All posts by Jennifer Harvey

For Faculty Archive

Faculty event: Growing a more inclusive, equitable, and just racial environment

S.T.A.R.T.:  Standing Against Racism Together

In 2021-2022, the Office for Equity and Inclusion will offer a series of capacity-building workshops for members of the Drake campus community with Jennifer Harvey, Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion, and Jazlin Coley, Director of Equity and Inclusion.

Join us for a three-part faculty series on Sept. 10, 17, and 24, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. All faculty are welcome.

The workshops will provide a deep-dive experience to understand the ways being part of a predominantly white institution impacts our collective work, teaching, and relationships. The goal: to build individual and collective tools, language, and habits to actively grow a more inclusive, equitable and just racial environment in which we all can THRIVE.

Pre-registration is required: registration will close on Friday, Sept. 3, or when the workshop fills (whichever comes first). Participants will receive a professional development stipend of $250 upon completion of the workshop. Attendance is required at all three sessions.

Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/start-standing-against-racism-together-tickets-167889757785

— Jennifer Harvey, Provost’s Office

Campus Announcements Archive

Intensive English Program offers free learning opportunities

Drake’s Intensive English Program (IEP) provides free learning opportunities for faculty, staff, and full-time students to improve their English skills. Our IEP offers intermediate and advanced level classes with an academic focus. If you feel that you may need additional help in a certain English skill area, be it advanced academic writing, grammar, or speaking, or if you simply would like to improve your pronunciation, you may want to consider taking one of our classes.

Classes begin Monday, Aug. 30, and end Friday, Dec. 10. The last day to register for classes is Friday, Sep. 3. Exceptions may be made to this deadline at the course instructor’s discretion. Please note that these classes are not credit-bearing.

If you are interested in joining a class, wish to see the schedule, or have questions about the program, contact Kendra Hossain-Morehead at kendra.hossain-morehead@drake.edu.

— Kendra Hossain-Morehead, Director of International Student and Scholar Services

For Students Archive

Use Bulldog Bucks to get your Fong’s, Gursha, Fernando’s and more #dogtowndsm

Get your Fong’s, Gursha, Fernando’s and more, and win a free T-shirt! Use #DogtownDSM

Welcome back, students! As you return to campus, be sure to visit some of your favorite Dogtown businesses.

As a reminder, you can use Bulldog Bucks as a payment method at several neighborhood establishments. To view a list of participating merchants in Drake’s off-campus Bulldog Bucks program, visit acceptinglocations.com/drake.

You can also load funds to your ID card at this site or in the myDrake portal.  Please note that Flex Dollars (tied to meal plans) cannot be used off campus, only funds added to Bulldog Bucks accounts are available as a Dogtown payment method.

From Aug. 25–28, some of Drake’s participating Dogtown merchants will be offering Welcome Week specials. If you visit a participating merchant from Aug. 25–28 and post your visit on social media using #DogtownDSM you will get a free Dogtown T-shirt, while supplies last.

For questions about the Bulldog Bucks program, or if you want to suggest other Dogtown businesses you would like to see as a participating merchant, email studentservices@drake.edu. We will email you from this email address if you are eligible for a T-shirt.

— Sara Heijerman, Student Services Center

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Tips and tricks for Blackboard Learn Ultra  

Update your Profile with a professional headshot 
Your profile picture appears on the opening page of a Course (if you are listed as the only instructor). In addition to being a nice aesthetic feature, it’s also a great introduction for your students.  

Adding PDFs that open in the browser 
From the Content area of the course, select the add (+) button and choose Upload. All other methods of adding documents from your computer require students to download them. Blackboard Learn Ultra has announced that other file types and methods of adding files will eventually also be able to open in the browser. 

About Assignments 
You can now add questions to Assignments. Be aware though that adding questions restricts the use of some of the available settings such as rubrics and SafeAssign (an originality checker tool). 

Peer review for qualitative assignments are now available in an updated version. Not all features are available, but more features are expected. In the future, this feature will allow students to use an instructor-built rubric for peer review. 

About Student Preview 
NOTE: If you test your assignments and tests using the Student Preview feature of Learn Ultra, any student-based submission will prevent instructors from editing the assignment or test. You will need to Reset the Student Preview to clear submissions to allow editing. The system blocks editing of an assignment or test after any student submissions have begun. You may adjust using the regrade feature after student submissions are complete. This will ensure that all students have the same experience.  

About Grading 
Due dates are not restrictive. Students can submit after a due date, but based on your course policy (typically in your syllabus), you don’t have to grade late assignments. If your policy is not to grade late assignments, please read the information below on setting automatic zeros. 

Add accommodations (e.g., time-and-a-half for assessments) for a student at the course level. You can also still add one-time individual exceptions. 

Set gradebooks to automatic zero. If your course policy is to not grade late assignments, using this setting will automatically add a zero while continuing to provide students with late notices. Remember to update your syllabi to include your course policies around these Blackboard settings, if applicable.  

 Learn more about Overall Grades, the name of the Total column in Ultra courses.  

—Karly Good, ITS

HR Information Archive

Reminder to supervisors and student employees

Another academic year is upon us! With it will come a rush of student employee hires. To help onboard new student employees, here are some reminders:

Student Employment Registration Form: To be eligible for student employment positions this fall, students must be registered for employment. We encourage supervisors of student employees to complete the Student Employment Registration Form at the time of hire. This form is used to create the online student timesheets—not completed registration form, no paycheck.

I-9s & W-4s: Students who have never worked on campus before may complete the employment paperwork (consisting of the I-9 and W4s) either at the Student Services Center (located in Olmsted, open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or by appointment with Human Resources by emailing student.employment@drake.edu.  Students must show appropriate identification from the List of Acceptable Documents to complete the I-9. To comply with federal law, I-9s must be completed within 3 business days of the date of hire of their employee. If this is not done, we will be in violation of federal law. Additionally, the student will be prohibited from working until the I-9 is completed.

Consider this a learning opportunity! Drake students who work on campus should understand the I-9 and W-4 processes by the time they graduate—we owe them that! Assuring they understand the necessity and importance of these steps should be viewed as part of the mentoring process. We encourage you to take time to coach them on these matters and assure that these documents are completed right away.

Expectations: Those supervising student employees are also encouraged to assure that basic on-boarding steps are taken with the students. Have you discussed expectations for interacting with others? Recording hours? Consider using Drake’s Core Values to frame your onboarding conversation with them.

— Anthony Leto, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Employee and Family Resources August webinar

Drake University’s Employee Assistance Program through Employee and Family Resources (EFR) is continuing their free monthly webinar series on Aug. 26 with Welcome Back, Kind Of: The Age of Starting Over. The webinar addresses this question: Are you prepared for the seas of emotion you and your co-workers may experience as a result of the new and different practices and expectations in many workplaces post-pandemic? The webinar will explore how to shift your mindset and the different ways you can adapt to thrive.

And don’t forget to check out the full list of past EFR webinars available on demand. Topics range from healthy eating, sleep, and financial tips to fresh perspectives on personal growth.

In addition to webinars, EFR offers a variety of employee support resources, including counseling and coaching sessions.  You may reach EFR by phone (800-327-4692) or visit their website. EFR is a great benefit for Drake employees and their family members. All EFR benefits are confidential and available 24/7/365.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

News & Achievements Archive

Drake to receive 2021 Light of Wellness Leadership award

We are proud to share that Drake University will be recognized at The Wellbeing Partner’s1 Ignite Awards Gala in October.  Drake is receiving the 2021 Light of Wellness Leadership award. This award recognizes business and community leaders for providing encouragement, time, and resources to create a healthy workplace for all employees.

This past year Drake quickly adapted existing wellbeing offerings to fit the virtual environment and used innovative programming to help connect colleagues.

  • BUILD classes and wellness challenges were converted to a virtual format
  • Human Resources partnered with the All Staff Council on virtual watercooler events and a Smile Slideshow
  • A Remote Work Support Group and Wellness Group were created in Microsoft Teams Chat
  • Recreational Services offered virtual and on demand fitness classes
  • The College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences set-up on campus drive-thru flu shot clinics and on campus COVID-19 vaccine clinics
  • The Bulldog Mile was built, giving faculty, staff, and students a way to stay socially distanced, while enjoying a walk or run through Drake’s beautiful campus

Drake Human Resources thanks all wellness partners, champions, and participants across campus for their efforts this past year, and every day to make Drake wellbeing a priority.

1 The Wellbeing Partners is an organization out of Omaha that supports the worksite wellness initiatives of organizations and communities in Iowa and Nebraska, as they build a culture of wellbeing.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Strategic Updates Archive

Learning Symposium postponed to reduce COVID exposure risk

The Drake Learning Symposium scheduled for this Friday, Aug. 20, is postponed due to the current rate of COVID-19 transmission in Polk County. This is disappointing to all who have worked to plan and prepare for the event. It was determined that it is necessary to postpone the symposium to protect the health of all the faculty and staff who have signed up to attend.

In addition, the Provost’s Drake Social (scheduled immediately after the symposium) has been moved outdoors. The social will be from 2–4 p.m., on the lawn just east of Hubbell Dining Hall. This is also the Hubbell Grand Opening. The event will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

— Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

For Faculty Archive

Applications open: Fall 2021 Facilitating Intercultural Learning program

The Nelson Institute at Drake University invites applications for the Fall 2021 Facilitating Intercultural Learning (FIL) program, a development opportunity for select faculty focused on building the intercultural capacity of our campus community.  It is a 12-week cohort training and coaching program offered in the fall and spring semesters. This initiative is intended to allow Drake University to continue to foster intercultural learning and development in service to our students as well as our local, national, and international constituents.

The first program cohort enrolled in Fall 2020. Feel free to reach out to program alums within your college or school to learn more about the FIL program. Additionally, you can learn more at: truenorthintercultural.com/facilitating-intercultural-learning here.

The Nelson Institute plans to sponsor a cohort of up to six faculty during the Fall 2021 semester in fulfillment of this initiative. Participating faculty will receive a $1,000 stipend upon completing the program and will be designated Nelson Fellows.

The spring program will begin on Sept. 13, 2021. Interested faculty should send a brief expression of interest to Professor Jimmy Senteza (Jimmy.Senteza@drake.edu), director of the Nelson Institute, by noon on Aug. 25, 2021. Please highlight how you think this might benefit your work at Drake, and contribute to your overall intercultural development. If you applied and were not selected for this opportunity in the past year, you may re-apply or indicate that you would like your application to be reconsidered.

— Jimmy Senteza, Finance (CBPA)

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Campus printing update 

New printers have started to arrive on campus. As these new machines arrive, our partners at LRI are coordinating installation and training with department contacts. Our project team is thrilled to get this initial shipment, but we still anticipate we’ll encounter supply chain issues. We will continue to adjust our rollout schedule as the machines continue to arrive. 

Just a reminder, faculty/staff prints, and copies will be charged to their home organization in Banner—the department that pays their salary. Individuals can no longer use multiple FOAPALs within their organization or across organizations. Budget and Office managers are currently reviewing any exceptions to ensure there’s accurate information as the new devices and pricing roll out. 

There are Knowledge Base articles available for your reference covering common features of the new machines. However, as we are currently working in a hybrid state with some areas using new devices and others still using old ones, it will be few weeks before these articles align completely. Watch the Printing category in our IT service portal for additional information to come.  

Additional information is also available on our FAQ page at drake.edu/its/printing/.

—Kris Brewster, ITS