All posts by Carla Herling

Campus Announcements Archive

MFA changes started today

Beginning today, you will be prompted to verify your identity by using the Microsoft Authenticator app when logging into key campus systems. We have now launched MFA requirements for Banner Admin pages, Self Service, eAccounts, and Touchnet among others. See Multi-factor Authentication Project (FAQ) for a complete list including how frequently you’ll need to re-authenticate for each system.

If you haven’t already, you should set up the Microsoft Authenticator app AND a backup MFA method today. Once MFA is added for the next set of systems including myDrake tomorrow morning, there will be additional steps. See instructions below.

If you experience any challenges setting up Microsoft Authenticator or a backup method, please submit a Multi-Factor Authentication Issue so ITS staff can assist you.

— Jeff Regan, ITS

Campus Announcements Archive

More changes coming to Self Service next week

Drake is continuing to roll out updates as part of the project to update the MyDUSIS system to Self Service. The next round of updates will be coming next week.

Instead of seeing the MyDUSIS button in the Commonly Used Apps section of myDrake, you will see a Self Service button. When you click on it, you’ll land on a new navigation screen. ITS has created a guide, Navigating Self Service (How-to) to help you prepare for this change and learn how you customize this new screen. Additionally, you’ll see new landing pages for students and faculty members (with links to needed functions) as shown below.

In addition to these navigation changes, you’ll also be required to use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to access Self Service.

— Kris Brewster, ITS

For Students Archive

Federal student loan relief extended through May 1

On Dec. 22, the federal student loan payment pause was extended through May 1, 2022. The loan repayment/collection pause and the 0% interest rate were previously scheduled to expire on Jan. 31, 2022. Read more here. Keep reading for additional announcements concerning federal student loans.

On Oct. 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced a temporary period during which borrowers may receive credit for payments that previously did not qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Learn more about this here.

Federal student loan servicers Navient, PHEAA (FedLoan Servicing), and Granite State have announced plans to stop servicing federal student loans. Borrowers currently assigned to these servicers can learn more about the USDE’s transition plans here.

— Ryan Zantingh, Student Financial Planning

For Staff Archive

Meals from the Heartland volunteer opportunity

Join fellow Drake colleagues on Thursday, Jan. 13, from 2:30–4:30 p.m. at Meals from the Heartland, to package nutritious meals to help feed the hungry at home and abroad. If you haven’t done so yet, you may use a portion of your annual Community Service Leave for this volunteer event, which is coordinated by All Staff Council’s Events and Community Service committee.  

Please register here to participate.  At the conclusion of the registration form, if you wish to use a portion of your annual Community Service Leave, you will be prompted to complete the newly created online Community Service Leave Request form.  

Drake ITS and Human Resources have recreated the Community Service Leave Request form into a paperless form. Employees will simply click on the form’s link, submit their employee information, and information related to the requested leave. The employee’s manager will receive an email prompting them to approve or decline the request. Upon the manager’s approval, the form will automatically be forwarded to Human Resources for retention. 

— Drinda Williams, On behalf of All Staff Council

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Mileage reimbursement rate increased for 2022

As ofJan. 1, 2022, the rate per mile is 58.5 cents per mile. 

Drake reimburses mileage for use of personal automobiles by employees for actual miles driven during business travel. The reimbursement rate is based on the current standard mileage rate issued by the Internal Revenue Service.

Effective Jan. 1, 2022, the standard mileage rate issued by the IRS for the use of a car is 58.5 cents per business mile driven, up from 56 cents in 2021.

The standard mileage rate is evaluated annually by the IRS and is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile.

If you have any questions regarding the reimbursable mileage rate, please visit the IRS website or contact Accounting at accounting@drake.edu.

—Jenifer Baugher, Accounting

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Deputy Provost: Using course storage well in Blackboard Learn Ultra

For this message, I asked two of Drake’s Learning Technology experts, Clayton Mitchell and Karly Good, to help me understand—and communicate about—the limits to course storage that many faculty may begin encountering as we build our course sites for Spring 2022.

Here’s what I learned:

In the past year, Blackboard started charging clients for storage.  This is a change from the past and was a surprise to all Blackboard clients when it occurred with little notice.  Being good stewards of University money, we are being mindful of the amount of storage used for courses, so that we do not increase our financial responsibility for Blackboard.

This is potentially frustrating (ie: if you run out of storage space, and don’t understand why!), but easy to avoid and remediate.  Here are important things for instructors to know:

  1. Videos usually take up the largest space usage per course.  Fortunately, Drake has a platform, Panopto, that is better suited for maintaining and streaming videos.  Use Panopto to avoid using storage in BlackBoard.
  2. The storage costs also impacted the amount of time we can keep a course on Blackboard.  We no longer keep a course available on the LMS for longer than two years.  We do maintain archives for a longer period of time with a maximum of about five years.  Plan ahead, if you anticipate teaching a course that may have been archived (or no longer remains available).
  3. We can’t restore Blackboard courses with a size above 2GB.  Keeping courses small will allow us to maintain their course content long term via archival processes and restorations upon request.

As you begin copying courses for spring, know that there will be variations on that process.

  • If you are copying from Original course view, please use the correct instructions and start in the course from the past that currently contains the content.
  • If you are copying from Ultra course view, the process starts from the future/empty course and pulls content in from past courses. You have more granularity about what you copy with the new process. (Don’t copy items that are broken – this will help clean up courses with transition errors.
  • Here is a link to instructions that will help you efficiently copy courses:  Instructions for copying courses.
  • Please remove any repeated links referring to the Support Center after you copy content.

As always, there are great resources published by our learning technologists, on the ITS webpages, to help you with the process of course copying, content. management, and storage maintenance. Here is the link to the Academic Technology Resources library.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Public Safety receives Bulldog Applause

The All Staff Council Recognition Committee recognized Public Safety this month with a Bulldog Applause. Read an interview below to learn more about this great team. A huge thank you to Public Safety for all your hard work and dedication to the University. Read an interview below to learn more about this great team.

How many staff members are in the department?  Presently 18

What is the primary mission/vision/motto? The mission of Drake Public Safety is to provide a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. Drake Public Safety strives to achieve this mission through a community friendly approach that enhances safety through the visibility of Public Safety personnel, preventive patrols, 24-hour accessibility, positive conflict resolution, and crime prevention and awareness programs. Drake Public Safety collaborates with local law enforcement and community organizations in fulfilling its mission.

What staff member has been on the team the longest? Mark Risvold, patrol captain, with more than 27 years.

Who is the newest team member? Brice Foutch, dispatcher, who has been on the job for about one week.

What campus building/s do your team members “live” in? Ross Hall

What are some recent accomplishments that others in the University might not know about? Assisting with COVID response and general campus safety

Other noteworthy information about your department: We just moved into our new location at Ross this summer with the help of our colleagues in Facilities. We will be here throughout the winter break securing the campus.

— Teresa Downs, On behalf of the All Staff Council Recognition Committee

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Final printers arriving on campus

Our final printers arrived to our vendor, LRI, and are being installed in the last buildings this week. There may still be some minor adjustments/follow up training post-break, but we are thrilled that the delivery and installation should be complete before spring semester.

Thank you to campus for their patience as we all weathered the supply chain issues that extended this project well beyond its original schedule.

We’ll make updates to Printer Locations (FAQ) as the final campus machines are installed.

Get instructions on how to use the features of the new printers in the Printing category of our IT service portal. If after installation, anyone has issues printing to the new machines, please submit a Printing Issue.

— Kris Brewster, ITS

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Prepare for the multi-factor authentication change on Jan. 4

Starting Jan. 4, when you log into one of the campus systems set up with multi-factor authentication (MFA), you will be prompted to verify your identity by using the Microsoft Authenticator app. We will be rolling out MFA to systems on Jan. 4 and 5. See Multi-factor Authentication Project (FAQ) for a list of what systems will start requiring MFA on each date and how frequently you’ll need to re-authenticate.

We strongly recommend setting up the Microsoft Authenticator app AND a backup MFA method prior to the Jan. 4 deadline as the set up will require additional steps once myDrake requires MFA. NOTE: You’ll need to continue using Duo MFA until the switch is made for all systems you access.

There are still a few $1 Starbucks coupons available to those who submit proof of downloading the Microsoft Authenticator app and connecting it with their Drake account. Visit forms.office.com/r/HGSY0L1JSf to see complete rules and enter.

If you experience any challenges setting up Microsoft Authenticator, please submit a Multi-Factor Authentication Issue.

— Jeff Regan, ITS