Who can sign University contracts? What are important things to look out for when reviewing contracts? When are insurance provisions required in contracts? Where should we send completed contracts?

These questions can be answered by consulting the contracting resources section of the Drake University Risk and Insurance office web page. Sign up now for an overview of these resources and an opportunity to ask questions about the contracting process at Drake. Virtual (TEAMS) sessions are planned as follows:

Monday, March 18, from 2–2:45 p.m.

Thursday, March 21, from 11–11:45 a.m.

Please send an e-mail to ducontracts@drake.edu to register for one of the above listed sessions.

In addition, for a deeper dive into contracting principles, we are offering an on-demand online training program. If you would like to view that program, please e-mail ducontracts@drake.edu to request access information.

— Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

Drake women’s basketball is hosting a faculty and staff appreciation night on Thursday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. during their game against Missouri State. All Drake Faculty and staff members can claim up to two free tickets by using promo code DUSTAFF!

Get tickets: https://shorturl.at/knBER

— Gregory Kay, Athletics

The annual Survey of Administrative Services, SAS, is an opportunity for faculty and staff to provide feedback on how services are performed across the campus.  Facilities Planning and Management uses this input to celebrate our successes over the last year and where opportunities for improvement may lie within our team.

Survey respondents provided largely positive feedback about FPM services.  Satisfaction with FPM staff courtesy, professionalism, knowledge, timeliness, resolution of issues and communication regarding work orders and projects received similar ratings to last year.

The eleven FPM specific services that were evacuated received ratings in which some services were slightly lower this year than the past year, with a few services receiving higher marks. Grounds team is this year’s winner of the FPM Golden Bulldog Award, 2^nd year in a row, for receiving the highest satisfactory rating within FPM at 4.57 out of 5. Congratulation to the Grounds Team!

Overall satisfaction with FPM dipped a little from the previous year.  We contribute this to several factors, the lower number of respondents to the survey, and from the comments, truly understanding the role of FPM.  Our team is dedicated to maintaining campus buildings and grounds to the best of our abilities.  We recognize there are some outdated systems and infrastructure, but those are still operational due to the hard work of the staff.  We would like nothing more that be able to remodel and updated every building, until that time, our staff is ensuring that the learning environment is to the utmost main concern of our mission.

FPM continues to review areas of opportunities for improvement.  This coming year communication to the campus remains a top priority.  Keeping everyone updated on work orders or projects that affect their daily routine tends to be an area that gets many comments on the survey.  Being proactive and reporting and addressing issues prior to those becoming larger concerns is going to be followed through by our front-line staff.  Lastly, FPM will continue to exhibit the core values in everything we do.

— Kevin Moran, Facilities Planning and Management, Executive Director

Drake Honorary Degree and Drake Medal nominations are being accepted through March 31, 2024. Updated nomination information and forms can be accessed here. Completed nominations should be sent to Carrie Koenigsfeld, committee chair, at carrie.koenigsfeld@drake.edu.

— Cheryle Anania, President’s Office

In 2009, the Drake University Board of Trustees in 2009 voted to create the Ronald Troyer Research Fellowship Endowment for full-time faculty members in recognition of Dr. Troyer’s many contributions to Drake University during his tenure as Provost, 2000-2009.  In creating this fellowship, the Trustees particularly wanted to recognize Provost Troyer’s unwavering commitment to the support of faculty research and development at the highest level. The Fellowship is awarded annually based on a competitive application process conducted by the Office of the Deputy Provost. Selection of the Troyer Research Fellow from among the applicants is based on the applicant’s record of scholarly accomplishment and future promise as a scholar. 

The Troyer Research Fellow receives an award of $5,000 in support of his/her scholarly work. The funds must be spent in the fiscal year in which they were awarded and may be used for a variety of research-related purposes, including support of research assistants, equipment, travel and materials, but funds may not be used to provide a stipend for the recipient.  A faculty member is not eligible for more than one Troyer Research Fellowship in a ten-year period. 

To apply, please submit a 5–7 page document including:

• A narrative of the work to be accomplished that includes a timeline for its completion, and the intended outcomes (i.e.: type of publication, performance, or presentation).
• A one-paragraph abstract written for a non-specialist audience summarizing the proposed research.
• A preliminary budget suggesting how the dollars might be spent.
• An abbreviated cv that highlights relevant research and creative work, teaching and service.

The application materials should address the applicant’s record of scholarly accomplishment, future promise, how they will benefit and how the university will benefit if they are selected as the Troyer Research Fellow. Applications must be submitted to the Office of the Deputy Provost Office (via electronic submission to madison.bemus@drake.edu) on or before Feb. 16, 2024. Applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of former Troyer Fellows and other faculty holding endowed professorships. The committee will make recommendations to the Deputy Provost and the Fellowship will be awarded by the Provost after confirmation by the Board of Trustees. 

— Jimmy Senteza, Deputy Provost 

All Drake faculty, staff, and students are invited and encouraged to nominate a Drake faculty member for the Madelyn Levitt Teacher Award, created in 1994 in honor of Madelyn Levitt’s commitment to Drake, and her ongoing interest in faculty and staff achievement and academic excellence.  

Each year this award recognizes commitment to student success on the Drake campus by honoring a member of the Drake University faculty for excellence in teaching.   To nominate an individual, please submit a letter that speaks to the following qualifications:   

•   an informed mind in inspirational dialogue with students.
•   integrity in personal relationships.
•   rigor in intellectual endeavors.
•   contagious enthusiasm for her/his subject matter.

A nominee must be a faculty member holding the rank of instructor, or above, and in at least her/his fourth academic year of service.  A nominee cannot have won this award within the past five years. The letter of nomination is due to Deputy Provost Jimmy Senteza no later than February 16, 2024.  The letter should be sent as an attachment to jimmy.senteza@drake.edu and madison.bemus@drake.edu. 

The nominated individual will be notified by the Provost’s Office of her/his nomination and asked if they are willing to be considered.  

At the nominee’s acceptance, the nominator will be asked to collect the following supporting material and submit it to madison.bemus@drake.edu by March 16, 2024:   

• a curriculum vitae;
• a short statement, by the nominee, of educational philosophy or about methods of teaching;
• teaching evaluations for the nominee for the previous two semesters.

A minimum of one additional letter supporting the nomination must be submitted. At least one letter of support must be from a current student and at least one letter of support must come from a faculty member, and there may be no more than five letters including the nomination letter and letters supporting the nomination. 

Electronic submission of materials is required. Send all documents to madison.bemus@drake.edu. The 2024 recipient of the Madelyn Levitt Teacher Award will be announced at one of the spring 2024 commencements.

Additional information is available here.

— Jimmy Senteza, Deputy Provost 

In 1994, the Madelyn Levitt Mentor Award was created in honor of Madelyn Levitt’s commitment to Drake and her ongoing interest in faculty and staff achievement and academic excellence. Each year this award recognizes commitment to student success on the Drake campus by honoring a member of the Drake University faculty or staff for excellence in advising and mentoring students.  

You are invited this year to nominate a faculty or staff member for this prestigious award.

Process:

1.  A letter of nomination should be submitted recommending an individual for the award and explaining the context and way the nominator has come to know the faculty or staff member.  This letter should speak to the following qualifications:

· an outstanding commitment to student success in and out of the classroom in support of the Drake mission.

· integrity in personal relationships.

· typifying the ideal student mentor by providing for students the support they need to graduate and move forward to live productive, fulfilling lives.

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. 

The letter is due to Deputy Provost Jimmy Senteza, no later than Feb. 16, 2024. The letter should be sent as an attachment to madison.bemus@drake.edu.

2. The nominated individual is notified by the Provost’s Office of her/his nomination and asked of her/his willingness to be considered.

3.  At the nominee’s acceptance, the nominator is asked to collect the following supporting material and submit it to madison.bemus@drake.edu in the Provost’s Office by March 16, 2024: a curriculum vitae or resume, a minimum of one other letter supporting the nomination, and a description by the nominee of activities which illustrate her/his mentoring/advising involvement.  At least one of the letters must be from a current student and there may be no more than five letters supporting the nomination. Electronic submission of materials is required. Send all documents to madison.bemus@drake.edu. 

4.  A screening committee, appointed by the Provost, will review all nominations and make appropriate recommendations to the Provost.

5.   Any individual who was initially nominated for the award in 2022 or 2023 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.  In the case of re-nomination, the nominator will be invited to review the file to ensure that the nomination is as current as possible. The limit of five letters of support, including one from a current student, also applies to re-nominations.

The 2024 recipient of the Madelyn Levitt Mentor Award will be announced at one of the spring 2024 commencements.

— Jimmy Senteza, Deputy Provost

Time is running out to submit a nomination for a True Blue Award. Submit your nomination by Friday, March 1, to make sure the individual or group you want to honor will be in the running for a coveted Sapphire Award in April. Nominations of any length are meaningful, and there aren’t any requirements about a specific number of paragraphs.

Read more about the award criteria and submit your nomination. Cheers to starting the New Year by reminding folks that they are appreciated.

— Betsy Wilson, On behalf of All Staff Council

The Drake Principal Center for Global Citizenship is currently accepting nominations from Drake faculty and staff for the 2024 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 and a stipend of up to $3,000. A screening committee, appointed by the Provost, reviews all nominations and makes recommendations to the Provost.

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:

Pursuant to the University’s mission to prepare students for “responsible global citizenship,” this letter must also explain how the nominee has made outstanding contributions toward at least one of the following priority areas:

• High impact global learning
• A globally-engaged campus
• Access to global opportunities
• Enhanced global and intercultural competency (students)
• Increased global and intercultural capacity (faculty and staff)

The nominee must be a faculty or staff members in their fourth year of service at the University, at minimum. The nominee cannot have won this award within the past five years. Faculty and staff members who work directly for Global Engagement are ineligible.

Nominees who indicate a willingness to be considered will be invited to submit a CV and a statement discussing their contributions to the above goals. One or two additional letters of support from faculty, staff or students will be accepted; this is optional.

Any individual who was nominated for the award in the preceding year may be re-nominated if the nominator resubmits a letter offering the individual for consideration this year. A record of previous nominees is maintained for two years. If a faculty or staff member is re-nominated, the nominator will be invited to review the file from the previous year to ensure that the nomination details are current.

The nomination period closes on Friday, February 11, 2024. Nomination letters should be submitted via this online form.

Questions may be directed to Annique Kiel, Executive Director for Global Engagement and International Programs.

— Dawson Urquidez, Global Engagement