Drake University Blue Magazine Fall 2014 - Special Feature

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16 years of maxwell momentum

Higher Education President Maxwell steps down next year, but his mission-driven progress keeps Drake climbing.

Running is a mediator, an expanse of calm between David Maxwell and the day that’s about to begin.

The sun is scarcely touching the horizon as Maxwell laces his shoes and positions his ear buds for a four-mile morning run that follows a meditative rhythm and a familiar route through his Des Moines neighborhood.

He has been running for 34 years, mostly five times a week, sometimes pushing himself on longer stretches. He points out with a note of pride that he’s still running on original knees and hips, now slower—but steady, committed. His doctor questions this routine for a man approaching 70 with the onset of osteoarthritis in his right knee. Maxwell is adamant.

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“I’m going to keep running.”

Maxwell has brought the same fortitude to Drake for the past decade and a half. As the University’s 12th president, he has led the campus and community through tribulation and transformation, leveraging assets and seizing opportunities. While his tenure, like most, has known challenges, Maxwell’s mark on Drake is most prominent in the University’s collective confidence—built with expanded academic programming, rising application numbers, strengthened philanthropy, new and renewed facilities, strategic community partnerships, and notable accomplishments.

In the fall of 1998, on a cross-country flight from Walla Walla after a Whitman reunion—and perhaps fortuitously somewhere high above the Midwest landscape—Maxwell turned to his wife, Maddy, and made a declaration. “I belong on a college campus.”

Maxwell was no stranger to higher education when he moved into his office in Old Main. His long career at Tufts University in Massachusetts included numerous leadership positions in the academy, which eventually led to the presidency at Whitman College in the Pacific Northwest.

He left one Washington for another in 1993, taking the director’s position at the National Foreign Language Center, then located in the heart of D.C.

The Drake Story Maxwell didn’t come

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to Drake in 1999 with answers. Instead, he asked questions—a skill, he says, that’s served him well in higher education and one he honed earlier as a student of Russian literature and an Anton Chekhov scholar.

“The really big, important things to make decisions about have more than just one answer.”

Maxwell’s first action as president consisted of numerous small group and one-on-one discussions that identified challenges and revealed assets. A structured six-month discourse with faculty, staff, students, alumni, board members, and Des Moines leaders allowed campus and community to connect personally with Maxwell and together build a shared vision

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The University faces a $6.5m operating deficit.

The Donald V. Adams Leadership Institute is founded, offering students a variety of programming and opportunities to build leadership skills.

The Maxwells arrive in Des Moines; Drake’s new president explores Iowa on RAGBRAI XXVII.

Maxwell leads a comprehensive program review, eventually leading to the first strategic plan of his presidency. (Three more strategic plans would follow over the next 12 years.)

Traditional language instruction is replaced with a new model.

Drake University Language Acquisition Program (DULAP) uses on-campus native speakers, language scholars, and Web-based technologies (eventually evolving into today’s World Languages and Cultures program).

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for the University’s future. The program review and strategic planning and implementation that followed established a tone and culture of distinct possibilities that continue 15 years later.

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’02 The Center for Global Citizenship is established, integrating global issues into the curriculum and campus culture. (Renamed in 2011 in recognition of a $2.5m gift from The Principal Financial Group.)

The Voyage, the Compass The August afternoon air warms the grassy expanse of Helmick Commons, where President Maxwell looks out at a sea of fresh faces—a few he recognizes as belonging to the new first-years he and Maddy helped move into Carpenter Hall that morning (he carrying boxes, Maddy and the goldendoodles, Gus and Moose, greeting students and parents). As Maxwell salutes the launch of their Drake careers, he speaks of beginnings, of exploration and knowledge, of challenge and commitment, of community and society. And, as always, he speaks of dreams. Here, he tells them, you will discover your own dreams. Here, he assures, you will begin down a path toward making those dreams come true.

Welcome to the Drake Family.

Maxwell remembers the feeling. He was the first on his father’s side to complete college. On a recommendation from an uncle on his mother’s side, he made a visit to a small, private liberal arts school in Iowa. Maxwell moved his application to early decision and had confirmation by

December that he’d begin studies at Grinnell College the following fall. “There was an absolute sense of wonder.

I found a place where ideas are at the center of everything,” he says, recalling an eye-opening experience that introduced him to both a new world of knowledge and the Midwest. “Warmth, openness, groundedness— so typical of Iowa.”

Returning to the state more than three decades later, Maxwell helped Drake steer toward financial sustainability, not only for institutional longevity but also and especially for the student experience it affords. The University’s mission was re-examined and rewritten, campus-wide conversations ensured a shared understanding of its elements, and conversations with outside organizations and with visitors, says Maxwell, now confirm the unique magnitude of the University’s purpose and pursuit.

“Drake has such a pervasive consciousness of mission among faculty, staff, and students,” he says of the guidepost in each decision made. “It’s the touchstone against which we measure everything.”

Drake’s Mission is to provide an exceptional learning environment that prepares students for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments, and responsible global citizenship. The Drake experience is distinguished by collaborative learning among students, faculty, and staff and by the integration of the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation.

‘03 Drake signs first non-European exchange agreements with universities in Hebei, China, Iowa’s sister state; Drake’s Chinese Cultural Exchange Program established. $12m renovation brings modern suite-style housing to Goodwin-Kirk Hall. Makovers for Olin, Morehouse, Jewett, and Cole halls plus Olmsted followed over the next four years.

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‘05 Drake achieves a balanced budget.

Maxwell named to the executive committee of the BusinessHigher Education Forum, a national organization of senior business and higher education executives dedicated to advancing solutions for U.S. education and workforce challenges.

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‘07 Maddy Maxwell designs a biker-themed fiberglass bulldog to stand guard outside the Office of the President. The 50-pound sculpture was one of the original seven members of the Bulldog Parade.

$15m renovation of Drake’s Blue Oval helps later secure the site as host of NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (2008, 2011, 2012) and of USA Track & Field Championships (2010 and 2013).

Drake hosts nationally-televised Democratic and Republican presidential debates (again hosting the Republican debate in 2011).

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Everything. Preparing Drake students for the rest of their lives is a holistic endeavor.

Over the past 15 years, numerous new academic programs have been launched—in health sciences, financial management, communications, entrepreneurial management, and endorsements and accelerated degrees through Drake Law—and faculty has expanded. Educational exchange relationships have been built with Austria, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Uganda, and more. A three-week January Term was initiated to expand opportunities for intensive, focused learning opportunities. Internationalization of the curriculum was made a priority with the Internationalization Strategic Plan led by a new vice provost for international programs and establishment of The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship.

The Academy for a Healthy Iowa presented Drake University the Healthy Iowa College/University Award in 2011. A few months later, Underground Fitness opened on the bottom floor of Olmsted Center, complementing recreation facilities

Learning Curve Had it not been for the encouragement of a Russian literature professor—and the toil of qualitative inorganic analysis—Maxwell’s own academic journey might had led elsewhere. Attention and guidance from future mentors would reveal his strengths and engage him in a world of language and literature that tapped passions fanned in earlier years. By the time he was 17, Maxwell had conversed with

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$20-million renovation of Stalnaker, Crawford, Carpenter, and Herriott halls (The Quads) enhances first-years’ experience with new heating and cooling, windows, and furnishings.

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“Aspirations sounds too rational,” he says of his word choice.

“Dreams has good emotional load, tapping into true passion.

‘Stretch! Imagine! Who would you choose to be?!’ We want students to explore beyond trends and forecasts. Let’s leave plenty of room for possibilities.”

people in 163 countries, turning a ham radio hobby into a worldwide expedition. Before heading to college in Iowa, he spent seven weeks touring the USSR as band boy for Benny Goodman’s band, exploring the Soviet Union’s thriving underground jazz scene with his father. Graduate school and a fellowship through the National Defense Education Act confirmed his choice of scholarship and teaching and convinced him of the powerful purpose of higher education.

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Maxwell named to the board of directors for Association of American Colleges and Universities, which provides a powerful voice for the value of liberal education.

Drake takes its ambitious $200-million distinctlyDrake campaign public.

Strengthening its commitment to preparing global citizens, Drake establishes new position: vice provost for international programs.

Student Service Learning program is formalized, encouraging students in all fields to learn by contributing professional services to nonprofits, schools, associations, or government in Des Moines and around the world.

Maddy Maxwell receives the Women of Influence award from the Business Record.

Maxwell joins the board of directors of American Council on Education, the nation’s most influential and respected higher education association.

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Drake, stresses Maxwell, is a place where students discover themselves, find out what they’re capable of, figure out who they’re going to be. That journey—taken not only in the classroom but also out in volunteer opportunities, special interest organizations, internships, and more—is best fueled by dreams.

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Drake recognized as one of The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Great Colleges to Work For (and again in 2012).

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in the Bell Center. Free programming—including one-on-one fitness testing, exercise program design consultations, a wellness lunch series and group exercise classes—have fueled Drake’s efforts to foster healthy lifestyles on a campus where the president can be found doing drills with the women’s tennis team.

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Renovation of Hubbell North Dinning Hall gives the University its first LEED-certified building.

Maxwell summits Mt. Kilimanjaro with his two sons and the Drake and Monterrey Tec (Guadalajara, Mexico) football teams, who faced off in the first-ever collegiate game of American football on African soil. The experience leads to a formal partnership between the two universities.

The Sum of Drake’s Partnerships His suit is black, matching the ensemble worn by each Turner Center Jazz Orchestra musician sharing the stage.

Below an imposing mural of jazz greats (including a photograph of his father, trumpeter Jimmy Maxwell), horns blow, ivories tinkle, snare and cymbal pulse, and President Maxwell delivers a string-bending solo on his Fender American Deluxe Telecaster, inviting Director of Jazz Studies Andrew Classen’s trumpet into a musical call and response. The two build on each other’s notes in a carefully crafted partnership, communicating back and forth as they create something original and shared. It is the sound of collaboration.

In his 1999 inaugural address, Maxwell outlined a vision for strategic alliances among people, institutions, organizations, and the University, describing what he called “the Drake Compact for the 21st Century.” Once program review had returned Drake to a stronger financial position, Maxwell encouraged the campus to look beyond its borders, to reach out and reconnect with the University’s home city.

Today a student service-learning program is one of the cornerstones of the Drake experience. Some 80 percent of students learn by contributing professional services to nonprofits, schools, associations, or government, and each college and school has offerings in the metropolitan area.

Partnerships with local businesses and organizations— some led by Drake alumni—foster internship and mentoring opportunities that complement students’ academic studies with real-world experience and, sometimes, even lead to careers.

A new position, senior advisor for external affairs, was created in 2012 to foster relationships with businesses and organizations in Des Moines. Feedback from the community and collaboration among faculty and staff is helping Drake address the professional development needs of area companies with targeted certificate, continuing, and executive education.

Engagement continues to grow as faculty and staff take paid community service leave; centers for public policy and global citizenship serve as hubs for research and outreach;

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new and renovated facilities welcome the community for concerts, films, and lectures; and neighborhood businesses benefit from the energy and traffic. A campus that was once physically disconnected by a thick perimeter of shrubs is now linked by open walkways and emotional ties.

Joint Venture Theirs is another powerful partnership. David Maxwell is the disciplined strategist. Madeleine Maxwell is the spirited idealist. Alongside David’s steady stride is Maddy’s interpretive dance.

Maddy is an idea person, moving along a diversified career path from television to advertising, from illustration to product design. As location and situation change, so can she. Art directing in Providence. Drawing in Moscow.

Operating her own design firm in Boston. Partnering with Whitman College’s art department in Walla Walla.

Freelancing in Washington, D.C. For more than 15 years she has added her unique flair to the Drake experience and the Des Moines community.

She’s shared her expertise with public relations students in the classroom, brought insight to the honors program’s book discussions around the Maxwell dinner table, provided guidance to students developing their senior projects, and added her creativity and humor to the campus and the region.

The Key of Life Maxwell’s ear is discerning; with sometimes only the very first note played, he can identify the guitarist. “When music works, it’s space travel,” he explains.

“I lose myself in the sound.”

Goodman’s band at age 22 and in “The Tonight Show” band at age 42.

The Maxwell home—north of the Bronx and later on Long Island—was a hub of well-known musicians, students, conversation, and ideas.

He grew up surrounded by music.

His father was an eminent jazz trumpet player who was performing in Benny

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’13 Emphasizing Drake’s commitment to the Des Moines community, the University establishes a new position: senior advisor for external affairs.

Drake is featured in Forbes (August 2013) as a model for institutional management in higher education.

January Term (J-Term) launches, offering students opportunities to earn credits through research, independent study projects, and experiential learning opportunities (many of them abroad) during a three-week period between fall and spring semesters.

Maxwell introduces astrophysicist and Cosmos star Neil deGrasse Tyson as the 31st lecturer in the Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture Series, which has drawn capacity crowds to The Knapp Center for President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Maya Angelou, and Bill Bryson, among other powerful thinkers and doers.

Maxwell presented with A. Arthur Davis Distinguished Community Leadership Award by Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute.

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Maxwell announces the establishment of The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement, a nonpartisan center designed to serve as a hub for public policy research and programming.

Four Drake students set a new University record for Fulbright awards. The University remains on The Chronicle of Higher Education’s list of “Top Producers of U.S. Fulbright Students.”

The President’s Home bustles with activity guided by Maddy’s leadership and imagination. Drake students are in the house to visit, to work, to celebrate (even occasionally to live, as a student athlete from Belgium once did). Each year more than 1,000 guests —including faculty, staff, alumni, community members, and visitors from across the country and around the world—share time and ideas under the roof of the 1905 house (or, more likely in warm weather, in the shade of the back patio’s well-worn awning).

“Every day’s an adventure,” says Maddy, who eschews the title “First Lady” and doesn’t allow “Mrs. Maxwell” unless someone is trying to sell her insurance, she kids. And she’d likely welcome that salesperson into the President’s Home, insisting on a new addition to the signature wall that leads from the front entrance to the kitchen. The narrow hallway serves as the Maxwells’ guest book and a chronicle of the experiences their Drake residence has enabled. Writer and biographer Walter Isaacson’s handwriting flows next to that of a local plumber and near the autographs of graduating seniors who toasted their accomplishments with the Maxwells this past May.

The couple first visited Drake on a slushy, gray February day, and Maddy— touring campus and Des Moines with cold, wet feet—remembers having reservations. “But the people were welcoming, bright, fun, and doing for others with a remarkable level of volunteerism, wanting to make things better.”

That drive matched Maddy’s own determination and her ability to think imaginatively about how to make the world (or at least a small patch of it) a better place. She’s sculpted, welded, and bejeweled an undergarment to create the award-winning 3-foot-tall CandelaBRA for Bras for the Cause. She’s helped students discover their own creativity, which filled a pair of metal-studded combat boots with blooming cyclamen to thank a retired brigadier general and Drake alumna for her inspiration. She’s circled the globe by organizing a culinary adventure for Francis Marion Drake Society members, inviting their palates to travel through kolokithokeftedes and patacones. She’s commemorated student accomplishment with clowns, horse rides, and a hypnotist on the lawn of the President’s Home. She makes a habit of reaching for the extraordinary.

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Maddy has lent her talents to numerous area nonprofits, volunteering in many capacities—from board member to worker bee. Her relationship building underscores the University’s commitment to its neighbors and the progress of the community. Maddy maintains in her work a critical eye and high expectations, and she admits being frustrated by mediocrity. “If Drake’s going to be the best, is this best?” she’ll ask herself and others. “I don’t go anywhere without Drake being part of me.”

Ascension Maxwell watches the ground as he cautiously but steadily moves upward, step by step, occasionally a misstep, always finding his footing, onward. His group—including members of the Drake University Football Team, Coach Chris Creighton, Director of Athletics Sandy Hatfield Clubb, and the Maxwells’ sons, Justin and Steve—began the final ascent from 15,100 feet at 11:30 p.m. The steep climb to the peak of Kilimanjaro— with only stars and bobbing headlamps illuminating the way—requires agility and tenacity (and perhaps a touch of insanity, thinks Maxwell as he traverses over volcanic scree in below freezing temperatures).

Though personal challenge is part of the trek, Maxwell is also driven by a powerful sense of responsibility. He is a man of many words, but it is this arduous expedition that speaks so compellingly to what Drake is. Maxwell has encouraged students, faculty, and staff to seize the University in order to find—and live—their dreams. He’s walking the talk, one demanding step at a time.

Drake’s Reach The Kilimanjaro experience was much more than just the first American football game on the African continent. The participants spent other days building a new wing on an orphanage for children of AIDS victims, building housing for school teachers, clearing land for school playgrounds, and working with a local organization serving orphaned street children.

’14 Drake becomes one of the first 100 schools to join Generation Study Abroad, an Institute of International Education initiative to double study abroad participation by the end of the decade.

Drake’s STEM Pathway Initiative— a pilot program to provide lowincome high school students an avenue to higher education and employment opportunities—is featured at the White House College Opportunity Summit hosted by President Barack Obama.

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Drake receives 6,276 applications for admission—an increase of 177 percent since Maxwell took office. The University has also introduced 18 new majors and 13 new minors during Maxwell’s tenure, and the number of full-time faculty positions has increased by 11 percent.

The 2014–2015 basketball season opens with the Bulldogs playing in the new Shivers Basketball Practice Facility, featuring two 12,000-square-foot practice courts, men’s and women’s locker rooms, a hospitality suite, and top-notch team meeting and film study rooms.

The University launches the first phase of STEM@DRAKE (learn more on page 37).

Drake is going places. Over the past 15 years, the University has set records for student applications and enrollment while raising the overall academic profile of the student body. Nearly 6,500 students applied for 850 places in the fall 2014 entering first-year class. Three-quarters of those who arrived on campus were in the top 25 percent of their graduating high school class. If this class follows the current trend, 98 percent will be employed, enrolled in graduate school, or involved in an activity related to their professional goals within six months of graduation. Drake ranks in the top five nationally among master’s universities for graduating seniors who receive the prestigious Fulbright Fellowships.

Under Maxwell’s leadership, the University’s endowment has grown from $80 million to $185 million. Maxwell led the successful completion of a $190-million comprehensive fundraising campaign (Campaign Drake—Think of the Possibilities) and will leave the University at the conclusion of its $200-million distinctlyDrake campaign (which is positioned to exceed expectations).

Since 1999 the University has increased the number of full-time faculty positions by 11 percent and launched 18 new majors and 13 new minors. Drake alumni are nearly 70,000 strong worldwide, found in positions of influence in business, the arts, education, law and politics, and health care.

Maxwell has expanded the University’s reach and reputation, positioning himself as a thought leader through publication, keynote addresses, conference participation, and service on the boards of four national higher education organizations.

Earlier this year he was invited to participate in a summit organized by the White House, where he unveiled a pilot program aimed at providing low-income high school students a path to higher education and employment in highdemand occupations. Later in the month, he returned to the nation’s capital to sit in the House Chamber as a guest of Senator Tom Harkin and listen to President Barack Obama deliver his State of the Union Address.

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His has been a remarkable journey because the University, says Maxwell, is a remarkable institution—and not only or even because of the rapidly upward trajectory it’s traveled for the past decade. More so, he emphasizes, because it’s a launching pad. “Drake is truly remarkable in that it’s where students figure out their dreams, and we get to be part of that. There’s a sense of privilege in being part of a community that makes that happen.”

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