Faculty and staff are invited to join the Center for Teaching and Learning for a faculty social in the Howard Hall Faculty Lounge (Room 212) on Wednesday, March 5, from 3:30–5 p.m.
The social is informal and family-friendly. There will be food and drinks available, music and art from Drake faculty, and of course, darts. If you have not come to see the new Faculty Lounge we would love to have you stop by.
— Bret Sikkink, Center for Teaching and Learning
ITS staff will re-implement the new security measures on our campus wireless network the evening of Thursday, March 6. The first attempt, which was initiated on February 19, caused several issues and was subsequently rolled back. These changes will only affect Drake faculty and staff using personal devices to connect to eduroam.
What’s Changing?
Employees connecting with personal devices will have limited access to certain Drake services, including Banner Admin Pages. However, essential services like myDrake and Microsoft 365 apps will remain accessible and unaffected.
Why the Change?
This update will enhance our network security by ensuring only Drake-owned devices have full access.
Need Help?
If you experience issues on your personal devices after this change or connectivity issues on any other devices, submit a ticket though the ITS service portal or call the Support Center at 515-271-3001.
— Becky Klein, ITS
Throughout the spring, join the Center for Teaching & Learning and your faculty and staff colleagues for informal lunchtime conversations about the on-going influence of generative AI on campus.
Held each month in the Faculty Lounge, Howard Hall, Room 212, each Spring D(AI)logue is scheduled multiple times throughout the week to accommodate as many schedules as possible. Visit the Campus Calendar page for more information, including all the available dates and a brief description of each month’s topics.
— Bret Sikkink, Drake Online
The Principal Center for Global Citizenship invites nominations for the Global Scholar/Practitioner-in-Residence program for Spring 2026, seeking to attract talented individuals from academia or the professions who have outstanding international expertise to teach a course, mentor students, give public lectures, work on joint research with faculty, and aid the global capacity-building of the institution through fruitful external collaborations. One scholar will be selected.
Candidates should be nominated by the academic unit to which they will be attached. Please submit the following supporting materials:
Nominations should be directed to Annique Kiel, executive director of Global Engagement and International Programs, by April 4, 2025. Preference will be given to practitioners or scholars from one of Drake’s global partners. Units considering a nomination are encouraged to consult with Annique prior to submission.
Among the criteria to be considered for the nominee:
In recognition of their contributions, Global Scholars/Practitioners receive a stipend, a travel allowance, an appropriate workspace in the host college/school, and access to university facilities. Global Scholars/Practitioners will be affiliated with an appropriate academic unit for the semester and will offer at least one course.
— Erin McSween, Cowles Library
Starting Feb. 19, new security measures will be implemented on our campus wireless network. These changes will only affect Drake faculty and staff using personal devices to connect to eduroam.
What’s Changing?
Employees connecting with personal devices will have limited access to certain Drake services, including Banner Admin Pages. However, essential services like myDrake and Microsoft 365 apps will remain accessible and unaffected.
Why the Change?
This update will enhance our network security by ensuring only Drake-owned devices have full access.
Need Help?
We’re here to assist you through this transition. For questions or support, submit a ticket though the ITS service portal (service.drake.edu/its) or call the Support Center at 515-271-3001.
— Becky Klein, ITS
It is important to know what to do if law enforcement comes to campus to request information or access. Last week faculty and staff received an email highlighting what steps to take should that occur. That information is now posted on the Human Resources internal site here. The key thing to remember is that if law enforcement requests information or access, even with a judicial warrant, the first step is to notify Public Safety at 515-271-2222 and ask law enforcement to wait until an authorized representative is contacted. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the confidentiality of student records and personally identifiable student information and similarly, there are also protections for certain information about employees. To ensure we adhere to these laws and policies, it is important that only authorized individuals respond to requests for information from law enforcement. Please read the guidance carefully. Questions can be directed to Scott Law (scott.law@drake.edu) or Venessa Macro (venessa.macro@drake.edu).
— Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer
Do you know a staff member who would like to make an impact to strengthen the staff experience on campus? Nominate them (or yourself!) NOW for All Staff Council. The following three-year positions are available:
Nominations are due Friday, Feb. 14, by midnight. Elections will be held in the spring. Newly elected members will begin their three-year term on June 1, 2025. Learn more about All Staff Council here.
— Ryan Harris, On behalf of All Staff Council
Drake Athletics has announced a unique experience for Bulldog faculty and staff to partake in the celebration of their hometown team with Hoopy Hour at the Knapp Center on Friday, Feb. 7, and Saturday, Feb. 8. The event will allow fans to experience the revamped Mid-American Atrium and Morrison Hall of Honor while getting to enjoy live music.
On Friday, Feb. 7, Hoopy Hour will take place from 3:45-5:00 p.m. in the Mid-American Atrium of the Knapp Center ahead of the women’s basketball contest against Illinois State that begins at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday’s Hoopy Hour event will also occur in the Mid-American Atrium and will be held from 2:45-4:00 p.m. ahead of the men’s basketball game against Indiana State, which begins at 5:00 p.m.
Happy hour drinks will be served, and live music performances will take place for both events. Providing the live music on Friday will be the Dogtown Rhythm Band and Saturday will feature local artist, Damon Dotson.
Dogtown Rhythm Band is a blues ensemble recently formed by Drake professors David Lubbers and Tom Buckmiller. Lubbers, a 1986 Drake Graduate and former men’s basketball player, currently serves as an assistant professor at Drake’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Buckmiller, is the Director of the LEAD program at Drake and is in his 15th year as a faculty member.
Dotson is a singer/songwriter based out of Des Moines, Iowa. Originally from Okoboji, Iowa, Dotson has opened for legendary performers like BB King, Willie Nelson, The Beach Boys, Huey Lewis and The News, as well as modern artists like Matt Nathanson, The Band Perry, Edwin McCain, and The Lone Bellow. He has also been named Des Moines’ “Best Local Musician” by City View magazine.
Game tickets are required to attend the Hoopy Hour events on both days. For Drake faculty & staff on Friday, the event ticket is $10 and includes a ticket to the game. For Drake faculty & staff on Saturday, the event ticket is $15 and includes a ticket to the game. Event tickets can be purchased HERE using the promo code DSMUSA2.
— Greg Kay, Athletics
In 1994, the Madelyn Levitt Awards were created in honor of Madelyn Levitt’s commitment to Drake and her ongoing interest in faculty and staff achievement and academic excellence. Each year they are awarded to various individuals in recognition of their excellence in a respective area of achievement consistent with Drake University’s mission and core values.
This year, the Provost’s office has added the Madelyn Levitt Scholar of the Year Award to the list in honor of Madelyn Levitt’s awards. Each year a member of the Drake University faculty will be honored with this award for their scholarship excellence as detailed in the call for nominations accessible below.
Invitations for nominations for the various awards are accessible via the respective links below. All Drake faculty, staff, and students are invited and encouraged to nominate a Drake faculty member for the appropriate award(s) per the instructions included therein.
Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Teacher of the Year Award.
Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Mentor of the Year Award.
Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Scholar of the Year Award.
— Madison Bemus, Office of the Provost
The Office of Sponsored Programs Administration & Research Compliance (SPARC) is hosting a fun, interactive faculty event on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 3:30–5:30 p.m. in Howard Hall, Room 212 (faculty lounge).
RSVP by noon on Feb. 10 to lori.byrd@drake.edu.
The networking event is an opportunity to:
Come and go as you are available! However, the longer you stay the more faculty you will meet.
SPARC staff will also be on hand to discuss funding opportunities and answer questions. Refreshments will be available.
— Lori Byrd, Director, Sponsored Programs Administration & Research Compliance
