Nominations are open to faculty and staff for the Principal Financial Global Citizenship Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to global engagement and internationalization of the campus and curriculum. The selected awardee will receive a plaque, up to $3,000, and will be announced at the August 2018 Learning Symposium. A screening committee, appointed by the provost, will review all nominations and make recommendations to the provost. Nominations should be submitted to Bonnie Ehler at bonnie.ehler@drake.edu by June 30, 2018.

Nomination details:

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 toward realizing the three main goals of the Internationalization and Global Engagement Strategic Plan, 2015-2020:

Goal 1: Serve as a global knowledge hub that brings value to external partners in local, national, and international settings.
Goal 2: Infuse global and multicultural perspectives across the campus and curriculum.
Goal 3: Develop infrastructure, resources, and communication systems to support internationalization and global engagement.

The nominee must be a faculty or staff member in at least her/his fourth year 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 Drake International are ineligible.

Nominees who indicate a willingness to be considered will be invited to submit a c.v. and a statement discussing their contributions to the above goals. One or two letters of support from faculty, staff, or students will be accepted (this is optional). The deadline for submitting supporting materials is July 15.

Any individual who was nominated for the award in 2016 or 2017 may be re-nominated if the nominator resubmits a letter offering the individual for consideration this year. Files of previous nominees are maintained for two years. If a faculty 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.

Nomination letters are due by June 30, 2018, and should be sent as an attachment to bonnie.ehler@drake.edu. Questions may be directed to Jeff Kappen, acting director of the Principal Center for Global Citizenship, at jeffrey.kappen@drake.edu.

— Bonnie Ehler, Center for International Programs and Services

All Staff Council is sponsoring a Campus Scavenger Hunt tomorrow, June 13, from 12:30–2:30 p.m. Meet at Pomerantz Stage in Olmsted to sign up and participate in the hunt. Participants may work as a team of two or individually. Work your way across campus gathering photos of items found on the “clue” sheet.  After capturing an image of each item, race your way back to Pomerantz Stage for check-in and the chance to win a prize (and bragging rights). The Scavenger Hunt is not only an opportunity for you to see people and places across campus you may have never seen, but it’s also terrific exercise.

— Kerwin Dobbins, Education Teaching and Learning Department

The Woolverton Manufacturing e-store is your source to purchase Drake customized paper goods such as letterhead, envelopes, and business cards. The Competitive Edge e-Store is your source to purchase Drake branded giveaways and promotional merchandise such as pens, pencils, and pennants. Both Competitive Edge and Woolverton Manufacturing have agreed that orders placed through the e-stores on or before June 15 will be delivered and invoiced by June 30, unless a representative of one of those companies notifies the purchaser otherwise. Orders placed after June 15 will be delivered and invoiced after June 30. For questions, contact Sara Sommerlot at 271-2169 or at sara.sommerlot@drake.edu.

— Sara Sommerlot, University Communications & Marketing

A bicycle ride for staff and faculty will take place tomorrow, May 31. All abilities are welcome. Cyclists should meet in front of Old Main at 4:30 p.m. The route will depend on attendance. In the event of bad weather, the ride will be rescheduled.

— Amy Cutler, Law School

Last year, All Staff Council added a new committee, the Special Interest Committee. This committee explores initiatives, questions, and/or concerns presented to All Staff Council through research, planning, and collaboration with appropriate offices on campus.

Over the year, the committee reviewed recommendations that policy documents be added to the HR website. The committee has also been working on a staff mentoring program that will launch in August, 2018. At that time, if you are interested in becoming a mentor or mentee, you can fill out an application. Mentees will be matched with a fellow staff member and will build their mentoring relationship throughout the year. Stay tuned for the application and more information.

As a reminder, this committee seeks your suggestions, questions, or concerns. All suggestions are kept confidential.

The Special Interest Committee chair is Carla Herling, and the chair-elect is Andy Verlengia. Additional members of the committee are Shelly Biondi, Pam Pepper, Jennifer Reitano, Niki Smith, and Patrick Williams. If you have anything to reach out to the committee regarding, please direct those inquiries to chair Carla Herling at carla.herling@drake.edu or 515-271-2356.

— Niki Smith, University Communications & Marketing

Each month a faculty member, nominated by their dean, is recognized for their efforts to integrate innovative technology into their classroom.

May’s digital faculty member of the month: Jeff Inman, assistant professor of journalism, School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Read an interview between ITS and Jeff below.

Which courses do you use this technology in?
JMC 195: Mobile Application Development
JMC 172: Journalism Capstone

What type of technology do you use?
In the mobile app class, we bring together three different disciplines—computer science, graphic design, and journalism—to help ideate and execute proof-of-concept applications for Android devices. To make that happen, the class uses everything from Android emulators to InDesign to Trello to create truly inventive products.

As for the journalism capstone, it’s based around Urban-Plains.com, a multimedia website that covers the stories of the Midwest, from the latest trends in Chicago to the tales hidden in the cornfields of Nebraska. To do that, we use everything from 360 video to traditional written stories. Together, it creates a picture of the Midwest that is as eclectic as we all know it truly is.

In what context do you use this technology?
Both classes are built around collaborative projects everyone contributes to based on their skill sets and ambition; it’s all about creation. I merely act as a guide through each, helping students find the best way to achieve their goals. Technology is the tool that makes it happen.

How does this type of technology align with your teaching pedagogy?
Whatever helps tell a better story, create a better project or run a better team.

Where did you get the inspiration to make a change?
We live in a world that, technologically, is in a state of flux. There is always something new to learn, something new to try, and while we could teach students the best new tool, those often end up by the wayside. I think it’s better to teach students to experiment with technology and find the best way to get the results they want rather than stay locked into one tool or another.

Did ITS assist you in implementing this technology?
ITS set up 18 Android tablets for class. Otherwise, the students handle all the magic.

Are you interested in trying out new technology in your classroom? Want help from ITS staff? Schedule a technology adoption consultation.   

 —Erin Ulrich, CPHS, and Carla Herling, ITS 

If you are looking for used or new furniture for your office and/or classroom, Facilities Planning and Management is here to assist you. We are currently collecting an inventory list of used items available in the warehouse that are free to departments around campus. If you are looking for something we do not have available, we will work with our preferred furniture vendors to help find a solution that fits your budget and space. If your furniture is damaged, notify Facilities Planning and Management and we will check the warranty status to see if the item can be fixed or replaced. Please contact Kelly Foster at kelly.foster@drake.edu for any furniture related inquiries.

— Kelly Foster, Facilities Planning and Management

A bicycle ride for staff and faculty will take place on May 31. All abilities are welcome. Cyclists should meet in front of Old Main at 4:30 p.m. The route will depend on attendance. In the event of bad weather, the ride will be rescheduled.

— Amy Cutler, Law School

Late last week, University Communications became University Communications and Marketing. This involved some difficult decisions and staffing changes in order to streamline operations. A smaller in-house staff and this new name are part of a comprehensive effort to improve efficiency and more effectively promote the Drake University brand. There will be an intentionally strong focus on marketing going forward, to help the University remain viable and vibrant in these challenging times.

The UC&M team strives to be audience-focused, data-driven, and also digital-first whenever possible. (Note: The amount of printed materials has been reduced by more than 35 percent in the past 18 months.) Priority audiences are faculty/staff, prospective students, alumni, and other stakeholders in the public realm.

Turn to UC&M for guidance and support. More tools are in place now to empower campus partners to fulfill their own needs; see the department website and click on the Toolkit tab. When you have more complex needs that require strategic planning and/or full-service support, the UC&M team will step in directly.

Need help from UC&M? Your three primary points of contact will be:

Communications: For help communicating with faculty and staff, or sharing significant stories with the public via news media, contact Jarad Bernstein, Director of Communications, x3119 or jarad.bernstein@drake.edu.

Marketing: For help in marketing academic programs to prospective students or in engaging former students who are now alumni, contact Betsy McKibbin, Director of Marketing, who joins Drake on Monday, May 21. Her phone number will be x4501, and her email address will be betsy.mckibbin@drake.edu.

Brand Integration: For questions pertaining to creative execution of the Drake brand, including the University website and all forms of printed, digital and other tools, contact Jeremy Sievers, Director of Brand Integration, x2795 or jeremy.sievers@drake.edu. (Note: A smaller in-house staff that’s more focused on digital and social media means that graphic design for printed materials will largely be outsourced. Whenever possible, digital solutions will be presented and provided first.)

Other staff may be assigned to work with you directly (view organizational chart); however, to help the UC&M team manage workload and workflow, please contact one of the three directors listed above first. Also, new requests must have been pre-approved and prioritized by a President’s Council or Deans Council member. This will help ensure the UC&M team remains focused on the highest-priority needs of the University.

Thank you for your patience and flexibility during this time of transition.

— Dave Remund, Executive Director

ITS is in the process of updating Sophos Antivirus software across campus over the next few weeks and moving it to a new server. Please check Sophos to ensure your computer is up-to-date. If you are not sure how to verify this, please contact the Support Center at 515-271-3001 or visit service.drake.edu/its to report your issue. In order to fully install your update, you will need to restart your computer.

— Carla Herling, ITS