Drake University has selected a new partner for textbooks, course materials, and Drake branded merchandise. eCampus.com will supply course materials and operate the Bulldog Shop, our on-campus retail store, beginning with the Summer 2023 term. This new partnership will focus on increased affordability and convenience through a simplified ordering experience for students and a customer-centric campus retail operation, tailored to the needs of Drake students, faculty, staff, alumni, fans, parents, and community members.

eCampus.com was selected after a comprehensive and competitive review. Survey data from faculty and students helped shape the vendor evaluation criteria. A faculty survey from last fall showed a need to improve the adoption process and overall customer service, while student surveys revealed a shift to online purchases and increasing preference for digital content. Affordability was also identified as a priority. Vendors were asked to highlight their capabilities in each of these areas.

A faculty bookstore advisory group was instrumental in evaluating potential vendors, providing input on the adoption tools from each vendor, course material selection support and other vendor offerings.  A special thanks to the following members of the Bookstore Advisory Group:

• Natalie Adkins, Associate Professor of Marketing
• Vira Babenko, Assistant Professor of Mathematics
• Gillian Gremmels, Dean, Cowles Library
• Carrie Dunham, Associate Professor Cowles Library
• Erik Maki, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
• David Senchina, Professor Kinesiology and Immunology, Biology
• Keith Summerville, Professor of Environmental Science and Sustainability

 Improving the Student Experience
Another key focus of the selection process was the student experience. The eCampus.com online storefront will give students the opportunity to purchase or rent new and used textbooks online, as well as access to digital content. Students will be provided time and money-saving options, such as price comparison information from other vendors like Amazon or Chegg, free shipping to the campus store, and a price match guarantee program. eCampus.com’s custom-branded online storefront and dedicated customer service will be available to students 24/7.

Improving the Faculty Experience  
The move to eCampus.com also allows Drake to structure support for faculty in a more purposeful way. Cowles Library will now be a key resource for faculty throughout the adoption process. Librarians are well positioned to assist in identifying course material resources, including making recommendations to faculty who are interested in using Open Educational Resources (OER) or selecting from the thousands of eBooks in the library’s online collections. 

“Drake librarians are eager to bring our expertise to course materials, and eCampus.com has welcomed our involvement, which we appreciate,” said Jill Gremmels, dean of Cowles Library.  “We take seriously our goal of being the information provider to the University, but for too long, course materials have been outside that scope. We already own and license over 900,000 ebooks, and we can help professors find both OER and library-provided resources that are available at no cost to students.”

Bulldog Shop Operations
eCampus.com will also assume operation of the Bulldog Shop in the Olmsted Center. The store will continue to offer Drake branded merchandise and support graduation. eCampus.com brings a customer-centric focus to the retail operation and is committed to engaging with the campus community. eCampus.com has also committed to employing students, offering opportunities for retail and marketing positions for student employees. The Bulldog Shop will also accept  Bulldog Bucks in the store, allowing greater flexibility for students.  

Transition Information
Faculty will submit summer and fall adoptions using eCampus.com’s intuitive online adoption platform called FAST. The last information session about how to adopt using FAST is set for Wednesday, April 5, at 2 p.m.

To join the zoom training session click the link below and “Join Demo” button and it will take you to the training presentation.

https://ecampus.zoom.us/j/8653458271?pwd=OHZUa3ZUWVkzYzU3elNGZFduZEVHQT09#success

The Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA) requires higher education institutions to provide the complete list of required and recommended textbooks (including ISBN and pricing information) to the bookstore in a timely fashion. Thus, prioritizing the transition to the FAST adoption platform is an important first step in this process.  

To allow for inventory and preparations for a reopened store, the Bulldog Shop in Olmsted Center will be closed May 22–29 and re-open on Tuesday, May 30.  A special grand opening event will take place at the beginning of the fall semester.

— Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

The 2023 Harkin on Wellness (HOW) Symposium will take place on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at the Olmsted Center.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems were overrun with patients and supply chain issues disrupted our access to healthy foods. Community leaders and organizations responded by creating new approaches to address the relationship between food and health. These new approaches include the growth of food systems coalitions and councils working to shape, advise, and implement food policy. These groups also worked to increase opportunities and reduce barriers to healthy outcomes at the regional level.

This year’s Symposium will showcase the work being done at state and local levels to improve people’s lives by reimagining the food system from farm to table and everywhere in between.

We are pleased to welcome Deputy Under Secretary for the USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, Stacy Dean and Dr. Walter Willett, M.D., Dr. P.H., Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-chair of the EAT-Lancet Commission as the keynote speakers for HOW 2023. Additional speakers will include experts on the environmental impacts of food production and on local approaches to improving health and wellness.

American Sign Language (ASL) and live captions in English will be available for all general session content for all attendees. ASL are available for breakout sessions upon request. (To request accommodations or ask accommodation questions email harkininstitute@drake.edu.)

Date: Thursday, April 13, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
In Person Location: Olmsted Center at Drake University (2875 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 50311)
Virtual Location: Livestream (access details and link will be sent to registered virtual attendees closer to the date of the event)
Registration: This event is free but registration is required.

For more information: https://harkininstitute.drake.edu/2023/02/23/how-2023/

— Kathryn Kuckelman, Harkin Institute

Civic Action Week is a campus-wide week of events for students, faculty, staff, and the broader community to learn, engage, and encourage collective responses to persistent societal challenges. This year’s Civic Action Week will be April 10–15.

There’s many options for getting involved during the week!

Monday, April 10

• Kick-off in the Olmsted Breezeway, 8–11 a.m. Stop by to learn about the events of the week, share why you serve, and grab snacks and CEL swag! Sponsored by Office of Community Engaged Learning.
• APO Blood Drive, Pom Stage in Olmsted.
• Emmenecker Challenge, 6–8 p.m. The Student Alumni Association’s “Emmenecker Challenge” is a sandwich-eating competition. This event supports food security initiatives in the Drake Neighborhood, as a portion of proceeds go to local food pantries. Spectators can attend to receive free food and participate in a kahoot game. Entrance fee is $1 dollar or a canned food item. There will also be information about food insecurity at the event. Spectators do not need to register in advance, but anyone interested in competing does.

Tuesday, April 11

• Careers in Social Change Virtual Panel: 4-5pm on Zoom. Hear from local professionals on how they have used their career to create change. Panelists include Jacob Nastruz, Coordinator for Volunteer Services and Community Engagement at Children & Family Urban Movement; Elizabeth Talbert, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Drake University; Corey Lewis, Founder of My City My Health.  Register on Handshake. Contact amanda.martin@drake.edu. Sponsored by Office of Community Engaged Learning and Professional and Career Development Services.

Wednesday, April 12

• Food Security: What do you know? A conversation with Aubrey Alvarez, Executive Director of Eat Greater Des Moines. 4-5pm, Olmsted 310/311. Sponsored by Next Course Food Recovery. Snacks will be provided.
  • Food Recovery Volunteer Shifts will be available all week! Collect leftover food from the dining halls and deliver to a local non-profit.

Thursday, April 13

• Lunch and Learn: Developing Your Impact Plan. 12-1pm, Olmsted 310.  Take the lunch hour to reflect on how you want to create change over the next few years. Are there certain experiences you’d like to have? What do you want to do in the short-term and long-term? This guided activity will give you a template for coming up with action steps, goals, and resources. Pizza will be provided. All are welcome, but advanced registration by April 5th will help plan for food. Sponsored by the Office of Community Engaged Learning.
• Harkin on Wellness Symposium. 9am-4:45pm, Parents Hall or virtual. This year’s Harkin on Wellness (HOW) Symposium will showcase the work being done at state and local levels to improve people’s lives by reimagining the food system from farm to table and everywhere in between. Free to attend. Registration is required. Sponsored by The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement

Friday, April 14

• Findley Elementary School First-Grade Visit to Drake. Drake has adopted the first grade class at Findley Elementary School and on April 14 the students will visit campus for a morning full of activities. Start your day off the best way! Anyone from the Drake community is invited to welcome the students when they arrive around 9:30am with a “Welcome Tunnel” at the University entrance of Cowles Library (check the Civic Action Week website for an updated time as the day gets closer). Form a line from the front doors down the sidewalk. Drake students have the opportunity to promote a college-going culture for youth in Des Moines. Contact kirby.nelson@drake.edu for more information.  Hosted by the Office of Community Engaged Learning.
• Sprout Spring Volunteer Day. 1-3pm. Help prepare the beds for spring planting and plant some colder-weather crops.

Saturday, April 15

• 2023 Constitutional Law Symposium. 8:30am-1pm. Cartwright Hall Room 213 or Zoom. Speakers will analyze a variety of current issues from multiple viewpoints.  Register in advance. 

All Week

• Stock the Block – Donate to the Little Free Pantries in the Drake Neighborhood – Drop off your donations of non-perishable goods and personal hygiene items to one of the 9 Little Free Pantries in the Drake Neighborhood.
• Griff Gives Back – Donate Adult Dog and Cat food to the Griff Gives Back project.
• Volunteer! Visit www.drake.edu/dugood for other volunteer opportunities.
• Follow along with @DrakeService on Instagram to see daily challenges you can do to be a more responsible, active citizen and have a chance to earn prizes!

Share your Impact

Tag us on social media @drakeservice #DrakeServes to let us know how you’re participating in the week. For each tag, you’ll be entered into a raffle to win prizes such as a Griff #DrakeServes T-shirt!

Visit drake.edu/community/learningservice/studentopportunities/civicactionweek/ for more information on how to register for each event.

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

Poetry and short stories are often thought of as the languages of love, but they can be so much more. April is National Poetry Month, an occasion to celebrate the expressiveness, delight, power, and charm of short-form reading.

Browse through Cowles Library’s monthly collection of selected poetry and short stories through the month of April.

— Erin Menardi, Cowles Library

ITS will be applying upgrades and patches to Banner Saturday, April 8, starting at 7 p.m. and lasting until Sunday, April 9, at 2 a.m. During this time, Self Service, Admin Pages, Workflow, eTranscripts, TouchNet, and other connected systems will be unavailable. These updates are necessary to keep our University data secure and to install the latest features from our vendor.

If you experience issues outside of this window, please call the Support Center at 515-271-3001 or visit https://service.drake.edu to report your issue. Thank you for your patience as we continue to strive to provide superior service.

— Tyler Spoon, ITS

The Iowa Statewide Tornado Drill will take place on Wednesday, March 29, at 10 a.m. The statewide drill allows us to test our planning and readiness and practice seeking appropriate shelter in case of a real tornado. Faculty, staff, and students should participate in the drill by following campus severe weather plans and going to the lowest level of their building, away from doorways and windows. 

March is Severe Weather Preparedness Month in the State of Iowa. Every year on the fourth Wednesday of March, the State of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department in conjunction with the Governor’s office run a statewide tornado drill. In years past Drake participates in this drill while testing our own procedures and protocols. The University will test its campus notification system, consisting of the sirens located in the blue light phones at the same time the City of Des Moines and Polk County test emergency sirens.

Tornado Facts:

• Tornadoes may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
• Funnel clouds usually last less than 10 minutes before dissipating, and many only last several seconds. On rare occasion, cyclones can last for more than an hour.
• Tornadoes may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
• The average tornado moves southwest to northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
• The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 mph, but may vary from stationary to 70 mph.
• Damage paths of tornadoes can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.

Know the terms: Familiarize yourself with these terms to help identify a tornado hazard.

Tornado Watch: Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.

Tornado Warning: A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Take shelter immediately! Most injuries associated with high winds are from flying debris, so remember to protect your head.

— Chris Nickell, Environmental Health & Safety

In 1942, French philosopher Albert Camus wrote an essay called the Myth of Sisyphus. He wrote this as his country was being invaded and it felt like the world was falling apart. It was a time of disbelief and despair. It was a time when certain groups—Jews, Romanies, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, communists, and socialists—were being targeted for their differences and persecuted with hate, violence, and even death.

This was an extreme era in 20^th Century European history and Camus’ reality was not the same as ours. But his mindset and ideas remain relevant to us today, right here in Iowa.

Sisyphus is a figure in Greek mythology who angered Death (that’s a whole other story). He found himself condemned to roll a rock up a mountain. As he approached the top, Sisyphus would inevitably lose his grip or his footing would fail and the rock would roll down the mountain. Then, Sisyphus would turn and head down to the rock and repeat the task.

Camus found this story interesting—but there was one precise moment in particular captured his attention. When Sisyphus, standing at the top of the mountain and watching the rock tumble back down, in that moment, he chose to pivot, turn around, and try again—as if to say, “fine, I’ll just do it again.”

While this myth is often told as a story of futility, Camus did not view it that way. When it felt and looked like all was lost, Sisyphus refused to give up or to acquiesce to the circumstances. In the seconds following failure, Sisyphus, amazingly, was fueled by strength and determination. In that moment, Camus observed, Sisyphus was stronger than the rock and he remained unbeaten.

Short-sighted and discriminatory laws have just passed in Iowa. Similar laws are passing in other states. The NAACP is contemplating issuing a travel advisory for people of color considering travel to Florida. We regularly see examples of Asian hate and antisemitism carried out across the country. And the list goes on.

For those of us who are members of groups being increasingly targeted—or have friends, family, and colleagues who are members of such groups—or we simply care about equal rights for all people—it is tempting to feel defeated.

But here is what is also true: Recent events do not get to define us or the Drake community. We get to define us. This is a moment when our values—prioritizing inclusion for all and unifying our diverse community behind a shared mission—matter the most. As gut-wrenching as it feels to watch the proverbial rock roll down the hill, we can choose to be stronger than the circumstances.

While some universities across the country are distancing themselves from DEI principles, we are doubling down. Please join us in our commitment to building a campus culture that values all. Students thrive when they enjoy a sense of belonging. Faculty and staff flourish when they feel valued. Join us in our steadfast resolve to stand by our values and all members of the Drake community.

There is not one act that can be performed—no single set of words that can be uttered—to make things better. Complex situations require layers of actions and words…determination and time, too. And we all have a role to play in taking action and speaking up.

In the short term, please consider joining members of the Drake community in the breezeway in Olmsted, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 30. There we will take action and use our words to say that we understand the harmful repercussions of the recent laws passed in Iowa and show our love and determination to stand with transgender and gender non-conforming members of our community.

Watch for the April DEIJ newsletter for details about upcoming events and suggested action items. Keep reading OnCampus for additional discussion. If you have suggestions for action or requests for support, please contact Lynne Cornelius, Associate Dean of Students or Jennifer Harvey, Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion.

— Jennifer Harvey, Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion; Maureen De Armond, Executive Director, Human Resouces

The Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series at Drake is proud to feature environmental justice activist and author, Carolyn Finney, at a story-sharing workshop sponsored jointly by Iowa Environmental Council and Drake Community Press. Join us April 6 in the Turner Jazz Center at 5 p.m.

— Carol Spaulding, Professor of English