Two finalists are participating in on-campus interviews on Tuesday, Jan. 31, and Thursday, Feb. 2. Understanding that the new APCEI will work closely with students, faculty, and staff in diversity initiatives, we invite each of you to be a part of the upcoming interview process and let your voice be heard.

We have two very qualified finalists to participate in on-campus interviews:

• Erin Lain, Associate Professor of Law and Assistant Dean for Academic Services
• Darcie Vandegrift, Associate Professor and Department Chair for the Study of Culture and Society.

The curriculum vitae and cover letter for each candidate can be found online.

We invite you to mark your calendars for the following events:

• Tuesday, Jan.31, at 4 p.m. in Sussman Theater for an hour-long open session with finalist Darcie Vandegrift. The candidate will present for 20–30 minutes, followed by a 30–40 minute open Q&A time.
• Thursday, Feb. 2, at 4 p.m. in Sussman Theater for an hour-long open session with finalist Erin Lain. The candidate will present for 20–30 minutes, followed by a 30–40 minute open Q&A time.

You can find important documents regarding the Quality Initiative, Strategic Diversity Action Team’s work, and Campus Climate Survey on the climate assessment website.

Thank you for your continued engagement and support.

—APCEI Search Committee

Using benchmark institutions for comparison is a common method to address the demand for data-driven decisions. In summer 2016, President’s Council affirmed the need to review Drake’s set of benchmark institutions. The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) conducted an analysis of key indicators in national data to identify a set of institutions that are comparable to Drake.

As a result of that analysis, Drake has a new set of 15 benchmark institutions, which includes three sets of institutions—direct competitors (undergraduate admission), peer institutions (close alignment on key indicators), and aspirant institutions (high performance on key indicators). We will use this list for benchmarking purposes at the institution level. Individual units can also use this list, while recognizing that specific needs may require the use of a specialized set (e.g., athletics conference).

Benchmark Institutions

Please contact Kevin Saunders if you would like additional information. This set of institutions will continue to be listed on the OIRA website.

—Kevin Saunders, OIRA

Beginning in Fall 2017, the world languages and cultures department will offer majors and minors, and no longer offer certificates, concentrations, or interdisciplinary minors. Students who have previously declared the formerly available options will be able to complete their program of choice.The following minors will be available:

•  East Asian Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Arabic Language and Culture
• Chinese Language and Culture
• French Language and Culture
• German Language and Culture
• Japanese Language and Culture
• Spanish Language and Culture

There are three approved options students may select from when they declare their minor:

• An emphasis on languages
• An emphasis on study abroad
• An emphasis on integrated studies

Students will work with an adviser in world languages and cultures to select the most appropriate option. Additionally, students who select one of these approved options while pursuing a major in international relations are strongly encouraged to work with advisers from both areas. For additional information, please contact Marc Pinheiro-Cadd at marc.pinheiro-cadd@drake.edu.

—Dorothy Pisarski, Drake International communications liaison

The President’s Council invites you to attend a campus community budget discussion on Dec. 15 at 3:30 p.m. in the Shivers Hospitality Suite. We will be discussing the draft budget for FY18 that has been compiled with projections received from all departments this fall. There will be a presentation with plenty of time for Q&A.

Following the event, everyone is invited to stay for a Drake Social event from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Attendees will receive one complimentary ticket for beer or wine, water, soda, etc. Nearby parking is available in Lot 2 east of Shivers at the northeast corner of Forest Avenue and 25th Street.

Sponsored by the Office of the Provost.

—Kim Lammers, Office of Dean of Students

I’m pleased to announce that Nate Reagen will serve the University as my chief of staff beginning tomorrow, Nov. 16. Nate has been working with colleagues across the University for the past 14 months on our continuous improvement efforts, positioning him well for this important role on campus.

Nate has 20 years of experience managing complex projects and programs, including time at The Principal Financial Group, Aviva USA, and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. He specializes in strategic planning; project and program management; and business process improvement. Nate earned his BA in management with an emphasis in marketing and organizational leadership from St. John’s University.

As chief of staff, Nate will manage the day-to-day operations of the Office of the President; support University-wide strategic initiatives; coordinate the institution’s continuous improvement work; and provide support and coordination to the President’s Council. The chief of staff serves as an important resource in delivering on our mission promise to students and the greater Drake community.

I am confident that Nate’s past year of experience building relationships on campus and years of expertise in the areas of strategic planning and project management will serve Drake well. Please join me in congratulating Nate on his new position.

—Marty Martin

After a tumultuous election season, Iowa Campus Compact—of which Drake is apart—reinforced its support of its adopted Civic Action Statement, which urges member institutions to contribute to a robust and healthy American democracy. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to read the statement, found here.

—Jerry Parker, Interim Dean of Students

From President Martin:

An important aspect of our Continuous Improvement Plan is consistently and repeatedly examining our performance on administrative processes. We will do so by survey twice per year. To that end, I encourage you to complete the fall 2016 administrative services survey at http://tinyurl.com/AdminServSurvey. This should take 5–10 minutes to complete.

This fall’s survey focuses on Human Resources, Facilities Planning and Management, and Information Technology Services, and was developed by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment in collaboration with President’s Council members. Your feedback will help these departments understand where service gaps may exist and how they can better serve the needs of our University.

Continuous improvement efforts are meant to drive intentional and strategic action. Your response to this survey will shape our future efforts. Thank you in advance for your participation, and we look forward to sharing the results with the campus community and identifying needed action steps.

On Oct. 14–15, we hosted the Board of Trustees on campus for their quarterly meeting. We also celebrated the generosity of hundreds of leadership-level donors at the Francis Marion Drake Society Dinner on Friday. Thanks to the many staff, faculty, and students who helped these important events succeed.

A main focus of this weekend’s meeting was the Campus Master Plan. The conversation reviewed the many projects that have been completed over the last decade in accordance with the plan, and kicked-off the process of prioritizing campus capital projects for the future. I and others will work with many of you to better understand our opportunities and challenges regarding new and refurbished spaces, and will then work through the board’s Buildings and Grounds Committee to develop a 10-year priority list that will ultimately be approved by the full board. In keeping with the goals of our Campus Master Plan, the board also released additional funds to complete the conversion of the old University Bookstore into the new home for the Occupational Therapy Program.

Our rising STEM@DRAKE buildings are also part of the Campus Master Plan, as they address one of the plan’s main goals to “Enhance academic and student life programs and enable growth for generations to come.” STEM@DRAKE remains the University’s top fundraising focus, and we have made excellent headway toward our goal of $30 million. In his report to the board, Vice President for University Advancement John Smith noted that since just July 1 of this year Drake has secured $2.7 million in cash gifts and pledges. Coming out of this past weekend, and following board approval of identified STEM gifts, the total funds raised now exceed $22 million.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, Kevin Saunders, director of institutional research and academic assessment, presented a report on the work he has undertaken with President’s Council to revise Drake’s list of peer institutions. The final list of 15 schools will be segmented into three groups: direct competitors, peer schools, and aspirant schools. We will use this list for benchmarking purposes at the institutional level.

I also provided an update on campus-wide reaccreditation efforts. Most notably, the College of Business and Public Administration welcomed a peer review team from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) earlier this month. After a positive visit, this team is recommending accreditation for the CBPA; the recommendation must still be considered by the Initial Accreditation Committee and then by the full AACSB board in January 2017, at which time we will be informed whether the CBPA will receive programmatic accreditation.

As always, thanks to all who contribute to our successes as a University and our ongoing commitment to fulfilling our mission.

—Marty Martin