Time is running short to submit a nomination for a Called to be True Blue award.

• Submit your nomination by April 1 to make sure the individual or group you want to honor will be in the running for a coveted Sapphire Award in May.
• Anyone nominated after April 1 will still be recognized, but will be included in next year’s Sapphire Awards program.

This is a great way to recognize those who go above and beyond for Drake.

Go here to read about the award criteria and to submit your nomination.

— Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

Every Tuesday in OnCampus the Deputy Provost shares two articles with a read time of 10 minutes.

This is a reminder of several upcoming application due dates for faculty awards, honors, and funding coming out of the Office of the Deputy Provost.

Feb. 18 due dates:

Nominations for the Levitt Mentor Award and the Levitt Teacher Award are due to renee.cramer@drake.edu and nicki.kimm@drake.edu

March 8 due dates:

Nominations to college/school deans, and unit heads, for the Ellis and Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professorships.  Self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged. Each nomination must include a letter of nomination that makes clear the qualifications of the individual to become a Levitt Professor and a current c.v.  (see this post in OnCampus for more details).

March 18 due dates:

Faculty can apply for funding to hire student assistants for their research in the coming academic year.

Applicants for the Troyer Research Fellowship should submit (via email to renee.cramer@drake.edu and nicki.kimm@drake.edu) a current curriculum vitae, a letter of application of no more than three pages, a preliminary budget suggesting how the fellowship dollars might be spent, and a one-paragraph abstract written for a non-specialist audience that summarizes the proposed research. The application letter should address the applicant’s record of scholarly accomplishment, future promise, how they will benefit and how the university will benefit if selected as the Troyer Research Fellow.

 April 1 due date:

Applications forDrake Research Grantsfor the coming academic year (July 22 – July 23). These grants can include the possibility of sabbatical research support.

Rolling due dates:

Faculty Development Grants – we particularly welcome those proposals for projects that support innovative and high impact pedagogy and curriculum development, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and professional development as a leader at the institution.

As funds are available, between now and April 1, Drake Research Grants for late-breaking needs, with a close date of the funding as June 30, 2021.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

Every Tuesday in OnCampus the Deputy Provost shares two articles with a read time of 10 minutes.

I’m passing this information along for faculty and staff to be aware of the resources available to our students, in support of their mental health.  Please share widely with the students you encounter—whether or not they appear ‘in crisis’ or ‘in need.’ Need and crisis manifest in different ways in different people—let’s assume we all could use a bit of help this semester (and always).

Anxiety Support Group
Purpose: The Anxiety Support Group serves to assist students in understanding and developing strategies to respond to anxiety. This group is for any students wanting to learn ways to support themselves with anxiety present as a student and within life.

Participants: All full-time or part-time Drake University students

When: Every Wednesday through May 11, 2022, through Spring 2022 semester, excluding spring break and finals week.

Where: Zoom (email Amber.wilkins@drake.edu for the link)

Time: 4–5p.m.

Black and Glowing (B.A.G): African American Self-Care Group
Purpose: The B.A.G. group aims to reflect on the ways you can enhance your bag of self-worth and manage and address the challenges of healing and practicing self-care as a Black person in college, in addition to your other intersectional identities.

Participants: This is a group aimed at Drake University Black women+ and men+ students. The (+) represents the spectrum of gender identity and is also inclusive of students that have experienced socialization within a specific gender. Please join us in any gender identity or expression that is important to you.

When: Women+: 1st and 3rd Tuesday, Men+: 2nd and 4th Tuesday through Spring 2022 semester, excluding spring break and finals week.

Where: Zoom (email kayla.bell@drake.edu and tyler.lewis@drake.edu)

Time: 6–7 p.m.

For more information about the counseling center services, please visit the Counseling Center’s website.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

Over the years, and especially during the pandemic, you may have heard the term “meditation.”  If you think meditation is only about sitting with your legs crossed and chanting, you may be surprised to know the many varieties available to you.

What is meditation, and how can it be useful? Meditation is way to help you achieve a heightened state of focused attention. It can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, improve physical and mental well-being, and help you become more resilient.

There are several ways to practice meditation. Some methods may appeal to you more than others.  It could be guided meditation, mindfulness meditation, or a physical form of meditation such as Tai Chi. Take a moment to check out these resources. Experiment, and you will likely find out what types of meditation work best for you and what you enjoy doing.

Just a little time and practice could make a significant difference in your well-being. And you are worth it!

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Drake University’s Black Faculty and Staff Affinity (BFSA) Group is gathering for lunch off campus at Rico’s at Drake on Feb. 18, 2022, at 12 p.m. Black faculty and staff are invited to join!

— Brandi Miller, Student Financial Planning

Scammers are using the recent Omicron surge as bait in phishing attacks. These new phishing campaigns often use official-looking emails about the Coronavirus to get people to provide their email addresses, personal information, and passwords.

In one example, the attackers promised to provide a list of the area’s active infections to trick potential victims into clicking a link in the message leading to a page designed to steal their credentials.

In another phishing email, the attackers tried to pass as an official alert message from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Coronavirus scams have taken many forms, including:

• Alerts from local or national health organizations about local Omicron cases.
• Updates from an employer about policies or procedures to address the risk.
• Emerging information about protecting yourself, your children, or your community.
• Charitable appeals to help Coronavirus victims.

Here are some tips to help you keep the scammers at bay:

• Don’t click on links from unknown sources. This could download harmful malware onto your computer or device.
• Go directly to the source for the most up-to-date information. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) official websites.
• Do your homework before donating to a charity or a crowdfunding site. If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card or by wiring money, don’t do it.
• Beware of “investment opportunities” for emerging Coronavirus cures, tests, or treatments. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is seeing an increasing number of false online claims of Coronavirus-related stocks that are about to dramatically increase in value.
• Shop around. Scammers often overcharge for health-related products or their shipping costs, or send counterfeit items, so always comparison shop.

ITS will continue to simulate phishing and assign training to those most susceptible. If you believe you’ve been targeted by phishing, see Reporting a Phishing Message (How-to).

—Chris Mielke, ITS

The deadline has been extended to March 31 for Drake faculty and staff to submit a proposal for the FY23 Global Partnership Grants.

Drake University has established formal partnerships with multiple institutions abroad. Joint faculty and staff projects with our global partner institutions may be eligible for financial support through the Global Partnership Grants. Please contact Annique Kiel for more information or to get connected with a global partner institution.

Eligibility and criteria
Full-time faculty and staff are eligible to apply for Global Partnership Grants for activities taking place during FY23. Preference will be given to proposals that:

• identify a specific set of activities with distinct outcomes with one (or more) of our partner institutions
• demonstrate specific impact on Drake curriculum, students, and current global partnerships
• advance Drake’s global engagement with existing partners in new ways
• support involvement by individuals who have not previously been globally engaged
• are financially supported by the school, college, or department of the individual submitting the proposal
• align with internationally or globally focused unit objectives and/or the University’s Continuous Improvement Plan

Application process:

1. Discuss the proposed activity with your unit director or dean prior to submission to help determine its strategic value and if it aligns with the unit’s global engagement priorities. The discussion will help determine the unit’s interest and ability to support the proposal with financial resources.
2. Submit the online application via Qualtrics, which includes a description and budget (*see note) for the proposed activity. Deadline: March 31, 2022
3. Deans/directors will review all proposals for their unit with the Global Partnerships Coordinator and the Executive Director of Global Engagement for prioritization and to make collaborative funding decisions. Final award decisions are expected to be announced in April 2022.

*Note, Global Engagement grant funds are not typically awarded for stipends for Drake faculty and staff; however, stipend requests may be considered for funding by your unit’s Dean/Director on a case-by-case basis. The College of Arts & Sciences will not fund stipends.

Learn more about Drake’s global partner institutions and other opportunities for funding global projects at drake.edu/global.

— Bonnie Ehler, Global Engagement

Nominations are being accepted for the 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, up to $3,000, and will be announced at the 2022 Global Citizen Forum in March. A screening committee will review all nominations and make recommendations to the Provost.  Nominations should be submitted to Bonnie Ehler at bonnie.ehler@drake.edu by Monday, Feb.14, 2022. 

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. This letter should speak to the following qualifications:

Pursuant to the University’s mission to develop “responsible global citizens,” explain how the nominee has made outstanding contributions at Drake toward realizing the following:

1. Support Drake University as a global institution by creating linkages to global partners in local, national, and international settings;
2. Develop and/or actively support global and intercultural learning opportunities for Drake students;
3. Develop infrastructure, resources, and partnerships to support internationalization and global engagement.

The nominee must be a faculty or staff member with at least four years of service at the University. The nominee cannot have won this award within the past five years. Faculty and staff members who report directly to Global Engagement are ineligible.

Nominees who indicate a willingness to be considered will be invited to submit a resume or C.V. and a statement discussing their contributions to the above goals. Up to three letters of support from unit or institutional leadership, faculty, staff, or students will be accepted (this is optional).

Any individual who was nominated for the award in 2021 may be re-nominated if the nominator resubmits a letter offering the individual for consideration this year. Files of previous nominees are maintained for one year. If a faculty/staff member is re-nominated, the nominator will be invited to review the file from the previous year to ensure that the nomination is as current as possible.

Past recipients include:

2021 – Sally Haack, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Clinical Sciences
2020 – Jody Swilky, Ellis and Nelle Levitt Professor of English/Writing Workshop
2019 – Pramod Mahajan, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
2018 – Tim Knepper, Professor of Philosophy/Comparison Project Director
2017 – John Rovers, Professor of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
2016 – Ellen Yee, Professor of Law/Director of International Programs

Nomination letters are due by Feb. 14, 2022 and should be sent as an attachment to bonnie.ehler@drake.edu. Questions may be directed to Annique Kiel, executive director of Global Engagement and International Programs, at annique.kiel@drake.edu.

— Bonnie Ehler, Global Engagement