, April 7

  • Disability Services and Advocacy Event, 4-6pm, Harkin Institute. Representatives from Drake, Harkin Institute, and local non-profits will share information about their services. You’ll have the chance to participate in simulated activities and a roundtable discussion on topics related to disability services. The goal of the event is to create a space for people to bravely learn about and discuss disability experiences. Our hope is every participant will walk away with the tools to be a better advocate and ally for people experiencing disabilities. RSVP here.  Contact Kiley Kahler (kiley.kahler@drake.edu) and Mel Sadecki (mel.sadecki@drake.edu) for more information or to request accommodations. Sponsored by the Office of Community Engaged Learning. (Pathway – Community Organizing & Activism) 

Friday, April 8

  • Civic Action Academy, 10am-2pm.  This event is free and will happen virtually. All Drake students are welcome to attend. Participants can choose the sessions they want to attend and are not required to attend the whole thing. Topics range from Demystifying Advocacy to Reflective Practice for a Just Society to information on School Boards and more. Learn more and register. Sponsored by Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact.
  • Drake Neighborhood Community Walk: 11:30am-12:30pm, Join Brian Orellana, Community Outreach Senator and Community Engagement Peer for Equity and Inclusion, for a walk around the Drake Neighborhood. Meet outside Olmsted. You are not required to sign up but it can be helpful – email brian.orellana@drake.edu. (Learn about the Drake Neighborhood Association!) Sponsored by the Office of Community Engaged Learning and Student Senate. (Pathway – Community Organizing and Activism)
  • APO & Phi Delta Chi Blood Drive – 11am-2:30pm. In partnership with LifeServe Blood Center. Appointments are required – sign up for a time.  (Pathway – Philanthropy)
  • Free Movie Friday, 9pm, Sussman Theater – Join for the film “Just Mercy,” the thought-provoking true story of young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice. Sponsored by the Office of Community Engaged Learning and the Student Activities Board (SAB). (Pathway – Community Organizing and Activism)

Saturday, April 9

All Week –

Ukraine Humanitarian Aid Drive – drop off donations of first aid kits, socks, winter gloves, thermal underwear or sanitary and hygienic sets to various locations in Cowles Library, including the Global Engagement Office across from Midnight Hall and the Office of Community Engaged Learning in the lower level. Donations will go through Iowa Sister States to our Sister State of Cherkasy Oblast and will be collected until April 15.

Donate to the Little Free Pantries in the Drake Neighborhood – Drop off your donations of non-perishable goods and personal hygiene items. (Pathway – Philanthropy)

Donate Adult Dog and Cat food to the Griff Gives Back project. (Pathway – Philanthropy)

Visit www.drake.edu/volunteer for other volunteer opportunities.

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

Strategic Updates Archive

Great Colleges survey: Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who completed the Great Colleges to Work For survey. We achieved our highest response rate in five years with 65% of employees participating! This includes 59% of faculty and 67% of staff. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback and making your voice heard.

Continuous improvement remains a critical part of Drake’s strategic planning and your feedback leads to more informed decisions, better ideas, and accelerated innovation. While it is only one mechanism through which you can share your voice, it is an important one that helps Drake focus on priorities that matter to you.

A summary of the results will be shared with campus early this summer.

— Nate Reagen, Office of the President; Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Support Ukraine humanitarian relief efforts

Global Engagement and Community Engaged Learning are partnering with Iowa Sister States to support Ukraine humanitarian relief efforts through a supply drive.

The State of Iowa and Iowa Sister States have been working diligently to provide support to Ukraine, in particular working with partners in Iowa’s Ukrainian sister state located just south of the capital Kyiv. Iowa has a 26-year sister state relationship with Cherkasy Oblast that has been sustained through various people-to-people exchanges. Iowa Sister States has been coordinating directly with the regional government of Cherkasy Oblast to procure a list of supplies needed to support their citizens during this crisis.

We are calling on the Drake community to contribute to this humanitarian relief effort by collecting and donating supplies from the following list now through April 15. Supplies will be shipped in batches by Iowa Sister States directly to their partners in Ukraine.

Supplies needed:

  • Sleeping mats
  • Sleeping bags
  • First aid kits
  • Individual wound dressing wraps
  • Individual medical packs
  • Thermal underwear
  • Socks
  • Gloves (for warmth, not medical purposes)

How to contribute:
Supplies will be collected through April 15 at two locations in Cowles Library:

  • Global Engagement, located just inside the South/University Ave entrance across from Midnight Hall.
  • Community Engaged Learning is located on the ground floor, east side. From the north/main entrance, go down the stairs and through the doors on your left.

Monetary donations are also being accepted and will be used expressly for the purpose of purchasing and shipping the requested items. Individuals and groups can make monetary donations online at www.iowasisterstates.org. Click the blue “Donate” button at the top of the page and select “Cherkasy, Ukraine Fundraiser” from the campaign drop-down menu.

Contact Hannah Sappenfield, Global Partnerships Coordinator, with any questions.

— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Engagement

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Center for Teaching Excellence: May Pedagogy Workshop

The Deputy Provost’s Office/Center for Teaching Excellence will host a May 2022 Faculty Development Workshop: Meeting Our Students As We Find Them Post-COVID. Please plan for an intensive two-and-a-half day workshop appropriate for all Drake faculty and staff who teach—but especially designed for First Year Seminar instructors, those engaged in the teaching of writing (across the curriculum and in your disciplines), those engaged in teaching math and science across the University, and those faculty who want to learn more about how to make their online and face-to-face courses truly accessible to their students.

Details: we will meet as a whole group, and in cohorts, on May 18 and 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, and from 8: 30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday May 20. Faculty who attend and participate will receive $375 stipends, all materials, ample time in shared conversation and directed learning, and meals—as well as an invitation to be part of compensated faculty learning communities meeting through fall and summer.

To assist in our planning, please register at this link, as soon as you are able to commit.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

Campus Announcements Archive

Constitutional Law Symposium April 9, registration open

The Drake Constitutional Law Center will host the 2022 Constitutional Law Symposium on Saturday, April 9, from 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. The program will be delivered virtually via Zoom. The speakers will examine the role the Constitution may play in stemming or facilitating democratic erosion.

The symposium will feature a slate of nationally renowned scholars discussing these important topics:

Reflections on Congressional Abdication
Jeffrey K. Tulis, Professor of Government and Professor of Law, University of Texas at Austin

The Constitution and Condorcet: Democracy Protection through Electoral Reform
Edward B. Foley, Charles W. Ebersold and Florence Whitcomb Ebersold Chair in Constitutional Law; Director, Election Law, The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law

Was the Constitution Meant to be Democratic
James R. Stoner Jr., Hermann Moyse, Jr. Professor of Political Science; Director, Eric Vogelin Institute, Louisiana State University

Two Models for Protecting Democracy
David Landau, Mason Ladd Professor; Associate Dean for International Programs, Florida State University School of Law

Revisiting America’s Guardrails
Andrea Katz, Associate Professor of Law, Washington University in St. Louis School of Law

The program will be moderated by Miguel Schor, Professor of Law and Associate Director of the Constitutional Law Center at Drake University.

The symposium is approved for 2.5 hours of Iowa Continuing Legal Education credit.

Registration is free and open to the public. Register online. Registrants may pre-order a copy of the Drake Law Review Symposium issue for $12.

Contact Sara Hughes, 515-271-3985, sara.hughes@drake.edu, for more information.

The Constitutional Law Symposium is dedicated to the memory of Congressman Neal Smith, LW’50, who passed away last fall at the age of 101. Congressman Smith’s efforts provided foundational support for the Center and he continued to be a loyal supporter his entire life.

The Constitutional Law Center gratefully acknowledges key support for this symposium from the Nathan S. McCay (LW ’80) Endowment and the Drake Constitutional Law Fund.

— Terri Howard, Law School

Campus Announcements Archive

FAFSA Simplification Act

On March 15, Mark Wiederspan, executive director of Iowa College Aid, sent a letter to Senator Chuck Grassley highlighting concerns about how future changes to the FAFSA will impact students whose families own family farms and/or small businesses.

Specifically, the FAFSA Simplification Act will require the net worth of a family farm or small business to be reported as an asset on the FAFSA, beginning with the 2024–2025 FAFSA. Family farms and small businesses (100 or fewer full-time employees) are currently excluded from reportable assets on the FAFSA.

If you share Dr. Wiederspan’s concerns, you can contact your legislators in congress. To lookup your legislators, click here.

— Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Books for Breakfast: ‘Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next’

We are hitting that point of the semester where faculty might be asking themselves: Why Bother?

Why Bother grading this stack of papers … there’s just another one around the corner/on the syllabus. Why Bother thinking about my research agenda or creative projects … I don’t have time to work on them. Why Bother meeting a friend for lunch in the middle of the day … I’ll just fall a bit more behind. Why Bother revamping that syllabus for fall … I don’t have the energy for it.

Or, my personal favorite: Why Bother resting now …. Summer is almost here, I can survive a bit longer.

Writer and writing coach Jennifer Louden isn’t an academic—but she has some terrific answers to the perennial problem of Why Bother?

The final Books for Breakfast of the academic year will be April 20 and April 27, from 8:30–9:30 a.m. in Howard Hall, Room 210, and we will be reading Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next. Sign up, here, by April 8.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

New golf cart, utility vehicle safety program

To ensure appropriate safety practices for all types of vehicles on campus, the Risk and Insurance Office and the Department of Environmental Health and Safety are implementing a new golf cart/utility vehicle safety program for all employees and students who operate these vehicles on campus. This program will make navigating campus safer for drivers and pedestrians, while helping to ensure drivers are equipped with the information they need to operate these vehicles effectively.

If you are an approved driver and selected golf carts/utility vehicles as a vehicle you are driving on the latest motor vehicle report you will receive and an email from durisk@drake.edu providing you information on how to complete a brief recorded training module. In addition, a one-time in person training with a golf cart or utility vehicle is required. While the recorded training is required annually, the in-person training is only to be completed once.  If you anticipate driving a golf cart or utility vehicle at any time and are not an approved driver, please complete the Motor Vehicle Report.

If your department is planning on renting a golf cart or utility vehicle please fill out Golf Cart Rental form. This will need to be approved by Risk and Insurance Office prior to operation on campus.

If you receive an email and no longer drive a golf cart or utility vehicle please let us know so we can remove you from our list.

Questions about the new process and protocols may be directed to durisk@drake.edu.

— Kelly Foster, Finance and Administration

Campus Announcements Archive

Hall of fame television executive Ray Cole to discuss book ‘Hangin’ with Winners’ April 13

Drake’s chapter of the American Marketing Association is hosting a special guest speaker, hall of fame television broadcasting executive Ray Cole, at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 13. Mr. Cole will be discussing his book, Hangin’ with Winners: A Lifetime of Connections, Anecdotes and Lessons Learned. All Drake students, alumni, faculty, staff, and supporters are welcome to join the AMA chapter members to hear the president and CEO of Citadel Communications share his experiences engaging with iconic leaders and changemakers in television, politics, and philanthropy including Jimmy Kimmel, Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, Michael J. Fox, and more.

Mr. Cole, a native of Iowa, will be speaking and taking questions at the April 13 meeting which will take place at Aliber Hall, Room 101, at 9 p.m. The event is free and audience members will receive a free copy of Hangin’ with Winners while supplies last.

— Alejandro Hernandez, Dean, CBPA