The Executive Education Center at Drake has hired its first full-time director, Sarah Ramsey. The center is focused on developing exceptional leaders, and in its first year of operation prepared more than 50 central Iowa professionals for careers in the C-suite.

Ramsey, who has extensive expertise building strategic public and private partnerships in major U.S. cities across the country, joined the Executive Education Center from the United Way of Central Iowa, where she built and led a new public policy department and governance structure for United Way’s legislative policy work. She led more than 11,000 community and business leaders, CEOs, partners, volunteers, and donors to create policy changes in the areas of early care and education, adult literacy, skilled workforce, hunger, and children’s mental health. Read more about Sarah and the Executive Education Center in the Drake Newsroom.

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

One of the best things about my first year as President of Drake University was that it coincided with an Iowa caucus season. In July 2015, during my second week on campus, when I looked out onto the porch of Old Main and saw Gwen Iffil filming a segment for that evening’s broadcast of PBS ‘Newshour,’ I knew there was something special going on at Drake. That experience, in various forms, repeated itself many times over as we moved toward and experienced caucus night on February 1st. It was inspiring to see our University and our people right at the center of politics in Iowa.

We are now entering the home stretch for the presidential election and because Iowa is considered a swing state we can expect that the candidates will be spending time here leading up to November 8th. Given that Drake has become a regular stop on the campaign trail, we are anticipating requests from the candidates to hold events on our campus. Indeed, to this point we have encouraged and welcomed candidates from all parties to see Drake as the place for sharing their message and connecting with potential voters. However, due to the unusually high number of incidents of incivility that have marked this presidential election cycle our open door policy is being put to the test.

We greatly value that our community consists of people of different races, nationalities, religions, abilities, genders, ages, political perspectives, sexual orientation, and other diverse characteristics. We cherish and celebrate our differences, and we affirm and respect the dignity and freedom of every one of us and all who visit our campus. We abhor acts of oppression, discrimination, or intolerance, and those who commit these acts should expect strong and public censure by the administration, faculty, staff, and students.

As an institution of higher education, we uphold freedom of thought and freedom of expression as central to our mission. We therefore carefully refrain from restricting the exchange of ideas or regulating the content of speech. We realize that freedom of thought and freedom of expression can produce conflict and challenge, and thus we encourage civil debate and discussion of divergent perspectives and opinions in a manner that affirms our community.

The encouragement of civility does not mean that we will avoid public debate or suppress open and candid discussion of troubling and controversial issues. Nor will we seek to discourage or chill the expression of unpopular opinions or challenging perspectives. To preserve our central role as a public forum of ideas, Drake upholds the right of individuals to express unpopular and provocative viewpoints, including expression that may be dramatic, emotive, or imperfectly articulated. Indeed, this principle of free exchange and inquiry takes precedence because it is so fundamental to our educational enterprise. This remains true even when the exchange and inquiry may be difficult for some individuals or groups.

The content of the three preceding paragraphs largely comes from Drake University’s “Statement of Principles” which was adopted in 1992 . This statement has guided the University for twenty-four years when confronted with events that spark tension between our strongly-held values of inclusivity and freedom of thought and expression. This statement will guide us now through this presidential election season.

We will accommodate the requests of any of the presidential candidates who desire to hold an event on our campus. We will strongly encourage those candidates who visit Drake to share their message in a way that promotes civility and mutual respect, and that affirms the diversity of our community and of America. Any candidate who fails to meet these expectations can expect to be challenged by this administration and, I imagine, by many of you. This has been our practice for decades, and it will continue to be our practice.

I will close by expressing my gratitude to all of our colleagues who worked to make our Iowa caucus experience such a success, and who are ready to step up again over the next two months. Their efforts make it possible for all of us to experience the political process in a way that is simply not available anywhere else. Paraphrasing a KCCI broadcast from January, it is because of these wonderful colleagues that the political world orbits around Drake University.

—Marty Martin

I’m pleased to share with you that I have named Annique Kiel as Executive Director of Global Engagement and International Programs at Drake. Annique has been filling the position in an interim capacity since June, and my decision to name her to the permanent position was based on extensive consultation across campus. Annique’s strategic mindset, leadership experience, and active role in moving Drake International forward makes her an excellent fit for this new position.

Annique has been with Drake International since 2010. Prior to June, she was director of Drake Administered Programs Abroad. In that role, she developed the overall program, which grew from four travel seminars and 77 students in 2010–2011 to 17 seminars with 274 students in 2015–2016. She also managed Drake’s strategic partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa, developed and oversaw the implementation of the risk assessment and risk management processes for international programs, and led workshops and development of intercultural competency among faculty, staff, and students. Most recently, Annique successfully led efforts to bring the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders to campus; Drake was one of just 36 institutions nationwide to be selected for this prestigious program. In addition, Annique is actively engaged in our campus community, serving on the Strategic Diversity Action Team, Women in Leadership Committee, Academic Affairs Council, and the Provost Search Committee in 2015 (to name a few). Annique received her bachelor’s from Central College and an M.A. in French Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

While the title of this role has changed from Vice Provost to Executive Director, Annique will continue to serve as the senior internationalization officer for the University, report to me, and sit on the Dean’s Council. Annique will work with University leadership to utilize continuous improvement as a means to infuse global and intercultural learning into the Drake experience, with an initial focus on reorganization of Drake International to streamline services into the following areas: Education Abroad, International Student and Scholar Services and Intensive English Program, and International Partnerships and Customized Programs. This new infrastructure will more efficiently and effectively support the University’s internationalization and global engagement efforts. The role will also maintain strategic oversight of The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship and the Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs. Look for a message in an upcoming OnCampus with more details about this reorganization.

Please join me in congratulating Annique for her outstanding service to Drake University, and supporting her in this new role.

—Sue Mattison, Provost

In early August 2016, President Martin announced the realignment of services to create the Division of University Advancement, which comprised three offices: Alumni Relations, Development, and University Communications.

One of my first actions was to appoint Dave Remund as executive director of University Communications. He officially started in this role last week and has already been hard at work meeting with partners across campus and within University Advancement to better understand University Communications’ role at Drake, and how that office—and all of University Advancement—can best serve all parts of the Drake community.

I announced another new change to my team last week: In keeping with the division’s strategic focus on external relations, Nick Valdez, neighborhood & community relations manager, will join the University Advancement team, reporting directly to me.

Nick’s alignment with University Advancement makes operational and strategic sense. His active engagement with community partners, his relationship building responsibilities, his strong connection to advancing Drake’s public image, and his overall “outward looking” function make him and his work a perfect match for our shared responsibility to engage and inspire our alumni and friends in support of our University’s mission.

Supporting his professional responsibilities, Nick will work from the Alumni House. This remarkable facility will serve Drake and Nick well as the “front-door” to the University’s community engagement.

This is an exciting new chapter for Drake. All units within University Advancement share a common commitment to advancing Drake’s mission through promoting, positioning, advocating, and story-telling. What we do individually matters greatly; what we do together powerfully advances the Drake experience for our students, alumni, campus partners, and the community.

All of us in University Advancement look forward to collaborating with campus partners in pushing forward the exceptional work and meaningful mission of this great University.

—John Smith, Vice President for University Advancement

Many thanks to Joe Lenz for starting a new tradition, the Drake Social, one that I’m very happy to continue. Open to all faculty and staff, the next social will be on Thursday, Oct. 6, 4–6 p.m. in Shivers Hospitality Suite, adjacent to The Knapp Center. Attendees will receive one complimentary ticket for beer or wine, and water, soda, etc., are also on the house. Nearby parking is available in Lot 2 east of Shivers at the northeast corner of Forest Avenue and 25th Street.

Mark your calendar for future socials:

• Dec. 15
• March 9, 2017
• May 11, 2017

—Sue Mattison, Provost

Our new academic year has begun, and Information Technology Services (ITS) is excited to join you in making this another great year. I want to update you on what we accomplished this summer and what to expect from us this fall. With a new ITS continuous improvement plan and a summer full of improvement projects, we look forward to continuing to partner with you.
Over the summer, ITS completed an ambitious list of improvement projects:

• Printing—The office of the CFO, Laser Resources Inc. (LRI), and ITS updated the entire managed printing system across campus. More than 130 printers were replaced, and a new accounting system automatically uploads printing charges to Banner and delivers summary reports to budget officers on a monthly basis. Printing is more secure and convenient with Follow-Me printing available across campus.
• Network Upgrades—ITS installed more than 500 wireless access points across campus as it replaced the entire campus wireless network. Drake invested more than $850,000 in network improvements to wireless and other core infrastructure equipment. We are now working to locate and address coverage gaps. Let us know where you find gaps at its.drake.edu/wifi-form.
• Email Security—Early this summer, ITS implemented a system to reduce and contain email phishing attacks. Between June and August, more than 15 million malevolent email messages were blocked before they reached campus, improving overall email safety and effectiveness.
• Banner Infrastructure—During the summer, ITS completed a two-year project to move its enterprise information system, Banner, to new infrastructure. This work has been like flying an airplane while building a new one around it, but the transition is substantially complete with no significant service interruptions to blueView, DUSIS, and MyDUSIS.
• Computer Replacements—During the spring and summer, ITS completed a full inventory of all campus faculty computers. To date, more than 98 faculty computers have been replaced. ITS staff is now working on an inventory of classroom and staff computers. Once that inventory is complete, replacement of staff computers will begin based on criteria including age of device, divisional balance, and available funds.

As we look to the fall, we are excited about projects already underway or about to begin:

• IT Support System—ITS is implementing a new system to replace our current ticketing system, which will improve transparency and visibility into our work. We will begin using the new system late this year or in early 2017.
• Computer Replacement Improvements—ITS is streamlining the methods we use to build and deploy computer replacements. Along with the office of the CFO we are working to develop a standardized renewal and replacement plan for campus computers.
• Faculty Collaboration—ITS is partnering with the Office of the Provost and Deans’ Council to increase formal collaboration with faculty. The initial focus will be in four areas: classroom technology, research, labs, and emerging technologies.
• Security Early Warning System—Information Security Manager Peter Lundstedt is implementing an information security early warning system to help us identify and address issues by monitoring our systems and reporting suspicious activity.
• Continuous Improvement Plan—Over the next six months, ITS will be working on initiatives designed to deliver on the division’s continuous improvement plan. These include creating a publicly-accessible services dashboard, collaborating with the office of the chief administration officer and Institutional Research to conduct a satisfaction survey, improving visibility and usage of online software training available through Lynda.com, improving IT project outcomes and transparency, and reducing institutional information security risk.

We have made great progress this summer, but there is always more to come. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of my staff about any issues, ideas, or concerns you may have—my door is always open.

—Chris Gill, Chief Information Technology Officer

Welcome to a new school year! Last week was a flurry of activity on campus as first-year and transfer students started their Drake experience with Welcome Weekend. Many on campus did some heavy lifting during Move-in Day—thanks to those who volunteered their time—and we formally welcomed our new students at Convocation on Friday.

While campus is typically “quiet” during the summer with all the students gone, it is always a busy time for the University as we prepare for the next school year. In July, we welcomed Sue Mattison as our new Provost. Sue has already proven herself to be a great fit with Drake and someone who will provide valuable leadership and expertise into how we continue to improve our exceptional education experience.

At the beginning of the summer, we officially adopted the Drake University Statement on Diversity and Inclusion, which you can find online. This is an important step in our efforts to creating a welcoming campus environment and was born out of the Campus Climate Assessment, which many of you participated in during the last academic year. More than 300 faculty, staff, and students helped craft this statement, making it one that truly represents the aspirations and values of our campus community.

In July, we announced a new recruitment initiative called The Drake Commitment. The Drake Commitment is our pledge to our students to provide opportunities that help them achieve their goals after graduation and create a memorable college experience—one that rests on our foundation of integrating a liberal arts and sciences education with professional preparation. I encourage you learn more about The Drake Commitment by watching this brief video.

You have probably noticed by now that we made significant progress on both the Science Connector Building and Collier-Scripps Hall over the summer. The steel structure for the Science Connector Building is complete, giving us a real picture of that facility’s footprint and scale. You will see the steel structure start to take shape at Collier-Scripps over the next several weeks. And while the walls and floors are not yet up, we’re already thinking about the furniture that will go into both buildings. The STEM@DRAKE steering team will be working with faculty, staff, and students to ensure broad input into the configuration of classrooms, collaborative spaces, and offices.

As I have previously shared, we are experiencing some departures that affect the composition of the President’s Council. With Deb Lukehart moving to Grinnell, University Communications will join Alumni Relations and Development to form a new division—University Advancement. John Smith will represent that division at President’s Council as its vice president. After observing the 60-day hold on replacing positions, I will hire a new chief of staff to take the place of the departing Shannon Cofield. The chief of staff will, among other duties, provide support to the President’s Council, but will not formally be a member of the council. At the point of this change in the chief of staff role, the President’s Council will consist of me, Provost Sue Mattison, CFO Teresa Krejci, Vice President John Smith, Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb, CAO Venessa Macro, and CITO Chris Gill.

We have a very exciting year to anticipate. In September alone you’ll find countless ways to enjoy our campus community. This weekend, you can cheer on the football team at their first home game of the year on Saturday at 6 p.m. Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, will speak on “The Child Labor Epidemic: A Pattern of Poverty & Illiteracy” on Sept. 19 as part of the Sussman Lecture series. On Sept. 21, Dan Alexander, professor of mathematics, will give the Stalnaker Lecture on “Tree Bites Man: What I Wish I Knew about the History of Mathematics.” And, we can look forward to a performance by our two jazz ensembles on Sept. 24, part of the Parents and Family Weekend festivities.

As always, please continue to look to OnCampus for weekly updates on events, important deadlines, useful resources, and more. Good luck with the first week of classes.

—Marty Martin