Category Archives: For Faculty Archive

For Faculty Archive

Faculty Senate recap

Faculty Senate held its first meeting of 2015–2016 last Wednesday. Highlights from the reports to Senate included:

  • President Martin provided an update on his efforts to get to know groups and individuals within the Drake and Des Moines communities.
  • Interim Provost Lenz announced 22 faculty searches are underway for 2016–2017.
  • Student Senate Vice President Zach Blevins indicated the students are setting their goals and committee memberships.
  • Craig Owens and Kevin Saunders discussed the status of the HLC accreditation process and the next steps in the process.

Under New Business, a case was put forth for Faculty Senate to lead efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion on campus.

Additionally, senators had a conversation regarding Senate priorities including the Drake Curriculum.

The meeting concluded with a discussion encouraging the 2015–2016 Faculty Senate membership to be proactively engaged in the Senate processes, issues, and conversations.

More information on Faculty Senate meetings and committee work can be found on the Faculty Senate website.

—Submitted by Nancy Geiger, Student Information Analyst

For Faculty Archive

Speaking Center now open

Drake University’s Speaking Center in Cowles Library is now open for the fall semester. Students can book appointments online to see a tutor for help in researching, preparing, composing, and delivering speeches and presentations or for support with other situations requiring oral communication skills. Students, faculty, and staff members can also reserve the Speaking Studio to practice and record presentations alone or in small groups.

Location and Hours: The Speaking Center is located in Cowles Library, Room 18, on the lower floor just down the stairs and through the right door of the main entrance. Hours are:

  • Monday/Wednesday 3:30–8 p.m.
  • Tuesday/Thursday 11 a.m.—12 p.m. and 2–5 pm
  • Sundays 2–4 p.m.

Tutors are also available outside those hours on an individual basis, if scheduling allows.

To make an appointment, visit http://library.drake.edu/speaking. Appointments are scheduled for 30 minutes each, and students are encouraged to visit multiple times while preparing for a single event if they wish. Any questions or concerns should be directed to speaking-help@drake.edu.

Speaking Center Services: Speaking Center tutors are students with experience and training in speech pedagogy who are prepared to assist students when selecting and narrowing topics, organizing ideas, drafting and revising an outline, preparing visual aids, and practicing delivery. The Speaking Center’s new location provides access to research and reference librarians who can help students gather resources. Our facilities feature a tutoring room and a speaking studio, where presentations can be recorded and saved by students, faculty, and staff members.

—Submitted by Art Sanders, Associate Provost

For Faculty Archive

Writing internships available

It is not too late for students with strong writing skills from any academic discipline to apply for a writing internship position for 1-3 credit hours this fall. A variety of nonprofit organizations partner with the Writing Internship Program to provide service-learning and pre-professional experience to our students. Opportunities include social service, youth, cultural, and arts organizations. In addition, interns are needed to serve in the Iowa Downtown Economic Development Program through the Office of Community Engagement and Service-Learning. Students with a background in historical research, graphic design, cultural studies, environmental advocacy, health-related disciplines, government, social media, or youth services are especially encouraged to apply.

Requirements: Juniors with a 3.4 GPA or higher, or professor recommendation. Students should contact Carol Spaulding-Kruse, professor of English, at carol.spaulding@drake.edu to apply.

—Submitted by Carol Spaulding-Kruse

For Faculty Archive

Advisers: Encourage intercultural learning

Drake University and the Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship offers students a unique learning opportunity to earn a Global Ambassador certificate. The purpose of the program is to:

  1. Provide students with a combination of concentrated study, personal experience, and reflection that will inform their understanding of global issues and perspectives,
  2. Provide students with the intercultural skills that will allow them to make the most of future international opportunities in business, the professions, or public service.

Students in the Global Ambassador certificate program participate in a variety of classes, cocurricular experiences, a credit-bearing study abroad experience, and service-learning. Additionally, participants enjoy several special opportunities with visiting speakers and scholars. The program capstone is a group learning experience designed to put the concept of global citizenship into practice by educating the campus and/or community about a global issue or cultural perspective.

Advisers are reminded that this certificate program complements a student’s central program of academic study. Students in any major can apply. Advisers can find more information and the downloadable application at www.drake.edu/cgc/globalambassadorprogram/

—Submitted by Drake International

For Faculty Archive

New library resource geared toward business students

Cowles Library is pleased to announce a new e-book collection, Business Expert Press. This collection includes more than 300 ebooks oriented to concise, practical course readings and reference works for business students. Plus, there are no complicated Digital Rights Management to negotiate, fully downloadable PDFs, and unlimited users!

For more information, please visit the Cowles Library blog.

—Submitted by Marc Davis, Coordinator, Program Staff Services, Planning & Projects

For Faculty Archive

Call for proposals: Nelson Institute Global Pressing Issues Grant

The Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs invites proposals for a two-year grant commencing Jan. 1, 2016, for interdisciplinary faculty-student research projects addressing a global issue of broad public importance.

The purpose of this initiative is to enhance Drake’s involvement in examining and approaching pressing global issues, thereby helping position the University as a global knowledge hub in service to local, national, and international communities.

Through a series of focus groups held in spring 2015, Vice Provost for International Programs Christa Olson identified two clusters of global pressing issues that Drake, together with its local and international partners, has the expertise and institutional capacity to address with depth and breadth:

  1. Food and water security and environmental sustainability
  2. Global public health and access to quality health care

Several other issues were identified in which Drake has experience and expertise, but not with breadth across campus and disciplines: poverty and access to quality education, bridging cultures, immigration and refugees, and freedom of information and expression.

We especially encourage research proposals that relate to these issue clusters, although proposals on other topics are welcome, and no priority will be given based upon topical area.

See the full call for proposals at Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs. The submission deadline for proposals is Dec. 1. Proposals should be sent to Denise Ganpat (denise.ganpat@drake.edu).

—Submitted by Drake International