All posts by Ashton Hockman

Upcoming fire drills

Drake will hold fire drills on Oct. 18, 19, 23, and 24 in compliance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act and in conjunction with National Fire Prevention month. All drills will be conducted at 10 a.m. with the exception of the residence halls, which will be conducted from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 23.

The dates and times of the drills were planned to minimize classroom disruptions; the majority of academic buildings will be completed during Fall Break. The timing also allows for a more efficient utilization of staff during the drills. For resident halls, drills will be administered during the evening hours to increase participation.

Fire alarms will be activated in all campus buildings to signal the start of the drill. When the alarm sounds:

  • Evacuate the building.
  • Buildings will be locked down and cannot be re-entered until the drill ends.
  • Remember to dress accordingly.

The fire drills will be coordinated through the Office of Public Safety (271-2222) working with the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (271-3804) and Facilities Services (271-3955). Please report any fire alarm malfunctions or evacuation problems to Facilities or Public Safety. Your cooperation in this very important campus safety exercise regarding the Drake Emergency Response Plan is appreciated. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Fire drill schedule:

Oct. 18
Olin
Science Connector Building
Harvey-Ingham
Cline
Fitch
STAH
Occupational Therapy
Collier-Scripps
3206 University Ave.

Oct. 19
Meredith
Aliber
Cowles Library
Opperman
Cartwright
Harmon Fine Arts Center
Howard
Carnegie
Medbury

Oct. 23
Olmsted Center
Hubbell
Student Health
Alumni House
ROTC
Bell Center
The Knapp Center
Fieldhouse
Tennis Center
All residence halls (6–9 p.m.)

Oct. 24
Cole
Old Main
Public Safety
University Communications
Kinne Center
Multi-use resource (old Ray Center)
Vote Smart
Legal Clinic
Dial Center

—Chris Nickell, Environmental Health and Safety

 

Phishing quiz coming soon

Since July 1, over 18 million malicious emails have been sent to Drake.edu email addresses. Fortunately, most of these have been blocked by IT security tools, but even the best tools cannot catch everything. This is why ITS is working to teach the campus community how to detect and avoid being caught by malicious emails that “phish” for personal and campus data.

With October being National Cyber Security Awareness Month, ITS is sharing tips and tools for keeping yourself safe online and not becoming a cyber-victim. Between Oct. 30 and Nov. 17, ITS is holding its second annual Phishing Quiz, a contest where faculty, staff, and students can take a quiz to learn more about how to identify phishing emails and fraudulent websites. The first 300 people to take the quiz will win a free taco courtesy of Taco Johns. Everyone who completes the quiz will be entered to win one of six additional prize packages. Visit the ITS website to take the quiz starting Oct. 30.

With over 200,000 malicious emails sent to Drake email addresses every day, the goal of the contest is to empower faculty, staff, and students to be able to keep both their personal data and institutional data secure. Learn more about IT security by following Drake ITS on Twitter at @DrakeITServices or by reading the regular IT security posts on the ITS website.

It takes all of us working together to keep our information safe. Thank you for doing your part!

Peter Lundstedt, ITS

HLC visit nears, your participation is important

Drake will host representatives from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 23 and 24. The five-member team will conduct focused interviews, meetings, and open forums to learn more about our mission, operations, and aspirations, as we make our case for ongoing institution-wide accreditation. This visit gives the HLC team a chance to ask questions, hear input, and generally follow up on information we shared with them in a dossier filed with the commission in early September.

Please keep an eye out for invitations to attend meetings and forums this week. A complete list of forums and meetings can be found on the Conversations website.  Also visit the website to learn more about the accreditation process and to view Drake’s 108-page self-study.

—Craig Owens, Professor of English/Accreditation Committee Chair

‘Did U Know’ course to highlight campus departments and services

This past year, Drake held a series of Did U Know classes that highlighted University departments and campus services. Based on positive feedback, Human Resources will be offering the class again with new topics.

The first presentation will be held Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m. in Olmsted Center, Room 310/311. It will cover Public Safety, Event Management, Campus Mail Operations, and Card Operations.

Participants will earn BUILD (Bulldogs United in Learning Drake) credits and be entered into a drawing at the end of the semester.

Additional BUILD information, including an online registration form, is accessible under the blueView Employee tab, in the Learning & Development section of Human Resources, or click here to access the form.

Email Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu for more information.

—Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Branding next steps

On Friday, Oct. 6, Drake’s branding agency, 160over90, revealed a first look at Drake’s refreshed and re-energized brand platform. Over the next several weeks, University Communications will be updating its toolkit to reflect new brand tools, as we finalize them. You will also begin to see the new brand reflected in marketing and communication materials, such as OnCampus.

Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm for our new brand platform; we will continue to keep you updated and informed as the new strategy is rolled out. Questions? You may find the answers in the Brand Elevation FAQ, or email alyssa.young@drake.edu.

—Alyssa Young, University Communications

Fall Break Immersion Trip

Explore hunger and its impact on refugees in Des Moines Oct. 16–17 with the Fall Break Immersion Trip. Participants will learn about hunger at the Iowa Hunger Summit, volunteer at the LSI Global Greens Farm and Bidwell Riverside Center, and take a driving tour of key spots in Des Moines. Apply for the trip. The application deadline is Oct. 12 by 9 p.m. Limited space is available. For questions, contact Chamindi Wijesinghe at wachamindi.wijesinghe@drake.edu.

—Chamindi Wijesinghe

Help clothe our neighbors in need

The Winter Warmth Drive is back at Drake and will be held Oct. 18 through Nov. 2.  The drive collects winter clothing for local young people in need, as well as homeless and refugees. Fall break is the perfect time to clean out your closet and donate items you no longer wear. New or gently used winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, snow pants, and snow boots are welcome in infant through adult sizes.

Clothing donation collection boxes will be located throughout campus beginning Oct. 18. The drive is sponsored by the Christian Legal Society. For more information, please visit winterwarmthdrive.org or contact matthew.lepke@drake.edu.

Matthew Lepke

Travel to Uganda this summer

Spend three weeks on a May Term learning about sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study-abroad opportunity is open to all undergraduate students and fulfills AOI: Engaged Citizen or Global and Cultural Understanding. It is six credit hours.

Information sessions:

  • Tuesday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Meredith Hall, Room 124C
  • Wednesday, Oct. 11, 6 p.m., Aliber Hall, Room 103

Register at: drake.edu/studyabroad/. There is a $500 non-refundable deposit to reserve a spot.

For more information, contact one of the following professors:

—Stephanie Cardwell, Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership