Around this time every year, HR provides campus with a reminder of Drake’s policy prohibiting discrimination and discriminatory harassment. While it’s helpful to be regularly reminded that the policy exists, it is also worthwhile to periodically reflect on why the conduct prohibited in the policy is particularly incompatible with Drake’s Mission and Core Values.

Some framing may be helpful: one can think of work-culture as fitting on both sides of a coin. One side of the coin represents organizations telling you what not to do. Employers often bluntly and unartfully say: don’t do bad stuff (such as don’t discriminate), or you’ll get in trouble.

On the other side of the work-culture coin, organizations often emphasize the importance of cultivating a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and welcoming work environment. One can think of this side of the coin as encouraging you to do good stuff. This side is often more eloquent, but it doesn’t always give you great insight into how you are supposed to go about building or contributing to a positive culture.

At Drake, we have amazing Core Values that create a natural roadmap for building a better working—and learning—environment. If we can each commit to living these values to the best of our abilities, we’ll see the bad stuff squeezed out (okay, not all of it, but a lot of it) and we’ll see more and more space for the good stuff to grow.

Through Joyful Accountability we strive to be our best each day, share our successes, and take ownership when we fall short—we’re all human, it happens. Through our Generosity of Spirit, we cultivate and exude trust and respect—we embrace notions of equity and inclusion and celebrate what makes each of us unique. As we reflect on what it means to be All In This Together, we recognize the contributions of every member of the team and find value in collaborating. By sharing a Commitment to Mission, we are bound by our mutual purpose and a shared vision for the better future. Put them all together and you can see a culture recognizing that, by working together, our mutual efforts can represent something so much greater than the sum of our individual contributions.

One can hope that the more we resolve to both embrace and live these values, the less space we’ll see for discrimination and bias to subsist. We also know that any healthy culture still needs to actively root out, deter, and react to the bad stuff—including discriminatory conduct in all its forms. As an institution, we must be vocal and unequivocal in not tolerating this kind of conduct. Having a strong and visible policy is a basic building block for that. It will always be important for every member of the Drake community to know what to do if they have a question, concern, or complaint about suspected discrimination. You can learn more by reading the policy—which, by the way, is currently under review—and you can always reach out to these people who are ready and willing to help you:

• For student-related matters, contact the Dean of Students at (515) 271-3246 or hannah.clayborne@drake.edu
• For employee-related concerns, contact the Executive Director of Human Resources at (515) 271-3133 or maureen.dearmond@drake.edu
• Conduct prohibited by Drake’s non-discrimination policy can also be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at (515) 271-4956 or titleix@drake.edu
• Anonymous reports can also be made through Drake’s EthicsPoint.

FACULTY WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITY:  In 2021-2022, the Office for Equity and Inclusion will offer a series of capacity-building workshops for members of the Drake campus community with Jennifer Harvey, Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion, and Jazlin Coley, Director of Equity and Inclusion. Attend the three-part faculty series on September 10, 17, and 24, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. All faculty are welcome. Learn more and register here.

STAFF SAVE THE DATE: Interested in taking part in training offering individual and collective tools, language, and habits to actively grow a more inclusive, equitable, and just racial environment in which we all can thrive? BUILD is offering a 2-part workshop titled: “S.T.A.R.T. – Standing Against Racism Together.” Dr. Jennifer Harvey, Associate Provost, Campus Equity and Inclusion, will facilitate those sessions on Jan. 20 and Jan. 27 from 1-3 p.m. In the meantime, keep an eye on additional learning opportunities offered by Dr. Harvey and related BUILD courses—we have more learning opportunities in the works.

Do you have specific ideas or suggestions on how HR can help foster a more positive and harmonious working environment? Please share, we’re always eager to listen (drakehr@drake.edu).

— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources