All posts by Aaron Jaco

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Spring Break Book Club meeting

There is still time to read the Spring Break Book Club book!  We have been reading the 2017 All Iowa Reads book, Bottomland, by Michelle Hoover. Cowles Library has books available for checkout at the circulation desk.

Please see the attached flyer for additional information. Contact Sara Heijerman at ascspecialevents@drake.edu if you have any questions, would like to receive future book club info directly to your email, or would like to RSVP for the discussion.  Our Spring Break discussion will be Tuesday, March 14, at 4:45 (Mars Cafe).

The author of this book will also be visiting Central Library at 7 p.m. on March 7. We will not be attending as a group, but feel free to attend this event if you are able.

We hope you’ll enjoy the book recommendation; we’ve also pre-selected our summer book, if you want to get a jump start on the next great read. We’ll be reading Lab Girl by Hope Jahren.  Happy reading.

Drake Book Club – previous selections:

  • The Kind Worth Killing – Peter Swanson
  • Thirteen Ways of Looking – Colum McCann
  • The Boys in the Boat – Daniel James Brown
  • The Nest – Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
  • Hidden Figures – Margo Lee Shetterly
  • Bottomland – Michelle Hoover (current selection)
  • Lab Girl – Hope Jahren (summer break selection)

—ASC Special Events Committee and Cowles Library
Sara Heijerman and Dan Chibnall (Current Book Club Contacts)

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Identify potential students for Fulbright opportunities

The coordinator of post-graduate scholarships Karen Leroux relies on faculty and staff to identify potential Fulbright applicants and encourage those students to seek more information and apply.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers several kinds of grants for motivated and high-achieving students to study, conduct academic research, engage in the creative and performing arts, or teach English in a range of countries after they earn a bachelor’s degree.

The most common types of student awards are: 1) Study/research grants, in which graduates design their own projects to conduct abroad; and 2) English Language Teaching Assistant (ETA) programs, which place graduates in classrooms abroad to assist in teaching English while serving as cultural ambassadors for the United States.

Who might be a promising potential Fulbright applicant? Generally, it’s a student …

  • with the interests and temperament to serve as a cultural ambassador representing the United States
  • who is prepared to adapt to living outside the country for up to one year and actively seeks to immerse him or herself in the host country
  • with a strong academic or artistic record of achievement and persistence
  • who is actively engaged in the community or their chosen profession

If a promising student comes to mind, please suggest the Fulbright program and encourage him or her to contact Karen at karen.leroux@drake.edu to learn more about available opportunities.

You can also find more information at www.drake.edu/international/postgraduate/fulbright/

—Dorothy Pisarski, Drake International communications liaison

For Staff Archive

February True Blue awards

True Blue: Terri Howard
Terri Howard, administrative assistant in the Drake Law School dean’s office, was recognized in February with a Called to be True Blue award from All Staff Council. Her nominator, Law School Dean Jerry Anderson, described her as the “go-to” person for everything that needs to be done:

“Terri gets involved in any event that any of our professors or centers are planning (which happens pretty much weekly). She could tell people it’s not her job. But instead she stays late, comes in early, (and) does whatever it takes to bring off the event and make the Law School and the University look good. Every alum, every visitor, every faculty or staff member who has ever come in contact with Terri comes away with a good impression because she is not only efficient, intelligent, and capable; she is also unfailingly friendly and kind.”

True Blue: Kevin Saunders
On March 2, Kevin Saunders, director of institutional research and academic assessment, was surprised with a True Blue award for his work leading the Office of Institutional Research. He was nominated by Chief of Staff Nate Reagen, who stated in his nomination:

“Kevin is the backbone to so much of what happens at Drake University. His knowledge, history, and understanding of University operations is critical to our collective success. He has a willingness to dive into many situations, and the institutional data he supports is extremely helpful in many ways.”

Added Associate Provost Art Sanders: “The push toward data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement has made the unit Kevin runs central to all that we do. He is gracious and kind to all who approach him or his unit for guidance or for information.”

Make your own nomination!
The Called to be True Blue Award recognizes Drake staff members and teams who epitomize the values of leadership, teamwork, integrity, and commitment to the University. If this sound like someone you know, please nominate them at www.drake.edu/asc/recognition. Recipients are automatically in the running to win a year-end Sapphire Award, the highest staff recognition at Drake.

—All Staff Council Recognition Committee

Campus Announcements Archive

Building hours during Spring Break

Due to decreased traffic during Spring Break, we will be adjusting the building open hours to better secure the campus and improve resident safety—please note that this will not affect any “after-hours” card access.

Academic and administrative buildings will be closed on Saturday and Sunday (March 11, 12, and 18). Buildings will have open hours from 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. during the week of Spring Break (March 13–17). Regular hours will resume on Sunday, March 19.

To find hours for Cowles Library, please check their website.

—Sara Heijerman, Student Services Center

Campus Announcements Archive

ITS maintenance planned for Spring Break

ITS does regular maintenance to keep systems in order. This maintenance sometimes requires us to take down key systems. During Spring Break, we will be making upgrades to the Oracle database that supports the majority of Drake’s applications.

This upgrade will take place on Saturday, March 11, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. As a result, access to blueView, DUSIS (INB Forms), MyDUSIS, Workflow, ePrint (DUSIS document printing), ODBC (MS Access), and eTranscript delivery will be unavailable during this maintenance window. This work is being performed in order to upgrade our Oracle database to the latest version to keep up with security updates and new technologies, and also to better serve the Drake community.

We appreciate your patience while we perform this necessary work. If you continue to have any issues after the planned maintenance window, please contact the Support Center at 515-271-3001 or supportcenter@drake.edu.

—Carla Herling, Information Technology Services

Campus Announcements Archive

Learn about Cowles Library resources

Cowles Library Resources
Did you know Cowles Library has more than 250 databases available to Drake students, faculty, and staff? We’re highlighting these valuable resources on the Cowles Library blog. Learn more about how ProQuest Black Studies Center can help you!

Playaways and Audiobooks
Are you heading out of town for Spring Break? Before you go, stop by Cowles Library and pick up one of our playaways or audiobooks. Either option is a great way to enjoy a book while you’re on break. Check out the collection on the main floor of the library. Happy listening!

—Leslie Noble, Cowles Library

Campus Announcements Archive

Spanish conversation hours

Earlier this semester we announced the schedule for Spanish conversation hours. Due to a variety of complications, the schedule has been revised. The updated schedule is:

  • Mondays: 4–5 p.m.
  • Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 2–3 p.m.

All meetings will be held in Meredith Hall, Room 204.
As before, all levels of Spanish speakers are welcome. The group supports all participants with an opportunity to practice Spanish and no long-term commitment is required to attend. A native speaker facilitates the conversation in Spanish in an informal setting.
For further information, contact Assistant Professor Inbal Mazar at inbal.mazar@drake.edu.

—Dorothy Pisarski, Drake International communications liaison

Campus Announcements Archive

Mango online language resource now available

Drake’s Department of World Languages and Cultures has subscribed to a language learning resource, Mango Languages, available free online for students, faculty, and staff. You can use this to explore a new language, brush up on existing language skills, or gain a focused vocabulary for a specific purpose.

Mango Languages provides elementary language instruction and, in most cases, intermediate language instruction in 72 languages. Within their system, language learners can use flashcards, voice recordings to compare one’s own voice wave to that of a native speaker, an introduction to an expansive collection of vocabulary and other languages learning tools.

Mango also includes specialty courses such as “Carnival in Venice,” “Arabic Etiquette,” “Feng Shui,” “Spanish for Librarians,” and many more.

To access Mango, log in to blueView and click on the Campus Life tab. You will find Mango Languages listed on the right-hand side, in the eLearning Content Resources section. You will then be prompted to create a new account or access content through Guest Access. The benefit to creating an account is that the system will return to the place you left off when you stopped your previous lesson.

For further information, contact Associate Professor Marc Pinheiro-Cadd at marc.pinheiro-cadd@drake.edu

—Dorothy Pisarski, Drake International communications liaison