Join us in the Innovation Studio (Meredith, 124C) from 1–4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, to learn to use the sticker maker and the button maker. Come with a design idea or let us help you make one. Or just learn to use the equipment so you can come back later on your own (equipment is always available). Students of any major are welcome!
— Stephanie Cardwell, Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership
As we begin another year, we pause to say thank you for your support of Drake. Collectively, we transform lives in so many ways. Gifts to Drake impact the educational experience. If you have already made a gift this fiscal year, THANK YOU!
If you haven’t made a gift this fiscal year, please join me in continuing your engagement. Your contribution, to any area you wish to support, makes a meaningful difference and sends a powerful message.
You can make a gift on our website or through payroll deduction by contacting Pam Pepper at pam.pepper@drake.edu or (515) 271-4558. Your contributions will help the University continue to empower students to achieve their dreams.
If you would like to participate in All In, our 24-hour giving campaign, please mark April 2 & 3 on your calendar.
— Pam Pepper, University Advancement
The ITS project management team hosts a bi-weekly project update call. During this 15 minute call, we share brief updates on our larger technology initiatives with campus. It’s a great way to get learn more about what ITS is working on. We would like to let everyone know of an upcoming time change to this call. It will remain on Thursdays, but it will move from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. starting Thursday, Oct. 3. The dates, new times, and details for joining the call can be found on the campus calendar.
Additional information on projects can be found on the ITS website.
— Kris Brewster, ITS
All students, staff, and faculty are invited to complete the Drake Dining Survey to help direct and enhance dining services throughout campus. We value your opinion. One entry per person. Survey ends Oct. 5, 2019.
Utilizing an independent online research questionnaire, the Drake Dining Survey will allow us to better understand your needs and work toward future solutions that will better serve the Drake community.
Your Voice Matters
Now is your chance to have your voice heard. We will make positive enhancements to dining services based on your feedback. Take the survey
If you have any questions please contact Jennifer Bowersox with Sodexo at (515) 271-2995 or jennifer.bowersox@sodexo.com.
—Jennifer Bowersox, Drake Dining
The recent hurricane has left more than 70,000 people homeless and in need of shelter, food, medical and sanitary supplies. Life in paradise as we know it, will never be the same. The Bahamian people are fighting for survival and you may be asking, “How can I help?”
Donating Cash is Best
In the early stages of the response phase, most organizations are unable to accommodate any material goods. Unsolicited donations create a challenge of storage and sorting when focus is needed on response and recovery. Cash offers voluntary agencies the most flexibility in obtaining the most-needed resources, food, water, medicine, and equipment, from secure and familiar supply chains. Check out this Donate Responsibly Campaign video for more reasons!
Here are a few donation efforts we are aware of:
Volunteer Locally
Meals From the Heartland has a goal of packing and shipping 285,120 meals and raising $50,000 to fund the meals. Sign up to volunteer here!
Educate Yourself & Others
Read up on the latest news and follow along on social media. Here are a few suggestions:
Trending Hashtags:
#BahamasStrong
#IowafortheBahamas
#BentnotBroken
Following the Aftermath:
Hurricane Dorian Science:
Missing People Search: https://dorianpeoplesearch.com
— Renee Sedlacek, director, Community Engaged Learning
Can you see yourself living and working in Washington, D.C.? A representative from The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars will be on campus on Tuesday, Sept. 25, and will hold an all-campus information session from 3:30–4:30 p.m. in Meredith, Room 237.
The Washington Center (TWC) is a nonpartisan non-profit educational provider in Washington, D.C. that specializes in experiential learning for students across the country. TWC is very well-regarded for its semester-long study in D.C. program, where students combine academic coursework, a full-time internship, and professional skills development. They also run short academic seminars every January, offer summer internship programming, and have on-the-ground seminars during party nominating conventions every four years.
As an affiliated institution, Drake has a tuition exchange and credit exchange agreement with TWC. One of the unique characteristics of TWC is the extent to which they orient their programming to student audiences outside of Political Science majors—from business and finance to media and communications, art and fine arts, law, social justice, sociology, history, museum studies, international affairs, english—their offerings and internships integrate a broad array of policy topics and areas of study.
—Rachel Paine Caufield, Professor of Political Science
Are you an excellent teacher? Or even just a pretty good one? Or at least okay at some parts of the job? If so, please consider lending your insights and expertise—and, yes, time (but not too much)—to the Center for Teaching Excellence as we build a critical mass of teachers and mentors to sustain Drake’s teaching-central mission. We are seeking mid-career and senior faculty willing to serve as mentors for newly appointed colleagues; observers and consultants as part of our teaching excellence corps; and those interested in joining peer-to-peer exchanges.
To learn more about these and other ways you can get involved with the Center’s work, send an email to teaching.excellence@drake.edu.
— Craig Owens, Professor of English
What do you know about change management? On Oct. 8, Lisa Gardner from Employee & Family Resources will lead a presentation on the evolution and importance of change management. The class will be held from 1–3 p.m. in the Olmsted Center, Rooms 310 & 311, and discuss how to handle change and the inevitabe twists and turns of daily life. It will also explore the concept of resiliency.
To attend the class, register online or send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.
— Linda Feiden, wellness & recognition specialist, HR
The storm sewer and streetscape project on University Avenue is progressing as scheduled. Sidewalks and street paving have started at 31st Street and will continue east to Aliber Hall. As the contractor continues its work, there will always be at least one drive open for access to the GK parking lot.
Once the installation of the storm sewer adjacent to Cowles Library is complete, sidewalks and street paving will begin at 25th Street heading west to the Olmsted parking lot. Temporary gravel access will be made available for continuous access to the Olmsted lot. The contractor will then need to move the travel lanes on University Avenue from the south to the north in order to install storm sewer runs to adjacent streets. This switch will happen mid–late October.
It is anticipated that the contractor will complete its work by mid-December with finishing touches of new street and traffic lights, final grading and seeding, landscaping and bus shelter installations happening in the spring.
— Kelly Foster, Finance & Administration
The online textbook adoption tool, now called Follett Discover, has been enhanced.
Follett Discover allows faculty to search a vast publisher library, view open educational resources, create custom content, and adopt their textbooks by simply entering the relevant ISBN. View a video for an introduction to Follett Discover.
An orientation session will be held Sept. 27 from 2–3 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 238. The University Bookstore team will demonstrate the new tool, provide access points, and allow time for Q&A. If you have questions or comments prior to or after the sessions, please contact Donna Hallstrom at the University Bookstore (1623txt@follett.com) or Derek Pollock (dpollock@follett.com).
— Donna Hallstrom, University Bookstore
