All posts by Jill Gremmels

Campus Announcements Archive

Who’s in Cowles Library? Several services have relocated to Cowles

Several services and departments have relocated to Cowles Library:

Global Engagement is near the south (University Avenue) entrance. Use your Drake ID to enter the building, then go past the row of flags and turn right.

Community Engaged Learning is in the southeast corner of the lower level. Enter through the north (campus side) doors, go down the half-flight of stairs, turn left, then right.

Transfer and Veteran Student Services are in the northwest corner of the lower level. Enter through the north doors, go down the half-flight of stairs, turn right, go past the tutoring area, and turn right again.

Tutoring (including Writing Workshop and Speaking Center) will resume in the lower level, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 7.

Staff from these areas and Cowles Library will be on hand to welcome visitors on Tuesday, Aug.t 31, from 3–5 p.m. While the “All In the Library” open house is directed primarily at students, faculty and staff are encouraged to stop by. The first 80 students to visit all the open house stops will receive a free Starbucks beverage.

—Jill Gremmels, dean, Cowles Library

For Faculty Archive

Sign up for the Faculty Writers’ Workshop

Drake faculty members are invited to participate in a Faculty Writers’ Workshop (FWW) focused on working effectively on our writing and scholarship. We will meet virtually from 10 a.m.–11 a.m. on Fridays (Sept. 10, Sept. 24, Oct. 15, Nov. 19, and Dec. 10) to discuss issues with getting writing done and workshop work-in-progress, with optional additional meetings for writing quietly together. The FWW will be co-facilitated by Nate Holdren (LPS) and En Li (history). Our goal will be to help set ourselves up to make progress on our scholarship over the semester. To the degree faculty are interested, we will read and discuss Joli Jensen’s book Write No Matter What. The session will also include discussion/workshop of the faculty members’ own scholarship and on-site writing time.

This writers’ workshop is generously supported by the Provost’s Office, the Humanities Center, and the Dean of the College of the Arts and Sciences. There are spots for ten faculty participants. Should more than ten individuals express interest, priority shall be given to 1) Those who actively participated in the previous Faculty Writers’ Groups, 2) Tenure-track faculty who are not yet tenured, 3) Faculty who are members of groups under-represented.

Participants who attend all five sessions will receive a stipend of $150 (approximately$109+38% benefits).

If you are interested in participating, please complete the interest form by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8. 

If you have questions, please contact the co-facilitators of the FWW, Nate Holdren (nate.holdren@drake.edu) and En Li (en.li@drake.edu).
— En Li, Assistant Professor of History
Campus Announcements Archive

Drake greenhouse plant sale

Drake University’s Greenhouse team is having a plant sale from Aug. 30 through Sept. 3 in Helmick Commons from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. A variety of plants will be sold while supplies last to support improvements to the greenhouse. These plants are perfect to freshen up a dorm room or office space and bring the serenity of nature inside. For questions, contact Ashly Frazier at ashly.frazier@drake.edu.

— Ashly Frazier’22

For Faculty Archive

‘Books for Breakfast’ with Deputy Provost Cramer

Faculty are invited to join Deputy Provost Renée Cramer for “Books for Breakfast.” Each month, we’ll engage a different reading related to work-life integration, thriving in the profession, the development of the neoliberal university, and the role of creativity and scholarship in our professional lives. Pick which readings and months work for you, and join us for lively conversation. Pre-registration for each book and set of sessions is required, so we can purchase books, and either order food (for in-person gatherings) or send a Zoom link.

The book for September is Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle; we will meet via Zoom on Sept. 20 and Sept. 27 from 8:30–9:30 a.m. Please pre-register by Sept. 10 (enrollment is capped at 12).

The book for October is The Slow Professor: Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy; we will meet via Zoom on Oct. 20 and Oct. 27 from 8:30–9:30 a.m. Please pre-register by Oct. 1.

If these days/times don’t work for you, but you’re interested, don’t despair—we’ll be repeating both books on different days in November and December.

— Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

Campus Announcements Archive

Rename the Bookstore

The University Bookstore has undergone renovations to expand its apparel and gift areas, and new lighting was added to brighten the entire store.

Now is the time for a new change—a name change—and we need your help. We are currently named the University Bookstore, but we are more than a bookstore. We are a clothing outfitter, gift shop, graduation provider, and more, and we want your input on how to brand this store with Bulldog pride!

Over the next few weeks as you visit our newly renovated store, please give us suggestions on a new store name that is symbolic to Drake University. We will narrow the suggestions to a select few, and then the community will vote on a new name.

Each person to give us a suggestion will be entered to win a $100 Bookstore gift card.

— Kyle McVay, University Bookstore

For Students Archive

University Bookstore pickup/checkout process

We want to let you know of some protocols in place this fall as we are still navigating through COVID-19 restrictions and a new renovation changing our layout. Please see below for textbook best practices.

Online order pickup: To limit congestion, pickups will be done on the north end of Pomerantz stage in the Olmsted Center.

Buying books: To avoid a longer line or out-of-stock’s, order online at www.universitybook.com or through your class schedule in myDUSIS. We partner with 1,200 colleges and universities across the country to assist with order fulfillment.

If you want to buy your books in-store, there will be a link to enter your student ID to pull your syllabus in order by author. That will streamline how we find your books. This will also be done at the Pomerantz stage.

— Kyle McVay, University Bookstore

Campus Announcements Archive

Need help with Blackboard Learn Ultra?

Contextual Help
In the bottom right corner of any page in Blackboard Learn Ultra, look for the purple question mark and click on Blackboard Help to be directed to resources to help you learn more about the feature you are using. 

ITS Service Portal  

New Features and Noteworthy Changes
A well-organized summary of the new features and noteworthy changes found in Blackboard Learn Ultra is available at drake.edu/its/learnultra. 

 — Karly Good, ITS

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Best practices: Course-related communication between instructors and students

Did a student miss an assignment? Was there an absence that requires follow-up? You have a few communication options, depending on what you’re comfortable with: 

Messages via Blackboard Learn Ultra 

Pros: Maintains a centralized location for all class-based communications. In case of emergency, another faculty member could start where you leave off.  

Cons: You must communicate that faculty and students should use messages rather than email for communications. One vehicle for this would be a statement in the syllabus about expected usage for a class. 

Drake email  

Pros: It’s been used for years and is easy.  

Cons: No one else can access your academic communications with students. If another faculty member needed to pick up where you left off, students email communications would be inaccessible.  

Starfish Student Success

Starfish Student Success is the tool to use when working with students about conversations on academic well-being.

A link to the Starfish Student Success tool can be added from your Blackboard Learn Ultra course. Use the (+) menu in the content, choose Content Market, and then click the (+) on the Starfish Student Success tool.

Pros: Using Starfish to raise concerns about issues such as poor attendance or a pattern of missing/late assignments helps contribute to a complete picture of a student’s academic portfolio across multiple courses.   

Cons: If you do not communicate where the portfolio is gathered (e.g. choosing to email even though the issues continue or escalate), it is much more difficult to plan any needed intervention processes.  

What other communication tools are available? 

  • Announcements via Blackboard allow you to post time sensitive information as a pop-up inside the course. Upon entering a course, announcements will pop up in a window that prevents students from being able to access course materials without first dismissing the window. Announcements can also be set to send immediately via email. If students have the Blackboard App, announcements will also send a push notification (dependent upon the student’s personal notification settings). 
  • Messages via Blackboard are an alternative to email, and help keep communications centralized within a given course: 
  • Course Messages provide multiple notifications to students based on individual preferences. 
  • Notifications can be received by email or push notifications in the Blackboard Mobile App. 
  • New Messages are identified with a count badge on the Blackboard homepage. 
  • Messages can be sent on an individual basis or to some or all class participants.  
  • Enable Class Conversations to allow students to discuss course materials and/or assignments directly in context. This promotes a community of support and helps identify student understanding. Though this tool is available system-wide, it is up to instructors  to apply the Conversations feature to each gradable item throughout the course. 

— Melissa Sturm-Smith, Academic Excellence and Student Success, and Karly Good, ITS

HR Information Archive

HR personnel changes

Drake Human Resources is thrilled to share that Teresa Downs made the move to HR on Aug. 23. Many of you are already familiar with Teresa as she has worked in the Admissions Department for more than five years, where she will surely be missed.

In her new role with HR, Teresa will serve as a data entry and process specialist. HR is pleased not only to welcome such a talented individual to the team but also to provide an existing Drake employee with the opportunity to try something different and learn new skills. Teresa will be a wonderful addition to HR.

We are equally pleased to share that Anthony Leto is taking on new responsibilities within HR. Effective Aug. 1, Anthony shifted into the role of talent acquisition specialist after having served as an HR systems and recruitment coordinator. Anthony has also explored varying opportunities at Drake—having worked in Student Accounts for several years prior to joining the HR team in 2019.

A hot topic in HR is examining and modernizing talent acquisition strategies. HR wants to be a better and more strategic partner in recruiting (and also retaining) talented faculty and staff. Anthony is very excited to take a larger role in those efforts—including targeted strategies designed to increase the size and diversity of the candidate pools, providing more structured guidance for onboarding new employees, and defining ways to support existing employees advance their careers within the institution. These initiatives will take time (and we’ll need help from campus for ideas and suggestions), but we are excited to start focusing on efforts such as these.

Additional announcements about personnel changes in HR and how we plan to support employees moving forward will be shared in the coming weeks. Thank you for your encouragement, feedback, and patience as we fill vacancies and realign our priorities to better serve you.

— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Fall 2021: COVID-19 supplemental leave

As we head into the 2021–2022 academic year, Drake University remains committed to the health and well-being of our faculty, staff, students, as well as the larger community. We understand that additional disruptions due to COVID could impact our employees and their families. Consequently, Drake University will be offering supplemental paid leave (“COVID Supplemental Leave”) through December 31, 2021, as detailed below.

Eligibility: To qualify for the COVID-19 Supplemental Leave program, you must be a benefits-eligible employee, which means a minimum of 32 hours a week and a 9-month appointment.

Exhaustion of Accrued Leave: All available sick leave and personal time must be exhausted prior to accessing COVID Supplemental Leave. Consistent with Drake’s FMLA practices, an employee may hold back 40 hours of vacation time. However, employees must exhaust all vacation time in excess of 40 hours.

Bank of Leave: Full-time employees will be eligible for up to 80 hours from Aug. 30 through Dec. 31, or a later date as established by the University. The amount of leave will be pro-rated for those on less than 100% appointments (e.g., an 80% employee would be eligible for 64 hours of COVID Supplemental Leave).

Qualifying Events: For eligible employees meeting the circumstances described above, COVID Supplemental Leave may be requested under these situations:

  • Personal or Family COVID-19 Illness: An employee becomes ill with COVID-19 or they are providing care for an immediate family member who is ill with COVID-19. Immediate family includes: the employee’s spouse/partner, child, mother, father, brother, or sister (or the same relatives of your spouse/partner).
  • COVID-Related Self-Isolation Directive: The employee, or their minor child, has been advised to self-isolate by Drake or a health care professional and the employee is unable to work remotely.
  • COVID-Related Childcare or Eldercare Obligations: The employee’s child’s school or daycare or an immediate family member’s eldercare facility has closed due to a COVID-19 outbreak, and the employee is unable to work remotely.

Mitigating Steps: Employees who have the type of job duties where remote work or a flexible schedule would allow the employee to work part of the time, despite experiencing a qualifying event, should discuss options with their managers.  In some situations, a temporary remote work and/or a temporary adjusted schedule will help mitigate the need to use COVID Supplemental Leave on a full-time basis. For example, for eligible employees who have exhausted leave, as described above:

  • If an employee is caring for a sick family member but the care does not require full-time attention, such employees should explore options for working part-time. COVID Supplemental Leave should only be requested for the time they are unable to work.
  • If an employee is healthy but has been directed to self-isolate and can perform their work remotely, they should work remotely. Under such circumstances, they should not request COVID Supplemental Leave.
  • If an employee has a child whose daycare is temporarily closed but the employee can flex their schedule to continue working, while using COVID Supplemental Leave when caring for their child part-time, that possibility should be explored.

Exploring mitigating steps benefit the employee. If such options are feasible, this will help the employee stretch out the available bank of COVID Supplemental Leave, while also supporting their colleagues and departments. We understand that mitigating steps will not always be possible, but Managers should include them as part of the conversation when such situations arise. Managers are encouraged to work with their employees to mitigate absences and effectively manage workload distribution.

Application Process: An employee can apply for COVID supplemental leave by completing this form. The employee and their manager will receive an email response following submission of the request to use the leave. Upon approval non-exempt employees will record the time off in the Supplemental Leave area of the timesheet, and exempt employees will submit the Supplemental Leave on the monthly leave report.

Leave under the FMLA/ADA: If an employee believes that their leave may be covered by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), including COVID resulting in them having a serious health condition or an immediate family member suffering a serious health condition, Drake Human Resources can assist with the FMLA process. Note that FMLA is protected leave, not paid leave. FMLA may run concurrently with COVID supplemental leave.

Alternatively, if a temporary disability caused by COVID-19 may lead to the need to consider a workplace accommodation, HR can also facilitate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) interactive process. If you think either the FMLA or ADA process may apply to your situation, please contact drakehr@drake.edu.

This COVID supplemental leave program remains a temporary measure. However, as the pandemic continues to evolve, we will assess whether additional changes or expansions to this policy may be needed after Dec. 31.

— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources