All posts by Keren Fiorenza

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Survey of Administrative Services: ITS Progress and Opportunities 

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Survey of Administrative Services. Of the 290 survey participants, 66% (192 people) reported working with ITS regularly. The respondent group was 74% staff/administrators and 26% faculty members. The average satisfaction score across all survey responses was 4.5 out of 5. As shown in the chart below, satisfaction scores have steadily increased since 2021 and reached their highest level since the survey began. 

Key Highlights 

  • Overall Satisfaction: 87% of participants reported being satisfied or very satisfied with ITS overall. Staff continued to be recognized for courtesy, professionalism, and knowledge. 
  • Positive Trends: Most respondents agreed they have the tools and support needed to work effectively on campus and remotely. A large majority recognized ITS staff as exemplifying Drake’s core values.

Areas of Growth

Training Awareness: Last year, 84% of all survey respondents said they knew how to access training to learn new technology. This year, awareness among faculty declined: only 74% of faculty members reported knowing how to get technology training, compared to 88% of faculty last year. In contrast, staff awareness of training resources increased slightly. To better understand these findings, we will collect additional feedback on where campus members seek technology training resources and what types of training they need. This approach will enable us to tailor our efforts and collaborate with campus partners to provide more responsive and effective support. 

Communication and Response: Most respondents remain confident in ITS’s ability to resolve issues and provide regular status updates. However, some noted inconsistencies in communication and response times, which often depend on frontline staff availability. To address this, we are prioritizing staff cross-training and enhancing self-service and remote support options to ensure faster and more consistent assistance. 

Thank you for your continued engagement and feedback. Your insights are essential in strengthening ITS services and empowering every member of the Drake community to thrive in a digital world. 

— Keren Fiorenza, Deputy CITO & Chief Information Security Officer

Campus Announcements Archive

Important ITS Reminders for Winter Break

Stay Secure and Connected While You’re Away

With winter break around the corner, ITS encourages you to take a few simple steps to safeguard your devices and maintain uninterrupted access to campus resources—especially if you’ll be traveling or making changes to your tech. Please read through these key reminders so you can stay secure and connected before, during, and after the break.

Power Down and Unplug Devices Before You Leave

Before departing campus for winter break, take a moment to power off all electronic devices in your office, classroom, or residence. This includes turning off TVs, classroom projectors, and other audiovisual equipment to prevent unnecessary energy use and potential electrical hazards.

Additionally, unplug printers, monitors, desktop computers, and any other non-essential electronics (excluding laptops you may be taking with you). Unplugging these devices not only conserves energy but also helps protect against damaging power surges or outages that can occur during extended breaks.

Traveling Abroad? Request International Access

If you’re heading overseas, don’t forget to submit a request for international access before you leave. You can do this quickly by submitting an Account/Security Request ticket via the support portal. This will help you avoid any disruptions when logging in from outside the country and ensure you can access all necessary campus resources during your travels.

Setting Up Backup MFA Options

If there’s a chance you’ll get a new device over the break, make sure to add backup multi-factor authentication (MFA) options to your account now. This way, you’ll still be able to log in to University systems even if your primary device changes or is unavailable.

  • For detailed instructions, refer to our Knowledge Base article: Setting Up Additional MFA Options which walks you through each step of adding backup authentication methods, such as a secondary phone number, authenticator app, or security key.
  • Follow the steps to add at least one backup method before the break, so you’re prepared if you upgrade or lose access to your primary device.

Reset MFA Settings in Password Manager

Remember, you can reset your MFA settings at any time by visiting the campus Password Manager system at password.drake.edu. If you anticipate any changes to your devices or authentication methods, take a moment to update your MFA preferences using the steps noted above before the break begins.

Support Center Hours After Finals & During J-term

The ITS Support Center will be closed for winter break along with the rest of the University. However, the online support portal (service.drake.edu/its) remains available 24/7 for self-service and submitting requests. Full support operations will resume on January 5.

Support Center hours after finals are as follows:

  • Closed on Sat., December 13 & Sun., December 14
  • Mon., December 15 through Fri., December 19: Open 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  • Closed from Sat., December 20 through Sun., January 4

During J-term, the Support Center will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Regular semester hours will resume on the first day of spring semester, Monday, January 26.

Stay Up-to-Date With ITS Alerts

Want to receive ITS news posts via email? Opt in by completing this form.

To receive SMS outage notifications, make sure you’re signed up to receive text Bulldog Alerts; check your settings via myDrake. Then opt in by texting DrakeITSALERTS to phone 226787.

To see our full schedule of planned system maintenance, visit drake.edu/its/maintenanceschedule.

We wish you a safe and enjoyable break! For any urgent issues, submit them to us through the support portal and we’ll address them as soon as possible when campus reopens.

For Students Archive

Day Free For Study: Yoga and Meditation

Take a break from finals prep with a relaxing, all-levels yoga class on Friday, Dec. 5. Stretch, breathe, and reset your mind before finals begin.

All students are welcome. Register on the Drake Rec app. Those who register and attend will be entered to win a $10 Bulldog buck giveaway. There will be three total drawings.

— Gail Witte, Rec Services

Campus Announcements Archive

DEAL Clothing Swap

The Drake Environmental Action League (DEAL) is hosting their semi-annual clothing swap Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 6–8 p.m. in the Olmsted Breezeway.

You can swap for clothes in a 1:1 swap by donating something of your own, or purchase an item of clothing for a dollar. Cash and card are accepted.

Leftover clothing items in good condition will be donated to Des Moines Refugee Support for their clothing drive.

— Sydney Dvorak, Sustainability Coordinator

Campus Announcements Archive

How You Can Run the Drake Road Races for Free

Now is the perfect time to sign up for the Drake Road Races. Prices will continue to rise as race day nears!

Current Prices:
Half Marathon: $70
10K: $50
5K: $35

What You Get When You Register:

  • A premium apparel item
  • A limited-edition 2026 finisher medal
  • A free ticket to the Drake Relays Distance Carnival
  • Eligibility to compete in the Relays Wellness Challenge
  • Free professional race photos
  • A scenic route through the historic Drake neighborhood
  • The chance to win Age Group Awards
  • Bulldog Double Challenge (run the Drake Road Races and Grand Blue Mile to receive an extra medal)
  • And of course … you finish on the legendary Blue Oval—one of the most storied finish lines in the U.S.!

Here’s the real bonus:
You can earn your entry fee back—up to a completely FREE race! Just register → share your referral link → earn $5 back for every person who signs up through your link.

Bring enough people with you and your entry could be completely free.

How it works:

  • Register for the Drake Road Races (if you haven’t already).
  • Grab your referral link (in your confirmation email or your RunSignUp profile).
  • Share it with friends, family, coworkers — anyone and everyone!
  • Earn $5 back per person who signs up using your link up to the full amount of your entry. That’s it!

Spring is right around the corner — make your race weekend official, get your friends involved, and you could run for free!

— Ben Huftalin, Drake Relays

Campus Announcements Archive

The Comparison Project to Host Meditation Fair Dec. 6

On Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., The Comparison Project will host a meditation fair in Meredith Hall on Drake’s campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature meditation instructors representing many different religious and spiritual traditions and techniques. Light breakfast fare will be available.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn and practice three different meditation styles at concurrent sessions during the first half of the event. Instructors of these sessions collectively represent the meditative traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, Islam, and Transcendental Meditation. During the second half of the event, all the instructors will be available for dialogue and Q&A.

The Comparison Project engages in the practice of comparative philosophy of religion, increases understanding of local-lived religion, and cultivates interfaith literacy and leadership. It is supported by Drake’s Center for the Humanities, Drake’s Slay Fund for Social Justice, and Cultivating Compassion: The Dr. Richard Deming Foundation.

For more information, visit: http://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu, or email: comparisonproject@drake.edu.

— Timothy Knepper, Professor of Philosophy/Comparison Project Director

For Faculty Archive

Call for Nominations: Global Scholar/Practitioner-in-Residence

The Principal Center for Global Citizenship invites nominations for the Global Scholar/Practitioner-in-Residence program for Fall 2026, seeking to attract talented individuals from academia or the professions who have outstanding international expertise to teach a course, mentor students, give public lectures, work on joint research with faculty, and aid the global capacity-building of the institution through fruitful external collaborations. One scholar will be selected. 

Nomination Instructions 

Candidates should be nominated by the academic unit to which they will be attached. Please submit the following supporting materials: 

A nomination letter discussing the qualifications of the candidate and expected contributions to the department and University as a whole 

Candidate’s biographical information and CV 

A letter of interest from the candidate 

A letter of support from the department chair and college/school dean, including how the scholar advances departmental and college/school strategic goals related to internationalization 

Nominations should be directed to Annique Kiel, Chief Global Affairs Officer and Dean of Global Programs, by January 23, 2026. Preference will be given to practitioners or scholars from one of Drake’s global partners. Units considering a nomination are encouraged to consult with Annique prior to submission. 

Among the criteria to be considered for the nominee: 

A record of recognized international leadership and distinguished professional accomplishment in their field 

A demonstrated commitment to global capacity-building and responsible global citizenship 

An ability to bring a uniquely global perspective to the Drake community 

A willingness and ability to offer courses that complement the existing curriculum and meet rigorous academic standards. 

In recognition of their contributions, Global Scholars/Practitioners receive a stipend, a travel allowance, an appropriate workspace in the host college/school, and access to university facilities. Global Scholars/Practitioners will be affiliated with an appropriate academic unit for the semester and will offer at least one course. 

Campus Announcements Archive

Winter Break Campus Building Hours

As we approach the end of the semester, here are some building updates you should know:

End of the Fall semester:

Building schedules will change for the Winter Break and the start/end of the semesters.  Following finals (12/8-12/12), we will adopt “administrative hours” for most campus buildings while classes are not in session (buildings will be open on weekdays from 7:30 am – 4:30 pm 12/15-12/19, and will be closed on the weekends starting on 12/13).  Most extended hour student access plans will also be disabled for the break, but Faculty/Staff plans will continue to work.

Winter Break:

Most campus doors will be locked for the winter break from December 20th to January 4th.  Faculty and staff will still be able to utilize their authorized access plans (for example, 24/7 access to their office buildings), but extended hour student plans will continue to be shut off during this time. Please have your Drake credentials with you if you plan to access the buildings on the 22nd.

Start of J-Term:

“Administrative hours” (7:30am – 4:30pm) will resume starting on 1/5, and will continue through the J–Term time period (until 1/23).  Due to decreased weekend traffic during J-Term, we will lock buildings on the weekends through January, and will switch back to the Spring schedule on Saturday, 1/24.

If you have a scheduling conflict that will be affected by this door schedule, please speak to your building manager so they can put in a ticket to unlock the doors outside of our planned schedule.  Please note that not every building will follow this schedule exactly (Rec, Cowles, Law, and Olmsted often have some schedule variations), so feel free to check in at those buildings if you are unsure of their schedules.

Please contact Public Safety (515-271-2222) if you have a door access emergency during this time. Feel free to email studentservices@drake.edu if you have a general (non-emergent) card access question or concern.

— Sara Heijerman, Student Services Center