Protex Central, an expert in fire protection systems, will on be campus March 18 and 19 to inspect fire panels. They will begin inspection work at approximately 7:30 a.m. and work until approximately 4 p.m. on both days.
Jolene Schmidt, Facilities Planning and Management
The work order system aims to support the Facilities Planning and Management commitments below, which were issued last October in response to the Administrative Service Survey.
These commitments assure that the department achieves its Continuous Improvement Plan objectives.
Another measure that FPM plans to provide annually are its Satisfaction and Performance Survey Results provided through TeamDyanmix. View FPM’s 2018 results.
Manny Toribio, Facilities Planning and Management
Facilities Planning and Management along with President Martin and Provost Mattison have been receiving several emails and calls in regards to safety concerns and the well-being of faculty, staff, students, and visitors with the snow and ice on pavement around the campus. FPM has the same concerns and is committed to ensuring that snow and ice are cleared to the best of our abilities with a staff of 10 dedicated employees responsible with clearing over 11 acres of parking lots and 13 miles of sidewalks.
This winter in central Iowa has been a record breaking one for snow fall and cold temperatures. Often the staff are starting early in the morning between 3–4 a.m. and working a 12–18 hour shift. Most of the snow storms this winter have not completely stopped by the time the majority of people arrive on campus, which affects the parking lots once cars start to compact the freshly fallen snow. The temperatures have also been too low for salt to be effective and sand is being used for traction. Our crews continue to clear drifts from walks and parking lots, and as it has been typical this winter, getting ready for the next storm to make its way to central Iowa.
FPM would like everyone to be aware of the conditions around them as they travel across the campus and remember these 10 tips to avoid winter injuries. Hopefully there is some warmer temperatures ahead as spring nears. Our staff would be the first to agree that this has been a long, cold February. We are looking forward to getting the campus lawn green and flowers growing for the track events ahead.
Kevin Moran, Executive Director, Facilities Planning and Management
Please remember that Short’s Travel is Drake’s exclusive vendor for air travel. Below are a few tips to make your travel transactions go smoothly:
— Log in to the appropriate portal where you first made your profile. Visit the Academics or Athletics portal.
— Update your profile with the Frequent Flyer Miles program numbers for each airline or hotel chain you may use regularly to ensure you receive your personal points and benefits.
— If you find fares outside of Short’s that are “Web only”, as they are not available on the Short’s booking tool, you will need to contact a Short’s agent for assistance. This is a limitation from the Airlines themselves, not from Short’s.
— For after hours needs, please contact the phone numbers located on the portal. There are different numbers for Athletics and Academics.
Please contact Jenn Putz at jputz@shortstravel.com, Short’s representative, for any specific questions you may have.
Caron Findlay, Director of Purchasing and Business Services
Want to know what major projects ITS is working on? There are a few ways to find out.
We post an updated project report on our website every other week.
Campus is also invited to join ITS for a 15-minute call scheduled for every other Thursday at 10 a.m. For specific dates, visit the University Calendar and look for the next ITS Project Status Update Meeting.
Contact Kris Brewster, Keren Fiorenza, or Jeff Regan with any questions.
Kris Brewster, ITS
Attend a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Forum on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 4 p.m. in Sussman Theater. This will be an opportunity to learn about diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives going on around campus, explore some of the challenges and successes Drake has had in this area, and get your questions answered. We will also be unveiling parts of our new diversity, equity, and inclusion website during the forum. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend.
Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost
The Drake University Social Media Directory displays the URLs for every Drake University affiliated social media page. Take a look around to see what departments have pages, follow them, and invite your friends to follow along. While you’re looking around, let us know if your department page has changed. Maybe you have a department name change, you want a new cover photo, or you don’t see your URL on the directory at all. Either way, let us know how we can help by emailing Niki Smith at niki.smith@drake.edu.
Also, there is a student social media directory for all student organizations. Niki Smith is also the contact for that directory if you see anything to add or update within the URLs linked.
Niki Smith, University Communications & Marketing
The Nelson Construction & Development project across from Old Main, which will include a new hotel, retail space, and restaurant is set to break ground in March.
Effective March 11, the parking lots south of University across from Old Main and Cole Hall between 26th and 27th Street (Lots 5 and 8) will not be available to Drake commuters. Commuters can refer to the Drake University Map for alternative parking options.
Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer
Mary Alice Hill will lead the Human Resources function as the director of Human Resources effective March 1, 2019. Mary Alice came to Drake in 2017 as the director of HR Partner Services and co-led the department with Gary Johnson who retired in December. Mary Alice will continue to be responsible for leading the HR Partner Services function, but will expand her areas of responsibility to include compensation, benefits, and HR systems. More information about the HR team and the services they provide can be found on MyDrake under Human Resources.
Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer
The following message was sent to campus from President Martin on Monday, Feb. 11.
Good afternoon,
In November, we launched the Big Ideas initiative to collect multidisciplinary, bold, ambitious, ideas from faculty, staff, and students that, if given the necessary resources, have the potential to dramatically transform Drake and positively impact the world. The deadline for submitting a Big Idea is this Friday, Feb. 15. So far, we have received fourteen proposals that span several disciplines and address issues facing the University, our Greater Des Moines community, and the world. In addition, I have heard from several individuals who are in the final stages of developing and defining their submission. It is important to remember that it is okay for ideas to be conceptual in nature at this stage. Ideas chosen to move forward will be expanded, investigated, and developed into white papers later in the process.
To everyone who has taken the initiative to participate in this process and shown great enthusiasm in advancing Drake’s future, thank you. The Big Ideas initiative is a reflection of our Core Values and collaborative culture: going all in on ideas that can truly further Drake and the greater good.
Following Friday’s submission deadline, the Big Ideas Steering Committee – comprised of faculty, staff, administrators, students, and Board representatives – will diligently review and discuss all ideas based on the scoring criteria: transformative impact, increases institutional recognition, fosters campus collaboration, builds off current strengths and potential, and aligns with the Continuous Improvement Plan. As part of the review, the Steering Committee may make recommendations to combine or re-envision proposals to increase their feasibility and impact. The Board of Trustees will evaluate the scored and recommended ideas during their April meeting. The Steering Committee will then notify and provide comprehensive and personal feedback to submitters on whether their idea was chosen to advance to the next stage in the process.
Ideas moving forward in the process will be announced to campus in May and then further developed into white papers. Once refined, the ideas will undergo feasibility studies and be marketed to external stakeholders, including prospective donors. Those ideas that demonstrate funding potential will become a priority in the next comprehensive fundraising campaign.
Throughout the course of the review, the Steering Committee is committed to a thorough and transparent selection process. Please reach out to a member of the Steering Committee for questions or utilize the comments form on the Big Ideas website. Thank you to everyone involved in this important effort.
Sincerely,
Marty