All posts by Heidi Weiss

Campus Announcements Archive

Drake recognized as a Tree Campus USA

Drake has been honored with the 2018 Tree Campus USA recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation. Drake has been designated a Tree Campus USA since 2011. Facilities Planning and Management is committed to promoting healthy urban forest management and engaging the campus community in environmental stewardship.

Our dedicated team cares for over 1,400 trees on campus. The goal of our tree care plan is to ensure a safe, attractive, and sustainable campus forest. We are already working to ensure we achieve Tree Campus USA designation for 2019.

For information on how you or your group can be involved in our Arbor Day observance tree planting, please contact Jack Bush, grounds department tree specialist, at jack.bush@drake.edu  or Gabriella Lefevre, DEAL co-president, at gabriella.lefevre@drake.edu.

— Patrick Williams, Facilities Planning and Management

Campus Announcements Archive

Questions about myDrake? Visit the FAQ page

Drake’s new internal campus portal, myDrake, will launch in late summer 2018. It will serve as an online gateway to campus resources and functions. Users will go to myDrake to register for classes, view their timecard, and to connect with most campus systems. Additional content and features of myDrake will continue to be added after its launch. If you have questions about myDrake, visit the FAQ page. If you don’t see your question listed or have other comments or concerns, let the project team know by providing feedback through a Qualtrics survey. We’ll continue to add more questions and answers as the project progresses. In addition, you can view regular progress updates on the ITS website.

— Carla Herling, ITS

Campus Announcements Archive

New cybersecurity enhancements coming to campus

Cyber criminals are constantly devising new and creative ways to compromise the University’s or your personal data. To reduce the risk of cyber-attacks, ITS is implementing two new strategies to protect our intellectual property and sensitive information.

Starting on Friday, March 23, when faculty, staff, and students receive an email that comes from outside of the drake.edu domain, they will see the label [External Email] at the beginning of the message.

This is an automated process that looks only at the sender, and not at the content of the message. This labeling does not imply that the email is malicious; it just alerts you that the email is not coming from a Drake email address, even if it appears to be.

In addition, a new security enhancement designed to protect employee direct deposit and bank information will be implemented. The direct deposit update page on blueView will only be accessible while on campus. When away from the campus, the following message will appear: “This page is only accessible from the Drake University campus. If you need to modify your direct deposit information, please try again from campus or contact the Human Resources department for assistance.”

For questions about the new external email labeling, contact ITS at informationsecurity@drake.edu. For questions about the changes to the direct deposit page, please contact HR at drakehr@drake.edu.

— Peter Lundstedt, ITS and Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Students Archive

Spring break with the Community

Are you spending spring break in Des Moines and wanting to do something fun, exciting, and free within your community?

The Office of Community Engaged Learning and Service is reaching out to students to take part in the Spring Break with the Community program on Thursday, March 15. This is a great way for students to get out and get involved in the community through meaningful service work, while having a good time. The day will include volunteer work followed by a free lunch and fun activities in downtown Des Moines.

Register by Wednesday, March 7. Limited space is available. Alternatively, you may stop by our sign-up stand in the Olmsted Breezeway from March 5 to March 7.

Contact ropafadzo.runesu@drake.edu for questions or more information.

Bonus event:

Des Moines University will be Hosting the annual Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Symposium, under the theme “Blueprint to Building Community,” on Wednesday, March 14. Register and find out more information.

— Ropafadzo Runesu

Featured Events Archive, For Students Archive

Bitcoin, blockchain, and cryptocurrency discussion

On Thursday, March 1, Tom Myers, adjunct instructor of management, will lead a meeting on cryptocurrencies and blockchain. A 2015 Goldman Sachs report estimates that $4.7 trillion of financial services revenues is at risk of displacement from new financial technologies. Bitcoin and cryptocurrency are the new finance. Stop by the Innovation Studio, Room 124C in Meredith Hall, at 7 p.m. to find out how bitcoin, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies work and how this new technology is going to change the world. For questions, email innovation@drake.edu.

— Stephanie Cardwell, College of Business & Public Administration

For Students Archive

Nelson Institute Undergraduate Conference on Global Affairs: Call for papers

The Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs is pleased to announce the fifth annual Nelson Undergraduate Conference on Global Affairs on April 6 and 7 in the Olmsted Center. A major purpose of the conference is to recognize and share high-quality undergraduate research related to any international topic. Student research panels are scheduled for the morning of Saturday, April 8. Students from any major are invited to submit papers for consideration. Once a paper is accepted, the author will be invited to present his or her paper in summary form (i.e., 12-15 minute oral presentation) on a conference panel. Panels will be composed of presentations on related topics. In addition to the panel presentations, accepted papers will be posted on the conference website. Cash prizes of up to $200 will be awarded to the top presenters as selected by faculty and visiting judges.

Papers should meet the following criteria:

  • Address any international/global theme or topic
  • Include significant empirical content.
  • Cite all relevant sources appropriately.
  • Exceed 10 pages (double-spaced) in length.
  • Meet high standards with regard to academic quality and clarity of presentation.

Submissions will be reviewed by Professor Jeffrey Kappen, interim director of the Nelson Institute, and members of the Nelson Institute Advisory Group. The submission deadline is March 16. Students will be notified of the status of their submission by March 23rd. Please email any questions and your paper submission to globalcitizenship@drake.edu.

Students submitting papers must register for the conference at the time of submission. Please complete the online registration.

Students and faculty are welcome (and encouraged) to attend the conference even if they are not presenting a paper. The registration deadline for those not submitting a paper is March 30.

Students who attend the full conference will receive a certificate of participation.

For questions, contact Denise Ganpat at denise.ganpat@drake.edu.

— Denise Ganpat, Provost’s Office

For Students Archive

Mentors in Violence Prevention seeking peer educators

Do you want to join and lead campus conversations on violence prevention and intervention?  If so, the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) team is seeking new peer educators to work with students and other groups on campus.

The MVP program is a great opportunity for students to develop skills in presenting, networking, and community outreach. MVP inspires leadership and a sense of community by teaching individuals how to speak up and be an example for others when it comes to prevention and intervention. Peer educators receive 13 hours of training, serve on our full MVP team, and present the curriculum on campus.

The MVP team is hosting a train the trainer event on Friday, April 6, from 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, April 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to join the MVP program. Contact prevention@drake.edu to reserve your spot.

— Katie Overberg, Title IX Coordinator

For Students Archive

Community Engaged Learning hiring for several positions

The Office of Community Engaged Learning has several paid positions open for the 2018-2019 academic year. Positions include a community garden coordinator, campus and community engagement coordinator, communications and social media coordinator, and more. Applications are due March 5.  There is also an internship opportunity available this spring with the local non-profit agency Rebuilding Together. Visit the Community Engaged Learning and Service website for more information on these opportunities.

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning & Service