The Online Master of Arts in Communication successfully launched in January. The cohort of 14 students is already halfway through its first class. Students can enter the program six different times a year due to the program’s six-week parts of term. More students are set to begin the program March 26 when the second part of term begins.

The Online Master of Science in Education: Effective Teaching, Reading Specialist Endorsement and the English as a Second Language Endorsement are scheduled to launch at the end of March, with the Gifted and Talented Endorsement following shortly thereafter.

Finally, the MPA and MBA are on track to launch their online programs this fall.

The implementation and launch of these programs could not have been done without the hard work and support of the colleges and schools.

In addition to the launch of these programs, several faculty and staff members are preparing to teach online. Nine faculty and staff have completed the Quality Matters Online Teaching Certificate with three more scheduled to complete their training this semester. Sixteen more staff and faculty have completed, or are in the process of completing, the two required modules for teaching online. By May, almost 30 faculty and staff will have prepared to teach and assist in online learning. This marks another great step forward in ensuring our online programs meet the same quality as our face-to-face offerings.

If you have questions or are interested in discussing online education, contact Christina Trombley at christina.trombley@drake.edu.

— Christina Trombley, Online Programming

Full-time faculty and staff received an email yesterday from The Chronicle of Higher Education  and Modern Think inviting them to participate in this year’s Great Colleges To Work For survey.

Please take time to complete the survey. It is easy, quick, anonymous, and confidential, and the primary tool used by the University to gather feedback on workplace culture. Instructions on how to access the survey are included in the email.

Although ITS has done testing and precautions have been taken so that this email should not be identified as SPAM, if you do not see this email in your inbox, please check your junk folder.

The survey period ends Friday, March 2. View a FAQ and more information.

For questions, contact Gary Johnson, director, human resources at gary.johnson@drake.edu.

— Gary Johnson, Human Resources

A new internal campus portal, myDrake, will launch this summer. The site will be your one-stop, online gateway to campus information, resources, and functions. You’ll go there to register for classes, view your timecard, and connect with campus systems. ITS and University Communications are partnering with other campus groups to build this new internal site, which will replace blueView.

The launch date is intentionally scheduled between semesters in order to minimize disruption to campus, and ensure sufficient time to test the site’s functions. The launch of myDrake is not the end, but the initial phase, of the project. Content on the site will continue to evolve following the launch.

ITS will keep you informed throughout the project. You can find weekly status updates here, and watch for regular communication in OnCampus. A FAQ to help answer questions about myDrake will be available. In addition, the project team will provide a way for you to offer feedback throughout the process.

— Carla Herling, ITS

Full-time faculty and staff will have the opportunity to participate in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s 2018 Great Colleges to Work For survey.

On Monday, Feb. 19, faculty and staff will receive an email with an invitation to participate in the survey.

What is the Great Colleges to Work For survey?

The Great Colleges to Work For survey is the primary employee survey used by the University to gather feedback on workplace culture.

The survey is administered by ModernThink, a management-consulting firm focusing on workplace quality in higher education, and is sponsored by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

More information about the Great Colleges to Work For survey is available at www.chroniclegreatcolleges.com.

Why should I participate?

Your voice matters and your responses help the University to identify opportunities to improve workplace satisfaction and engagement. Your responses provide valuable insight into employee opinions and needs.

Is participation mandatory?

Participation is voluntary, although we do hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to share your feedback and make sure your voice is heard. A high response rate will help ensure an accurate representation of our community.

Are my responses confidential?

Your participation and the feedback you provide are completely confidential; responses cannot be traced back to individuals. Drake will receive reports summarizing the results, but will not have access to raw data.

Learn more by reading The Chronicle’s Great Colleges to Work For Statement of Confidentiality.

When and how do I participate?

The survey period begins Monday, Feb. 19, and ends Friday, March 2. The survey is administered online. Full-time faculty and staff will receive an email invitation to participate in the survey from Great Colleges.

How long will it take to complete the survey?

It typically takes about 15 minutes to complete the survey.

How is the data used and will the results be shared?

A summary of the findings will be shared with employees and will be used to identify our strengths and opportunities for improvement. Several key measures and targets in the University’s continuous improvement plan (CIP), and in many unit-level CIPs, are tied directly to feedback from the survey. For example, Drake is striving to earn a place on the Great Colleges to Work For Honor Roll by 2020. In addition, ModernThink provides valuable benchmark data against which we can compare our results. With this evidence in hand, senior leaders and individual units can make informed, strategic decisions about new initiatives.

For questions, contact Gary Johnson, director, HR operations, at gary.johnson@drake.edu or 271-4804, or visit www.ChronicleGreatColleges.com.

Can I complete the survey during work hours?

Yes. Faculty and staff are encouraged to complete the survey during working hours. Completing the survey is an important contribution that you can make to strengthen our campus community.

University Communications is working diligently to better tell Drake’s story. Work to implement the new brand platform, which was designed in partnership with brand consulting firm 160over90, has already begun. Printed and digital tools for student recruitment, new banners around campus, and frequently used communication templates are the first items to carry the new brand.

Word and PowerPoint templates

Samples of new student recruitment tools

University Communications is working with the colleges and schools  to define how the new brand platform will translate to each academic unit. Once the brand vision for each academic unit is set, University Communications will work with other units across campus on migration to the new brand platform.

The University’s brand style guide has been updated, as announced last month. However, as a reminder, you should not try to implement any elements of the new brand platform on your own and certainly not without first contacting University Communications. Proper and consistent use of Drake’s brand platform protects and strengthens our image and sets us apart from other institutions.

For questions about the branding initiative, refer to this FAQ or contact Dave Remund, executive director of University Communications, at dave.remund@drake.edu. Thank for your continued support as we transition to the new brand platform.

— Dave Remund, University Communications

Since the launch of the new online programs, Master of Arts in Communication and Master of Science in Education–Literacy Education, several milestones have been achieved, including the admittance of our first online students.

Landing pages created

Our online program manager, Higher Education, created and posted the first of many landing pages for our programs. These landing pages are designed explicitly to spur potential students to action. These pages are part of different digital campaigns, including a strong Facebook ad campaign. Visit online.drake.edu to view the pages.

Staff trained and ready

One of the important aspects of the partnership between Drake and Higher Education is the transparency of processes. The last three months have been used to ensure systems are working together and that all staff at each institution understands them. This past month, Admissions, the Registrar’s Office, and Online Program staff have been working together to train Higher Education staff on our processes, and we have been learning theirs, including a dynamic dashboard that tracks application status for potential students and provides essential demographic data to assist in communication and marketing.

First admitted students

Both programs have students who have completed their application and been admitted into the program. Currently, there are about two dozen more potential students in the process of applying. It is exciting and gratifying to see the hard work of so many areas culminate into a class of Drake students. We are confident that both programs will have a strong core group of students.

Next Steps

As the programs begin, there is still much to do. Programmatic landing pages will be developed to include some A/B testing, the web pages for online degrees will be developed that will include student support information and guides, and more faculty and instructors will complete the Quality Matters modules and work with our instructional designers. To date, ten faculty and staff have completed the Online Teaching Certificate through Quality Matters, and another four have completed the required modules. Several others are prepared to take courses next year. If you are teaching in the online programs and are not sure how to register, please contact me at extension 2506 or at christina.trombley@drake.edu.

—Christina Trombley, Online Programming

An updated Drake University Brand Style Guide is now available on the University Communications website. This useful resource, developed in partnership with branding firm 160over90, provides an overview of the refreshed brand platform, including:

• Brand strategy
• Key messages
• Brand voice and tone
• Design elements and examples—colors, fonts, logo usage, photography, and more

Consider the updated guide simply an introduction for now. You should not try to implement any elements of the new brand platform on your own and certainly not without first contacting University Communications. Priorities across the University have already been identified, and the rollout will happen sequentially over the coming months.

Conversion to the new brand platform has already begun, and with a focus on printed and digital tools for Admission and student recruitment. University Communications has also met with teams from each college and school to begin exploring how the new brand platform will translate to each academic unit during spring semester. Once the brand vision for each academic unit is set, University Communications will work with other units across campus on migration to the new brand platform throughout the remainder of 2018.

Please know that often-used communications and marekting tools, such as email headers and PowerPoint templates, will be moved to the new platform as soon as possible. Look to OnCampus for updates as new resources become available.

If you have questions about the branding initiative, please refer to this FAQ or contact Dave Remund, executive director of University Communications, at dave.remund@drake.edu. Thank you for your patience as we all work together to better tell the Drake story.

Dave Remund, University Communications

A new website for the College of Business and Public Administration was rolled out last week. University Communications refreshed the website in partnership with ITS and CBPA to align with Drake’s new brand platform. Look for new websites for the remaining colleges and schools to launch next semester.

—Jeremy Sievers, University Communications