All posts by Jennifer Harvey

Campus Announcements Archive

Virtual ways to create a more inclusive environment

When we make it a habit to share pronouns we create an environment where we learn not to assume, based on someone’s appearance, what a person’s gender is or how they want to be referred to in the third person (what pronouns they use). Whether or not any one of us might ourselves be worried we will be misgendered, proactively offering ours is a meaningful practice to cultivate a community of inclusion and belonging.

Great news for our virtual experiences! The most recent upgrade for Zoom makes it possible to add pronouns so they always show up in your profile. Make this change. 

Also, an upgrade to make pronouns visible in Blackboard and Starfish is also coming soon, and we have drafted a proposed policy on pronouns. Take a moment to read the proposal and share your feedback.

— Jen Harvey, Associate Provost, Campus Equity and Inclusion

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Deputy Provost 2:10: Faculty development opportunities in April and May

Every Tuesday in OnCampus the Deputy Provost shares two articles with a read time of 10 minutes.

There is a lot going on in the Office of the Deputy Provost and the Center for Teaching Excellence.

We have partnered with the School of Education to provide 10 additional spaces in an on-line Intercultural Conflict Workshop facilitated by Dr. Tara Harvey (True North Intercultural, LLC). The workshop will focus on helping participants better understand and navigate their own and others’ preferred conflict styles, so that they can more effectively communicate and engage in a diverse work environment. It is perfect for department chairs, associate deans, and others who might manage in and through conflict (ie: all of us). Registered participants would take, in advance, the Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory, and the focus of the half-day workshop will be on building participants’ awareness using the Inventory.

This is an online workshop, held April 25 from 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.; preregistration required by April 11. Please note, if you are SOE faculty or staff, your registration is not through this link.

Please consider signing up to be part of the conversation on creating a faculty-to-faculty mentoring program, to inform my work as I look forward to launching a comprehensive faculty mentoring program over the summer. Register here, so we can provide hospitality for everyone on Friday, March 25, from 1:30–3 p.m. in Howard Hall, Room 210. If you cannot attend but would like to be a mentor—or be assigned a mentor—please email and tell me that.

And exciting news: The 2022 Baum Symposium will be comprised of a series of workshops focused on helping Drake faculty and staff respond ethically and compassionately to the shifts in higher education we have seen as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and demographic trends in our student body.  Featured speaker Cathy Davidson, the author of The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World in Flux, will speak on the evening of Wednesday, May 5. The event will start at 7 p.m., and will be virtual.

Dr. Davidson is the winner of the 2021 Annual Advocacy Award from the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences, the Founding Director of the Futures Initiative at CUNY, and a founding member of HASTAC: Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory.  Her keynote will kick off an entire month of programming meant to help our faculty and staff address the ethical imperative of meeting our students where they are—emotionally, intellectually, and socially.  Please save the date, and watch for more.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Deputy Provost 2:10: J-Term Fair

Every Tuesday in OnCampus the Deputy Provost shares two articles with a read time of 10 minutes.

The annual J-Term Fair will be held on April 14, from 4:30–6 p.m. in Parents Hall, Olmsted Center. I encourage all faculty and staff who are teaching in January 2023 to attend—bring resources for students to learn more about your course and a sign-up sheet for you to be in touch with them.

We provide: the space, the tables, lemonade, and snacks. You provide: enthusiasm about the course you’re offering and a readiness to talk about it!

In recent years the fair has been exceptionally helpful for helping students learn about our travel offerings; I’d love to continue that, while highlighting as many of our on-campus and web-based J-Term courses as possible.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

Campus Announcements Archive

Learn about tile carving with the Carvey

Professor Chris Porter will be leading a tile carving event in the Innovation Studio (Meredith Hall, Room 124C) from 2–4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23.

We have tiles in various colors to carve. Stop in to learn how to create your design and carve your tile during this time. If you want to design your tile ahead of time, create an account in Easel (https://easel.inventables.com/users/sign_in) and choose 2-color HDPE that is 6×6 inches and 0.25 inches thick. The smallest bit we have is 1/16 in.

— Stephanie Cardwell, CBPA

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Reflecting on our core values during Employee Appreciation Month: All In This Together

The past two years have put this week’s core value to the test on many fronts. Yet, we remain: All In This Together.

  • We embrace robust communication and transparency.
  • We thrive through collaboration and teamwork.

While we have done our best to brave this storm together, we know that each person’s experience has been unique. And let’s acknowledge it, a lot has been asked of the Drake community as a whole. Students, in some ways, lost a portion of their “normal” college experience. Faculty had to completely change how they teach and interact with students. Some staff were asked to do less, some were asked to do more, some were asked to do much more. No one had a clear idea of what the future would look like and the uncertainty—along with all the other hurdles—has taken a toll.

Where we go from here is pivotal. Channeling appreciation and gratitude will help focus on a path lined with hope. One of the best ways for us to identify that path is to be intentional in the core sentiments embodied in this value. As an institution, we have been working on assuring channels of communication are more robust. We have taken positive strides toward increased transparency in HR—I know other units are doing the same.

Collaboration and teamwork must be embraced both vertically (within a department, up and down the chain of supervision) and horizontally (across teams and units). This is one of the spaces where absolutely everyone can help foster a working and learning environment that values collaboration and teamwork. It truly takes the entire Drake community to deliver the services and support our students, employees, and communities.

This is a great week to send a message to your favorite collaborators and teammates—including those who work outside of your team and your wonderful student workers. Please take a minute to reflect on the faculty, staff, and student workers who are happy to help you. It just takes a minute to send a note of gratitude and thanks, but when you receive such a note—the joy can last indefinitely.

Consistent with the goals of this core value, Drake HR is thrilled to again partner with All Staff Council to host a town hall. We are currently working to pin down the date—it will likely be in May at the close of the term. Whether it will be in person or virtual (or both) is still being determined. As we did last time, ASC will solicit questions in advance to build the discussion around the topics that are most important to you.

While our perspectives, experiences, and thoughts all vary, when it comes to what lies ahead, we are, indeed, all in this together—let’s find comfort in sharing the path before us. If you have the time and the weather cooperates, please join Renée Cramer, Nate Reagen, and Maureen De Armond for a Thursday walk. Come share the literal path with us. Meet us at 12:00 p.m. sharp on Thursday, March 24. We’ll meet on the sidewalk just southeast of Olmsted and walk a Bulldog Mile together (weather permitting). Wear your walking shoes!

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

For Students Archive

J-Term Fair: Check out offerings for J-Term 2023

The annual J-Term Fair will be held on April 14, from 4:30–6 p.m. in Parents Hall, Olmsted Center. This is a terrific time to learn about opportunities for study away, on-campus courses, and web-based classes all during January, 2023.

Come eat some snacks and drink some lemonade,  meet with faculty from across the University, get your questions answered, and sign up for more information.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

For Students Archive

Student employment and professional development in one great opportunity

At a wage of $12 per hour, Drake Phonathon is hiring remote student ambassadors for the spring semester. Looking for on-campus employment that will develop the communication and interpersonal skills employers are looking for? We are looking for students to join our growing team at Phonathon. We offer amazing scheduling, flexibility, and a great work environment. This position is fully remote and allows students to work from home. With raises every semester, professional coaching, and eventual opportunities for leadership, we are looking for dedicated students who want to have an impact on our Bulldog community. To apply, please contact rea.clemons@ruffalonl.com.

— Becca Widmer, Director of Annual Giving

HR Information Archive

Find out if you qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program

In recent months, Drake HR has shared some information about updates to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. However, some people may still not have heard about it, or they are not aware of the recent changes made to the program. If you still have student loans, please check to see whether you qualify for this program—it has become easier to apply and the approval rates have increased dramatically since the program was modified last year.

In fact, a current faculty member just let us know that their application was approved and *poof* all their student loans were forgiven. Here is their experience with the process:

I applied for consolidation of my loans in November 2021 and also submitted my verification of employment history shortly thereafter. My loans had been previously held by Nelnet. Once the loan consolidation application was approved, my loans went into forbearance as my application was reviewed. I was initially denied in February because I had not been under a previously approved repayment plan; however, the application was then turned over to the Department of Education. I was then notified in March of this year that the loan was forgiven. So, from start to finish it was an almost 5 month process but definitely worth it!  -Current Drake Faculty Member

The Skinny: After you make 120 qualifying monthly payment for PSLF while working for a qualifying employer, all you need to do is submit the PSLF form to receive loan forgiveness. As a not-for-profit institution, Drake University is a qualifying employer. Even if you do not yet fully qualify, the PSLF website recommends that you still submit the form annually, so it will be easier when you do fully qualify.

Drake HR is here to help! Page 2 of the form consists of Section 3: Employer Information. This is the section Drake HR will complete for you. Send an email to drakehr@drake.edu and let us know you need it completed. If you send us your partially completed form, please omit your social security number—you never want to email that. If you have worked at a variety of qualifying employers over the course of your 120 monthly payments, you will need those employers to complete their own page 2 (Section 3) of the form.

Special Notice for the COVID-19 Emergency: To take advantage of a limited-time PSLF waiver during the COVID-19 national emergency, it is recommended that you submit this form for each qualifying employer you’ve had since October 2007, even if you had an ineligible loan type, repayment plan, or some other disqualifying factor. You must submit your application by Oct. 31, 2022. Learn more here.

— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

News & Achievements Archive

Drake Law donors generate $11.8 million in initial phase of comprehensive campaign

Drake University Law School announces that The Ones: Drake’s Campaign for the Brave & Bold has raised $11.8 million against the $20 million Law School goal. Gifts will enhance the Law School’s efforts to produce the next generation of outstanding Drake lawyers.

The Law School is celebrating several leadership gifts that will create new student scholarships, support clinical education, and establish an endowed professorship at the Law School.

“Thank you to the generous donors who have already contributed to the Law School through The Ones campaign,” said Drake Law Dean Jerry Anderson. “These resources are absolutely crucial to our ability to keep student debt down while continuing to offer the highest quality legal education in an ever-changing environment. Alumni support affirms the excellence of a Drake Law education.”

Leadership gifts to the Drake Law campaign so far include the following:

Sheldon (LW’75) and Terry Fleck (PH’74) have contributed $1 million to create the Sheldon T. and Terry K. Fleck Endowed Law Scholarship. The Fleck Scholar Program provides one renewable, full-tuition merit-based scholarship plus an annual stipend for an entering student each year. The Flecks have provided for two scholarships to be awarded in the inaugural year. In addition to the endowment, the Flecks intend to make annual contributions to fully fund this generous scholar program.

Karen Shaff, LW’79, and Steven Jayne, LW’78, have pledged $1 million to endow the Drake Law School Refugee Clinic. Through the Refugee Clinic, second- and third-year Drake Law students develop important lawyering skills while providing free legal services to individuals who are applying for asylum in the United States and other forms of humanitarian relief. Karen and Steve have previously endowed a scholarship fund at Drake Law.

Hon. Mark Wernick (LW’75) and Nancy Entwistle have made an estate gift commitment to endow the Law Opportunity scholarship fund, which provides scholarships to support students from underrepresented backgrounds.

A lead gift from McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC, has established an endowed faculty position, the Edmund J. Sease Faculty Research Scholar. This position will honor the contributions of Ed Sease, LA’64, LW’67, to the Law School’s Intellectual Property program. Mr. Sease practiced law for more than five decades with McKee, Voorhees & Sease, becoming one of the nation’s premier intellectual property attorneys. He has also served as a long-time adjunct professor at Drake Law School, and was instrumental in creating the Intellectual Property Law curriculum.

— Terri Howard, Law School

Campus Announcements Archive

Learn about African religion during your Friday lunch hour

For the next six Fridays (March 25–April 29), Professor Herbert Moyo, Drake’s Spring 2022 Principal Global-Scholar-in-Residence, sponsored by the Principal Center for Global Citizenship within the Office of Global Engagement, will be giving a series of presentations about religion in Africa, focusing especially on traditional African religion and African Christianities in southern Africa.

Among the topics to be covered are:

  • African cultural and religious worldviews in general (3/25),
  • Messianic African Christianities (4/1)
  • Healing in African Zionist churches (4/8)
  • Traditional healers and the ancestors (4/15)
  • Witchcraft (4/22)
  • Protestant Christianity (4/29)

Professor Herbert Moyo is associate professor of theology and religion at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa. His research focuses on the philosophical analysis of religio-cultural practices among the Nguni in Southern Africa, including African religio-cultural practices, African Christianities, Indigenous African ritual practices, and the marriage between African indigenous religio-cultural practices and Christianities.

Each seminar will be held from 12–1 p.m. in Medbury Honors Lounge.

For more information, please contact Professor Herbert Moyo (moyoh@ukzn.ac.za) or Tim Knepper (tim.knepper@drake.edu).

— Annique Kiel, Global Engagment