ITS is pleased to announce that we have completed the final steps in the campus phone system upgrade. On Friday, April 8, ITS and our service provider, Lumen/CenturyLink completed moving the remaining campus telephone numbers to Voice over IP (VOIP) service. Though there may be some additional minor configuration changes, this was the last major milestone in migrating away from Drake’s outdated phone system to Microsoft Teams Calling.

This has been an extensive project, and we thank you for your patience throughout the process. It was of the utmost importance that we updated our phone system, which was comprised of multiple systems connected through an unsupported 30-year-old main phone switch. Microsoft Teams Calling is built on cloud technology that provides the campus community a convenient and secure way to communicate wherever they are.

We hope that you are enjoying all the features that are included in Teams Calling, and Microsoft Teams in general. Not only does this provide a new way for us to receive and make calls, but it is a great way to collaborate and stay connected.

Learn more about the project and the resources available by visiting the Teams Calling System FAQ page which includes links to knowledge base articles, video resources, and quick reference guides to help you make calls, set up your voicemail, and learn about advanced calling features.

— Chris Mielke, ITS

Students utilizing Drake’s Tuition Waiver benefit for undergraduate degree programs in the Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 semesters are required to complete the 2022–2023 FAFSA before July 1, 2022. See Drake’s Tuition Waiver Policy for more details.

Employees should complete the Tuition Waiver Application for each semester that the employee or eligible dependent wishes to utilize this benefit.

— Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid

As we head into the final week of classes, those of us in the Office of the Deputy Provost want to say thanks to our faculty and our staff who are teaching. This semester, as we’ve crept toward what might be a ‘return’ to something-like-it-used-to-be, has been—by all accounts I’ve heard—a difficult joy. Faculty have worked hard to maintain a challenging and supportive learning environment, to meet our students’ academic needs while tending to their—and our—needs for well-being and community.  Our students achieved so much this year, across all of our disciplines, and it is because of the tremendous effort and care from our faculty.

So, as you prepare to write finals, grade papers and presentations, watch performances and assess your students’ work, please know how much you are appreciated.

One of the professional and personal mantras I engage is the phrase, “always begin again,” which I take to mean: always be willing to return with an attitude of beginning.  As I plan development opportunities for next academic year, I do so having learned from you this year—what engages, what falls flat, what is too big an ask, and what is just right.  I know that our faculty (9- and 12- month) take that learning with you as you plan your fall courses—and I’ll feel the solidarity as we plan, this summer, together, to return yet again in the fall with an Aug. 18 Learning Symposium on the theme of Return.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

Several opportunities are closing in the coming weeks.

1) The last chance for you to send your students to the Writing Workshop is May 8.

2) The last chance to sign up to attend a virtual lecture by Cathy Davidson on Wednesday, May 4, at 7 p.m. is …. right now (by 5 p.m. on Tuesday,  May 3).

3) The last chance to register for a May Faculty Development workshop (May 18– 20) on the theme Meeting Our Students Where They Are, is Friday, May 6.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost