Category Archives: For Faculty Archive

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Global Service-Learning Workshop

This fall’s workshop, supported by Ron and Jane Olson’s Endowment for Global Service-Learning, will build on the expertise of the Drake faculty and staff who have spent the past year learning about global service-learning.

Spend the afternoon engaged in hands-on activities, develop a deeper understanding of service-learning, and leave with specific tools and strategies for implementing critical reflection with your students. While it is encouraged that you attend the full workshop, see schedule below if you can only attend certain sessions. Lunch provided. Please RSVP.

Tuesday, Oct. 11
12–4 p.m.

Cowles Library, Room 201

Schedule:
12–12:15 Lunch
12:15–12:30 Welcome and building community
12:30–1:15 Defining service-learning: theory and practice
1:15–1:30 Break
1:30–2:30 Partnering on global service-learning, special guest Diego Zavala from Monterrey Tec, Guadalajara, Mexico
2:30–2:45 Break
2:45–4 Before, during and after: cultural competency and critical reflection

—Maria Rohach, Assistant Director, Drake Administered Programs Abroad

For Faculty Archive

Speaking Center opens today

Drake’s Speaking Center in Cowles Library opens for the fall semester on Sept. 12. Students can book appointments online to see a tutor for help in researching, preparing, composing, and delivering speeches and presentations, or for advice and support with other situations requiring oral communication skills (job interviews, meetings, Mock Trial events, etc.). Students, faculty, and staff members can also reserve the Speaking Studio to practice and record presentations alone or in small groups. To reserve a time, visit http://library.drake.edu/speaking. For more information, review the Drake Speaking Center Information or contact Director of Speaking Instruction Joan McAlister (joan.mcalister@drake.edu).

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Innovation and collaboration space open house

Drake’s Entrepreneurship Centers, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and Cowles Library will hold an open house for the new innovation and collaboration space on Tuesday, Sept. 13, from noon to 2 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 124C. All faculty and staff are invited to stop by and see some of the new gizmos we have for use by all current Drake students, including photo studio equipment, Legos, clay, and a 360⁰ camera and VR goggles. We’ll also have snacks and beverages.

—Stephanie Cardwell, Administrative Assistant

For Faculty Archive

Snow days: A provost’s worst nightmare

It’s sunny and 90 degrees today, but I am thinking about the decision that gives everyone a headache—whether or not to cancel classes due to severe weather. You know I come from Iowa, and have lived in the Frozen Tundra, so the chance of me calling a snow day is slim (it’s probably snowing in Green Bay as we speak). However, I do recognize challenges and social justice issues related to that decision.

Changes in policy prior to my arrival allowed staff members to take a snow day when necessary, without taking a personal or vacation day. That doesn’t help faculty, particularly those who live at a distance or those with children under the age of 12-ish for whom schools are canceled. I spoke with Chris Gill, CITO, to ask how we might address this issue. He indicates that a product we currently license—the suite of Microsoft something or others (can you tell how well I understand technology)—that will allow a faculty member to hold class at a distance with no additional charge. Albeit not a perfect solution, it could help for a day here or there. It has the capability to allow lecture delivery, with handouts, PowerPoint slides, and chat questions. I’ve been told it’s easy to use, but will require testing and preparation ahead of an actual snow day. If you are a faculty member for whom this would be helpful on a snow day, and would like additional information, please send me an email. If you are willing to pilot test the process—it will take one or two faculty members to try it out (ITS will provide students to do the testing)—please also indicate that in your email. I hope the start to your academic year has gone well.

—Sue Mattison, Provost

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Education Abroad 101 for faculty & staff

Drake International will be holding an information session on Drake’s new study abroad application system and process on Friday, Sept. 9, 2–3 p.m. in Sussman Theater, located in lower Olmsted. This session will go over the application process and the new system’s features, which include the ability to search for study abroad programs by term, subject, location, and more.

—Breanne Ellis, Education Abroad Advisor

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

On-campus dining for faculty & staff

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Faculty and staff are welcome to join us for a variety of healthy, convenient dining options throughout the day in Quad Creek Café and Hubbell Dining Hall. Dining options are available from 7 a.m. to midnight, Monday–Friday. Quad Creek Café is a food court that offers Mediterranean, Chinese, and Mexican food; subs; grill items; and fresh salads. Hubbell Dining Hall offers an all-you-care-to-eat dining for just $7.40 and includes a variety of fresh salads, pizza, pasta, grill items, international foods, home-style comfort foods, desserts and more.

Faculty and staff can also take advantage of our CINCH program which provides a punch card for “Buy-3-Get-1-Free Meals” in Hubbell Dining. We also offer monthly Faculty & Staff Appreciation Days in which faculty and staff can dine in Hubbell Dining Hall for just $5! Hope to see you there!

—Submitted by Caron Findlay, Director, Purchasing and Business Services

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

From the Associate Provost

Engaged Citizen Experience meeting
Each spring semester, Drake sponsors our Engaged Citizen Experience. This is a series of cocurricular events designed to bring Drake students, staff, and faculty together with the Greater Des Moines community to discuss important political and social issues. This spring semester theme will be: Demographic Opportunities and Challenges: Domestic and International. It was selected because of student interest as reflected in a survey done of returning students last April, and because it is directly related to many issues with local, national, and international implications including immigration, refugee, and Black Lives Matter. If you are interested in helping us plan Engaged Citizen Experience events, including our annual Engaged Citizen Conference and documentary film series, we will be having our first meeting on Friday, Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. in Old Main 208. For additional information contact me at arthur.sanders@drake.edu.


FYS lunch/discussion
The first Friday FYS lunch/discussion is on Sept. 9 at noon in the Medbury Honors Lounge. 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. If you would like to attend please go to: http://tinyurl.com/septfyslunch and let us know your lunch preferences.

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Plus/minus grading in effect this semester

Beginning with the Fall 2016 semester, those instructors who elect to use the plus/minus grading system will have the ability to assign +/- grades (i.e. A-, B+, C-, etc.).  (Prior to this fall, Drake did not use + or – grades in its grading system, except for the Law School.)

The change will begin for all courses offered in the Fall 2016 semester and later. Grades for courses offered in semesters prior to Fall 2016 will not be affected. This includes grades for undergraduate, graduate, and professional health care students. The grading system for Law School students will not change.

For more information, visit the +/- grading FAQ on the Student Records Office web site.

—Melissa Sturm-Smith, Associate Provost for Academic Excellence and Student Success