Are you spring cleaning, tidying up at the end of this semester, or perhaps retiring? Consider donating your Drake memorabilia and treasures to the Office of University Communications and Marketing to auction off for their scholarship fund. Their unique fundraising efforts caught the attention of The Chronicle of Philanthropy in this article.

The office has collected pieces of Drake memorabilia over the years and auctioned them off on their scholarship Facebook page. Many Bulldogs on campus have expressed a generosity of spirit in donating items they have once found joy in, but are now ready to let go after binging the Marie Kondo series. Some past items have included a piece of the blue oval, Bulldog bookends, flags, bobble heads, Drake basketball sketches, signed Bucksbaum posters, and a mixed CD personally curated by Vice President for Advancement John Smith.

If you have any items to donate, or want to make a financial contribution, please email us at socialmedia@drake.edu.

Niki Smith, University Communications and Marketing

Pets are an important part of many employees’ lives. Please keep in mind, however, that not everyone is comfortable around animals and that there are health, safety, and sanitation reasons why restricting animals in University buildings is appropriate. Drake University Policy prohibits pets in campus buildings unless they are a part of a controlled science lab, are Service/Assistance Animals, or are part of a regulated sponsored mascot program. Even in those instances, registration and appropriate controls are in place. Our campus is a diverse community with thousands walking through our doors each year, and adhering to our policy will make this a welcoming environment for everyone. The full policy can be found in the University Policy Library.

Chris Nickell, Director of Environmental Health & Safety

The end of the school year is fast approaching, and we would like to remind everyone on campus to unplug electrical items in their offices that are not necessary. This is especially true if you are going to be off campus for more than one week. We have scheduled an electrical shutdown of the entire campus on July 5 for approximately six hours. This electrical shutdown could cause computers and other electrical devices problems. Please help Facilities Planning and Management to save money by decreasing the University’s utility costs.

Jolene Schmidt, Facilities Planning and Management

Our beloved live mascot, Griff, turns SEVEN on Wednesday, May 8!  We will be celebrating by extending birthday wishes on social media on his birthday, tagging him @drakeugriff.  We encourage you to share your favorite photo(s) and send him virtual birthday wishes, using the hashtag #GriffTurns7. On Friday, we will be throwing him a party from 12–1 p.m. in Helmick Commons in conjunction with SAB’s Final Friday event.  All students, faculty, and staff are welcome!  If the weather does not cooperate, the party will be moved inside Olmsted.  We encourage everyone to stop by and have a frozen treat (while supplies last) and snap a photo with Griff. 

— Erin Bell, Associate Director of Marketing, University Communications & Marketing

Note: The revised Code of Student Conduct and the revised Sexual and Interpersonal  Misconduct Policy and corresponding Guidelines are available for review and comment in the Policy Library. Given the timing between now and final exams, grading, and graduation, the documents will remain posted for an extended period of 30 days.  Any comments or concerns regarding the documents may be forwarded to dupolicies@drake.edu for consideration.  The Dean of Students and Title IX staff continue to remain available for any questions during or after the review period.

During the student conduct process, both the Dean of Students and Title IX staff will meet with reporting and accused students to explain the investigation and discipline process under the Code of Student Conduct.   And while the process itself works, the staff charged with explaining it to students found that doing so was challenging at times.  Some of the challenges had to do with formal language or proceedings, while other challenges arose from specific requirements that applied only to Title IX cases of sexual assault, sexual harassment, or dating violence, for example.  At the same time, the Title IX Coordinator was looking to revamp the Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy into a more user-friendly document that is more accessible while also giving pertinent and helpful information to any student, faculty, or staff who needed to consult the policy for their own use or for someone needing assistance.  Like the Code, the content itself was acceptable, but its use-ability could be improved.  So the two offices went to work.

One of the goals in looking at the Code was that the disciplinary process for all cases – from theft and drugs to racial harassment and sexual violence – will follow the same procedures to ensure a thorough and equitable process, consistent with the requirements of Title IX and fundamental fairness; in short, the University wants to treat conduct that is similar in a similar manner.  This will help with a better understanding of the process and consistent application of the Code.  It will also hopefully make the process feel less intimidating, stressful, and long for any student involved.  The result is that the Code of Student Conduct has experienced an overhaul for the first time in a long time.  Definitions have been clarified and added, important concepts such as “amnesty” (i.e., situations in which a student will not be charged with alcohol or drug violations when it comes to health and safety of campus) are better explained, and more importantly, the formal disciplinary process has been clarified and will be administered the same regardless of the type of complaints.

At the same time, the Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy looks different as well.  The current document is quite long and combines policy statements with procedures, community resources, and appendices.  The Policy applies to all students as well as faculty and staff so it is important that all members of the campus community can locate it and can also find the information they need in a user-friendly, accessible document.  The underlying policy statements in the Policy – that is, the prohibitions and requirements – have not changed.  The result is a cleaner Policy with more headings and clearer language in addition to separate Guidelines that include resources and practical information about how the Policy and university processes will work in specific situations, including both formal and informal resolution options.

The Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy governs the conduct of students, faculty, and staff, while the Code applies only to the conduct of students.  Therefore, the Code and the Policy only work hand-in-hand when a student is accused of sexual or interpersonal misconduct; however, the two offices consulted each other and worked on their revisions simultaneously because of the impact one has on the other.  The Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Student Advisory Committee also shared thoughts on definitions and processes in the past year.  The Code will be presented to the Board of Trustees Teaching and Learning Committee at the June meeting.

— Kathryn Overberg, Title IX Coordinator/Equity & Inclusion Policy Specialist, & Jerry Parker, Dean of Students

Drake University will be installing solar panels on the Roger Knapp Tennis Center in the near future. This is Drake’s first solar project, and with the previous project of LED lighting retrofits installed in the building, this will become the University’s first Net-Zero building on campus. The project is scheduled to start on May 20 with completion set for Aug. 15.

Achieving a high renewable energy source is particularly important for Drake University. Drake has a strong commitment to sustainability and lowering its carbon footprint. Solar power is arguably the cleanest, most reliable form of renewable energy available, and it can be used in several forms to help power facilities. Solar-powered photovoltaic (PV) panels convert the sun’s rays into electricity by exciting electrons in silicon cells using the photons of light from the sun. This electricity can then be used to supply renewable energy to the Tennis Center.

The solar panels will be installed on the south roofline, on the west end of the building. An ideal site will have no shade on the panels, especially during the prime sunlight hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A south-facing installation will usually provide the optimum potential for your system, but other orientations may provide sufficient production. Trees or other factors that cause shading during the day will cause significant decreases to power production. The importance of shading and efficiency cannot be overstated. In a solar panel, if even just one of its 36 cells is shaded, more than half will reduce power production.

Not every roof has the correct orientation or angle of inclination to take advantage of the sun’s energy. Some systems are designed with pivoting panels that track the sun in its journey across the sky. Non-tracking PV systems should be inclined at an angle equal to the site’s latitude to absorb the maximum amount of energy year-round. Alternate orientations and/or inclinations may be used to optimize energy production for particular times of day or for specific seasons of the year.

The solar system will generate significant environmental benefits.  The benefits come primarily from avoided power plant emissions.  The solar system will reduce greenhouse gas emission by 2695 metric tons of CO2 over 25 years. The 2695 tons of CO2 is equivalent to:

• 69,103 trees planted and grown for ten years
• 6,267 barrels of oil consumed
• 2,894,737 pounds of coal burned
• 6,416,667 miles driven in passenger car

This project was made possible through a gift from John Lorentzen and Penny Fillmor.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jolene Schmidt at jolene.schmidt@drake.edu.

Jolene Schmidt, Facilities Planning & Management

Following the successful inaugural Global Citizen Forum, Drake International and the Engaged Citizen Experience are pleased to announce the theme for the 2020 Global Citizen Forum: International Perspectives on Privilege in Higher Education.

As it did this year, next year’s event will include a series of speakers, academic enrichment and professional development opportunities for faculty, staff, and students. The exciting news for the 2020 Global Citizen Forum is that Drake University, in conjunction with our partner university, the University of KwaZulu Natal (Durban, South Africa) will be co-sponsoring a conference on the theme.

The international conference will include inviting our international partner universities and colleagues from 15 different institutions around the world. The benefit of hosting an international conference on diversity and inclusion is the opportunity to learn from a broader worldview and have an opportunity to share struggles, strategies, and solutions. 

The conference will provide a platform to share new ideas, advance research, refine and develop frameworks, and influence policy development. If you would like to participate on the planning committee for the conference, please contact Julie Yankey, director of international partnerships, at julie.yankey@drake.edu.

One component of the Global Citizen Forum is an undergraduate research conference. As such, while developing your courses for the fall semester, we invite you to consider including research on the theme or international topics which could be presented in March 2020. We also anticipate paper development workshops and research colloquia for faculty and staff doing research on diversity and inclusion issues. More details on participating in these activities will be forthcoming in fall 2019.  

Sponsored by Drake International, The Engaged Citizen Experience, The Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, and other campus partners, the Global Citizen Forum is an annual event meant to provide students with opportunities to explore the role of engaged citizenship in an increasingly globalized society.

Melissa Sturm-Smith, Academic Excellence and Student Success

Drake Relays merchandise is now 25% off at the University Book Store. The Book Store is open Monday–Saturday from 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

In addition, the Book Store’s online site, shop.drake.edu, will have 25% off all women’s T-shirts May 7–20. Purchase a gift for Mother’s Day, graduation, or refresh your own spring wardrobe. Visit shop.drake.edu.

Katie Wilz, University Book Store, & Caron Findlay, Finance and Administration

ITS is happy to share the offsite data center has been moved and is up and running in its new location. A big thank you to the project team, particularly the ITS infrastructure team, for their hard work to make this happen with minimal disruption to campus.

As part of the project, ITS staff moved:

• Over $1 million in equipment
• 276 servers
• The equivalent storage of over 10,000 8 GB flash drives

As a result of the successful completion of this project, ITS will save 30% on offsite data center expenses annually with an increase in Internet connectivity.

Kris Brewster, ITS