Due to challenging winter conditions through the month of February and into early March, the Nelson Construction & Development project across from Old Main, which will include a new hotel, retail space, and restaurant will not break ground until April.
Parking lots 5 and 8 located south of University Avenue across from Old Main and Cole Hall and between 26th and 27th Streets will now be available through the month of March.
Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer
Thank you to everyone who has already completed the Great Colleges To Work For survey. We have not yet reached our participation goal of 63%. Currently, 42% of faculty and staff have participated, but there is still time. The survey period ends Monday, March 11, so if you have not completed the survey, please consider taking this opportunity to make your voice heard.
Full-time faculty and staff received an email Feb. 25 from The Chronicle of Higher Education and Modern Think inviting them to participate in this year’s Great Colleges To Work For survey.
Instructions on how to access the survey are included in the email. If you did not receive the email, please check your clutter and junk mail folders. If you still can’t locate it, contact Mary Alice Hill, director of Human Resources, at maryalice.hill@drake.edu or 271-3676.
The survey results will be shared with the campus later this year and will identify opportunities for improvement and reinforce areas of strength. Drake has been recognized as a Great College to Work For by The Chronicle for the last two years, something we can all take great pride in. For more information on the survey, view a FAQ.
For questions, contact Mary Alice Hill, director of Human Resources, at maryalice.hill@drake.edu or 271-3676.
Mary Alice Hill, director, Human Resources
The Big Ideas submission deadline was last Friday, and interest from across the University was unprecedented — 54 ideas were received. Many from across campus collaborated in the process and put forth ideas, including approximately 300 faculty, staff, and students who were listed as either project champions or co-champions.
“Each one of the submissions represents thoughtful hours of consideration and collaboration; a true demonstration of Drake’s committed culture,” said John Smith, vice president, University Advancement. “As we celebrate this point of the process, I want to sincerely thank the many members of campus who have shown such enthusiasm and taken great initiative to define the future of the University.”
In the coming months, the Big Ideas Steering Committee — comprised of faculty, staff, administrators, students, and Board representatives – will diligently review and score all ideas. Following the committee’s review, the Board of Trustees will evaluate the scored and recommended ideas during their April meeting.
Ideas moving forward in the process will be announced to campus in May and then further developed into white papers. Once refined, the ideas will undergo feasibility studies and be marketed to external stakeholders, including prospective donors. Those ideas that demonstrate funding potential will become a priority in the next comprehensive fundraising campaign.
Throughout the course of the review, the Steering Committee is committed to a thorough and transparent selection process. Please reach out to a member of the Steering Committee for questions or utilize the comments form on the Big Ideas website.
Reminder: The time for your Big Ideas is now! Submissions for Drake University’s Big Ideas initiative is open now through Feb. 15. Proposals can be submitted on the Big Ideas website.
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. Since the submission period opened on Jan. 14, seven proposals have been submitted.
For those who have already submitted a Big Idea or planning to submit an idea, 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.
For those in the process of forming a proposal, 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.
John Smith, University Advancement
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.
