Written communication is important in almost any academic field, but the genres and accepted conventions of writing vary from discipline to discipline. In this project, we will discuss ways to integrate writing instruction into courses for which written communication is not necessarily the primary learning outcome, as well as courses that require students to communicate in field-specific ways (for instance, lab reports or business memos).

Instructors who participate in this project will have a one-semester commitment that will include:

• Working with the Director of Writing, Megan Brown, on the development of a writing assignment, writing activities, or a writing project for one of their spring classes.
• Attending hour-long meetings of all participants in the program in February, March, and April (or early May) 2025.  These meetings may be structured as two sessions each month, with half of the group at each session, to facilitate more in-depth discussion.
• Requiring all students enrolled in their class to attend tutoring sessions at the Writing Center at least twice during the semester.

After completing the project and attending the final meeting, participants will receive a $500 stipend.

Participation is limited to 10 individuals.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Madison Bemus (madison.bemus@drake.edu) by Monday, January 27.

If you have questions, please contact Megan Brown (megan.brown@drake.edu).

— Megan Brown, Professor of English/Director of Writing

As a faculty or staff member of Drake University, you are invited to attend the upcoming “Transforming the Teaching and Learning Environment Virtual Conference” which will take place from February 3–14, 2025. A variety of exciting topics will be covered, including:

• Teaching w/AI: Activities and Prompts you Can Use to Enhance and Engage.
• Breaking Boundaries: Interdisciplinary Faculty Development for Virtual Reality.
• Swipe Left: Changing the Classroom Model Using Social Media Tactics.
• Finishing Strong, How to Keep Students Engaged All Semester Long.

Drake has covered the cost of institutional registration, allowing all faculty and staff to attend any of the sessions. You can view the complete schedule of sessions here, which will be updated regularly.

Every session has a “Join Session” link which will be your entry point. After clicking the link, you will be prompted to register via Zoom by entering your first name, last name, and Drake email address. Once registered, a direct link to the session will then be provided.

All sessions will be recorded and made available for viewing within an hour after each day’s conclusion. When a recording is available, the “Join Session” link will change to “View Recording”.

I encourage you to take advantage of this valuable professional development opportunity. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

—Jimmy Senteza, Deputy Provost of Academic Affairs

In 1994, the Madelyn Levitt Awards were created in honor of Madelyn Levitt’s commitment to Drake and her ongoing interest in faculty and staff achievement and academic excellence. Each year they are awarded to various individuals in recognition of their excellence in a respective area of achievement consistent with Drake University’s mission and core values.

This year, the Provost’s office has added the Madelyn Levitt Scholar of the Year Award to the list in honor of Madelyn Levitt’s awards. Each year a member of the Drake University faculty will be honored with this award for their scholarship excellence as detailed in the call for nominations accessible below.

Invitations for nominations for the various awards are accessible via the respective links below. All Drake faculty, staff, and students are invited and encouraged to nominate a Drake faculty member for the appropriate award(s) per the instructions included therein.

Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Teacher of the Year Award.

Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Mentor of the Year Award.

Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Scholar of the Year Award.

— Madison Bemus, Office of the Provost

 

The Ronald Troyer Research Fellowship Endowment was created to recognize Provost Ronald Troyer’s unwavering commitment to supporting faculty research and development at the highest level. At this time, the application process for the Troyer Research Fellowship is open and applications are due on Feb. 21, 2025. Interested applicants should click here to access the call for applications.

— Madison Bemus, Office of the Provost

 

You are reminded that submissions for Fall 2025 First Year Seminar (FYS) course proposals are now open and that the deadline for receiving all course submissions is Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Whether you have a new concept in mind or wish to revisit a previous topic, you are invited to share your vision. Additionally, you are invited to participate in the proposed FYS learning communities. Click here to browse information and submission guidelines for the Fall 2025 FYS call.

— Jimmy Senteza, Deputy Provost of Academic Affairs

Drake’s annual career fair is coming up in just a couple of weeks, and we need help from our faculty and staff colleagues to ensure it’s a success for our Class of 2023 and Class of 2024 alumni, current students, and employer and graduate/professional school partners. 

There are several ways you can help: 

Encourage Participation: Date, time, and location are below. Please distribute these details via email with recent alumni, students, and advisees; post them in your course syllabus; print and post a promotional flier outside your office; share an announcement and reminders in class and during appointments; shout it from the rooftops!

University Career Fair

Thursday, Feb. 13
Olmsted Student Center
3–6 p.m. (3–3:30 p.m. is reserved for recent alumni and graduating students) 

• Students are highly encouraged to register in advance and registration is now open on Handshake. 
• Follow @drakecareer on Instagram for additional event information and updates 

Volunteer: We still need a number of volunteers to help with event set-up, student check-in and registration, employer check-in, and especially event tear-down and clean-up. It’s a great opportunity for faculty and staff to connect with students outside of our usual areas, meet our employer and graduate school partners, and go “all in this together!” If you and/or colleagues from your college/school or department are interested in volunteering, please sign up for a shift on the Career Fair Volunteers SignUpGenius.  

Save-the-Dates: February is a busy month in Career Services! In addition to our career fair, we have two additional, campus-wide events to help support students’ career and professional development. Please also help us to promote: 

Resume Reviews

Thursday, Feb. 6
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Olmsted Student Center Conference Rooms (Upper level)  

This is a drop-in, in-person opportunity for students to meet with our Career Services staff, employer partners, and other faculty and staff volunteers for feedback and input on their resume or CV in preparation for the career fair. No appointments necessary! 

Get LinkedIn with Drake Alumni: A Networking Breakfast

Friday, Feb. 28
8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Olmsted Student Center, Parents Hall South 

Join Career Services, the Office of Alumni Relations, and 20–25 alumni guests for breakfast, networking, and a keynote address from Drake alumna and Senior DEI Associate at the Weitz Company, Shekinah Fountain, on using LinkedIn as a tool for professional networking and career engagement. All students must register on EventBrite. Space is limited. Thanks to our event sponsors: Principality Group of Wells Fargo Advisors. 

—Jill Batten, Strategic Director of Advising & Career Services

In January, the Center for Teaching & Learning will offer four sessions of a workshop called “Kickstart Your Semester: Strategies for Effective Course Planning.”

Each hybrid session will be offered on campus in Howard Hall and virtually through Zoom.

All faculty and staff are invited to connect with colleagues to reflect on your goals for the spring, organize your calendar, and consider how you might use generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot for support.

Session dates include: Wed, Jan 15 (1:00-3:00 pm); Thurs Jan 16 (10 am-Noon); Tues, Jan 21 (1:00-3:00 pm), and Wed, Jan 22 (10:00 am-Noon).

RSVP using this Qualtrics form

The Offices of Finance and Financial Aid would like to thank everyone for taking the time to complete the Administrative Services Survey earlier this fall.  We have gained valuable feedback to help us maintain and improve the services we provide to students, faculty, and staff.

Ratings for nearly every question improved over the prior year ratings.  Each of the departments within Finance individually scored between 4.4 and 4.8 on the 5-point scale.  The overall satisfaction with the services provided by the Offices of Finance and Financial Aid score was 4.62 compared to 4.42 in 2023.  While there is always room for improvement, the unit’s staff are clearly doing their best to meet our service-oriented objectives to:

• Ensure our constituents are engaged and informed
• Ensure integrity and transparency
• Process university resources timely and accurately
• Improve service excellence

The comments included in the survey were very helpful.  We appreciate the many positive comments that recognized outstanding service provided by staff.  An item for improvement that we noted and plan to work on over the next year is to review our rules and processes for unnecessary complication and difficulty in navigation.  Another is to ensure that we are timely in our communications and responses.  Like most areas of campus, reductions in staffing within the Finance and Financial Aid functions have put additional pressure and expectation on the existing staff and we request continued grace as we work to streamline and continually improve our operations.

Thank you again for participating in the Administrative Survey and please know that your input is reviewed and analyzed by the entire staff of the Offices of Finance and Financial Aid.

– Adam Voigts, Chief Financial Officer

The March 24th Provost’s Social will serve as a celebration of faculty research and scholarship, showcasing the incredible contributions made by the Drake academic community. This event will provide an opportunity for us to recognize and honor the achievements of our faculty in advancing knowledge across a variety of fields.

Please help us to prepare by submitting this form with information about books you have authored, co-authored, or edited within the past two years, as well as peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and notable papers.

Your contributions are an essential part of our academic success, and we look forward to sharing them with our colleagues!

– Madison Bemus, Academic Affairs Operations Specialist