The Office of Student Inclusion, Involvement, and Leadership will be offering a time for student organization advisors to meet and discuss matters concerning advising student organizations. Feel free to sign up for one (or more) of the dates below. Light refreshments will be provided. All faculty and staff are welcome. Sign up here.
Tuesday, Sept. 25, 11-11:50 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 27, 10-10:50 a.m.
Monday, Oct. 1, 2-2:50 p.m.
Kodee Wood, Office of Student Involvement and Leadership
Did you know faculty and staff can show their Drake IDs and have access to a variety of activities on campus? Drake faculty and staff may visit the Drake Athletics Ticket Office to purchase discounted tickets for various sports. The Anderson Gallery, Harmon Fine Arts Center, provides opportunities to gain greater appreciation for art and design. Catch musical and theatrical performances of Drake students by purchasing tickets at the Box Office. Faculty and staff may attend the Public Night Series, located at the Drake Municipal Observatory, in Waveland Golf Course, to gaze at the stars.
There are so many opportunities to experience at Drake!
Debra Wiley, Human Resources
The first session in a learning series on Grant Writing and Research, is Wednesday, Sept. 12, in Olmsted Center, TMR 133 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The topic of the session is grant writing and finding funding. There is no need to register. Snacks will be provided.
Art Sanders, Associate Provost
After one of the most successful seasons in school history, the Drake Volleyball team is set for another exciting season. Cheer on the Bulldogs with this special season ticket offer.
To purchase tickets, visit or contact the Drake Athletics Ticket Office at 515-271-3647.
Ryan Harris, Athletics
The first of this semester’s Online learning sessions is Thursday, Sept. 13, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Drake Room, Upper Olmsted. The topic of the session is cheating. Snacks will be provided.
Art Sanders, Associate Provost
The first Friday FYS lunch/discussion is Sept. 7 at 12 p.m. in Olmsted Center, TMR 133. While these meetings are designed for those currently teaching FYS, we welcome those with an interest in possibly teaching FYS in the future as well. While it is too late to order a lunch, you are still welcome to attend.
Art Sanders, Associate Provost
Please join the ITS project management team to learn about the progress of current technology projects. A 30-minute call is scheduled for every other Thursday at 10 a.m. on the following dates:
• September 6
• September 20
• October 4
• October 18
• November 1
• November 15
• November 29
• December 13
There are two different ways to connect with the meeting:
To both hear and see the presentation, go to the Blackboard Collaborate link and follow the on-screen instructions. Need assistance? See the Join the Bi-Weekly ITS Project Update Meeting (How To) article.
For audio only, call 571-392-7650 and enter PIN# 9060694541.
Contact Kris Brewster, Keren Fiorenza, or Jeff Regan with any quesitons.
Kris Brewster, ITS
We are excited to formally announce the implementation of our new student success platform, Starfish. Starfish is an academic early alert and communication system. For phase one of the rollout, 107 faculty will participate in progress surveys, which allow faculty to easily “flag” students recognized as needing additional support. Once flagged, students receive recommendations and contact information for tutoring, advising and counseling, and services that can help them achieve academic and personal success. Faculty also have the opportunity to give students “kudos” for positive reinforcement.
There are two upcoming training sessions for faculty participating in phase one:
Starfish is:
Empowering: Starfish provides students with the information and feedback they need to make connections and become better self-advocates, thus becoming more autonomous.
Efficient: Faculty members contribute classroom observations with just a few clicks. Instructors, student services staff, and advisors can easily access and contact a student’s network.
Effective: Powerful positive encouragement is provided through kudos, and feedback on areas for improvement is provided through flags. A “close the loop” feature allows all involved to know when an issue has been resolved.
The link to Starfish is located on the MyDrake portal in two places: 1) Faculty and Advising section and 2) Administrative Tools section.
For more information, visit drake.edu/starfish, or contact the Starfish administrators at starfish@drake.edu with questions.
Melissa Sturm-Smith, Academic Excellence and Student Success
Cars when and where you need them
Drake, in partnership with Enterprise, is excited to bring CarShare to campus. CarShare is a car-sharing program that allows members to rent and use a vehicle 24/7. Cars are currently parked in the Morehouse Parking Lot, adjacent to the Olmsted Lot. Members can rent a vehicle anytime and then return it to where they picked it up. Each vehicle comes equipped with fuel and damage/liability protection, all for one low hourly rate.
A special promotion is available to faculty and staff to join Enterprise CarShare. As a member, you can reserve a car by the hour for all of your to-dos, on and off site.
Visit the Enterprise CarShare website to become a member and Enterprise will waive your application fee and first-year membership fee! The application link is customized, so there is no need to enter a promo code.
Membership includes:
· Reserve, extend, or cancel reservations on the Enterprise CarShare App
· 24/7 vehicle availability
· Convenient, designated parking spots
Scott Law, Public Safety & Operational Services
The deadline for the All Staff Council mentorship program is approaching. Staff members who are interested in being either a mentor or mentee, and faculty who would like to be mentors, are asked to complete an application by Sept. 7. All Staff Council committee members will then make placements and the program will officially kick off in October. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and grow with Drake colleagues.
To learn more and to apply, visit drake.edu/asc/specialinterest.
If you have questions, please reach out to committee chair, Carla Herling at carla.herling@drake.edu or 515-271-2356.
Niki Smith, University Communications & Marketing
