Due to the overwhelming response we had to staff shout-outs in March, we are continuing this program. If there is a shout-out you would like to give, please email it to linda.feiden@drake.edu and we will publish them monthly in OnCampus or the HR Monthly.

Giving a shout-out is quick and easy—simply write a sentence or two thanking a co-worker or team for a job well-done, going the extra mile, or showing support to students, colleagues, and the Drake community.

“A shout-out to Cookie Moran, Mindy Clem and Pam Stewart – the Full Time Desk Receptionists in the Residence Halls: During this time of COVID, while many are working remotely, these women have reported daily to the residence hall front desks and have continued to interact with and serve the students at Drake University. They have taken on additional responsibilities without complaint. Cookie, Mindy, and Pam have been and continue to be excellent resources and pillars of support for students and staff! One example of this was when they volunteered to write welcome notes for incoming students last summer so that students would receive a welcoming message ahead of their arrival to campus. Students can often be heard asking them for personal advice and guidance or just sharing what is happening in their lives. The work Cookie, Pam, and Mindy do really make the halls into homes for the students. This is evident by the number of students who maintain contact with you or come back to campus to visit you, years beyond their time in the residence halls. Thank you for ALL you do! We appreciate you.” — Lorissa Sowden

“A shout-out to Shelly Biondi and Sara Heijerman for your help with our shipping operations project.  We appreciate your time and effort in order for us to save money and help our CHARACTER COUNTS! customers save money as well.”  — Ryan Harris

“A shout-out to Ashton Hockman: Ashton is a rockstar at her job!  Thank you for always being so incredibly helpful AND patient!” — Sandra Harris

“A shout-out to Dan Burkett: More than once or twice in the last year Dan Burkett from IT has needed to come to my rescue for remote IT support.  I think he should be the poster child for IT because he knows his job well, he pays attention to detail, and he sees jobs through, to not only completion, but to satisfaction. Thanks Dan!” — Sandra Harris

*A shout-out to Shelley Fairbairn for coordinating the self-care workshops in February and March. I don’t generally participate in stuff like that but it was really well done and very enriching. I truly got a lot out of that.” — Amanda Harris

*A shout-out to Jeremy Calvert for being so responsive to staff (i.e., me!) whenever there is a question regarding information security for all of Drake’s users. Greatly appreciated.” — Amanda Harris

*Shouting out at the top of my lungs for CHRIS NICKELL!!!  This man has worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic and I truly cannot fathom all he does.  The entire Drake community is deeply indebted to Chris for all he’s done throughout COVID.” — Amanda Harris

“A shout-out to Mary Beth Holtey, who may actually be a superhero.  She helps all of us in A&S, faculty, staff, and students. She deserves kudos and thanks every day!” — Beth Younger

“A shout-out to Jeff Inman, who besides being an all-around good guy and friendly colleague, is also funny as heck and know how to run a meeting.” — Beth Younger

“A shout-out to Sofia Turnbull for her hard work, good humor, amazing generosity, and fabulous origami skills! Howard Hall might crumble without her!” — Megan Brown

“A shout-out to Mary Beth Holtey for always going the extra mile for our students! She is a huge help for faculty working with advisees.” — Megan Brown

“A shout-out to Chrystal Stanley for her boundless optimism, and most of all for her support of students at that vulnerable moment of wondering about their futures.” — Megan Brown

“A shout-out to Lauren McCarthy and Sara Schoneberg for dedicating so much time and energy to easing the transition to Drake for our transfer students!” — Megan Brown

“A shout-out to Ryan Zantingh for helping me understand the complicated world of scholarships and student financial planning—his clear and thoughtful explanations will help me to help Drake students.” — Megan Brown

“A shout-out to Erin Bell for bringing our campus and our community so much joy, for her dedication to serving the people of Des Moines, and for taking the best care of “our” dogs!” — Megan Brown

“A shout-out to Drinda Williams for being a friendly, funny, and welcoming presence in Old Main, and for taking minutes at a zillion meetings! Keep posting those pics of Maisy!” — Megan Brown

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Faculty, 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.

Best wishes to you as the semester comes to a close.

— Kevin Moenkhaus, Office of the Registrar

On Friday, Aug. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Drake University’s Learning Symposium will convene with the theme “Returning.” Programming for the day will support faculty and staff as we begin working back on campus, welcoming students back to in-person learning, and transitioning to post-pandemic campus life. We’ll explore the impacts of COVID-19 on higher education, learn about projects and initiatives on campus, and gather to celebrate our return.

— Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost