All posts by James McNab

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Panopto retention policy

Starting this month, ITS will perform monthly audits to archive and remove unused content from the University’s Panopto service. Videos with zero views within a 13-month period will be archived and no longer immediately accessible. Videos can be restored through a self-service process, and instructions for restoring archived these videos are available in the ITS Knowledge Base.

Archived videos will remain on the Panopto service for an additional 13-month period, or 26 months from the last view. After that time, if there are no requests to restore the video, it will be permanently removed. Drake University will not archive, backup, or otherwise save any Panopto videos in any alternate manner.

This change is due to a new Panopto license model which bills the University for both hours created and shared as well as stored on the system. If you have any questions, contact the ITS Support Center.

— James McNab, ITS

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Drake Social Oct. 24, submit a colleague’s name for recognition

Mark your calendar for the Provost’s October Drake Social Monday, Oct. 24, at 4 p.m., at Shivers Hospitality Suite.

During the social, faculty and staff who demonstrate the Drake core value Joyful Accountability will be recognized as part of a PowerPoint scroll. From all those recognized, names will be drawn at random for prizes. Honorees must be present to win. 

You can recognize a colleague who demonstrates Joyful Accountability by completing this Qualtrics form by Wednesday, Oct 19. In your recognition, please share how your colleague demonstrates Joyful Accountability: 

  • I am curious and creative, brave and bold. 
  • I strive each day to be my best. 

— Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

For Faculty Archive

Bright College seeks associate deans

The John Dee Bright College at Drake University seeks two current Drake faculty members to serve as joint associate deans during the 2022–2023 academic year (renewable pending budgetary approval).

Working closely with the dean and faculty of Bright College, the associate deans will provide leadership support, including…

  • Coordinating ongoing faculty governance and college policy development efforts.
  • Leading the development of internal and external bachelor’s-degree completion pathways for Bright College graduates.
  • Collaborating with the College’s Student Professional and Academic Support specialist to forge partnerships with area businesses, enterprises, and non-profit organizations in support of student professionalization experiences such as internships and immersive professional learning.
  • Supporting student recruitment efforts and internal and external faculty recruitment efforts.
  • Occasionally serving in the dean’s absence, including representing Bright College at events and meetings.

Responsibilities will be shared and/or divided between the associate deans according to the strengths and primary interests of each.

Prior affiliation with Bright College is not required.

Qualifications:

  • Tenure or otherwise permanent (non-probationary, non-visiting) faculty appointment at Drake University. Tenure-track faculty who have completed their probationary period as of September 1, 2022, are also eligible.
  • Genuine enthusiasm for supporting colleagues and the ability to create and sustain collegial, collaborative campus and external partnerships.
  • Commitment to innovative, interdisciplinary curricula and best practices in teaching and learning.
  • Familiarity with Drake’s learning management systems and IT environment.
  • Ability to work productively across disciplinary and institutional boundaries.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
  • Demonstrated commitment to working effectively and supportively with people from diverse backgrounds.
  • High-level ability to act decisively in response to changing situations.

Compensation:

  • $5,000 annually for each associate dean.
  • Average weekly hourly responsibilities: 4 hours, including a weekly JDBC staff meeting.
  • Weekly range of hours will vary from 2-8, depending on the areas of responsibility each individual covers.
  • Additional summer responsibilities (with additional compensation) are possible.

Timeline

  • September 24: Review of materials begins.
  • Target start date: 7 October 2022

To Apply

Please attach a cover letter, CV, and the names and email contacts of two colleagues who will serve as references—all as a single document—to Sofia Turnbull (bright.college@drake.edu), Administrative Support Specialist to Bright College, with the words “Associate Dean” in the subject line.

Joint applications are welcome: Two colleagues may submit a joint application by attaching all materials to a single email and, in the email, explaining the reasons for a joint submittal. Joint applicants should indicate whether they would be willing to be considered individually for the positions, as well, or if they would consider appointment only as a team. Applicants considering a joint application are strongly encouraged to partner with a colleague from another division, college or school.

About Bright College

Bright College offers affordable access to high-quality higher education to students who seek an alternative to traditional post-secondary schooling. Through high-impact, inquiry- and problem-based learning in interdisciplinary seminars, our learners develop higher-order, transferrable habits of mind as they earn an associate’s degree in Business, Organization, and Professional Studies or in the Interdisciplinary Arts, Sciences, and Humanities. Students will be prepared to enter the professional workforce in business, enterprise, non-profit, arts, and civic organizations or complete a bachelor’s degree at Drake or elsewhere—or both.

Students progress through the year-round sequence of coursework as members of a cohort—a team of students who take seminars and short courses together, form lasting relationships, and practice collaborative learning and problem-solving together.

Questions?

Please contact Craig Owens, dean of Bright College, at craig.owens@drake.edu.

— Craig Owens, Bright College

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Black faculty and staff invited to meetings with Provost Mattison

Black-identifying faculty and staff are invited to monthly conversations with Provost Sue Mattison. These will generally be at 11 a.m., the third Thursday of each month, with two exceptions: September and March will be the fourth Thursday. See the list of dates and locations on the Campus Calendar.

Last spring there were a number of administration listening sessions with faculty, staff, and students following a racist incident on campus. One request from Black faculty and staff was for regular and ongoing communication with campus leadership, not just emails or meetings in response to a crisis situation. The Office of the Provost has worked with the Black Affinity group on campus, organized by Brandi Miller, to schedule these monthly meetings.

— Drinda Williams, Provost’s Office

Campus Announcements Archive

Drake Legal Clinic celebrates 50th anniversary

The Drake Legal Clinic celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, marking a half-century of service to the community and the education of law students. To commemorate this milestone, Drake Law School will hold a celebratory banquet on Saturday, Oct. 29, at Drake University Olmsted Center, Parents Hall. The evening will begin with a reception at 6 p.m.; dinner and a program will follow at 7 p.m.

The 50th Anniversary banquet will celebrate the evolution of Drake’s Clinic from humble beginnings to its current stature: six subject-matter clinics housed in the state-of-the-art Neal and Bea Smith Law Center representing hundreds of clients each year. The celebration will recognize the faculty, staff, donors, alumni, and community partners who have played a part in that success. In addition, the Clinic will look toward the future, as it continues to adapt to changes in pedagogy and practice.

The Law School will also recognize recent foundational donors who have supported the Clinic’s operations in the past and put the program on a firm foundation for the future. Among those recognized will be J. Locke, LW’48, and Harriet Macomber, whose estate gift of $3.25 million will support Drake’s Entrepreneurial and Transactional Clinic. Additionally, Karen Shaff, LW’79, and Steven Jayne, LW’78, pledged $1 million to endow the Law School’s Refugee Clinic. Rose Vasquez, LW’85, recently provided key sponsorship of the Civil Practice Clinic. Gifts such as these, along with many others, have allowed the Drake Legal Clinic to provide free legal help to low-income citizens for the last 50 years.

The Drake Legal Clinic is often described as a “win-win” because it provides a high-quality educational experiences for students while performing critical legal services for the community. Professor Suzan Pritchett, Director of Clinical and Experiential Programs, agreed with this sentiment, stating, “Our students get the opportunity to practice before they become licensed attorneys. The community gets the resource of quality legal representation for free. We have many clients who get exceptional legal representation that they otherwise wouldn’t have if it weren’t for the Clinic and its students.”

Pritchett attributes the preparedness of Drake Law graduates to the work that is done in the Clinic. “At the Drake Legal Clinic, students get to experience the law in action. Unlike in the classroom, they get to witness where the law intersects with real people and real cases, work directly with clients, go to court. They get to really live it,” Pritchett said. “While having the guidance of supervising attorneys – our clinical faculty- and the support of their fellow students, they get to have the experience of practicing law before graduation while still being a law student. There is no better way to learn the skills you need to succeed as a lawyer.”

The banquet will feature keynote speaker Jane Aiken, University Distinguished Professor at Wake Forest Law. Professor Aiken previously served as Dean of Wake Forest Law, after serving as Associate Dean for Experiential Education and Public Service at Georgetown. A leading scholar in the field of clinical legal education, Professor Aiken will provide a national perspective on this work. The celebration banquet will take place as Drake plays host to the Midwest Clinical Legal Education Conference, which will see legal educators from numerous schools come together to discuss current issues in experiential education.

Sponsorship opportunities for the 50th Anniversary celebration are available. Contact Theresa Howard theresa.howard@drake.edu for more information.

Tickets for the banquet are $35 each and are available at eventbrite.com/e/drake-legal-clinic-50th-anniversary-celebration-banquet-registration-400305433327.

About Drake Legal Clinic

For 50 years, the Drake Legal Clinic has provided real-life experience opportunities for second- and third-year law students. The Clinic provides numerous clinical programs such as the Children’s Rights Clinic, Criminal Defense Clinic, Civil Clinic, Entrepreneurial and Transactional Clinic, Refugee Clinic, and a Wrongful Convictions Clinic. The Clinic takes clients from the surrounding community and offers high-quality legal representation for those who may not otherwise have access to legal assistance. Learn more about the Drake Legal Clinic.

— Taylor Johnson, Law School

Campus Announcements Archive

General Counsel of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to speak at Drake

Drake University Law School is pleased to announce that they will be hosting alumnus David Berdan, LW’95, General Counsel at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Berdan will present “Key Initiatives and What Else is New in Patents and Trademarks at USPTO” on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 5 p.m. at Drake University Law School. A reception will follow at 6 p.m. This event is open and free to the public.

David Berdan was appointed General Counsel for the USPTO in 2020. The USPTO is the federal agency responsible for granting patents and registering trademarks.  In addition, the agency advises the President and other agencies on policy related to intellectual property protection and promotion domestically and internationally.  As General Counsel, Berdan serves as the principal legal advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. Berdan also supervises the Office of General Counsel and its three component offices: the Office of the Solicitor, the Office of General Law, and the Office of Enrollment and Discipline.

Berdan graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He is a combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm and is the recipient of numerous military awards, including a Bronze Star. He worked for two years as an engineer and then chose to attend law school at Drake University. Since then, he has held a variety of notable legal positions, including Patent Counsel at Corning, Inc., Vice President and Intellectual Property Counsel at The Coleman Company, Chief Counsel Intellectual Property at INVISTA, Vice President Legal and Deputy General Counsel at International Game Technology, and, most recently, as General Counsel and Compliance Officer of Gaming Arts. He also worked in private law practice for seven years.

While at Drake Law, Berdan was an exceptional student with a passion for Intellectual Property Law. He was a founding member and president of the Drake Intellectual Property Law Society.  Professor Edmund J. Sease, LA’64, LW’67, an intellectual property law expert and one of Berdan’s former law professors, said, “Berdan was a driven and disciplined student in my classes during his time at Drake Law School. These traits followed him in his successes as a remarkable professional in Intellectual Property Law. I am proud to count him among our distinguished graduates.”

To learn more about Intellectual Property Law and Berdan’s impressive professional experience, register for free here. CLE credit for this event has been applied for and is pending approval.

About Drake IP Certificate Program

Drake University Law School offers a certificate in Intellectual Property and has the advantage of many prominent adjunct professors to help enrich the curriculum. Drake Law School recently announced a new distinguished professor position in Intellectual Property Law called the Edmund J. Sease Faculty Research Scholar. This position honors Sease’s service as an adjunct professor at Drake Law School for the past 44 years. This distinguished faculty position contributes to the recruitment of new faculty and helping to hire some of the best candidates to teach students. Learn more about the Intellectual Property Law Certificate at Drake Law School.

— Taylor Johnson, Law School

Campus Announcements Archive

Governor Robert D. Ray Day: Ice cream, tour, premiere

Governor Robert D. Ray, the 11th President of Drake University and 38th Governor of Iowa, left a legacy that positively impacts people around the world. Best known for his humanitarian efforts and transformation of state government, Governor Ray’s commitment to character development, civility, and ethical leadership lives on through the work of The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University.

Monday, Sept. 26, is Governor Robert D. Ray Day in Iowa. Here are a few ways you can celebrate Governor Ray Day on Sept. 26:

  • Stop by the Ray Promenade (east of Collier-Scripps Hall) between 2:30–4 p.m. to pick up some ice cream.
  • Join the 20-minute storytelling tour on the commissioned art and historical political comics displayed at The Ray Center. The tour will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the lower level of Collier-Scripps Hall.
  • Attend the Iowa PBS premiere of Governors of Iowa: Robert D. Ray at 7 p.m. at Sheslow Auditorium. RSVP.

Learn more about Governor Robert D. Ray’s life and legacy.

— Megan Wesselink, Robert D. & Billie Ray Center

Campus Announcements Archive

Today is National Voter Registration Day

Tuesday, Sept. 20, is National Voter Registration Day. Stop by the Olmsted Breezeway or Helmick Commons between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to fill out a registration form and get all your voter registration questions answered. All passersby will receive a sweet treat to celebrate civic engagement.

According to U.S. Census data from 2020, as many as one in four eligible Americans are not registered to vote. Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. National Voter Registration Day wants to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote.

Can’t make it? Contact Stephanie Kiel at stephanie.kiel@drake.edu with any voter registration questions. For more election information and resources, click here.

— Stephanie Kiel, AS’23

Campus Announcements Archive

Suicide awareness month

September is Suicide Awareness Month. The Counseling Center has been tabling the past few weeks and is excited to share events taking place throughout the rest of the month.

Make and Take Shirts
Wednesday, Sept. 21, Biig Pluto will be in Olmsted from 10–2 p.m. sharing their mental health designs for you to Make and Take a Shirt. Bring your own or get one at the event.

Suicide Awareness Walk and Resource Fair
Friday, Sept. 23, meet outside Olmsted at 2 p.m. for the Suicide Awareness Walk. Together we will walk the Bulldog Mile. Local mental health resources will be tabling in Helmick Commons at this time as well.

Speaker
Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. Josh Rivedal will share his experience with loss due to suicide and how to be mentally healthy. Josh will share hope and resources throughout the conversation.

QPR Training
Friday, Sept. 31, at 11 a.m. in Olin Hall, Room 206, will be a campus wide QPR training. Learn what questions to ask, how to persuade and where to refer someone you might feel is thinking about suicide. Register at drake.edu/counselingcenter.

Thank you to the individuals, student groups, and departments involved in planning and implementing a series of impactful campus events.

— Lynne Cornelius, Violence Prevention & Programming

HR Information Archive

OSHA offers suicide prevention awareness resources

When most people think about the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), they think about workplace safety—having the right equipment to safely do the job (ear plugs, knee pads, safety goggles), putting signs up when the floor is wet, and the like. However, OSHA also works to improve mental health of employees in the workplace.

Through a two-year agreement, OSHA is partnering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), to promoting workplace mental health and suicide prevention awareness. September is also National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and you are encouraged to  take some time to review the OSHA/AFSP resources.

Suicide Prevention: 5 Things You Should Know Poster

One of the AFSP resources linked here shared information about  Risk Factors and Warning Signs.

Warning signs

Something to look out for when concerned that a person may be suicidal is a change in behavior or the presence of entirely new behaviors. This is of sharpest concern if the new or changed behavior is related to a painful event, loss, or change. Most people who take their lives exhibit one or more warning signs, either through what they say or what they do.

Talk: If a person talks about:

  • Killing themselves
  • Feeling hopeless
  • Having no reason to live
  • Being a burden to others
  • Feeling trapped
  • Unbearable pain

Behavior: Behaviors that may signal risk, especially if related to a painful event, loss or change:

  • Increased use of alcohol or drugs
  • Looking for a way to end their lives, such as searching online for methods
  • Withdrawing from activities
  • Isolating from family and friends
  • Sleeping too much or too little
  • Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
  • Giving away prized possessions
  • Aggression
  • Fatigue

 Mood: People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Loss of interest
  • Irritability
  • Humiliation/Shame
  • Agitation/Anger
  • Relief/Sudden Improvement

We encourage everyone to take a few minutes to watch a video, review a poster, or read an article shared on this site. As with planning for any kind of crisis (tornados, fires, etc.), we hope we never need to deploy the resources, but it is always helpful to know where to go to learn more when you really need the help.

Reminder: New 3 Digit Number Available to Get help now.

— Maureen De Armond, HR; Chris Nickell, Environmental Health & Safety