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

The Division of Student Life is pleased to share with our campus community a reconfiguration of positions within the Dean of Students Office. This reconfiguration will allow us to more collectively provide robust support for students, further facilitating their access to an exceptional learning environment here at Drake.

At this time we are in the active search process for a prevention coordinator for sexual and interpersonal misconduct, following Alysa Mozak’s decision to leave Drake in July. Due to the critical importance of this position, we were able to review and post the position right away and Associate Dean Jerry Parker has formed a search committee of faculty, staff, and students while programming continues this summer and fall. Consistent with Title IX and the Campus SaVE Act, the prevention coordinator will be responsible for all education, awareness, and bystander intervention programming for students, faculty, and staff; supervision of MVP (Mentors in Violence Prevention) and VIP (Violence Intervention Partner); and as with Alysa’s previous role, assist students in connecting with the appropriate community partner or support resources. This position is complemented by regular office hours on campus with confidential community advocates and a new confidential spiritual counselor for better access and availability to our students. The combination of these campus and community resources will make sure that we are offering students the best type of support available. Please visit Drake’s Title IX website for information about all the support options available to students.

Michelle Laughlin, coordinator for student disability services, is joining the Dean of Students Office within Division of Student Life to more collectively facilitate students’ access to University support services. Michelle will be joined by Coordinator for Student Support and Case Management Leah Berte. This position includes two components: First is the provision of services for students with disabilities, alongside the coordinator for student disability services; second, the case management function supports student success and retention by coordinating services for students of concern and conducting outreach to the campus community.

The final member of the team is Community Standards Officer Joe Campos. The community standards officer has the responsibility of managing the day-to-day operations of the University’s student conduct system under the direction of the dean of students. This role will provide critical support and leadership by fostering a campus environment that upholds high standards and expectations for ethical and responsible conduct and behavior.

For more information regarding these positions, please contact the Dean of Students Office at 515-271-2835.

—Jerry Parker, Associate Dean of Students

I’m pleased to announce a new initiative, the Drake Commitment, which aims to continuously improve the value we deliver to students and differentiate the exceptional Drake education. As you might notice, the experiences we commit to providing are already available to our current students and ones that many benefit from. The Drake Commitment is our promise to each incoming Fall 2017 first-year student 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.

This commitment states that each student’s Drake education will include:

• Personal mentorship—Each student will be mentored by a full-time faculty member in his or her major.
• Learning through service—Students will have the opportunity to make a difference, locally or globally, through a community-based learning experience via the classroom, student organizations, athletics, Greek life, and residence life.
• Flexibility to explore interests—All students can take a J-Term course tuition free.
• Building a great résumé—Drake commits to providing every student an internship, research, or practicum experience.

The Drake Commitment is a mutual agreement between the University and each student. While we will do everything possible to provide these experiences, students must also commit to being engaged in their education and actively pursuing opportunities.

This approach was developed over several months with the input and support of many areas of campus, including the provost’s office and the Office of Admission. It has been endorsed by the board of trustees, and we will begin rolling it out to prospective students during Iowa Private College Week, Aug. 1–5. In today’s volatile higher education market, it’s crucial that we implement new and innovative approaches to delivering value and attracting high-caliber students to our campus.

I encourage you to learn more about the Drake Commitment with the Drake Commitment FAQ and online at www.drake.edu/commitment.

Regards,

Marty

Originally sent July 18:

I am very pleased to acknowledge Dr. Sue Mattison as the new Provost for Drake University on her first official day in the position. Given Sue’s extended transition since her announcement in January, I am sure that she has become well known to many of you over the last six months. Nevertheless, please take time over the next few weeks to again welcome Sue to Drake. She is very excited to finally be in the position full-time and looks forward to working with all of us to move Drake forward.

I also want to thank Joe Lenz once again for serving this past year as Interim Provost. I will be forever thankful to Joe for having said “yes” when in the spring of 2015 I asked him to step into this role. He has done a wonderful job. Please find an opportunity to thank Joe for rendering such outstanding service to our community.

As we welcome a new chief academic officer to Drake, we should take a moment to reflect on the importance of our mission. What we do makes a real difference in individual lives and in society at large. In the last month we have seen unbelievable acts of violence take place around the world – Orlando, Istanbul, Dhaka, Nice and elsewhere. Whatever other motivations might be in play behind these events, certainly they share the common denominators of hate and intolerance. Education is one of the most powerful antidotes to these forces. Education opens minds and hearts – it creates understanding and union where none existed before. This is what we are about and we have our role to play in making the world a better place by becoming ever more engaged, locally and globally.

I hope everyone is enjoying summer and finding some time to recharge. I am heading to Yellowstone tomorrow with family for some hiking and camping. I will be back at Drake two weeks from today for the start of Iowa Private College Week. Of course, a few weeks after that it is Welcome Weekend and we are then off and running.

—Marty Martin

I hope this finds everyone doing well and enjoying summer. I am writing to let you know about an exciting development in Drake’s renewed effort to advance the vibrancy of the surrounding neighborhood. With President Martin’s leadership and the collaborative work of an advisory group of faculty, staff, neighborhood, and community members, steps are being taken to explore future developments along University Avenue. Today, Drake issued a request for proposals to developers for projects along a portion of Drake-owned land south of University Avenue. This marks an exciting first step in assessing what might be possible as we look to building a lasting legacy for Drake and the surrounding neighborhood.

I hope you will take some time to read the press release below, which was issued July 18.

—Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

Drake University issues RFP for development along University Avenue

Marking a renewed commitment to the growth and development of the Drake Neighborhood, Drake University announced today that it is seeking proposals from a pre-determined group of eleven Iowa firms to develop a plot of University-owned land along University Avenue in Des Moines. The University has formally set expectations that any proposal submitted must be in keeping with the neighborhood’s character and beneficial to Drake students, neighborhood residents, and the economic growth of the area.

The University is collaborating with the Neighborhood Development Corporation to accomplish this ambitious goal. The NDC is a community-focused, non-profit that works to revitalize neighborhoods and promote sustainable development in part through urban planning and real estate development consulting services. Working closely with organizations that have vast local experience will help ensure projects that drive economic development going forward.

“Drake University has been an anchor in Des Moines for 135 years and, with this request for proposals, the University is leading the way in attracting transformative development to the neighborhood,” said NDC Executive Director Glenn Lyons. “Drake is setting themselves and the community up for success by forming a special committee to guide this project’s trajectory, including campus administrators, faculty, staff, trustees, a local business owner, and neighborhood residents.”

Drake University President Marty Martin, who recently celebrated the conclusion of his first year on campus, said the University is looking at tangible and viable ways for Drake to integrate more fully with the surrounding neighborhood.

“The plans that come out of this process will be a collaborative effort that catalyzes economic development in the area and enhances the student and community experience,” Martin said. “Drake is committed to working with partners who will build something that people will be proud of and is befitting of this prominent location.”

Martin also noted the impact that construction on the north side of campus is already having on recruitment efforts for students interested in STEM programs. Those improvements already have campus abuzz with the sights and sounds of growth, whereas the University Avenue project will add a new dimension of excitement for students and the surrounding community.

The site the University is immediately turning its attention to is located on the south side of University Avenue between 25th and 27th Streets, excluding First Christian Church. Most of the nearly 2.65-acre site neighboring First Christian Church has sat empty for years; it previously served as the home of Memorial Hall, which was built in 1905 and razed in 1996 due to age. Long-term plans under consideration call for assessing development possibilities elsewhere along University Avenue, with this first phase spurring future growth.

Developers will have six weeks to respond to the RFP. The University will then assess the proposals, including any necessary work to prepare the site for development. Drake will engage the neighborhood and surrounding communities throughout the RFP process to ensure the community is apprised of new developments. In the coming months, the University will lead key stakeholders through the formation of a master plan for development along University Avenue, which will take into account long-term needs for the University and its students as well as economic development for the areas surrounding campus.

New Director of Sponsored Programs
I want to extend a warm welcome to Mary Pat Wohlford, who joined Drake on July 1 as our new director of sponsored programs. She comes to Drake from The Registry, the nation’s premier interim higher education executive search firm. Her most recent assignment for them was as associate vice provost at Suffolk University. She has extensive experience in grants management and sponsored programs in a variety of universities, including Suffolk, Albany State University, Kansas City University, and Des Moines University. She has a B.S. degree in health information management from Stephens College, an M.S. in health care administration from Des Moines University, an M.A. in industrial design and technology from the University of Iowa, and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Iowa State University. I am certain she will bring valuable leadership and direction to Sponsored Programs.

Learning Symposium
Here is one last reminder to register for the 2016 Learning Symposium, Inclusive Excellence. In addition to an exciting array of sessions, this year’s Symposium features two new additions. First, as previously announced, our guest presenter for the afternoon session will be Jennifer Godinez, AS’97, associate director of Minnesota Education Equity Partnership. Second, over the lunch hour we will be announcing the 2016 recipient of the Principal Financial Group Global Citizenship Award. The 2015 recipient, announced at last fall’s Convocation, was Professor Ellen Yee.

2016 Learning Symposium: “Inclusive Excellence ”
Aug. 19, 7:45 a.m.–1:40 p.m.
Sheraton West Des Moines
1800 50th Street, West Des Moines

Register and select the sessions you would like to attend here—space is limited by the size of the rooms.

Last Hurrah
This is my final contribution to OnCampus as interim provost. (That sudden breeze you just felt was a collective sigh of relief from campus.) I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the support and encouragement you have extended to me during the past 15 months. Over the past few weeks, people have been asking me if I am looking forward to the end of my term, which may be their way of hinting that they are looking forward to that end. The truth is that serving as your provost has been a privilege and a pleasure (for me at least), and a role I never imagined myself filling when I came to Drake 34 years ago. I am deeply grateful to President Martin for his trust in asking me to serve as your provost, and it has been an exhilarating experience to have had the opportunity to work with him during his inaugural year. I also want to thank Keith Summerville, who has done an extraordinary job as interim dean of Arts & Sciences, leaving the college in better shape for me than I left it for him. Finally, I know that you will extend the same generosity of spirit to Sue Mattison, as she becomes provost on July 18, that you gave to me. Thank you.

—Joe Lenz, Interim Provost

David Golder, FA’79, managing partner of Golder Investment Management and vice president and treasurer of the Golder Family Foundation, has been named chair of the Drake University Board of Trustees. Golder, who has served on the board since 2005, starts his term as chair on July 1. Read more in the Drake Newsroom.