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Campus News
Four new members join Drake Board of Trustees
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Richard S. Cusac
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Paul Leavitt
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Liz Newell
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Mary P. Stier
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The Drake University Board of Trustees
recently elected four new members to three-year terms:
- Richard S. Cusac, LA'63, a strategic
business consultant and director of the Learning Forum;
- Paul Leavitt, JO'72, Washington
news editor of USA Today;
- Liz Newell, ED'69, vice president
of The Integer Group (formerly Kragie/Newell), an advertising agency with offices
in Des Moines and across the country
- Mary P. Stier, president and
publisher of The Des Moines Register and senior group president of the Gannett
Midwest Newspaper Group.
Richard S. Cusac
When asked what strengths and skills he brings to the Board of Trustees, Cusac
said, "disciplined strategic thinking, a global perspective, a team orientation
and a strong commitment to action."
Cusac is interested in continuing efforts to improve Drake's ability to attract a
highly motivated and diverse student body throughout the United States and abroad.
He also is interested in collaborative learning, synergies of liberal arts and professional
education as well as enhancing the performance of student-athletes both in the classroom
and on the playing field.
Cusac has held several senior executive positions in both major corporate and small
entrepreneurial enterprises during his career, with extensive international experience.
He worked for Citicorp for 12 years, serving in senior positions in several countries
in Asia and the Middle East. He later served as CEO of The Gulf Bank of Kuwait.
Cusac was a managing director of Merrill Lynch Capital Markets before joining OmniCorp
Investments Ltd. in 1988 as chairman and CEO. In 1992, he became head of his private
equity capital business and chairman and principal shareholder of Impact Telecommunications
Corp. in Spokane, WA. Since 1995 he has been a strategic business consultant and
a director of the Learning Forum.
At Drake, Cusac has served on the National Advisory Board for the College of Business
and Public Administration since March 2000. He also participated in Drake's first
symposium on international business in 2000.
Paul Leavitt
Leavitt has been a guest lecturer in news reporting classes in the School of
Journalism and Mass Communication and a member of the school's National Advisory
Board. He also created a faculty development fund and a dean's discretionary fund
for the school.
His key interests at Drake are finances and enrollment. "I want to help Drake
meet its potential as a recognized leader in higher education," Leavitt said.
"That means attracting high-quality faculty and students with diverse interests
and experiences. To do that, we must have the financial means to provide modern and
attractive facilities, low student-teacher ratios, liberal scholarship packages and
a stimulating environment in which students and faculty can thrive."
Leavitt's experience as a journalist in Washington has given him the opportunity
to see first-hand how national leaders grapple with divisive issues. "I've come
to appreciate the value of coalitions that cross traditional boundaries to move issues
forward," he said. "Drake faces significant challenges, particularly when
one looks at the demographic trends of our traditional pool of students. It's going
to take innovative thinking to ensure that Drake can meet those challenges."
As Washington news editor at USA Today, Leavitt writes the Capital Roundup
and Electionline columns. His overseas assignments have included the 1985 Reagan-Gorbachev
summit in Geneva. Prior to joining USA Today, Leavitt was a reporter and editor
for The Des Moines Register from 1975 to 1985. He also worked as a news reporter
and sportscaster for KCCI-TV and KRNT Radio.
Liz Newell
Newell brings to the Board of Trustees more than 25 years of marketing and communications
experience. She said she hopes to "help define and communicate the mission and
values of Drake University to the world." Newell also has a keen interest in
enrollment at Drake and plans to take an active role in student recruitment and retention
efforts.
Newell and her husband, Jack Kragie, LA'65, founded Kragie/Newell Advertising Agency
in 1977. The agency grew from a staff of three to 200 marketing professionals with
offices in six cities and blue-chip clients such as McDonald's, Chevrolet, NAPA,
Maytag Corp. and Pella Windows. Newell also influenced Iowa's economy for more than
a dozen years in her role as chief strategic marketing partner for the Iowa Department
of Economic Development.
In 1997, Newell engineered the merger of Kragie/Newell with a large Denver-based
marketing company called The Integer Group. The merged entity was purchased later
that year by Omnicom, the world's largest advertising agency holding company. Newell
continued to run the agency through 2000. She has moved back to her hometown of Chicago
with Kragie. The couple established the first endowed Drake Relays race in 1998.
More recently, they made a generous gift to Drake to create the Kragie Newell Agora
-- a gathering place to be built on the north end of Helmick Commons.
Mary P. Stier
Stier brings 20 years of newspaper experience to the Board of Trustees. "In
many ways, a university is similar to a newspaper," she said. "As a leader
in either institution, we must respect and embrace intellectual freedom while managing
the realities of a changing society."
Students are Stier's primary interest as a trustee. "With all the complex dynamics
of a university, above all, we must serve students," she said. "I will
look for ways in which my skills can serve that mission."
Stier first came to Iowa as a student at the University of Iowa in 1974. She joined
Gannett in 1982 as retail advertising manager of The Iowa City Press-Citizen
and eventually worked her way up to publisher. She was named president and publisher
of the Rockford Register Star in Rockford, IL in 1991. She has been president
and publisher of The Des Moines Register since 2000. She also is a member
of Gannett's Newspaper Operating Committee, which sets policy for Gannett's newspaper
division, and has chaired two Gannett programs on the future of newspapers.
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| Jennie Dorris and Jim Casey, at
right, receive checks and congratulations from (left-right) SJMC Professor John Lytle,
CBPA Dean Joe Alber, Small Business Development Center Director Sherry Shafer and
Arts and Science Interim Dean Sue Wright. |
Drake students win grants totaling $15,000
Knot magazine,
a national, alternative online magazine founded in November 1999 by Jennie Dorris,
JO'02, FA'02, and Jim Casey, BN'02, received the prestigious Pappajohn Seed Grant
and won the Pappajohn Business Plan Competition in January. Knot magazine
took home a total of $15,000 in grant money for the well-written business plan that
detailed how editors Dorris and Casey plan to move their publication from a Web 'zine
to a printed magazine this fall.
Over the past two years, the Web site, www.knotmag.com, has featured more than 100 writers from across
the nation producing more than 350 stories, serving as an outlet for students to
publish their work in a nationally recognized publication.
Still in the early stages of formulating their small publication business, Casey
credits the grants with boosting confidence and financial support for Knot,
allowing the staff to mature into a young business and apply for a small business
loan.
In June, Knot moved to Boulder, CO, where the alternative magazine will be
produced on a weekly basis.
"We are still in the early stages of formulating this business," said Casey.
"This spring, we were in our pre-start-up phase that included market research,
incorporation, assembling a board of advisors and researching additional capital
opportunities. We are also in the process of assembling a team based at Drake that
will continue to operate the Web site through next year."
Founding staff members include Drake students Dorris and Casey, as well as Pete Holm,
FA'02.
Heaston named interim dean of CPBA
Pat Heaston, Aliber distinguished
professor of accounting and director of the School of Accounting, has been appointed
interim dean of the College of Business and Public Administration. Heaston assumes
the responsibilities of former CBPA Dean Joe Alber, who had been dean since 1997.
Alber accepted a position as dean of the Richard J. Wehle School of Business at Canisius
College in Buffalo, NY in July.
Heaston, who teaches financial accounting, is in his 19th year at Drake. He has accounting
experience in both public accounting and government. He has been selected as the
outstanding teacher in the College of Business and Public Administration three times,
twice at the undergraduate level and once at the graduate level.
Drake University receives high marks in
nationwide survey of academic outcomes
Drake University is
proud to rank consistently among the Midwest's top colleges and universities for
academic reputation and value. But Drake is even prouder of its high rankings when
it comes to what students actually learn during their academic experience.
The National Study of Student Engagement -- the most comprehensive assessment of
effective practices in higher education -- shows that Drake performs among the nation's
top colleges and universities on a number of indicators associated with student learning.
This is extremely valuable information for prospective students and parents to examine
during their college search process, and it's vitally important to college and university
administrators in evaluating the effectiveness of their academic programs.
The survey, sponsored by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
and The Pew Forum for Undergraduate Learning, is completed by first- and fourth-year
students who rate their college or university in terms of what they feel they have
gained from classes, coursework and other important dimensions of their academic
experience. Drake University participated in this survey for the first time in 2001,
and results show that our students give Drake high marks for the quality of education
they are receiving.
More than 155,000 students and 471 four-year colleges and universities -- including
Drake -- have participated in the study, which focuses on five key benchmarks of
quality:
- Level of academic challenge
- Active and collaborative learning
- Student-faculty interaction
- Enriching educational experiences
- Supportive campus environment
Drake in 90th percentile among
seniors for level of academic challenge
Drake ranks in the 90th percentile for its level of academic challenge among seniors
enrolled in the 471 colleges and universities that participated in the 2001 NSSE.
Academic challenge is measured by 11 different factors, including extent of class
preparation, number and length of writing assignments, analyzing and interpreting
information, applying theories to solving practical problems, and the amount of time
and effort required to meet expectations.
Drake in 90th percentile among seniors for student/faculty interaction
Key to Drake's academic quality and reputation is the fact that students are taught
by faculty, not teaching assistants. Drake alumni know very well that professors
-- more than 9 in 10 of whom hold the highest degrees in their fields -- not only
teach all classes, but also grade papers and serve as academic mentors for their
students.
Drake seniors participating the NSSE survey rated Drake in the 90th percentile for
one-on-one interaction in the learning process, measured on a variety of factors
including:
- Discussing grades or assignments
- Discussing ideas from readings
or classes outside of class
- Working with faculty members
on activities other than coursework
- Receiving prompt feedback from
faculty on academic performance
- Talking about career plans
Drake in 90th percentile among
seniors for enriching educational experiences
Alumni also know that another key to Drake's outstanding quality is knowing that
important learning experiences also take place outside the classroom. Blending the
rigors of a sound liberal arts education with professional experience and education
also distinguishes Drake from many of its peer institutions.
The NSSE survey results offer strong evidence that Drake's reputation in these areas
is well earned. Drake seniors who participated in the survey gave Drake high ratings
-- placing it in the 90th percentile of the 471 colleges and universities completing
the survey -- for enriching educational experiences, measured by indicators including:
- Providing internships and field
experiences
- Community service or volunteer
work
- Opportunities to participate
in research projects with faculty outside their required coursework
- Independent study or self-designed
major
- A culminating or "capstone"
experience
Drake in 80th percentile among
seniors for active and collaborative learning
Drake also receives high ratings from its seniors on factors that measure active
and collaborative learning, such as:
- Contributing to class discussions
- Making class presentations
- Preparing multiple drafts of
a paper of project before turning it in
- Working with other students on
class projects
- Discussing ideas from classes
with others outside of class
- Participating in a community-based
project as part of a class
Keep in mind that the NSSE report
is also a diagnostic tool for identifying areas where we can improve. And Drake is
committed to continuing its participation in NSSE as an important strategic tool
for stimulating continuous improvement in the university and its programs.
But, without question, Drake is proud to have its commitment to educational quality
substantiated and reaffirmed.
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