Yesterday morning CNN announced it will broadcast a live town hall forum with declared presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris in Sheslow Auditorium on Monday, Jan. 28, at 9 p.m. Drake has been allocated a limited block of tickets for the event. Look for an email from Provost Mattison to campus later today regarding how students, faculty, and staff can request tickets.
Jarad Bernstein, University Communications and Marketing
Drake’s Big Ideas submission period is open! The Big Ideas initiative calls upon Drake faculty, staff, and students to develop bold, forward-thinking ideas which dramatically advance Drake’s strengths and mission, and create momentum for the University’s next comprehensive campaign.
As you develop your Big Ideas, think about what will advance the University for decades to come. What will transform lives in our local communities, throughout our state, across the nation, or around the world? What will inspire students to forge meaningful personal lives and accomplished futures? No idea is too big.
For those who have already submitted a Big Idea or are in the process of forming a proposal, consider joining the Drake University Big Ideas Facebook Collaboration Group. The private Facebook group is a place where faculty and staff can collaborate and seek insight around which to enhance their Big Idea. In addition, submitters are encouraged to utilize members of the Big Ideas Steering Committee as a resource for support and feedback.
Proposals can be submitted on the Big Ideas website. The deadline is Feb. 15. For questions about the initiative, contact John Smith, vice president, University Advancement, at john.smith@drake.edu, or a member of the Big Ideas Steering Committee.
The Big Ideas initiative is an opportunity to be part of something truly extraordinary. Thank you for your commitment to advancing the University.
John Smith, University Advancement
Construction on The Ray Promenade is transforming 27th Street east of Collier-Scripps Hall. Fences are starting to come down around the project and plantings have been installed on the north half of the promenade.
In the next couple of weeks, the rest of the concrete walkways will be poured and pavers will be installed in the main area. The contractor will continue to backfill topsoil and clean up the site. Due to the timing and weather, the rest of the plantings and final seeding on the south half will occur mid-August as temperature allows for the best survival of the plants.
Stretching from Forest Avenue to the Painted Street, the promenade will serve as an outdoor classroom, performance venue, meeting location, and picnic destination while adding beauty and greenspace to campus. It is scheduled to be completed in fall 2018.
— Kevin Moran, Facilities Planning and Management
Drake’s new internal campus portal, myDrake, is now live. Visit my.drake.edu to access your new gateway to campus information, resources, and functions. You’ll see links to the tools you need whether you’re student, faculty, staff, parent, or have several different roles.
Once you sign into myDrake, your login credentials will automatically be shared with additional applications, like MyDUSIS. ITS staff is working on connecting as many campus systems as possible through single sign-on (SSO), so the number of systems that require a second login will continue to decrease.
Not sure how to get started with using myDrake? Visit the IT service portal guides. You can also find answers to your questions by viewing a list of FAQs.
blueView isn’t being removed quite yet, but we hope that you’ll start using myDrake right away.
Let us know what you think of the new portal. Feel free to email Carla Herling or project manager Jeff Regan, or fill out a Qualtrics feedback form.
— Carla Herling, ITS
Starting next month, after graduation ceremonies, pre-construction activity will begin at the southwest corner of 25th Street and Forest Avenue, the future site of the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Club.
Drake and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa are partnering to bring the new Club to campus. Scheduled to open fall 2019, the new Club will be the third in the country to be built on a private college campus. It will provide after-school and summertime programs focused on education, healthy lifestyles, and character and leadership development to more than 170 K-12 students in its first year.
On May 21, a perimeter construction fence will be erected surrounding the site and access to parking lots 9 and 10 will no longer be available. Pre-construction activity includes the removal of paving, relocating of utilities, grading, and tree removals.
In 2015, Drake’s campus tree care policy was revised for the purpose of identifying standards pertaining to procedures and practices used in establishing, protecting, maintaining, and removing trees on campus. The goal of the plan was to ensure a safe, attractive, and sustainable campus urban forest.
Complying with the plan, and as part of the Boys & Girls Club project, an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist with Perficut Companies completed a tree evaluation in collaboration with Drake’s Grounds Department to assess the health of existing trees, assist in determining the impact of the proposed improvements, and to develop recommendations for tree protection.
Following the evaluation, it was determined that 29 trees must be removed to complete the construction project. However, once construction is complete, 38 new trees will be planted around the new building and streetscape. These trees include: White Pine (4), Prairie Gold Aspen (22), Red Oak (5), and Japanese Tree Lilac (7).
Visit bgcci.org/club-pathways1 to learn more about the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Club. View more information on the project or the Drake Campus Tree Care Plan policy below.
Campus Tree Care Plan
BGCCI Demolition Plan
BGCCI Landscape Plan
— Kevin Moran, Facilities Planning and Management
Drake is proud to be located in the Drake Neighborhood, one of the largest, oldest, and most diverse neighborhoods in Des Moines. There’s so much to love about the neighborhood—its incredible people, beautiful trees, unique shops and restaurants, and diverse architecture.
https://www.facebook.com/DrakeUniversity/videos/10156219582164469/
Watch this video created by the Drake Neighborhood Association to see what the people who live, study, work, and play here have to say. Share the video on your social networks to spread awareness for the great things taking place in the Drake Neighborhood. And, remember, the University provides a financial incentive for faculty and staff who purchase a home within a defined area surrounding campus.
The University is looking forward to further enhancing the neighborhood with the addition of the Boys and Girls Club on campus and the University Avenue development project.
Plans for a new development project on the south side of University Avenue between 25th and 27th Streets continue to move forward. While construction will not begin for several months, Nelson Construction is beginning the process of staging the construction site. In April, a construction trailer will move to the grassy lot located just west of First Christian Church. The adjacent parking lots will continue to be available for Drake’s use until construction begins. A construction schedule will be published in OnCampus once it is finalized. We anticipate having use of the parking lots until sometime in fall 2018.
— Venessa Macro, Finance and Administration
We need more responses. Thank you to everyone who has already completed the Great Colleges To Work For survey. We have not yet reached our participation goal, but there is still time. The survey will close after the end of the business day on Friday, March 2. Please take this opportunity to make your voice heard. Your feedback is valued.
The survey was distributed by email to faculty and staff on Monday, Feb. 19. If you have not received your survey invitation or have other questions about the Great Colleges To Work For survey, contact Gary Johnson, director, HR operations, at gary.johnson@drake.edu or 515-271-4804.
Find an FAQ with more information here.
— Gary Johnson, Human Resources
Five years ago, a powerful tradition began. Get ready for the best year yet. All In, Drake’s annual 24-hour giving campaign, encourages the entire Drake community to support, share, and celebrate all that makes Drake great. Faculty and staff are invited to celebrate All In during a social on Thursday, April 5, from 3:30–5:30 in the lower level of Collier-Scripps Hall. Enjoy beer, wine, or a non-alcoholic drink along with snacks while socializing with your colleagues from across campus. You can learn more about All In and get up-to-date information about the campaign by liking our Facebook page, Drake All In.
Last year, 183 faculty and staff went All In, and overall, the campaign raised almost $155,000 from 852 donors. With your help, this year will be even more successful! So, join your fellow Bulldogs on Thursday, April 5 and Friday, April 6, noon to noon, to give back, spread the word, and go All In!
— Becca Widmer, University Advancement
Last Thursday I shared that the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) has reaffirmed Drake’s accreditation. To have the HLC see that we are successfully completing our mission speaks volumes to the work of our faculty and staff, and validates the strength of our institution.
The team reported perceived strengths around Drake as a mission-driven university with an excellent reputation; strong academic programs; committed and accomplished faculty and dedicated staff; sound and transparent fiscal stewardship; improved initiatives in the area of diversity and inclusion; and improvements in communication, transparency, and accountability.
The HLC’s evaluation is based on five primary criteria: (1) Mission; (2) Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct; (3) Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support; (4) Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement; and (5) Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness. Each criterion includes multiple core components and subcomponents. The site visit team is required to render a determination for each of the five criteria, as well as for each core component, indicating that it is either (a) Met, (b) Met with concerns, or (c) Not met.
Drake met all 19 criteria and components reviewed by the commission, 17 of which were met unconditionally and two were “met with concerns.” These two areas of improvement include record keeping pertaining to employee qualifications and performance reviews, and assessment of student learning. A plan to address and improve these areas will be developed, and progress will be reported to the HLC. The accreditation review also included a Quality Initiative that is intended to allow institutions to design an effort to suit its current concerns or aspirations. Drake’s project focused on crafting innovative, institution-based approaches to achieving inclusive excellence. View a summary of the HLC report and the Quality Initiative Report.
Successful completion of our reaffirmation of accreditation is due to the efforts of many people over the course of several years. An important component of the commission’s decision was the on-site evaluation last October. I am grateful to the many faculty and staff who attended the open forums – your participation attested to our engaged and committed campus culture.
On behalf of President Martin and the Drake University Board of Trustees, I would like to commend the entire University on this achievement, and in particular, the members of the HLC Steering Committee co-chaired by Craig Owens and Kevin Saunders, who dauntlessly managed the accreditation process from start to finish. In addition, I want to recognize the successful efforts of the Quality Initiative, including the “We Make Drake” Climate Survey and action plan. A special thanks to Melissa Sturm-Smith, Renee Cramer, and Michael Couvillon for their leadership in this area. The review team positively noted that “Drake University has invested broadly in this initiative through the time and action of leadership, faculty and staff; the engagement of a consulting firm; and taking direct action and planning for data driven future actions.”
The success of our reaffirmation of accreditation is a clear indication of the exceptional learning environment upheld at Drake, and personally, I am deeply proud to be part of such an outstanding institution.
— Sue Mattison, Provost
