Category Archives: Strategic Updates Archive

Strategic Updates Archive

STEM@DRAKE construction update

In June, the Board of Trustees authorized the start of pre-construction work on the next phase of the STEM@DRAKE project. In anticipation of the construction of the School of Education and Math and Computer Science facility and the new Science Connector building between Olin and Fitch Halls, several pre-construction steps are underway. Here are some highlights from recent activity:

  • After a competitive bid process, Weitz was chosen as the contractor. A group including Board of Trustees members and steering team members Joe Lenz, Jan McMahill, Renae Chestnut, Keith Summerville, Teresa Krejci, Venessa Macro, and Jolene Schmidt interviewed five contractors.
  • You will start to see some activity near the future construction site. Electrical and communication infrastructure will need to be relocated, which will require some trench work near Medbury and Olin. Plans and schedules for this work are under development and will be shared as soon as they are final. Watch blueView and OnCampus for more information.
  • The transition of 27th Street to Drake-owned property is complete. Parking on the east side of the street is commuter parking, requiring a commuter permit. The west side of the street is a fire lane. Once construction begins it is likely that 27th Street will close.

In the coming weeks, additional information and project timeline information will be finalized and shared. Soon after the October Board of Trustees meeting, we are planning for additional opportunities to learn more about the project through in-person meetings and online resources.

—Submitted by Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

Strategic Updates Archive

Harvey Ingham renovation

Our major capital project this summer was the completion of the renovation of Harvey Ingham Hall. It was our goal to have the renovation completed in time for the start of fall semester classes. We came close, but due to delays beyond our control, some classrooms and labs will not be available until the second week of classes. As a consequence, we have relocated those classes to alternate spaces, and we apologize to those affected by the consequent inconvenience and confusion.

We also want to invite you to an open house in Harvey Ingham on Friday, Sept. 4, at 3–4:30 p.m. so you can see all of the changes for yourself.

The scope of work included the reconfiguration of the north side of the second floor to update (and create) teaching and research labs, instrument rooms, and glassware storage; the creation of a small classroom on the first floor; and the complete reconfiguration of the garden level, with a new classroom, laboratory, collaboration space, and conference room, as well as new offices. In addition, restrooms were added to each floor and the stairwells refurbished. Due to the addition of new rooms and the requirements of meeting fire code, every room in Harvey Ingham has been renumbered.

We want to extend gratitude and congratulations to a host of folks across campus who made this project a success. First, I want to thank the faculty and staff in Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy/Health Sciences for their patience and cooperation—due to the extensive renovations, Harvey Ingham was closed for the entire summer, so faculty and classes were relocated to other buildings. Jolene Schmidt and Mark Chambers were masterful in keeping the project and the contractors on schedule (or as close to it as possible), despite delays in securing permits from the City of Des Moines. Brad Toussaint and his Drake Technology Services crew have been heroic, working nights and weekends, installing technology in classrooms, labs, and offices. The Office of Student Records, likewise, have been resourceful, not only in entering the new room numbers into the system but also working with deans Summerville and Chesnut and other college offices to find alternative spaces for every class and lab scheduled in Harvey Ingham.

Thanks to everyone’s efforts, Harvey Ingham, originally built in 1949, will soon have an entirely remodeled interior, ready for the next 50 years.

—Provost Joe Lenz

Strategic Updates Archive

Message from President Martin

I hope this message finds everyone enjoying the summer and looking forward to the start of the fall semester in a few short weeks. I have completed my first month as your president, and I want to share some changes I have made regarding how the university’s senior administration operates.

The President’s Cabinet has been renamed the President’s Council. The purpose of this name change is twofold. First, the new title is meant to reflect a different approach to decision-making and resource allocation. The core functions of the President’s Council will be to:

  • Share information with the Council and across the institution
  • Coordinate actions, tasks, and projects that cross divisions to improve institutional performance
  • Facilitate consultation within and outside the President’s Council, enhancing the transparency of our decision-making processes and improving the quality of our decisions

The President’s Council will not make collective institutional decisions. There will be robust communication, coordination, and consultation within the Council, but the group will not be asked to vote on institutional matters for the purpose of defining a course of action. Instead, the authority and responsibility for making decisions will lie with the relevant division, following appropriate engagement with the Council and the president. For example, matters regarding an academic program will be fully within the purview of the president’s and provost’s offices working with deans and others in the academic division. The provost will brief the President’s Council on matters that require coordination and that would benefit from consultation, but those issues will not be presented to the Council for the purpose of reaching a decision. That authority will stay within the academic division’s hierarchy.

Second, I have expanded the membership of this group to include my direct operational reports so as to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of my office. This means that Shannon Cofield, Senior Advisor for External Affairs; Chris Gill, Chief Information Technology Officer; Teresa Krejci, Chief Financial Officer; and Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer, will attend President’s Council meetings along with those who were already serving on the President’s Cabinet (see the full membership at the end of this message). These positions are not new to the institution; rather, they are existing positions that either already reported to the president or are new direct reports.

To further enhance engagement between the President’s Council and the community, we will regularly hold our meetings at various locations across campus. This will, in some small way, make our work more visible, and it will create opportunities for informal interactions with colleagues as we travel to our meetings. Additionally, the Council will invite others to present on topics instead of Council members always doing so, and Council members will regularly brief their divisions on the Council’s agendas and activities. Finally, the President’s Council will meet every other week instead of every week.

These changes should bring greater transparency to the work of the President’s Council, strengthen campus communications, and improve institutional performance. I will be testing these presumptions as we move forward and welcome any feedback that will help us improve the operations of my office and the President’s Council.

Best regards,

Marty

President’s Council Membership

Sandy Hatfield-Clubb, Director of Athletics
Shannon Cofield, Senior Advisor for External Affairs
Tom Delahunt, Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid
Chris Gill, Chief Information Technology Officer
Teresa Krejci, Chief Financial Officer
Joe Lenz, Interim Provost
Debra Lukehart, Vice President of University Communications
Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer
Lynda Ryan, Executive Assistant to the President and Secretary of the University
John Smith, Vice President for Alumni and Development
Bob Soltis, President of Faculty Senate