The Adult Literacy Center at Drake University is seeking volunteers eager to change the lives of local adults by helping them achieve basic literacy (reading, writing, and/or speaking) skills. A tutor training will be held Friday, Jan. 22, 5–8 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 23, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., at the Drake University School of Education, 3206 University Ave. To register, contact Anne Murr, anne.murr@drake.edu, 515-271-3982. Click here to learn more.
Tag Archives: faculty
Ray Center panel on civility in politics
At a time when many Americans believe civil discourse has declined in American politics, the Ray Center at Drake University and The Des Moines Register will co-present a panel discussion on the state of civility in politics. Panelists for the free Jan. 13 event will explore what voters can do to demand respect and civility from their candidates and elected officials, and how all Americans can create a political system in which civil debate is the expectation and not the exception. Titled “Election 2016: Will voters choose civility?” the panel will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Des Moines Register Community Room, 400 Locust St., Des Moines.
Panelists will include:
- Michael Josephson, founder of CHARACTER COUNTS!
- Kathie Obradovich, political columnist, The Des Moines Register
- Dennis Goldford, professor of political science, Drake University
- Eric Woolson, Republican political strategist
- Jessica Vanden Berg, Democratic political strategist
- Brandi Dye, student, Drake University
Visit this link to RSVP and submit your questions for the panel.
The panel is hosted in conjunction with the Ray Center’s “Show Some Respect” campaign, which promotes respect and civility. The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, and the Greater Des Moines Partnership are co-presenters of the campaign and the panel discussion.
Brown and Black Forum details
On Monday, Jan. 11, Drake University will host the Democratic Brown and Black Presidential Candidate Forum. The Forum will be broadcast on Fusion, Iowa Public Television, and C-SPAN and is sponsored by Urban Dreams, a Des Moines-based human services agency. This is one of the longest-running presidential forums in the country, and the only forum specifically dedicated to the concerns of minority voters.
Drake’s mission statement promises students an exceptional learning environment, and hosting the Forum exemplifies this commitment. Specifically, there are four important ways in which hosting this event reflects the University’s mission. First, the Forum exemplifies our role in a civic democracy—the university is the place where the community (in this case, the nation) comes together to discuss the important issues of the day. Second, Fusion will be hiring student interns who will work on all aspects of the production prior to the event. Third, a limited number of tickets are available for Drake students, faculty, and staff to attend the Forum itself, participating directly in the democratic process (information about how to request a seat is included below). Finally, the Forum brings national attention to our University, increasing visibility and attracting the next generation of outstanding students to campus.
Hosting the Brown and Black Forum requires a substantial amount of logistical planning, and the campus community will need to be aware of a number of issues.
Tickets
Urban Dreams has exclusive control over distribution of tickets to attend the Brown and Black Forum. A limited number of tickets have been made available to members of the Drake community, and priority will be given to current Drake students.
All Forum attendees must be seated by 6 p.m. and will need to remain in Sheslow Auditorium for the entirety of the program, until 9 p.m. If you are unable to commit to attending the entire Forum, please do not request a ticket.
Tickets will be distributed by lottery. To request a ticket, go to http://tinyurl.com/BrownBlackForum2016. You may request a ticket at any time prior to Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, at 5 p.m. Please submit your name and information only once, as duplicate entries are not permitted. In order to guarantee equal opportunity for all members of the Drake community, only one submission per person will be eligible. Each request is for only one ticket, and Drake is not providing tickets for family, friends, or alumni. Those who received a ticket to the DNC Debate via the online ticket lottery will not be eligible to receive a ticket to the Brown and Black Forum through the online ticket lottery.
Please be aware that attendance will require Secret Service screening procedures.
Should you be chosen to receive a ticket to the event, you will be notified by Monday, Jan. 4, using the preferred email address you provide in your request. Once you confirm your acceptance of the ticket, additional instructions and information will be provided. Please remember that tickets are nontransferable—they are only valid for the individual who has been designated to use the ticket and IDs will be checked at the door.
Housing
Students who are selected to attend or work for the Brown and Black Forum will have access to campus housing. The Office of Residence Life will work with those students selected to receive tickets and/or those students selected by Fusion as event staff to arrange for housing options based on J-Term daily rates and space availability. Following selection, more information will be provided to those ticketed recipients through the Office of Residence Life.
Facilities and Security
This event will bring a large number of people to campus (approximately 1,000–1,500 people are expected). This creates security concerns and all members of the campus community should be aware of this. Please observe the following guidelines to ensure safety:
- Old Main and Olmsted Center will be restricted to those affiliated with the Forum for security reasons. Credentials will be necessary to enter these spaces on Sunday evening and all day Monday (Jan. 10 and 11). If you need to use facilities in these buildings, please plan to do so before or after they are secured for the event.
- Areas immediately surrounding Old Main and Olmsted Center will be restricted for security reasons. Prior to the Forum, information will be available regarding street closures, parking restrictions, and other logistics. Please plan accordingly.
- Please carry your Drake Card (ID) with you at all times. Should an emergency arise, this will allow security and Secret Service personnel to identify you as a member of the Drake community.
- For students living on campus or in the immediate area, please be extra cautious about allowing access to living spaces to individuals who are not known to you. Do not prop or leave doors open, do not let people into your building unless you know them personally, and do not accept “credentials” from any individual not affiliated with the University, the Des Moines Police Department, or the Secret Service.
Things to Keep in Mind
Hosting a nationally-televised live candidate forum provides invaluable opportunities for the Drake community. It also means that our campus and our community are in the national spotlight. Many credentialed members of the press are expected. Three presidential candidates will be on campus. You may have interactions with Fusion staff, Urban Dreams staff, candidates, campaign staff, Secret Service personnel and/or the media. Please take care to be respectful and responsible. You may well have the opportunity to show the nation who we are as the Drake community and our collective commitment to civility and the open, respectful exchange of divergent views. Together, we can ensure that this is a positive experience for all of the individuals visiting campus, as well as for all members of the Drake family.
Additional details regarding building access, street closures, and parking restrictions, will be distributed the week prior to the event.
—Joe Lenz, Interim Provost
Commencement Dec. 19
The commencement ceremony for those students—graduate and undergraduate—graduating at the end of this semester will be held in The Knapp Center on Saturday, Dec. 19, beginning at 10 a.m. If faculty are planning to attend—as I encourage you to do—please plan to be in the Bell Center for robing and assembly no later than 9:30 a.m.
To assure that we have a sufficient number of chairs on the floor for faculty, please RSVP at https://drakefallcommencement2015.eventbrite.com no later than Tuesday, Dec. 15. Please, only RSVP is you DO plan to attend. As this is President Martin’s first commencement at Drake, I ask that you do him—and the students who have earned their degrees—the honor of your presence.
—Joe Lenz, Interim Provost
Sports and Recreation Complex winter break hours
Drake University Sports and Recreation Complex winter break hours:
Friday, Dec. 18
Bell & Knapp Center: 6:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tennis Center: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Pool: 6:30–8 a.m. & 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Underground Fitness: CLOSED
Dec. 19–20—All Facilities CLOSED
Dec. 21–23
Bell Center & Knapp Center: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tennis Center: CLOSED
Pool: CLOSED
Underground Fitness: CLOSED
Dec. 24—Jan. 3—All Facilities CLOSED
^Specific facility hours will change on basketball games days: Dec. 22
_____________________________________________________________
Jan. 4–22*
Monday–Thursday
Bell Center & Knapp Center: 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ^
Tennis Center: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. & 5–7 p.m.
Bell Center Pool: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. & 4–6 p.m.
Underground Fitness: CLOSED
Friday
Bell Center & Knapp Center: 8 a.m.–6 p.m. ^
Tennis Center: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. & 4–5:30 p.m.
Bell Center Pool: 11 a.m.–1 p.m. & 4–5:30 p.m.
Underground Fitness: CLOSED
Saturday–Sunday
Bell Center & Knapp Center: 1–5 p.m. ^
Tennis Center: 2–4 p.m.
Bell Center Pool: 2–4 p.m.
Underground Fitness: CLOSED
*All facilities will be closed Monday, Jan. 18 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
^Specific facility hours will change on basketball game days: Jan. 6, 15, 17, & 20
Schedule subject to change—Drake Card required for entrance
For specific facility availability, call the Bell Center at 515-271-3173.
University Book Club
Join faculty and staff from all corners of campus to read The Kind Worth Killing with the University Book Club. Borrow the book from Cowles, read over your holiday break and through January, then meet with your co-workers on Tuesday, Jan. 19, to discuss the book (time and place TBD). Learn more here: Additional Book Club information
More information to come in a future OnCampus!
—Submitted by Randy Boelkes, Student Loan and Collections Specialist
All Staff Council Holiday Food Drive recap
Drake staff and faculty donated a total of 392 items (754 pounds) plus $100 in cash to CROSS Ministries. Our donations should maintain their emergency pantry for the entire month of December. Thanks to all who donated and helped make the holidays brighter for deserving families in the Drake neighborhood!
—Submitted by All Staff Council Events Committee
Another year to celebrate
Congratulations to the following staff and faculty members who celebrated service anniversaries at Drake in November and December.
November:
Maria Almanza-Arriaga, Facility Services
Carolyn Anderson, Head Start
Teresa Bartschat, RaySociety
Mary Cecil, Campus Mail Operations
Renae Chesnut, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Shannon Cofield, President’s Office
Kendra Colbert, School of Education
Alice Cronin, Residence Life
Ashlee Cummings, Head Start
Christine DeWall, Alumni & Development
Christine Ditter, Student Financial Planning
Lindsey Feikes, Office of Admission
Claudia Frazer, Cowles Library
Mary Beth Holtey, College of Arts & Sciences
Karl Kaiser, Facility Services
Mark Kloberdanz, Counseling Center
Kristi Longtin, Law School
Krista Magill, Law School
Tamara Masters, Head Start
Elvira Meija De Luna, Facility Services
Brandi Miller, Student Financial Planning
Christine Miller, Law School
Timothy Nelsen, I Have a Dream Foundation
Michele Nelson, University Communications
Peggy Nielsen, Head Start
Kevin Pendra, Facility Services
Crescenciano Roman-Mendoz, Facility Services
Judith Russell, Head Start
Aimee Schmidt, Athletics
Charlene Skidmore, Honors Program
Anthony Squire, Drake Technology Services
John Stacy, Facility Services
Ramiza Suvic, Facility Services
Carole Tillotson, Law School
Jennifer Woodley, Alumni Relations
Elizabeth Young, Head Start
December:
Daniel Anderson, Athletics
Randi Boelkes, Office of Student Accounts
Pamela Brennan, Cowles Library
Elizabeth Burns, University Communications
Mary Butterwick, College of Business and Public Administration
Mary Byers, Head Start
Blake Campbell, Alumni Relations
Brina Coppi, Student Records and Academic Information
Amy Cutler, Law School
Simon Dominguez, Facility Services
Jacqueline Fortin, Facility Services
Edward Frederiksen, Facility Services
Thomas Ginn, Facility Services
Kathleen Hickman, CBPA
Jennifer Hogan, Drake International
Lindsey Horner, Athletics
Alicia Mann, DTS
Cheri McDaniel, Ray Center
Gerald Parker, Student Life Center
Robert Rigg, Legal Clinic
Hazima Rizvic Mustafic, Facility Services
Nanette Schroeder, Head Start
Lola Spear, Students Services Center
Debra Strang, Head Start
Kathy Veach, Finance and Administration
Nathaniel Werden, Public Safety
Gary Williamson, Athletics
—Submitted by Laura Schwarz, Administrative Support Specialist
Deadline to submit final grades
Instructors, your ability to submit final grades will end at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23. (Online grade entry for the Law School will remain open until Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016.) This deadline was set by the faculty and appears in Section 2.135 of the faculty manual.
I greatly appreciate your efforts to submit your grades by the 10 a.m. deadline.
From that point, staff from your dean’s office and the Student Records Office will work together—expeditiously—to reconcile grades for courses that students have repeated (for a better grade) and to calculate students’ GPAs. This work must be done quickly yet carefully so that, among other reasons, informed decisions can be made with regard to students’ academic probation/suspension.
We will begin this process promptly at 10 a.m. on Dec. 23, as we must complete it by close of business, before the University adjourns for winter break.
If you have any questions about how to submit your final grades, please contact your dean’s office or Kevin Moenkhaus (kevin.moenkhaus@drake.edu or 271-3902) in the Student Records Office.
Thank you, and best wishes as your semester draws to a close.
—Submitted by Kevin Moenkhaus, Director, Student Records and Academic Information
From the Provost: Important end-of-semester updates
The Day Free for Study
As we approach the end of the semester, this is a reminder of Drake policy related to performance evaluation and grading (Faculty Manual 2.131) and the Day Free for Study:
- Student Records and Academic Information publishes a final evaluation schedule for the last week of fall and spring semesters. A two-hour evaluation period is designated for each class and all classes are expected to meet at the designed time and place for a final session. If a final examination is given in a class, it must be given during the designated final evaluations period. Deviations from the final evaluation schedule require authorization of the dean.
- The last class day prior to the beginning of the final evaluation period is designated as a “Day Free For Study”, commonly called “Dead Day.” During this time, no committee meetings (for which students or faculty unable to attend would be at a disadvantage) may be held, and classes do not normally meet. Individual colleges and faculty members may schedule voluntary review sessions for their classes, with the provision that attendance by students is voluntary and no new materials can be presented which will be included in the final evaluation. Laboratory reports and term papers previously assigned may be assigned due dates during the Day Free for Study. No final evaluations may be given during the Day Free for Study.
Commencement
The commencement ceremony for those students—graduate and undergraduate—graduating at the end of this semester will be held in The Knapp Center on Saturday, Dec. 19, beginning at 10 a.m. If faculty are planning on attending—as I encourage you to do—please plan to be in the Bell Center for robing and assembly no later than 9:30 a.m.
To assure that we have a sufficient number of chairs on the floor for faculty, please RSVP to https://drakefallcommencement2015.eventbrite.com no later than Tuesday, Dec. 15. Please, only RSVP is you DO plan to attend. As this is President Martin’s first commencement at Drake. I ask that you do him—and the students who have earned their degrees—the honor of your presence.
If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Geiger at x3095 or nancy.geiger@drake.edu.
Being Social
The final faculty/staff social of the semester will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., immediately following the campus community budget discussion (4–5 p.m.) in the Shivers Hospitality Suite. Please attend both the campus discussion, led by Chief Financial Officer Teresa Krejci and President Martin, and the social. It has been a long and productive semester, and it will be pleasant to end it in each other’s company. Nearby parking is available in Lot 2 east of Shivers at the NE corner of Forest and 25th Street.
—Joe Lenz, Interim Provost