The final Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) lunch of the semester is Friday, Dec. 8, at 12 p.m. in Olmsted Center, TMR 133. These discussions are opportunities for those engaged in SoTL projects at any level—from just thinking about starting one, to almost complete, or those simply curious about SoTL—to share ideas, seek advice, or ask questions of colleagues engaged in the process. This year, members of ITS will attend to provide information about SoTL projects that might involve technology usage. While it is too late to order a lunch, those interested are still welcome to attend and bring their own.

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost

Following graduation on Dec. 16 and through Dec. 21, most campus buildings will adopt administrative hours. This means buildings will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Starting Dec. 22, doors will be locked for the winter break. Faculty and staff will still be able to utilize their authorized access plans and enter their office buildings 24/7. Student plans will be shut off during this time. Regular building hours will resume on Jan. 3, the start of January Term.

Cowles Library open hours/after-hours are listed on their website.

Contact Public Safety at 515-271-2222 if you have a door access emergency during this time, or contact Student Services Center at 515-271-2000 or studentservices@drake.edu if you have a general card access question.

—Sara Heijerman, Student Services Center

All Staff Council and Human Resources invite faculty and staff to attend its Holiday Cheer gathering on Thursday, Dec. 14, near the Pomerantz stage in the Olmsted Center. Faculty and staff are welcome to come and go as they please from 9 to 11 a.m.

Guests can enjoy a hot chocolate bar, cookie decorating station, music, and drawings for prizes. Griff will also be in attendance. To be eligible for prize drawings, please bring at least one non-perishable item that will go to the Drake Food Pantries on campus.

Holiday Cheer will replace the holiday breakfast previously hosted by Human Resources. The event is a chance to give back to others in the Drake community, while mingling with coworkers.

—Linda Feiden, Human Resources

In the coming weeks, another phishing simulation email will be sent out to faculty and staff. If you receive the email and respond by opening the link or attachment, you’ll be directed to an informational page. Because phishing represents such a significant risk to campus, ITS will be assigning additional training to individuals who repeatedly click links or open attachments in phishing emails, simulated or not. Participating in training like this is an effective and risk-free way to learn about the dangers of phishing and help protect individual and campus data. If you have any questions or concerns, contact informationsecurity@drake.edu.

If you receive an email you suspect is phishing, don’t click any links, download any attachments, or reply. Instead, forward the email as an attachment to informationsecurity@drake.edu.

—Peter Lundstedt, ITS

Sign up for the next Tech Tuesday to be held Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. in the Dial Center Large Conference Room. This session, taught by Dan Chibnall of Cowles Library, will help you search smarter, find quality sources, efficiently navigate massive amounts of information online, and become more confident with online technology. Attendance at Tech Tuesdays counts toward BUILD credit.

—Carla Herling, ITS

Faculty and staff are invited to the Shivers Hospitality Suite, adjacent to The Knapp Center, for a social hosted by the provost on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 4 p.m. CFO Teresa Krejci will present information on the University’s budget. Snacks, soft drinks, beer, and wine will be served. Be sure to attend to learn about the budget and enjoy the company of friends and colleagues.

—Drinda Williams, Provost’s Office