Every Tuesday in OnCampus the Deputy Provost shares two articles with a read time of 10 minutes.

Good faculty mentoring increases our ability to retain high quality faculty; it also helps create and sustain job satisfaction across the lifespan of a faculty career.  There are several models for creating a good mentoring program—one that supports faculty from the moment they are hired until the moment they retire.

Are you interested in being part of a faculty mentoring program—either as someone who receives mentoring, or as someone who provides it? I’d like to have a conversation about what your needs, expectations, experiences, and capacities might be as I look forward to launching a comprehensive faculty mentoring program as part of the Center for Teaching Excellence over the summer.

Please plan ahead to participate in a conversation after spring break, Friday, March 25, from 1:30–3 p.m. in Howard Hall, Room 210.  Register here, so we can provide hospitality. If you cannot attend but would like to be a mentor—or be assigned a mentor—please email renee.cramer@.drake.edu to inform me.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

Every Tuesday in OnCampus the Deputy Provost shares two articles with a read time of 10 minutes.

Our March read for Books for Breakfast is Nathan Grawe’s Agile College: How Institutions Successfully Navigate Demographic Change.  You will remember Professor Grawe from the 2019 Learning Symposium, and before that through faculty senate’s engagement with his work during the 2018–2019 school year. This book is his newest, and it constitutes a follow-up to the one about the dreaded demographic cliff.

Even better, we have guest facilitators for this book: Sean Severe (CBPA) and Natalie Bayer (A&S). Please join Sean, Natalie, and me on March 8 and March 22, from 8:30–9:30 a.m. in Howard Hall, Room 210. Register here by Feb. 25.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

The Midwest Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning takes place at Indiana University at South Bend April 1.  The theme is Authentic and Joyous Learning, and my office is (joyfully) able to offer financial support to two faculty who wish to attend and share what they learn, with a preference for funding to those faculty who are currently engaged in SOTL work. Please email renee.cramer@drake.edu and nicki.kimm@drake.edu by March 1 if you would like to access this opportunity; we will contact you by March 4 for planning purposes.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

Drake Men’s Basketball will host Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 3 p.m. during their final home game of the season. Each faculty and staff member can receive up to four complimentary tickets to the game. Redeem tickets here.

For more information on all Faculty and Staff Appreciation days, visit DrakeTix.com/facultyandstaffdays. Please remember that per Drake University policy, masks are required in the Knapp Center. Please email tickets@drake.edu with any questions.

— Aimee Lane, Athletics

ITS received some questions about the scope of the upcoming requirement to encrypt email messages that contain certain types of confidential information that was announced in the Feb. 1 issue of OnCampus.

To clarify, emails that include the following types of information will initially be flagged by the system and an automated notification will be returned to the sender, but the message will still be sent:

• Social Security numbers
• Tax Identification numbers
• Driver’s License numbers
• US Passport numbers
• Credit card information

Starting May 1, any unencrypted email to a non drake.edu email address that includes the type of confidential information listed above won’t be sent. You will receive an automated response letting you know your email was not sent. You can then either follow the provided instructions and encrypt your email, or resend without the confidential information.

See instructions below on how to send and open encrypted emails:

Sending and Receiving Encrypted Email Messages (How-to)

Further questions about this upcoming change? Or about Drake’s Information Security policy? Please contact informationsecurity@drake.edu.

— Chris Mielke, ITS

Time is running short to submit a nomination for a Called to be True Blue award.

• Submit your nomination by April 1 to make sure the individual or group you want to honor will be in the running for a coveted Sapphire Award in May.
• Anyone nominated after April 1 will still be recognized, but will be included in next year’s Sapphire Awards program.

This is a great way to recognize those who go above and beyond for Drake.

Go here to read about the award criteria and to submit your nomination.

— Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

Every Tuesday in OnCampus the Deputy Provost shares two articles with a read time of 10 minutes.

This is a reminder of several upcoming application due dates for faculty awards, honors, and funding coming out of the Office of the Deputy Provost.

Feb. 18 due dates:

Nominations for the Levitt Mentor Award and the Levitt Teacher Award are due to renee.cramer@drake.edu and nicki.kimm@drake.edu

March 8 due dates:

Nominations to college/school deans, and unit heads, for the Ellis and Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professorships.  Self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged. Each nomination must include a letter of nomination that makes clear the qualifications of the individual to become a Levitt Professor and a current c.v.  (see this post in OnCampus for more details).

March 18 due dates:

Faculty can apply for funding to hire student assistants for their research in the coming academic year.

Applicants for the Troyer Research Fellowship should submit (via email to renee.cramer@drake.edu and nicki.kimm@drake.edu) a current curriculum vitae, a letter of application of no more than three pages, a preliminary budget suggesting how the fellowship dollars might be spent, and a one-paragraph abstract written for a non-specialist audience that summarizes the proposed research. The application letter should address the applicant’s record of scholarly accomplishment, future promise, how they will benefit and how the university will benefit if selected as the Troyer Research Fellow.

 April 1 due date:

Applications forDrake Research Grantsfor the coming academic year (July 22 – July 23). These grants can include the possibility of sabbatical research support.

Rolling due dates:

Faculty Development Grants – we particularly welcome those proposals for projects that support innovative and high impact pedagogy and curriculum development, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and professional development as a leader at the institution.

As funds are available, between now and April 1, Drake Research Grants for late-breaking needs, with a close date of the funding as June 30, 2021.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

Every Tuesday in OnCampus the Deputy Provost shares two articles with a read time of 10 minutes.

I’m passing this information along for faculty and staff to be aware of the resources available to our students, in support of their mental health.  Please share widely with the students you encounter—whether or not they appear ‘in crisis’ or ‘in need.’ Need and crisis manifest in different ways in different people—let’s assume we all could use a bit of help this semester (and always).

Anxiety Support Group
Purpose: The Anxiety Support Group serves to assist students in understanding and developing strategies to respond to anxiety. This group is for any students wanting to learn ways to support themselves with anxiety present as a student and within life.

Participants: All full-time or part-time Drake University students

When: Every Wednesday through May 11, 2022, through Spring 2022 semester, excluding spring break and finals week.

Where: Zoom (email Amber.wilkins@drake.edu for the link)

Time: 4–5p.m.

Black and Glowing (B.A.G): African American Self-Care Group
Purpose: The B.A.G. group aims to reflect on the ways you can enhance your bag of self-worth and manage and address the challenges of healing and practicing self-care as a Black person in college, in addition to your other intersectional identities.

Participants: This is a group aimed at Drake University Black women+ and men+ students. The (+) represents the spectrum of gender identity and is also inclusive of students that have experienced socialization within a specific gender. Please join us in any gender identity or expression that is important to you.

When: Women+: 1st and 3rd Tuesday, Men+: 2nd and 4th Tuesday through Spring 2022 semester, excluding spring break and finals week.

Where: Zoom (email kayla.bell@drake.edu and tyler.lewis@drake.edu)

Time: 6–7 p.m.

For more information about the counseling center services, please visit the Counseling Center’s website.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost