All posts by Amanda Martin

Strategic Updates Archive

Even in a pandemic, Bulldogs give back

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided many challenges, but Drake students, faculty, and staff have responded to transform lives and strengthen communities. You’ve gathered (in-person and virtually) to sew masks, raise funds and collect donations, volunteer, vote, learn, and grow. You helped move the Sprout Garden to a new location on campus and we launched the Careers in Social Change Panel Series. Groups joined together to fill the Little Free Pantries in the Neighborhood. Visit the Community Engaged Learning website to learn more about these collective accomplishments and to find out how you can get involved.

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

Campus Announcements Archive

Updated University travel and transportation policies

Drake University has updated its Transportation Policy, University Driver Approval & Vehicle Use Policy and Student Domestic Travel Policy in an ongoing effort to provide the University community with a framework for ensuring safe and efficient travel while also protecting the University community along with its resources and equipment.  All interested members of the Drake community are encouraged to review and comment on these policy revisions by June 11, 2021.

— Jessica Morgan-Tate, Title IX Coordinator

Campus Announcements Archive

Rec hours for finals week and summer

Finals week hours:
Underground Fitness will be closed Thursday and Friday during finals week. The Bell Center will close at 5 p.m. Friday and remain closed Saturday and Sunday. All rec facilities will be closed Saturday, May 15, through Sunday, May 23.

Summer hours begin May 24:

Underground Fitness: Closed

Bell Center hours:
Monday–Thursday: 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Saturday: 1 p.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

— Emily Madsen, Rec Services

For Students Archive

Rec Services is hiring for summer

Summer lifeguards: Flexible schedule, convenient location at the Bell Center, and you can work as a lifeguard and another Rec Services position at the same time. $10/hour for summer work. You MUST be Lifeguard Certified to apply. Email ryan.parriott@drake.edu for more information and to apply.

Summer monitors: Students are needed to staff the Bell Center this summer. Job duties include checking patrons in for reservations, cleaning equipment, oversight of fitness room, and checking in and out equipment. Hours are flexible and you only work when it fits your schedule. Email andrew.dunlay@drake.edu to learn more.

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Last chance to join golf league

Registration for golf league is now closed. Registration ended Wednesday, May 12. Please note: the date shown in the OnCampus email is incorrect.

The league is a doubles league held at Grandview  Golf Course/A.H. Blank Golf Course in Des Moines. Nine holes will be played each week on Wednesdays with tee times starting at 4 p.m. for Grandview and 4:30 p.m. for A.H. Blank. The first day of play is May 19 and will continue through July 28 (10 weeks).

— Ryan Parriott, Rec Services

For Students Archive

ITS is hiring student techs for fall semester

As a student tech, you will be able to support fellow students, faculty, and staff with day-to-day troubleshooting of campus-wide technical resources. Assistance may be needed to promote computing resources across campus and professional customer service is required every day to coordinate with those who need assistance, as well as with the others at Drake ITS Services.  

Preferred candidates have great time management and communication skills, the ability to apply learned knowledge to new and challenging situations, excellent verbal and written skills and general computer literacy. No prior IT support experience is needed since training is provided. Apply to be a student tech on Handshake today.

— Carla Herling, ITS

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Blackboard Learn Ultra: Where are we now? 

Current status 
Thank you for continuing to prepare for the shift to Blackboard Learn Ultra. All training modules have now been released in the Blackboard Learn Ultra Instructor Orientation. The CTE Ambassadors have visited every college/department to provide a quick preview and/or demonstration of what is expected for Fall 2021 courses. Fall courses are now available and ready for development. (We are still working out a few kinks, so you may currently see some duplicates. This will be remedied soon.) 

Third-party tools and Ultra courses 
As you design and test your new Ultra courses, please be sure to check that any third-party tools you plan to use have been updated. Third-party tools may include ancillaries for your textbooks, any audio or video captured content, or proctoring software. ITS has updated most of these tools, but there are likely some we are not aware of that will need to be addressed before fall courses begin.  

Videos and Blackboard 
Please refrain from uploading video files directly to Blackboard. Video files take up a significant amount of space and they can be stored on Panopto without impacting Blackboard’s storage allowance.  

Additional training opportunities 
If you are looking for additional training, please watch for offerings throughout the spring and summer terms. The Blackboard Learn Ultra Training site will provide updates on the Design Dialogs workshops as well as additional Blackboard led training. If your department wants to schedule any additional or advanced training sessions, please coordinate with your area’s CTE Ambassador or Karly Good.  

Project FAQs  
Find answers to your project questions as well as additional updates around the Learn Ultra upgrade on our project site: https://www.drake.edu/its/learnultra/. 

— Karly Good, ITS

For Students Archive

Final grades due May 19 (Law School grades due May 25)

Students, final grades for non-Law School courses are due Wednesday, May 19. Final grades for the Law School are due Tuesday, May 25.

Generally, final grades are available to view by the first calendar day following the day the grade was entered. You may view your final grades by clicking the “My Grades” link under the Student Records area in MyDrake.

— Kevin Moenkhaus, Office of the Registrar

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Final grades due May 19 (Law School grades due May 25)

Final grades are due by 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 19. Exception: final grades for the Law School are due on Tuesday, May 25. Your ability to submit final grades will be disabled at that point.

View instructions on how to send your final grades from Blackboard to MyDUSIS.

Those of you who want to submit grades directly into MyDUSIS should begin by clicking the Grading button in the “Faculty & Advising” menu in MyDrake and then finding the “Final Grades–Submittal Link.”

The final evaluation schedule includes a listing of when courses are scheduled to meet for their final evaluations.

— Kevin Moenkhaus, Office of the Registrar