Category Archives: For Staff Archive

Bulldog Applause: Spotlight on Arts & Sciences

Beginning this month, the All Staff Council is selecting a unit at Drake monthly and honoring all staff members within that unit. Following a drawing of all campus units, the Recognition Committee surprises the department with cookies donated by Sodexo and caps off the month with an OnCampus article spotlighting them. We hope you’ll enjoy getting to know a bit more about the staff members serving the College of Arts and Sciences, our first honoree.

The College of Arts & Sciences, Drake’s largest college/school, is home to 12 staff members serving approximately 228 full-time and adjunct faculty members. The longest-serving staff member is Margaret Corkrean, A&S budget and office manager, and the newest addition is Kayla Jenkins, who started at Drake in August 2015 and recently became assistant to the dean. Seven staff members “live” in FAC, while the rest are distributed among Howard, Meredith, Cline, Fitch, and Olin.

The staff’s primary function is to aid the professors in their work and help students reach their academic goals, particularly in the case of assistant deans. They also help organize various music series, theatre projects, lecture series (including Writers and Critics, The Comparison Project, etc.), and Humanities Center events. Most recently, Administrative Assistant Katie Dale is working closely with World Languages and Cultures to organize the 10th Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum (CLAC) Conference, hosted on campus Oct. 21–22.

Kudos to staff in the College of Arts and Sciences, who help bring the Drake brand of excellence to programming in the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and fine arts, and are at the heart of the University’s liberal arts experience.

—All Staff Council Recognition Committee

From the Associate Provost: Oct. 24

SoTL Lunch 
A reminder: The second of our monthly Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) lunches is this Friday, Oct. 28, at noon in Olmsted Center, TMR 133. These discussions are opportunities for those engaged in SoTL projects at any level from just thinking about starting one to almost complete, or those simply curious about SoTL to share ideas, seek advice, or ask questions of colleagues engaged in this process. If you would like us to provide lunch for you, please register by Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. at http://tinyurl.com/SoTL-Oct2016 . For more information, contact arthur.sanders@drake.edu.

FYS Lunch/Discussion
Our November, FYS Lunch/Discussion is Friday, Nov. 4, at noon in the Medbury Honors Lounge. While these meetings are designed for those currently teaching FYS, we welcome those with an interest in teaching a FYS in the future as well. If you would like to attend, please visit http://tinyurl.com/NovFYSLunch2016 and let us know your lunch preferences.

Faculty/Staff Days—Basketball

All faculty and staff are eligible to receive up to four complimentary tickets to the events listed below. Tickets may be picked up at the Drake Athletics Ticket Office Monday–Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or at the ticket window on game day. Must show valid Drake Card at time of pick up.

Women’s Basketball
Drake vs. Northern Illinois
Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.
Knapp Center

Men’s Basketball
Drake vs. Fresno State
Dec. 3 at 2 p.m.
Knapp Center

Men’s Basketball
Drake vs. Wichita State
Feb. 1, 2017 at 6 p.m.
Knapp Center

Women’s Basketball
Drake vs. Illinois State
Feb. 10, 2017 at 7 p.m.
Knapp Center

More information is available at www.DrakeTix.com/promotions.

Questions? Call 515-271-3647 or email tickets@drake.edu.

—Tom Florian, Drake Athletics

Help update the master plan for Cowles Library

Cowles Library is engaging in a process to update and refresh the master plan for the physical use and layout of the Library. We are conducting a series of input sessions. ALL faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend an open session on Oct. 28 at 8:45 a.m. in Room 201. Refreshments will be served! More details (and an optional sign-up link) are available here: http://bit.ly/cowles2016

— Claudia Frazer, Cowles Library

SoTL lunch Oct. 28

The second of our monthly Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) lunches is Friday, Oct. 28, at noon in Olmsted Center, TMR 133 (lower level). These discussions are opportunities for those engaged in SoTL projects at any level, from just thinking about starting one to almost complete, or those simply curious about SoTL to share ideas, seek advice, or ask questions of colleagues engaged in this process.

If you would like us to provide lunch for you, please register at: http://tinyurl.com/SoTL-Oct2016. For more information, contact arthur.sanders@drake.edu.

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost

Be like Mike

Rec Services hosts an open hour of drop-in basketball every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 12–1 p.m. at the Bell Center. If you are looking for a way to get back on the court and meet new members on campus, the lesser-known NBA is for you!

—Jordan Grindeland, Rec Services

4th annual Executive Forum on Diversity and Inclusion

Make plans to attend the 4th annual Executive Forum on Diversity and Inclusion, presented by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Featured topics include:

  • A keynote presentation by John Forsyth, chairman and CEO, and Rona Berinobis, vice president, inclusion and organizational development, both of Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield on “Creating an Inclusive Workplace Culture, Radical Acts of Civility.” (Facilitated by Donna Redwing, executive director of One Iowa, and Heather Schott, assistant director of diversity and inclusion, Principal)
  • Roundtable discussions on “Talent Pools to Consider: homeless, immigrant/refugee, ex-offender, and veteran populations.”

The event will be on Friday, Nov. 4, 8 a.m.–noon, at the Airport Holiday Inn, 6111 Fleur Drive. Drake is supporting this event as a table sponsor. Register online today.

—Melissa Sturm-Smith, Academic Excellence and Student Success

Multicultural Reception

Drake and Catch Des Moines are co-sponsoring the November Multicultural Reception, an event presented by the Greater Des Moines Partnership, on Nov. 3, 5:30–7:30 p.m. in Parents Hall, Olmsted Center. Come and enjoy some beverages and appetizers while networking with other professionals from the Greater Des Moines region. These receptions have a history of attracting 200–500+ attendees; it is a great opportunity to build new relationships with others who are passionate about our region and building an even more inclusive community.

Register online today!

—Melissa Sturm-Smith, Academic Excellence and Student Success

All Staff Council HUNGER FIGHT

Volunteer with your colleagues for an afternoon of meal packaging at Meals from the Heartland! We’ll package meals from 1 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 28 at the Heartland Facility, 357 Lincoln st., West Des Moines. Volunteers are encouraged to help clean up after the shift, then mingle with colleagues at The Tavern Restaurant.

Please register to sign up via this Eventbrite link before Oct. 21, and feel free to direct any questions about the event to brett.niederhauser@drake.edu. All volunteers are automatically entered into the 2017 All Staff Council parking pass drawing.

When you package meals, you’re helping thousands of hungry people throughout the world. Meals are transported directly to locations where people are undernourished or starving. Not only are you helping people in need, but meal packaging is also a fun, easy way to volunteer and get to know other staff members. You may be able to use your Community Service Leave for this event—check with your manager to see if this is an option.

If you can’t make it to the event, but would like to participate in some way, you may donate directly to Meals From the Heartland on their website. ASC will not be organizing a food drive this winter, so this could be a great opportunity for you or your department to donate in another way!

For more information, review the ASC Hunger Fight Flyer.

Hope to see you there.

—All Staff Council