Category Archives: For Faculty Archive

True Blue: Nominations due March 1

Time is running out to submit a nomination for a True Blue Award. Submit your nomination by Friday, March 1, to make sure the individual or group you want to honor will be in the running for a coveted Sapphire Award in April. Nominations of any length are meaningful, and there aren’t any requirements about a specific number of paragraphs.

Read more about the award criteria and submit your nomination. Cheers to starting the New Year by reminding folks that they are appreciated.

— Betsy Wilson, On behalf of All Staff Council

Nominations still open for the Faculty Global Citizenship Award

The Drake Principal Center for Global Citizenship is currently accepting nominations from Drake faculty and staff for the 2024 Principal Global Citizenship Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to global engagement and internationalization of the campus and curriculum on the part of faculty or staff.

The selected awardee will receive a plaque and a stipend of up to $3,000. A screening committee, appointed by the Provost, reviews all nominations and makes recommendations to the Provost.

A letter of nomination should be submitted recommending an individual for the award and explaining the context and manner in which the nominator has come to know the faculty or staff member:

Pursuant to the University’s mission to prepare students for “responsible global citizenship,” this letter must also explain how the nominee has made outstanding contributions toward at least one of the following priority areas:

  • High impact global learning
  • A globally-engaged campus
  • Access to global opportunities
  • Enhanced global and intercultural competency (students)
  • Increased global and intercultural capacity (faculty and staff)

The nominee must be a faculty or staff members in their fourth year of service at the University, at minimum. The nominee cannot have won this award within the past five years. Faculty and staff members who work directly for Global Engagement are ineligible.

Nominees who indicate a willingness to be considered will be invited to submit a CV and a statement discussing their contributions to the above goals. One or two additional letters of support from faculty, staff or students will be accepted; this is optional.

Any individual who was nominated for the award in the preceding year may be re-nominated if the nominator resubmits a letter offering the individual for consideration this year. A record of previous nominees is maintained for two years. If a faculty or staff member is re-nominated, the nominator will be invited to review the file from the previous year to ensure that the nomination details are current.

The nomination period closes on Friday, February 11, 2024. Nomination letters should be submitted via this online form.

Questions may be directed to Annique Kiel, Executive Director for Global Engagement and International Programs.

— Dawson Urquidez, Global Engagement

Learn about new features in Blackboard during Ultra Hours, Monday–Friday starting Jan. 22

Come learn about new features in Blackboard, or work with an instructional designer to improve your online presence for the spring term.

Drake Online will offer Ultra Hours the week before spring term—Monday through Friday beginning Jan. 22—in the “fishbowl,” Room 201 of Cowles Library. Drop by between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for an informal, office-hours style session. You can explore new tools like flexible grading, progress tracking, and Unsplash images, or work with an expert to copy a previous course smoothly and efficiently. 

If possible, please complete this form to indicate when you plan to come and what you plan to work on. If a virtual appointment works better for you, fill out a service request and one of our instructional design staff will be in contact shortly.

— Bret Sikkink, Drake Online

Call for nominations: Levitt Distinguished Community Service and Employee Excellence Awards

All Drake faculty and staff are invited and encouraged to nominate a colleague for the 2024 Madelyn M. Levitt Distinguished Community Service and Employee Excellence Awards.

Madelyn M. Levitt established the Distinguished Community Service Award to recognize the outstanding contributions of Drake faculty and staff to the Drake community. Recipients are chosen on the following criteria:

  • A demonstrated personal commitment to volunteerism and community service
  • An outstanding record of leadership or substantial involvement in community projects, services and activities contributing to the quality of life in our region, state, and/or the nation
  • Professional and personal values and behavior that typify the ideals of “giving back to others” and “making a difference in the lives of others”

The nominee must be a current faculty or staff member with at least five years of service at Drake.

The Employee Excellence Award is presented to a staff member who demonstrates exceptional commitment to excellence in the performance of their duties. Criteria for the award includes:

  • Exceptional performance as an employee of Drake University
  • Outstanding dedication to providing courteous, prompt and quality service
  • Demonstrated commitment to University programs, initiatives, and services
  • Professional values and behavior that demonstrate exceptional service to others and a commitment to Drake University

The nominee must be a current staff member with at least one year of service at Drake.

To nominate a colleague, submit a letter of nomination to Human Resources. Nomination letters may be sent through campus mail or electronically to drakehr@drake.edu.  The subject line should read “Madelyn M. Levitt Award Nomination”.  The letter should detail specific examples of how the nominee exemplifies each of the applicable criteria. Additional letters of support are not necessary.  Nominations are due to Human Resources by Friday, March 1.

For additional information, please contact Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Nominations still open for the Faculty Global Citizenship Award

The Drake Principal Center for Global Citizenship is currently accepting nominations from Drake faculty and staff for the 2024 Principal Global Citizenship Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to global engagement and internationalization of the campus and curriculum on the part of faculty or staff.

The selected awardee will receive a plaque and a stipend of up to $3,000. A screening committee, appointed by the Provost, reviews all nominations and makes recommendations to the Provost.

A letter of nomination should be submitted recommending an individual for the award and explaining the context and manner in which the nominator has come to know the faculty or staff member:

Pursuant to the University’s mission to prepare students for “responsible global citizenship,” this letter must also explain how the nominee has made outstanding contributions toward at least one of the following priority areas:

  • High impact global learning
  • A globally-engaged campus
  • Access to global opportunities
  • Enhanced global and intercultural competency (students)
  • Increased global and intercultural capacity (faculty and staff)

The nominee must be a faculty or staff members in their fourth year of service at the University, at minimum. The nominee cannot have won this award within the past five years. Faculty and staff members who work directly for Global Engagement are ineligible.

Nominees who indicate a willingness to be considered will be invited to submit a CV and a statement discussing their contributions to the above goals. One or two additional letters of support from faculty, staff or students will be accepted; this is optional.

Any individual who was nominated for the award in the preceding year may be re-nominated if the nominator resubmits a letter offering the individual for consideration this year. A record of previous nominees is maintained for two years. If a faculty or staff member is re-nominated, the nominator will be invited to review the file from the previous year to ensure that the nomination details are current.

The nomination period closes on Friday, February 11, 2024. Nomination letters should be submitted via this online form.

Questions may be directed to Annique Kiel, Executive Director for Global Engagement and International Programs.

Faculty development opportunity

Join us for a faculty development opportunity Thursday, Jan. 25, from 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., in the Cowles Library Reading Room. This event is designed to equip educators with the necessary tools and strategies to navigate the challenges posed by “Generation Pandemic.” We will delve into various topics such as student engagement and retention, mental health support, and innovative instructional techniques.

The incoming classes of students had their formative years disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had an acute effect on their college-readiness. This workshop seeks to explore ways in which we can better prepare for and support “Generation P.”

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. The training will be followed by the monthly Provost’s Social, also held in Cowles Library.

Please sign up through Eventbrite or by contacting Madison Bemus at madison.bemus@drake.edu.

— Madison Bemus, Office of the Provost

Mileage Reimbursement rate for 2024

Drake reimburses mileage for the use of personal automobiles by employees for actual miles driven during business travel, not gas receipts. The reimbursement rate is based on the current standard mileage rate issued by the Internal Revenue Service.

Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the standard mileage rate issued by the IRS for the use of a car will be: $.67 cents per business mile driven, up 1.5 cents from 2023.

The standard mileage rate is evaluated annually by the IRS and is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. If you have any questions regarding the reimbursable mileage rate, visit the IRS website or contact Accounting at accounting@drake.edu.

—Jenifer Baugher, Accounting