All posts by Ashton Hockman

Drake, UNI hosts gender violence prevention training

More than 250 central Iowa high school students attended a day-long summit at Drake designed to help them identify, prevent, and advocate against sexual assault and gender-based violence. Participants will leave the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Leadership Summit with developmentally appropriate skills for preventing verbal, physical, and emotionally harmful behaviors, including bullying, domestic abuse, and sexual assault. They’ll also be equipped with the ability to pass their knowledge on to classmates.

The Summit, which is the first such summit to be held in central Iowa, was co-hosted by Drake and University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Violence Prevention. Drake offers MVP training for its own students as part of a robust set of services aimed at reducing gender violence and sex-based discrimination, and the University is proud to take a leadership role in extending that training to local high school students. The event will take place throughout Olmsted Center today.

Many students start dating, or start thinking about dating and sex, in middle school or high school. Therefore, it’s important to begin providing bystander training and education on violence prevention, especially in the context of dating and interpersonal relationships, long before students arrive to college.

Drake students and staff members joined other community members to facilitate breakout sessions on topics, including:

  • Gender stereotypes
  • Healthy relationships
  • Sexting vs. sexual exploitation
  • Sports, leadership, and respect
  • Becoming a master facilitator
  • Joining the fight against human trafficking

For more information about the MVP Summit, or if you are interested in joining Drake’s MVP team, contact Tess Cody at 515-271-4141 or tess.cody@drake.edu.

—Tess Cody, Violence Prevention Coordinator

Protecting your digital information

This October and November, and continuing throughout the year, ITS will educate the campus community on how to keep their digital information safe and secure. ITS will hold a variety of learning opportunities and share cyber security tips through OnCampus, social media, and its website.

Upcoming cyber security educational opportunities:

Tech Tuesday: Learn about passwords, passphrases, and online security on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2–3 p.m. Sign up.

ITS Phishing Quiz: Take the phishing quiz between Oct. 30 and Nov. 17. Also, stop by the ITS table in the Olmsted breezeway on Oct. 30, Nov. 1, or Nov. 7 between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Follow @DrakeITServices on Twitter: You’ll get tips on keeping yourself safe online and learn about ongoing events and other ITS news.

IT Security blog: Keep up with IT news each month starting in October to learn more about a different aspect of cyber security.

Phishing Education: Starting in November, ITS will be re-launching phishing simulation training. A phishing simulation email will be randomly sent out each month to 1,000 faculty and staff members as a risk-free way to learn about the dangers of phishing. Watch OnCampus for more information.

The internet is pervasive in our lives today, and as digital citizens, we must make conscious choices to consistently protect ourselves, our devices, and our family and friends. Our most private data is only a click away from accidental or unauthorized exposure.

Many attacks launched against Drake are done so via phishing, relying on the recipient to give away information voluntarily. These attacks require very little technical know-how to cause serious harm. We all have the ability and responsibility to protect our information at work, school, and home.

For questions related to the protection of information, contact Peter Lundstedt at peter.lundstedt@drake.edu.

—Peter Lundstedt, ITS

Campus 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 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 23.

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.

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
Opperman
Cartwright
Harmon Fine Arts Center
Howard
Carnegie
Medbury

Oct. 23
Olmsted Center
Hubbell
Student Health
Alumni House
ROTC
Bell Center
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

Change in class registration process

Students with eligible, documented disabilities who are registered with the Student Disability Services Office under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and student-athletes will register for spring courses earlier than their peers.

What is the reason for this change?
This change is intended to provide students with certain documented disabilities additional time to acquire appropriate resources and to reduce the number of class absences due to student-athlete competition schedules. Allowing student-athletes and students with certain disabilities the option to register early is a common practice among many peer institutions.

Why do student-athletes get to register early?
Student-athletes have challenging schedules that are not as flexible as the average student. The assurance of getting classes at times that work with their practice, game, and travel schedules is an important component to their academic success, including their ability to graduate on time.

How do I know if I am eligible for early registration?
Eligible students received an email directly from the Office of the Registrar notifying them of their eligibility and the exact date and time that they can register.

I don’t qualify for early registration. How will this change affect me?
Impact to other students is expected to be minimal. We will assess the effectiveness of this policy after the first and second years of implementation and make adjustments as necessary.

Are pre-requisites and other registration restrictions waived for students who register early?
No. Courses that have registration restrictions, such as those with pre-requisites or those that are reserved for students with specific majors, minors, or concentrations, apply to all students, regardless of whether they register early or not.

How do I know when I register?
Early registration students will register on either Monday, Oct. 30, or Monday, Nov. 6, at either 7 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. Students in this group will be notified by the Office of the Registrar via email with the exact date and time that they are eligible to register. Students who do not qualify for early registration will be eligible to register between Tuesday, Oct. 31 and Friday, Nov. 3 or Tuesday, Nov. 7 and Friday, Nov. 10, based on the number of credit hours they have earned.

Early-Registration Eligible (students with certain documented disabilities and student-athletes) Not Early-Registration Eligible
Graduate students Mon, Oct 30 (morning) Mon, Oct 30 (afternoon)
Seniors, juniors, professional pharmacy students in their P1-P3 years Mon, Oct 30 Tues, Oct 31 – Fri, Nov 3
Sophomores and first-year students Mon, Nov 6 Tues, Nov 7 – Fri, Nov 10

Visit the Registrar’s website for a complete list of registration time assignments.

For more questions and answers, please visit the Early Registration FAQ page.

—Kevin Moenkhaus, Office of the Registrar

Convert meals to flex dollars

Students on the Block 195 & 335 meal plans can convert up to 100 meals to flex dollars each semester. The first meal block conversion runs Sept. 18–29, and the second runs Oct. 23–27. Visit the Student Services Center in the lower level of Carnegie Hall to make changes.

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, attend Bodacious Burgers Swipe+ at Hubbell Dining Hall from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Students can use a meal swipe plus flex, cash, or credit card to purchase a burger with all the toppings.

Jennifer Bowersox, Hubbell Dining Hall

SJMC Internship Panel

Join the E.T. Meredith Center for Magazine Studies on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 124B, to hear from Drake journalism students who had prestigious summer internships. Meet students who worked at Better Homes and Gardens, The Knot, Cityview Magazine, and more.

Katie Bandurski

Haven and Haven Plus deadline approaching

Drake strives to create a respectful, safe, and non-threatening environment where its members are able to live, study, and work free from sexual and interpersonal misconduct. In keeping with this goal, Drake is requiring all incoming undergraduate and graduate students (spring ’17, summer ’17, and fall ’17) to complete an online course pertaining to sexual and interpersonal misconduct by Friday, Oct. 6, so that new students are aware of the policies, resources, and support available on and off campus.

The course can be accessed through BlueView. Once in BlueView, please click the Campus Life tab. Within the Campus Life tab you will see a section titled, Everfi Prevention Education. Within that section, please click the link that corresponds with the educational program you are part of (undergraduate, graduate, or professional student).

If you should have trouble logging into the system, visit: drake.edu/violence-prevention/newinitiatives/sim/faq/.

Please be aware that this course discusses scenarios and various types of sexual and interpersonal violence, including, and not limited to: sexual harassment, stalking, dating violence, and sexual assault, which may evoke an emotional response. If while completing this course you experience any distress, we encourage you to seek support. If you would like confidential support, a Violence Intervention Partner (VIP) peer crisis advocate is available 24 hours a day by calling or texting 515-512-2972, or you can make an appointment with the University Counseling Center at 515-271-3864. If you should need to request an exemption for completing this course due to potential distress, please contact Diane Eischeid, university counselor, by emailing diane.eischeid@drake.edu. Your request to Diane will not generate a counseling file regarding your exemption request or a report to the University regarding your exemption request. Please allow Diane three business days to respond to your exemption request.

—Tess Cody, Prevention Coordinator for Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct

Students’ work among national finalists for journalism awards

Drake student work is once again among the finalists for the Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker awards, the top awards in college journalism. The finalists and categories are:

Online Finalists:
Urban-Plains.com
DrakeMagazine.com

Magazine Finalists:
Drake Magazine
The Annual

Best Infographic Finalist:
Linzi Murray, JO’17, Drake Magazine

Best Magazine Cover Finalist:
Maddie Hiatt, magazine and graphic design junior, Drake Magazine

The winners will be announced at the Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Association annual convention in Dallas on Oct. 25–29.

—Kathleen Richardson, SJMC

Digital Faculty Member of the Month: Trent Grundmeyer

A student participates in a class discussion via a robot nicknamed Trebek.

When one of Trent Grundmeyer’s students moved out of state, he found an innovative way for her to continue her education despite being thousands of miles away: a robot named Trebek. Trebek is on wheels and has an iPad attached to it with a speaker and webcam. The student controlled it from her home and had the capability to hear, speak, and interact with the class, similar to if she were physically present.

Grundmeyer was selected as ITS’ Digital Faculty Member of the Month. See a brief interview with Grundmeyer below.

What course(s) do you use this technology in? 

  • EDL 276: Application of Law, Mandates and Policy
  • DOC 360: Technology and Organizational Leadership

In what context do you use this technology? 

Simulation, group discussions, reflections, remote participation.  Remote participation is achieved through the use of a robot named “Trebek.” Watch a video and WHO news story about Trebek.

How does this type of technology align with your teaching pedagogy?

I’ve always tried to integrate technology in the classroom to improve instructional practices, retention and be able to maximize instructional time. The technology I utilize is designed and leveraged to help students meet the course objectives.

Where did you get the inspiration to make a change?

I try to stay current on education technology trends and tools through social media, networking, social media, and other means.

How long did it take for you to implement this technology? 

I always reflect after each class and try to continue to try to implement technology when it fits my criteria.

Are you interested in trying out new technology in your classroom? Want help from ITS staff? Schedule a technology adoption consultation.  

—Erin Ulrich, CPHS, and Carla Herling, ITS