Category Archives: Archive

Campus Announcements Archive

Try out new databases with Cowles Library

Cowles Library invites all Drake students, faculty, and staff to try out new databases and to fill out the trial evaluation form letting us know what you think, including if you think it might be useful in any of your classes and research. These databases are on trial through the month of October and can be found here.

Cowles initiates database trials each fall and spring to give our patrons an idea of what new resources are available, and to invite feedback from our user community on how useful these resources might be. This is a crucial step in our overall stewardship process: We strive to provide access to those resources that are most useful in the curriculum and for research. Pending availability of funds in late spring, we consider adding those resources that fill unmet needs and received strong, positive feedback.

—Teresa Koch, Cowles Library

For Students Archive

Principal Community Scholars Program

The Principal Community Scholars Program is a prestigious opportunity for college students to lead social change on their campus and in their communities.

Students take on a community engagement project, and serve for the Spring 2017 semester. They receive support from Iowa Campus Compact and  The Principal Financial Group through a virtual learning community.

For completing the program and submitting a short video, students are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship to be used on educational expenses provided by Principal.

Contact the Office of Community Engaged Learning at servicelearning@drake.edu for more information.

—Amanda Martin, Community Engagement and Service-Learning

News & Achievements Archive

#BringDraketoDrake

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The student-driven campaign, #BringDraketoDrake, brought incredible energy and attention to campus last week. In addition to the passion and work of our students, University Communications supported efforts to maximize reach and impact without compromising the academic reputation of the institution.

The results have been incredible:

  • There have already been more than 200 news stories, including coverage by Time, People, USA Today, Good Morning America, TMZ, and others.
  • We generated record traffic for the University website, including significant spikes in visits to the undergraduate majors/minors, visit and application pages. (UC was intentional when responding to social media comments, making sure to direct people to the website and, when appropriate, to the online application.)
  • Social media have been on fire. On Instagram alone, the University doubled its followers and made 2 million impressions. (Follow @drakeuniversity if you aren’t already!)

—Dave Remund, University Communications

Strategic Updates Archive

Task force seeks input on senior administrator job description

As Provost Sue Mattison stated in her September message to campus, building an inclusive and welcoming campus is one of her top priorities. The provost is now working to fulfill the second Strategic Diversity Action Team recommendation, which is to hire a senior-level administrator; the goal is to have the right leader hired by the start of spring semester.

Sue has formed a task force to define the responsibilities for this senior-level administrator— who will be responsible for leading and coordinating a holistic institutional commitment to equity and inclusion—and to prepare the position. The task force appointed by the provost has been hard at work developing a position description.

Members of the campus community are now invited to review the position description for the associate provost for campus equity and inclusion and offer feedback. Click here to review the position and provide feedback. The feedback survey will be open until Monday, Oct. 17.

—Melissa Sturm-Smith, Academic Excellence and Student Success

News & Achievements Archive

Bulldogs of DU: Aaron Harpold

Aaron Harpold
Groundsworker

What do you do at Drake?
I’m a groundsworker—I take care of horticulture on campus, like flower beds. Our team works with 130,000 square feet of beds. I’m also a certified arborist and take care of smaller trees on campus.

What’s your favorite spot on campus?
It really depends on the season. Right now I’m really digging the Quad in between the first year residence halls. When you walk down into the quad it’s like you’re in a different place. We’ve been noticing more students going down there, which is great. It’s a nice spot. Another favorite spot is the Meredith Atrium. That space is so secluded; the aspect of stillness and quiet remind me of my work in the Japanese gardens in Long Beach.

You haven’t always been in horticulture—what did you do before this?
I got my BFA from Carnegie Mellon and I was an actor in New York City in my 20s. I did some shows on Broadway and was in a few episodes of shows like Law & Order. One of my favorite name-drop stories is when I read two lines of Shakespeare with Al Pacino’s hand on my back for a movie—it got cut, but I was floating on that experience for probably a week.

Featured Events Archive

Global events this week

“The Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras: Justice for Berta and Beyond”
Monday, Oct. 10, 6–7:30 p.m., Sussman Theater, Olmsted Center
Martín Fernández, national coordinator of the Movement for Dignity and Justice, will discuss how the 2009 military coup in Honduras cemented the Central American nation as a hotbed of human rights abuses, the new frontier in the U.S.-led War on Drugs, and an all-out plunder of national territory and resources. Those who resist are targeted and killed with a level of impunity unheard of in the 21st century in Latin America; the March 2 assassination of beloved indigenous leader Berta Cáceres is an example of state crime and impunity amongst many. For the Honduran people, the results are violent and devastating, but their inspiring resistance continues. This lecture is co-sponsored by Witness for Peace and The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship at Drake.

International Film Series: Hija de la Laguna (Daughter of the Lake) 
Wednesday, Oct. 12, 7–9 p.m., Meredith Hall Room 101
At the height of the Peruvian gold rush, Nelida, an Andean woman able to communicate with water spirits, uses her powers to prevent a mining corporation from destroying the body of water she considers her mother. A gold deposit valued at billions of dollars lies just beneath Nelida’s lakes and leads farmers and Latin America’s biggest gold producer into conflict. (See http://www.daughterofthelake.pe/)

For Staff Archive

All Staff Council HUNGER FIGHT

Volunteer with your colleagues for an afternoon of meal packaging at Meals from the Heartland! We’ll package meals from 1 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 28 at the Heartland Facility, 357 Lincoln st., West Des Moines. Volunteers are encouraged to help clean up after the shift, then mingle with colleagues at The Tavern Restaurant.

Please register to sign up via this Eventbrite link before Oct. 21, and feel free to direct any questions about the event to brett.niederhauser@drake.edu. All volunteers are automatically entered into the 2017 All Staff Council parking pass drawing.

When you package meals, you’re helping thousands of hungry people throughout the world. Meals are transported directly to locations where people are undernourished or starving. Not only are you helping people in need, but meal packaging is also a fun, easy way to volunteer and get to know other staff members. You may be able to use your Community Service Leave for this event—check with your manager to see if this is an option.

If you can’t make it to the event, but would like to participate in some way, you may donate directly to Meals From the Heartland on their website. ASC will not be organizing a food drive this winter, so this could be a great opportunity for you or your department to donate in another way!

For more information, review the ASC Hunger Fight Flyer.

Hope to see you there.

—All Staff Council

News & Achievements Archive

First-year students host homecoming carnival at Ruby Van Meter

On Tuesday, Sept. 27, students in FYS 038 hosted a homecoming carnival at Ruby Van Meter (RVM) School, the special education middle school and high school for the Des Moines Public School System. Nearly 150 RVM and 21 Drake students participated in the event.

Drake students planned the 10 stations with interactive games and prizes, including face painting, pie toss, duck derby, and temporary Drake tattoos. Drake students made sure the stations were friendly to all ability levels and considered ways in which to adapt such activities. Through this project, Drake first-year students were able to explore, grow, and build by engaging with students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Ruby Van Meter students were able to interact in meaningful ways will peers close to their own age in a fun environment.

In addition to the homecoming carnival, Drake first-year students are learning alongside these individuals with various disabilities through bi-weekly visits to Ruby Van Meter. Thoughtful reflection following these school visits remains integrated in the course through both in-class discussion activities and out-of-class assignments. These activities and interactions at Ruby Van Meter stimulate classroom discussion and allow Drake students to reach their course objectives by informing students of the various resources and services provided by the Drake/Des Moines community. Not only are students involved within the Des Moines community, they also strengthen their interpersonal skills in a different environment that Drake students may not generally encounter.

—Anisa Fornoff, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

News & Achievements Archive

Faculty accomplishment

Lisa West, associate professor of English, will present a lecture, “The Dangers of Botanical Knowledge: Women, Witches, Collectors,” at the Viaduct Gallery of the Des Moines Social Club on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 1 p.m. The lecture is one of a series of events connected to Fatal Flora, a photography exhibit by Molly Wood, held at the Viaduct Gallery Oct. 7–30.

News & Achievements Archive

Basketball single-game tickets on sale Thursday

Basketball season is right around the corner! Now is the time to purchase tickets for premium men’s basketball matchups against Wichita State and UNI and a women’s basketball contest against Iowa. Reminder: Undergraduate students can attend all regular season home games using their Drake Card. Faculty and staff can take advantage of discounted pricing for single-games by visiting the Drake Athletics Ticket Office during regular business hours (M-F, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.) or by calling 515-271-3657 or emailing tickets@drake.edu.

A full schedule for both men’s and women’s basketball is available at www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com.

—Tom Florian, Drake Athletics