The deadline for submitting Fall 2020 course material adoptions is April 15. The University Bookstore has a simple tool for you to use this adoption season: Follett Discover.

Adopting on time contributes to course materials affordability. By submitting adoptions prior to the due date or by the due date, your campus store has time to source used and rental inventory, which translates to savings for your students. If you consistently use the same book from term to term, partner with the campus store to let them know because this will translate into even larger savings for your students.

Another important aspect that relies on timely textbook adoption is compliance to the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), which is aimed at making college more affordable and accessible by calling for full disclosure and transparency related to the selection, pricing, and use of course materials when registration for courses begins. HEOA was enacted into federal law in 2010. At Drake University, the Bookstore is the collection agent for textbook adoptions, posting the adoptions submitted and thus ensuring the University’s compliance to the HEOA.

Follett Discover allows you to easily discover, research, and adopt course materials all in one place. In addition to adopting traditional print materials, Follett Discover makes it easy to search and adopt non-traditional materials such as YouTube videos, open education resources, and MOOC content.

Easy steps to access Follett Discover through Blackboard

1. Log into myDrake.
2. Find the Tools channel, scroll down and click the Follett Discover link OR find the Follett Discover channel, and click the Launch Discover link.

For questions about the tool or how it works, contact the Bookstore.

—  Donna Hallstrom, University Bookstore

On Oct. 1, Microsoft will be decommissioning Basic Authentication, an older back-end protocol that allows us to log into email applications, in favor of a more secure method called Modern Authentication.

Modern Authentication is already built-in and enabled in newer versions of Outlook, but there are many other email clients that are incompatible, which will cause them to stop working when Basic Authentication is disabled on Oct. 1, 2020.

Over the next few months, ITS will be installing compatible versions of Outlook on all Drake-owned computers missing this software. If you are using Outlook 2016 or newer on a Drake-owned computer, no action is required.

If you use an older version of Outlook or a third-party email client to access your Drake email account from a Drake-owned computer, personal computer, or mobile device, you have a few options to ensure your access is not interrupted on Oct. 1:

1. Switch to Outlook on the Web. Outlook on the Web is available through myDrake at the My Email link. No software installation or changes are required with this option.
2. Switch to Outlook 2016 or newer. If you are using a third-party mail program, your mail may not be able to be migrated into Outlook.
3. Verify whether your third-party email program or app will work with Modern Authentication. Many email software publishers are updating their software to ensure continued compatibility, but check to make sure yours will work.

The following third-party desktop and mobile apps are currently known to be compatible with Modern Authentication:

• The native Mail app for iOS 11.x and newer
• Apple Mail on MacOS 10.15 and newer
• Outlook 2016 and newer
• Outlook for iOS and Android

For additional information, see Preparing for Modern Authentication (How-to).

Microsoft Outlook is the only mail and calendar application supported by Drake—all other apps are not guaranteed to work and are not supported by ITS.

As the Oct. 1 cut-off date approaches, ITS will send additional communications to those affected to ensure email access is not interrupted.

If you have any questions or need assistance with changing email clients on a Drake-owned computer, please visit the ITS Service Portal at https://service.drake.edu/its.

—Peter Lundstedt, ITS

Due to the campus transition from the impacts of COVID-19 and timing issues with the survey provider, the Great Colleges to Work For Survey will be postponed until the fall. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Alice Hill or Nate Reagen.

— Nate Reagen, President’s Office

As we adjust to working from home, there are some simple ways to ensure our data and devices remain secure. Attackers won’t miss an opportunity to take advantage of circumstances that allow for easier access to home networks and personal computers, and it’s important to keep sensitive information safe, no matter where we’re working.

Here are five simple steps that will help you and your household keep a more cybersafe home.

1. Remain vigilant to phishing. This remains the primary way attackers attempt to cause a breach, quite simply because it’s easier than finding a vulnerability in our technology. Be cautious of emails and phone calls that have a strong sense of urgency, or that use fear and intimidation. Carefully read the entire message before taking any action.
2. Take time to secure your home network. Almost every home network starts with Wi-Fi, which allows all our devices to connect to the internet. The router or Wi-Fi access point allows connections to and from the internet to occur, which means it’s a key part of protecting your home.

• Change the default administrator password. Protect the account that grants access to the network settings.
• Allow only people you trust. Enable a strong password for anyone connecting to the network, and ensure network traffic is encrypted.

Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can help verify these settings. Check their website, the documentation for your wireless access point, or refer to the vendor’s website.

1. Keep devices updated. Make sure every computer, mobile device, and all apps are running the latest versions of software. Software vendors continuously release patches that contain security updates, and attackers exploit the older, vulnerable versions. By ensuring computers and devices are up to date, you make it harder for attackers to break in. To stay current, enable automatic updates whenever possible. This rule also applies to devices you may not think about—internet-connected TVs, baby monitors, security cameras/doorbells, gaming consoles, appliances, thermostats, and more.
2. Family and guests. Something we usually don’t have to worry about on campus is guests and other family members using a Drake-owned computer, or accessing a personal/shared computer while we’re in the middle of a task. Make sure any family and friends at home understand that they cannot use your Drake-owned computer or other devices that you’re using to work, as they can accidentally erase or modify information, or infect the device by unintentionally visiting a malicious website.
3. Keep track of data. If you’re accessing and copying information to personal devices, or even downloading reports to your Drake-owned computer that you would normally view online, write down locations or visual cues to help track their location so you can delete or move it to its correct location when complete. This will help ensure that sensitive information does not remain on a personal device and cause future breaches of confidentiality.

If you have questions about any of these steps or would like to learn more about securely working from home, please email informationsecurity@drake.edu.

—Peter Lundstedt, ITS