Students, final grades for non-Law School courses are due Wednesday, Dec. 18. Final grades for the Law School are due Tuesday, Jan. 14.
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
All Staff Council and Human Resources invite faculty and staff to attend this year’s Holiday Cheer gathering on Wednesday, Dec. 11, near the Pomerantz stage in the Olmsted Center. Faculty and staff are welcome to come and go as they please from 9–11 a.m.
Guests can enjoy a hot chocolate bar and cookie decorating station. Griff will also be in attendance and ready for holiday photos.
If you bring at least one non-perishable food or other goods for Drake’s Free Little Food Pantries you will be entered into a drawing for prizes, including a Drake Parking Pass. Drawing for the parking pass takes place at the end of the school year but the drawing for other prizes will take place immediately following Holiday Cheer.
This event is a chance to give back to others in the Drake community, while mingling with coworkers. Please take a moment to stop by, grab some cheer, and drop off a donation.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
Nearly half of us will be hitting the road or taking the skies for the upcoming holidays, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Here are some tips to help avoid a few common, and potentially devastating events that could derail your holiday cheer.
Public Wi-Fi: Whether at the airport, hotel, or just a quick stop on the way, free Wi-Fi is everywhere. Unfortunately, there’s no simple way to ensure that hotspot is secure and not a scheme to steal your information. Avoid connecting if you can and confirm connection information with the property owner if you must connect.
Social media oversharing: We love to post photos of friends and family as soon as they are taken but consider holding off until you return home. Those photos can share a lot of information, such as the fact that you’re not home, or even in the state. Alternatively, confirm your social media privacy settings are locked down to only share posts with the people that you know and trust.
Tech gifts: Giving and receiving gadgets is fun, but make sure you also know the proper safety measures to set them up – if there are any! Smart devices like watches, speakers, doorbells, thermostats, locks, etc. are among the top gifts this year, but take some time to research those that offer the best privacy and safety features-especially if it’s going in your home!
Tech & travel: It’s never in our travel plans to have a device lost or stolen, but just in case it happens, be sure any confidential information is kept safe. Always use a PIN, pattern lock, or preferably, a password to secure your device. Never bring a laptop with you that you aren’t willing to lose or have damaged or confiscated.
While the items above present problems off campus, email-based threats are still the greatest threat on campus. ITS continues to simulate phishing attacks will assign training to individuals who are routinely susceptible. For more information on how to report phishing emails, see Reporting a Phishing Message (How-to).
— Peter Lundstedt, ITS
A useful tool to use for individual travel is the Find It Tool. It works best for flights within the United States. The reason for this tool is that airlines do not provide agencies such as Short’s with their full inventory of flights possible for travelers. You may use Find It to look at flights that are not in the Short’s inventory that can still be booked through Short’s. You may find that you save money by using this tool.
To use the Find It Tool, please go to My Drake, Administrative Tools, and find Short’s Travel Management. Click on the one that pertains to you, Academic or Athletic. On the right side, you will see the Find It App to download to your browser. I recommend that you watch the video demonstration. From there, you can choose flights on many different airline websites and you can forward your chosen flight to Short’s to book for you.
If you have questions, please contact onlinesupport@shortstravel.com or if you’d like, please contact me directly and I will send you a guide on how to use this tool.
— Caron Findlay, Finance & Administration
Do you need some additional gifts before you head home for the holidays? Save 30% on select items at the University Bookstore Dec. 10 from 9 a.m.–6 p.m. and Dec. 11 from 8 a.m.–7 p.m. in store or online at http://shop.drake.edu.
— Katie Wilz, University Bookstore
The University Bookstore has extended its hours for finals week (Dec. 9–14). Hours of operation are:
Monday–Tuesday: 9 a.m. –6 p.m.
Wednesday–Thursday: 8 a.m.–7 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Rental books are due back Dec. 13.
— Katie Wilz, University Bookstore
Interested in living and working abroad after graduation? Look no further than Working Worldwide, an opportunity for recent graduates to work teaching English in China or doing PR for a non-profit in Kosovo. The program provides all the support you need to be successful in these positions, including English teaching training. Learn more or email nathan.jacobson@drake.edu. Applications to open at the beginning of the spring semester.
Attend an Information Session:
— Tuesday, Dec. 10, 4 p.m., Meredith, Room 102
— Wednesday, Dec. 11, 11 a.m., Meredith, Room 103
The holiday break is an excellent time to speak with family and friends about this opportunity. We hope to see you at one of our information sessions to learn more about Working Worldwide.
— Nathan Jacobson, Drake International
The Drake Research Grant offers up to $3,000 to fund activities and materials necessary to support research undertaken by Drake University faculty on continuing appointment: supplies (including animals), student research assistance, and when central to the research process, travel associated with research or creative activity. In particular, the Program seeks to position faculty currently under-supported by sources outside Drake to more favorably compete for extramural funding and to encourage research projects conducted in collaboration with Drake students. This Program does not fund the purchase of computing equipment, reassignment from teaching, pedagogical or course development, or conference travel. Only under rare circumstances will non-computer-based equipment purchases be considered.
Deadline: Feb. 7, 2020 (Submission to your Dean)
Once the Dean has received all applications from her/his unit, Deans will append his/her commentary and ranking, and will forward the application to arthur.sanders@drake.edu by Feb. 17, 2020.
The Undergraduate Assistantship Program involves students in project‐based collaboration with faculty and/or administrative staff in order to create significant experiential learning opportunities. These opportunities offer student collaborators skills and experiences that will prepare them to advance in their education or chosen professions, while also offering administrative staff and faculty the chance to work closely with student assistants.
Student Financial Planning provides a 2‐to‐1 match with department, program, or unit funds. A maximum of $1,100 is awarded per project (for proposals whose total assistantship budget is $1,650 or more).
Deadline: Feb. 7 (Submission to the Dean of Schools or Colleges, or to the Director of the Administrative Program)
February 17 (Proposals forwarded from Deans and Directors to the Office of the Associate Provost)
The next Provost’s Drake Social will be Wednesday, Dec. 18, in the Shiver’s Hospitality Suite. The Provost is happy to make this year’s Socials family friendly. Therefore, if you have child care duties after work, please know you are welcome to bring children along. Partners are also welcome.
The December social will be preceded by a Town Hall at 3:30 p.m., in which President Martin will provide an update on the budget. The social will follow at 4 p.m.
— Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost
