Cowles Library has partnered with libraries throughout the state to allow the Drake community to return library items at 35 participating libraries across Iowa. This statewide initiative was created to help those living far from campus due to the pandemic. This service will be offered through May 31, 2020. Learn more.
— Leslie Noble, Cowles Library
All Staff Council is pleased to congratulate and welcome its newest members:
Governance Committee: Bridget Arrasmith, Chris Bass, Donita Greenough, Leslie Noble
Recognition Committee: Erin Bell, Teresa Downs
Special Events/Community Service: Kevin Saunders, Sydni Jennings, Lynne Cornelius, Mariah Mohler
Special Interest: Lori Richman, Rashmee Virmani, Megan Franklin
Chair Elect: Andy Verlengia
For more information on All Staff Council and its current members, visit drake.edu/asc/.
— Michelle Huggins, Facilities Planning & Management
Bb Annotate is a new tool in Blackboard Learn for inline assignment grading that will be available starting May 25. Bb Annotate replaces the New Box View integration. Bb Annotate offers new features for instructors to provide customizable feedback to students including a sidebar summary view, freehand drawing tools, and various color selections.
Migration Timeline
The file migration from New Box View to Bb Annotate will begin starting on May 25and could take several hours to days to complete depending on the number of files that need to be migrated. This ensures all older documents also use the same inline grading system and that no data is lost during the transition.
Existing Grading
All pre-existing annotations created through New Box View will be migrated and visible in Bb Annotate. If a user is actively annotating a file using New Box View during the migration, the file will not migrate to Bb Annotate until the user has completed that session. Upon loading the submission file again, it will display in the Bb Annotate viewer. User will be able to delete annotations as well as add new comments to any existing comment created using New Box View.
Mobile App Compatibility
Bb Annotate will work with the Blackboard Instructor app, but not the Blackboard app. Students should access their assignment submission through a web browser to see annotations.
More Information
The links provided below is where you can find all relevant information about inline assignment grading with Bb Annotate.
— Karly Good, ITS
The ‘Finland: Perspectives on Education’ J-Term 2021 travel seminar will have a Zoom information session on Wednesday, May 20, at 12 p.m. Attend to learn from the lead instructor, Professor Trent Grundmeyer, about the course, about the excursions and activities included in the program, and to ask any questions you may have about this travel seminar.
Access the Zoom meeting on Wednesday, May 20, at 12 p.m.
Learn more about all of Drake’s J-Term 2021 travel seminars, including how to apply.
— Nathan Jacobson, Drake International
Faculty, final grades are due by 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20. Exception: Law School grades are due Tuesday, May 26.
You may enter your final grades directly in MyDUSIS or send them from Blackboard to MyDUSIS (with proper configuration).
The Final Grade Submittal page in MyDUSIS now displays each student’s grade mode, and the drop-down menus display only the grade options applicable to each student’s grade mode. For example, only “credit” or “no credit” will display for students who have opted for the credit/no credit option.
You may send your grades from Blackboard to MyDUSIS for only the students earning standard letter grades or only for students earning CR/NC grades, using MyDUSIS to directly enter grades for the opposite set of students. Or, you may send grades for both sets of students by repeating certain steps in Blackboard. The Blackboard instructions page has been updated with step-by-step instructions. After sending your grades to MyDUSIS, it is wise to double-check the Final Grade Submittal page in MyDUSIS to do ensure MyDUSIS received all of them.
For questions about final grades, please email registrar@drake.edu.
Thank you for all of the adaptations you have made this semester and your efforts to submit your final grades on time.
— Kevin Moenkhaus, Office of the Registrar
Drake University’s Intensive English Program (IEP) is now offering an online Summer Language Institute for those who wish to improve their English skills. IEP courses are free for current students, faculty, and staff. View course fees for other applicants.
Courses will run from July 6–31 and will follow a two-track format: An academic English track for those who are pursuing or planning to pursue a degree in the United States and a general English track for those who want to improve practical English skills.
Apply now. Applications for admission are due June 1. For additional information or questions, contact kendra.hossain-morehead@drake.edu.
— Kendra Hossain-Morehead, Drake International
ITS is migrating print services to a new server. As a result, access to campus printing (PaperCut) will be completely unavailable between 1–3 p.m. on Thursday, May 21.
We appreciate your patience while we perform this necessary work. If you continue to have any issues after the planned maintenance window, please contact the support center at 515-271-3001 or visit service.drake.edu/its to report your issue.
— Carla Herling, ITS
Many people turn to food to cope with emotions. If you find yourself struggling with emotional or stress eating during this unusual—and often stressful— time, you are not alone.
Allowing yourself to enjoy an extra dessert or some sweet or salty snacks is understandable. However, if you cannot seem to step away from food, the quick fix of cookies or cake can ultimately make you feel worse, both physically and emotionally. This can drive anxiety and worsen your mood. Here are five tips that may help.
Make a schedule or daily meal plan. Just like scheduling your work routine, you can schedule your meals. This includes times for your main meals and snack breaks. If it helps, post it on a calendar. Select a location to eat your meals and snacks like your kitchen table and keep that place separate from where you work and relax. Finally, prepare your snacks in advance to control portion size and select healthier options.
Become aware of your triggers. When do you most often reach for food? When watching TV or scrolling through social media? When working on a project? Next, ask yourself how hungry you are. Are you eating from hunger or emotion? Keep a record of your triggers in a journal. By understanding what prompts the eating, you can learn to anticipate these moments and find a healthier way to cope. Maybe it is calling a friend, deep breathing, journaling, meditation, or taking a walk.
Keep temptations out of the house. Make the healthy choice the easy choice by surrounding yourself with nutritious options. Buy fewer processed, high-salt or high-sugar snacks. Load up on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins. Do not forget your beverages. Skip the soda and replace it with flavored water.
Get exercise and plenty of sleep. Both physical activity and rest are important for managing stress and emotions. The better you feel, the less likely you are to make poor eating choices.
Get support when needed. Sometimes you cannot do it alone. When this happens reach out to a friend or family member for support. Registered dietitians and counselors, including Employee & Family Resources, can help.
The bottom line: increased anxiety can cause you to abandon your healthy eating intentions. But, with a little thought and planning, you can continue to make good food choices and maybe even boost your mood and immunity.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
ITS is making updates to TeamDynamix in order to facilitate single sign on (SSO). TeamDynamix is the system behind our ITS and facilities portals.
After the upgrade at 7 a.m. on Thursday, May 21, if you’ve previously signed into any Drake website using your Drake credentials you will no longer have to re-enter them when you submit a request or report an issue to ITS or Facilities.
The ITS portion of TeamDynamix can be accessed from the ITS Support link in the myDrake portal or by going to service.drake.edu/its. You can learn more about how SSO works at Single Sign On (SSO) and Drake applications (FAQ).
View instructions on using the ITS service portal
— Carla Herling, ITS
Faculty Writers Workshop, Summer 2020
Wednesday, June 3, 10–1 p.m.; Wednesday, June 10, 10–1 p.m.
Drake faculty members are invited to participate in an intensive version of the Faculty Writing Workshop (FWW) focused on using the summer effectively for our scholarship. We will meet from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, and Wednesday, June 10. The FWW will be co-facilitated by Nate Holdren (LPS) and En Li (History). Our goal will be to help set ourselves up to make progress on our scholarship over the summer. We will draw from Joli Jensen’s book Write No Matter What and discuss it to the degree that participants find it useful. The session will also include discussion on how to carve out time for writing while teaching, a workshop on better integrating research and teaching, and on-site writing time. We will also discuss coordinating writing support and intellectual community for Drake faculty writers over the summer.
This writing group is generously supported by the Center for the Humanities. There are spots for ten faculty participants. Should more than 10 individuals express interest, priority shall be given to 1) Those who actively participated in the previous Faculty Writing Groups, 2) Tenure-track faculty who are not yet tenured, 3) Faculty who are members of groups under-represented, and 4) Faculty members whose works are related to humanities
Participants who commit to the whole time for both sessions will receive a small stipend.
If you are interested in participating, fill out the interest form by the morning of Monday, May 25.
If you have questions, please contact the co-facilitators of the summer FWW, Nate Holdren (nate.holdren@drake.edu) and En Li (en.li@drake.edu).
— Nate Holdren, Law, Politics & Society
