Drake’s Entrepreneurship Centers, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and Cowles Library will hold an open house for the new innovation and collaboration space on Tuesday, Sept. 13, from noon to 2 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 124C. All faculty and staff are invited to stop by and see some of the new gizmos we have for use by all current Drake students, including photo studio equipment, Legos, clay, and a 360⁰ camera and VR goggles. We’ll also have snacks and beverages.

—Stephanie Cardwell, Administrative Assistant

The first Friday FYS lunch/discussion is on Sept. 9 at noon in the Medbury Honors Lounge. Current and potential FYS instructors are welcome. If you would like to attend, please let us know your lunch preferences online.

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost

Reminder: the first planning meeting for this spring’s Engaged Citizen Experience is on Friday, Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. in Old Main, Room 208. The theme this spring will be Demographic Opportunities and Challenges: Domestic and International. For additional information contact me at: arthur.sanders@drake.edu.

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost

Faculty and staff are welcome to join us for a variety of healthy, convenient dining options throughout the day in Quad Creek Café and Hubbell Dining Hall. Dining options are available from 7 a.m. to midnight, Monday–Friday. Quad Creek Café is a food court that offers Mediterranean, Chinese, and Mexican food; subs; grill items; and fresh salads. Hubbell Dining Hall offers an all-you-care-to-eat dining for just $7.40 and includes a variety of fresh salads, pizza, pasta, grill items, international foods, home-style comfort foods, desserts and more.

Faculty and staff can also take advantage of our CINCH program which provides a punch card for “Buy-3-Get-1-Free Meals” in Hubbell Dining. We also offer monthly Faculty & Staff Appreciation Days in which faculty and staff can dine in Hubbell Dining Hall for just $5! Hope to see you there!

—Submitted by Caron Findlay, Director, Purchasing and Business Services

Engaged Citizen Experience meeting
Each spring semester, Drake sponsors our Engaged Citizen Experience. This is 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. This spring semester theme will be: Demographic Opportunities and Challenges: Domestic and International. It was selected because of student interest as reflected in a survey done of returning students last April, and because it is directly related to many issues with local, national, and international implications including immigration, refugee, and Black Lives Matter. If you are interested in helping us plan Engaged Citizen Experience events, including our annual Engaged Citizen Conference and documentary film series, we will be having our first meeting on Friday, Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. in Old Main 208. For additional information contact me at arthur.sanders@drake.edu.

FYS lunch/discussion
The first Friday FYS lunch/discussion is on Sept. 9 at noon in the Medbury Honors Lounge. While these meetings are designed for those currently teaching FYS, we welcome those with an interest in possibly teaching FYS in the future as well. If you would like to attend please go to: http://tinyurl.com/septfyslunch and let us know your lunch preferences.

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost

Beginning with the Fall 2016 semester, those instructors who elect to use the plus/minus grading system will have the ability to assign +/- grades (i.e. A-, B+, C-, etc.).  (Prior to this fall, Drake did not use + or – grades in its grading system, except for the Law School.)

The change will begin for all courses offered in the Fall 2016 semester and later. Grades for courses offered in semesters prior to Fall 2016 will not be affected. This includes grades for undergraduate, graduate, and professional health care students. The grading system for Law School students will not change.

For more information, visit the +/- grading FAQ on the Student Records Office web site.

—Melissa Sturm-Smith, Associate Provost for Academic Excellence and Student Success

Join us for a free lunch with your co-workers from across campus on Monday, Aug. 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fine Arts Arcade (north end of the Fine Arts Center). The severe rain location is Pomerantz Stage area, Olmsted Center.

We will have a meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 17 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in TMR 132 (lower level of Olmsted) to discuss the theme of the Spring 2017 Engaged Citizen Experience. In the student survey conducted in April, three themes emerged: “The World at War,” “National Identity in a Global Society,” and “Demographic Opportunities and Challenges.” We can take one of these themes, or fashion something that incorporates two or more of them. For more information and to let us know if you are able to attend, please go to: www.eventbrite.com/e/engaged-citizen-topic-discussion-meeting-registration-26878668822

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost

The 2016 Fall Convocation will be held on Friday, Aug. 26, at 1:30 p.m. in The Knapp Center. All staff and faculty are encouraged to attend this important event welcoming new first-year and transfer students to Drake.

Faculty: If you are planning on attending convocation, please RSVP no later than noon on Monday, Aug. 22 to https://drakeconvocation2016.eventbrite.com.

The Knapp Center North Lower Level Lobby will be utilized as a staging/dressing area for faculty beginning at 1 p.m. with lineup at 1:25 p.m. You may enter via the Bell Center. The attire for faculty is academic regalia.

—Office of the Provost