Category Archives: For Staff Archive

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From the Office of the Associate Provost

Friday FYS lunch/discussion: Sept. 8

The first Friday First Year Seminar lunch/discussion will be held Sept. 8 at 12 p.m. in TMR 133. While these meetings are designed for those currently teaching FYS, we welcome those with an interest in teaching FYS in the future. If you would like to attend, click here  and note your lunch preference.

Engaged Citizen Experience planning meeting: Sept. 8

Each spring semester, Drake sponsors its Engaged Citizen Experience––a series of cocurricular events designed to bring Drake students, staff, and faculty together with the Greater Des Moines community to discuss important political and social issues. The theme for the spring semester will be: Nourishing (Feeding) the World. The theme was selected based on student interest as reflected in a survey done of returning students last April, as well as feedback from faculty and staff who either attended a meeting on Aug. 16, or who sent their perspectives to us. It is an issue with multiple dimensions at the local, state, national, and international levels.

If you are interested in helping plan Engaged Citizen Experience events, including our annual Engaged Citizen Conference and documentary film series, the first meeting will be held on Friday, Sept. 8, at 9 a.m. in Old Main, Room 208.

Join the discussion on inclusive learning environments: Sept. 11

For the past two years, a group of faculty and staff have been meeting monthly to discuss issues related to creating inclusive learning environments. The meetings will continue and will be open to anyone on campus who wishes to talk about the challenges, successes, and failures we have faced as we try to navigate this difficult issue. This semester, the group will meet the second Monday of the month at 3:30 p.m. Hence, the first meeting will be at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 11, in the Olmsted Center, Drake Room.

For questions, contact Arthur Sanders at arthur.sanders@drake.edu.

— Arthur Sanders, Associate Provost

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Town hall meeting on HLC accreditation and social event

Faculty and staff are invited to attend a town hall meeting on Drake’s institutional accreditation review by the Higher Learning Commission on Thursday, Sept. 14, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. in the Shivers Hospitality Suite. Kevin Saunders and Craig Owens will present a brief but compelling summary of our case for reaccreditation and an overview of our continuing preparations. A short Q&A will follow the presentation.

During the social hour immediately following the Q&A, guests can enjoy a beer, glass of wine, or non-alcoholic alternative, and reconnect with one another as we embark together on the beginning of the academic year. Worried about running out of things to talk about during the Social? We’ve got you covered. An exciting array of posters will bring the accreditation process to life and celebrate our many collective achievements since our last HLC review, nearly 10 years ago.

In addition to complimentary beverages, there will be snacks and popcorn. Parking is available nearby.

— Drinda Williams, Provost’s Office

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Purchase a parking pass for the upcoming school year

Parking permits for the 2017­–2018 academic year are available for purchase in the Student Services Center or online through blueView. Beat the rush and consider purchasing a pass before students return.

Registration forms can be picked up in the Student Services Center or printed from the Public Safety website. An option to use payroll deduct is also available for full-time faculty and staff.

More information, including a list of frequently asked questions, is available on the Public Safety website. For additional parking questions, contact the Student Services Center or Public Safety.

— Sara Heijerman, Student Services Center

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From the President: Higher Learning Commission visit in October

We are now in the home stretch of our preparations for our comprehensive reaccreditation review by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). For more than three years, many on campus have been working hard to craft a compelling and wide-ranging dossier of materials that shows Drake University at its best. As we near the October site visit by the HLC’s team of peer-reviewers, I am writing to ask for your continued support.

Please save the dates of Monday through noon Tuesday, October 23–24, 2017, as the site visit team will expect to meet with a number of campus community members, including students, faculty, staff, academic and administrative leadership, and trustees.

We will not know with certainty with whom the team will want to meet until early to mid-October. As we receive their requests for meetings, Kevin Saunders will be in touch to request invitees’ attendance. I ask that you make yourself as available to the visiting reviewers as possible, that you refrain from scheduling meetings, events, or other obligations during that period, and that you keep an eye out for requests to attend interviews and meetings with the visiting team.

Please also be aware that the HLC reviewers’ needs for meeting space will be high priorities. So, you may find that on-campus venues commonly available for general use will be held in reserve during the dates of the site visit.

As we get closer to the visit, you will receive updates and invitations to learn more about our reaccreditation efforts. I trust you will find the case we present to the HLC enlightening and uplifting. In the meantime, thanks for the hard work and care from those already involved in preparations for the review and, in advance, for your flexibility and willingness to take part in the visit, should you be asked to do so.

— Marty Martin, President

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J. Scott Raecker to deliver keynote address at Learning Symposium

J. Scott Raecker, executive director of The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center, will deliver the keynote address, “Building Community at Drake—Where Do We Go From Here and What Role do I Play,” at the 2017 Drake University Learning Symposium Aug. 18 at the Sheraton in West Des Moines. The interactive presentation will focus on how we each play a role in creating a culture of excellence that will further build community at Drake. The session will introduce research-based strategies that The Ray Center is utilizing to positively shape culture with higher education, workplace, and public service organizations across the country. Outcome expectations include individual awareness and commitment to act on the opportunities we each have to enrich the Drake community through intentional relationship building and core leadership competencies that will enhance performance.

Faculty and staff are invited to register for the 2017 Learning Symposium on Eventbrite. For more details on the symposium, including a schedule of events, click here.

—Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

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Seeking volunteers for Iowa State Fair booth

The Office of Community Relations is calling on all faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners to help represent Drake at the Iowa State Fair Aug. 10–20.

Drake will host a booth inside the Varied Industries building at the fairgrounds. Volunteers are needed to greet and visit with fairgoers, apply temporary tattoos, distribute promotional giveaways, and share news about the great things happening on campus.

Volunteer shifts are four hours each: 9 a.m.–1 p.m., 1–5 p.m., and 5–9 p.m. Fair admission and a parking pass will be provided so volunteers can enjoy the Fair before and after their shift. A PowerPoint presentation will be provided to volunteers with information on booth relations. Unlike last year, the first Friday of the Fair will not be designated as Drake Day.

The Fair is an opportunity to engage and interact with the Des Moines community and fellow Iowans. The community relations office appreciates all of the support it has received in the past and is eager to serve with faculty and staff again this year.

Sign up for a shift here.

— Nick Valdez, University Advancement

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Learning Symposium registration is open

Drake faculty and staff are invited to register for what is sure to be an interesting and educational day. This year’s Learning Symposium, Building Community, will be held Aug. 18 at the Sheraton in West Des Moines. Faculty and staff can find more information and register here. The symposium will include a continental breakfast, a large group program, two break-out sessions, and a luncheon. Scott Raecker, executive director of the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center, will give the keynote address.

—Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

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Play in the dirt: Volunteer at Sprout

Sprout—The Des Moines Urban Youth Learning Garden—is looking for volunteers to help with garden upkeep this summer. Located at 25th Street and Forest Avenue, Sprout is a place for all ages to gather, learn, explore, and provide for the community. Drake is a sponsor of Sprout. Faculty and staff are encouraged to use community service leave to volunteer at the garden. Eight hours of community service leave are granted to employees each year. For volunteer information, email renee.sedlacek@drake.edu.

Follow us on Facebook or learn more about using Community Service Leave here. 

—Renee Sedlacek, Office of Academic Excellence and Student Success

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Summer Book Club—Lab Girl

There’s still time to read the summer book club book!  Our current book is Lab Girl by Hope Jahren; this book won a National Book Critics Circle Award and is a great summer read. Cowles Library has books available for checkout on a weekly basis (hint: ask for the book on reserve at the circulation desk).

Contact Sara at ascspecialevents@drake.edu if you have any questions, would like to receive future book club info directly to your email, or would like to RSVP for the discussion. We are planning to meet Tuesday, July 11, at 4:45 (note the CHANGE IN DATE from original post) at Eatery A—we’ve had a lot of fun at these, please feel free to join us.

If you can’t make the discussion, we hope you’ll enjoy the book recommendation. We’ll also be looking for book selection ideas for the next fiscal year, so feel free to send any book suggestions our way.

Drake Book Club – previous selections:

  • The Kind Worth Killing – Peter Swanson
  • Thirteen Ways of Looking – Colum McCann
  • The Boys in the Boat – Daniel James Brown
  • The Nest – Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
  • Hidden Figures – Margo Lee Shetterly
  • Bottomland – Michelle Hoover
  • Lab Girl – Hope Jahren (current selection)

—ASC Special Events Committee and Cowles Library
Sara Heijerman and Dan Chibnall
(Current Book Club Contacts)

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Package delivery to Drake Postal Operations

To help improve communication and accountability of incoming packages received and delivered by Drake Postal Operations, we will be implementing a package notification system beginning in July. On the faculty/staff end, this will simply consist of a notification email (similar to the one listed below) that you will receive upon the arrival and processing of your incoming packages by Drake Postal Operations. This email will contain the tracking number and carrier of the received package and lets you know that your package is in Drake’s possession and will be delivered as normal unless otherwise desired.

Dear [Faculty/Staff],
 
We have received a package in your name at Drake Postal Operations located in the Olmsted Center. We will deliver the package to your departmental mail room, at our earliest opportunity, within the next business day.
 
If this package is urgently needed, please contact us at 515-271-3162 or reply to this email for earlier delivery. You’re also welcome to stop by our department to pick up your package.  
 
 
Date received: July 5, 2017
Tracking Number: 1Z1234567891234567
Carrier: UPS
 
Thank you,
Drake University Postal Operations  

On our end, this system will allow us to help answer any package inquiries by recording all packages received by our department and letting us search by name and tracking number. Please note, that if a package is delivered to you directly by the carrier driver (UPS or Fed Ex) and therefore not handled by our department, it will not be processed through this system, and you will not receive a notification email from our department. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this new system. Thank you.

—Tim Reger, Drake Postal Operations