All posts by Ryan Zantingh

Financial aid policies

Students with unusual circumstances or a recent change in family income can submit a financial aid appeal. Students must be making satisfactory academic progress towards graduation to remain eligible for financial aid. Undergraduate and pharmacy students that want to receive financial aid for the summer semester must complete the Summer Financial Aid Form. More information about these policies (and others!) is available at www.drake.edu/finaid.

The Office of Student Financial Planning is here to serve you (in person, on the phone, or virtually). If you have questions about your financial aid please contact us to schedule an appointment or stop by Carnegie Hall.

— Ryan Zantingh, Student Financial Planning

Collaborate with faculty at Tec de Monterrey (Mexico)

Tecnológico de Monterrey, Drake’s global partner in Mexico, is seeking faculty and staff to participate in virtual collaboration projects in Spring 2022. 

Interested Drake faculty and staff may review this list of over 120 possible collaboration projects across a range of disciplines, in Spanish or English.

A few sample themes include:

  • Sustainable urban development
  • Intercultural competence
  • Gender equity
  • Marketing for responsible consumption
  • Financial inclusion in developing countries

International Networking Sessions: Nov. 3 and 4

Tecnológico de Monterrey will host two virtual networking sessions this week to share about their Global Classroom initiative, its relation with the COIL methodology, and how it facilitates the integration of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in the learning process.

Participants in the networking sessions will connect with professors from Tecnológico de Monterrey and other universities around the world. Before the session, meet participating faculty and share your own introduction video on this Padlet page.

Networking Internacional | Sesión en español
Miércoles 3 de noviembre
9 a.m. (Cuidad de México)
REGISTER

International Networking | English Session
Thursday, Nov. 4
9 a.m. (Mexico City)
REGISTER

If you are interested in global virtual learning but unavailable for these networking sessions or if you need further guidance on how to get started with a collaboration project, contact Alanah Mitchell, Global Virtual Learning Fellow.

— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Engagement

Standard economy vs. basic: What is the difference?

Now that you have your Direct Travel profile set up, you are ready to book your first flight. When you go out to search flights, it can be overwhelming understanding the different flight options and prices. You might find yourself wanting to compare Direct Travel fares to other travel sites to see if there is a better deal out there. We appreciate you being resourceful with Drake’s funds, however there are some considerations to be made before automatically choosing the lowest fare.

There are two types of economy flight options: Standard economy and basic economy.  While each airline carrier is different, in general basic economy is a no-thrills option created for customers who may be more price sensitive. It is offered in addition to standard economy at a cheaper rate. With that reduced price comes a trade-off. These lower priced options often have important restrictions on seating, carry-on baggage, member benefits and other aspects of your travel. Passengers often have to pay additional fees to match a similar experience to the standard economy ticket. Also, all carriers consider Basic Economy non-changeable. If you do need to make any changes, you will be charged.

It is important to remember online travel sites will quote only the cheaper standard economy fares. Direct Travel will default to the standard economy fare due to the benefits available. However, you can still book basic economy through Direct Travel by calling an agent directly and asking the Direct Travel agent to price basic economy fares.  While there will be exceptions, Direct Travel should be able to match the prices from online travel sites for basic economy fares. Please note calling the Direct Travel agent will result in a higher agent fee.

Prior to booking any fare, it is important to check with each carrier on their rules as they aren’t standard across airlines. Below is a visual from Delta that shows what is included in basic economy vs. standard economy.  Although the price looks good, the tradeoffs might not make it so valuable.

Look for additional travel articles In the coming weeks, as we continue to share information about our travel program.  In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email procurement@drake.edu.

— Erica McGowan and Heather Winslow, Finance and Administration

Holiday payment processing schedule

Please note the following schedule for payment processing through Accounts Payable to accommodate winter break.

  • Friday, December 17, 2021 – All Payment requests (including wires) are due to Payments @Drake.edu by the end of the business day.  Requests received by this deadline will be processed for payment before Winter Break.
  • Monday, January 3, 2022 – Normal payment processing will resume this week.

The accounts payable office will be closed during both holiday breaks.

Thank you for your help in coordinating to ensure we meet all needs during the upcoming season.

Please contact Jeni at ext. 4509, or jenifer.baugher@drake.edu with any questions.

— Jeni Baugher, Accounting

Cybercriminals cash in on pandemic

When people feel uneasy and insecure, hackers feel empowered. Throughout the pandemic, criminals have leveraged fear to trick people into giving up sensitive information. Fear and uncertainty associated with the virus, along with millions of people working remotely, have created the perfect storm for criminals looking to cash in. Here are some scams to be aware of:

  • Vaccine distribution: Scammers send emails or call potential victims posing as representatives of a local distribution agency who can help book vaccine appointments. They then pressure targets for information such as birth dates, Social Security numbers, and medical history. Other scam emails make false claims about the vaccine and then direct recipients to a malicious website with “proof”.
  • Romance and relationships: Hackers are posing as lonely people in quarantine on social media and dating apps. As they build trust, they request personal information from the victim. In many cases, the hacker claims to be infected with the virus and asks for financial support due to hardship.
  • Contact tracing cyber scam: State and local governments use contact tracing applications to anticipate COVID-19 hot spots and prepare communities. Cybercriminals are sending text messages claiming to be official contact tracing. The message instructs victims to visit a website for more details. Once there, the site infects their device with malware.
  • CDC malicious attachment: In this scheme, the user receives an email supposedly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The email contains an attachment that claims to provide “official advice from the government on how to stay safe during the coronavirus outbreak.” Once opened, the attachment infects the computer with malware.

Scams and phishing attacks related to working from home and COVID-19 continue to be a significant issue. It is important to remain ever vigilant in protecting personal and institutional data from these threats. ITS will continue to simulate phishing and assign training to those most susceptible. If you believe you’ve been targeted by phishing, see Reporting a Phishing Message (How-to).

Chris Mielke, ITS

Changes coming to multi-factor authentication in January

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) helps ensure that you are the only person who can access your account if your password is compromised. With MFA, you log into campus systems using your Drake email address and password and then confirm your identity with another method. Drake is currently requiring faculty and staff to use Duo MFA when accessing key campus systems.

Strong passwords, even those with significant number of characters and complexity, don’t provide sufficient protection. Educational institutions have increasingly become major targets for attackers, and Drake has to upgrade our protections for individual and campus data.

Starting in January, we will increase the number of systems that require MFA, and change our MFA method to Microsoft Authenticator so that all students, faculty, and staff can use MFA.

Microsoft Authenticator will work much like Duo, but has a few additional benefits.

  • Duo licensing costs prohibit campus-wide usage while Authenticator is included in our Microsoft Office 365 subscription.
  • There are additional verification options.

We will provide instructions on using Microsoft Authenticator, a detailed change timeline, a list of systems that will require MFA, and answers to additional questions you might have between now and January. Watch OnCampus and our other communication channels for more information throughout the rest of the semester.

Jeff Regan, ITS

Multi-factor authentication is coming in January

Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) adds an extra security layer. It ensures that you are the only person who can access your account if your password is compromised. Your information is safer because thieves would need both your password AND your phone or other verification method to access your account or login. With MFA, you log in with your username and password and then confirm your identity using another method, most often an app on your phone. You may already be using MFA with online banking or when accessing other sites with sensitive information.

Strong passwords, even those with significant number of characters and complexity, don’t provide sufficient protection. Educational institutions have become major targets for attackers, and Drake has to upgrade our protections around individual and campus data.

Because of this, in early January we will be requiring the use of the Microsoft Authenticator MFA application to access campus systems. When you login to a system set up with Microsoft Authenticator, you will be prompted to verify that the login is being made by you. In practice, you will enter your email address/username and password normally and then be prompted, typically by a mobile app push, to verify your identity.

We will provide instructions on using Microsoft Authenticator, a detailed change timeline, a list of systems that will require MFA, and answers to additional questions you might have between now and January. Watch OnCampus and our other communication channels for more information throughout the rest of the semester.

— Jeff Regan, ITS

Deadlines for payroll during the holidays

Due to the holidays, several payroll deadlines will be moved up.

The deadline for monthly direct pays for payroll will be changed to:

  • 12/10/21 for payroll direct pays for the December monthly payroll

The deadlines for the biweekly time sheets and direct pays will be:

  • 11/22-12/5/21 hours paid 12/10, 10:00 AM Monday, 12/6, for employees and noon that day for approvers.
  • 12/6-12/19/21 hours paid 12/22, 10:00 AM Thursday, 12/16, for employees and noon that day for approvers. Employees will need to estimate hours for 12/16-12/19.
  • 12/20-1/2/22 hours paid 1/7/22, 10:00 AM Monday, 1/3/22, for employees and noon that day for approvers.

The deadlines for student time sheets and direct pays will be unchanged:

  • 11/1-11/30/21 hours paid 12/10, noon on Thursday, 12/02, for students and midnight that night for approvers
  • 12/1-12/31/21 hours paid 1/12/22, noon on Tuesday, 1/04, for students and midnight that night for approvers.

— Korrine Jackson, Payroll

Celebrating first-generation students, staff, and faculty

First-generation college students are an important part of the Drake community—about 14% of our campus community are first-gen students. Drake defines this as a college student whose parents/legal guardians have not received a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university. The office of New Student Programs offers resources and programs to support first-generation students at Drake.

We will be celebrating National First Generation Student Day on Monday, Nov. 8. If you are a Drake student, staff, or faculty member that identifies as first generation, stop by the Olmsted Center breezeway between 12–4 p.m. on Nov. 8 for a special first-gen Bulldog button and treat! Griff will also be in attendance between 1–2 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Marina Verlengia, New Student Programs

Faculty/staff receive 20% off at Bookstore

Once again, we want to say thank you for all the collaboration over the years between Drake University and the University Bookstore. We wouldn’t be here without your support. As a thank you, we are giving you a holiday shopping pass. This pass is valid through the end of the year giving you flexibility with your schedule, and will give you 20% off Drake branded apparel and gifts.

Within the holiday pass, we are hosting a food drive for the Little Free Pantries initiative on Dec. 1. On this day, bring in any non-perishable food or hygiene products, we will increase your discount to 25% off your total. Griff II will also be in-store for any photo-ops from 12–1 p.m. and will sign purchases of his new 2022 calendar.

If you are unable to visit the store to redeem this holiday pass, please reach out to me for an online exclusive pass.

— Kyle McVay, University Bookstore