Provost Sue Mattison will hold “Open Office @ Cowles” on the following dates in November. Stop by the Cowles Library coffee shop to say hello, pose a question, or share an idea.
Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 1–2:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 18, 2:30–4 p.m.
— Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the spending cycle over the holidays. Scott Nelson, from Legacy Financial, will share tips on how to have a great holiday season, yet maintain financial control, during a presentation on Nov. 6 from 11 a.m.–12 p.m. in the Olmsted Center, Rooms 310 & 311.
Scott will share tricks that stores are using to get you to spend more, uncover the real cost and impact of holiday spending, and provide practical solutions to help you stay on track. And, one attendee will receive an early holiday gift! Register here.
—Linda Feiden, Human Resources
Drake Women’s Basketball is looking for students interested in practicing against us during the school year to help us prepare for our opponents. To join Grey Squad, you must be enrolled as a full-time student. Go Bulldogs!
If interested, contact Coach Markisha Wright at markisha.wright@drake.edu or 515-943-8919.
— Markisha Wright, Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach
Please join HR in welcoming 10 new, full-time Drake University employees for the month of October.
Amber Welsh, School of Education, Records & Schedule Specialist
Gwendolyn Martin, Robert D. & Billie Ray Center, Customer Service Associate
Lisa Beierschmitt, Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Experiential Learning Specialist
Kristina Smith, Athletics, Assistant Women’s Tennis Coach
Asha Gibson, Athletics, Assistant M/W Sprint, Jumps & Relays Coach
Geri Blaker, Business & Public Administration, Administrative Assistant
Megan Flynn, ITS, Campus Technician
Heidi Eichorn, Human Resources, Senior HR Partner
Elicia Ropte, Law Library, Public Services Associate
Jason Grinstead, Institutional Research, Business Intelligence Manager
— Laura Schwarz, Human Resources
Drake is excited to hold First-Generation Student Day on Nov. 8.
First-generation students are an important part of the Drake community, and we will be using this day to recognize their achievements and experiences. Throughout the week, we will be celebrating what it means to be first-gen at Drake and beyond. We will end the week with a breakfast to recognize our first generation students, faculty, and staff on Friday, Nov. 8, at 9 a.m. in Levitt Hall. Click here to RSVP.
If you are a first-generation student and want to get involved, stop by the Student Life Center to pick up a “First-Gen Bulldog” button. Also, send your “Why I’m First” stories to Katie Simpson for a chance to be featured on Drake social media and around campus.
Did you know:
— Marina Verlengia, Director, New Student and Parent Programs
Have you visited Drake’s Continuous Improvement Plan site lately? It highlights our objectives, key metrics, and success stories that illustrate some of the ways we, as a campus community, are living out our mission and inspiration every day.
Watch a video of students collaborating to solve complex coding problems, all while enjoying pizza at Professor Tim Urness’ home. Or, read how Drake has met its 25% carbon reduction goal two years ahead of schedule. These stories, which can be found by clicking on the “+” on each objective box, not only bring a greater understanding to the plan’s objectives, but also showcases our collective success.
As a reminder, Drake has a balanced approach to strategic planning across four main commitment areas. We continually assess priorities to drive purposeful action through our Continuous Improvement Plan. Within the commitment areas of the plan, you will find each of our objectives supported by key metrics.
The site also highlights University-level initiatives, such as the Burt Club, Nelson Development project, University Avenue Streetscape project, and more. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about how our mission and inspiration drive action through our Continuous Improvement Plan.
— Nate Reagen, Chief of Staff
ITS updated the labels on incoming email messages in early July. Since then, we’ve received great feedback about the prominence, functionality, and wording. Based on that feedback, we’ll be making some additional changes on Nov. 3.
The existing red label will continue to be the default for all email coming from outside Drake. To better distinguish organizations with whom Drake is associated, we’re introducing a blue label with the text *This external email is from a Drake-associated sender.* While these messages should still be examined carefully, it’s unlikely they were sent with malicious intent.
For more information and to see examples of these labels on email messages, please see the External Email Label FAQ in the ITS Knowledge Base, and please continue to let us know of issues and questions at informationsecurity@drake.edu.
— Peter Lundstedt, ITS
Thank you to all of the students who took the time to take the 2019 ITS Student Phishing Quiz. We hope you learned more about how to spot potentially malicious emails and secure your digital life.
We drew the winners for the prize packages and they are:
Shukri Abdullahi
Sarah Ball
Edina Begic
Zoe Brinker
Tom Bush
Meg Dredge
Emilie Dunn
Reid Jarvis
Jia Wei Kang
Danielle Kinsella
Eddie Kwek
Katie Lajoie
Patrick Lee
Katelyn Mardis
Anna Nelson
Carissa Popp
Brianna Schmitt
Robert Schroeder
Amanda Shifrin
Reilly Smith
Raeann VanDrongelen
Congratulations to all the winners!
We’d love your feedback on the quiz. Let us know your thoughts by emailing informationsecurity@drake.edu.
— Peter Lundstedt, ITS
The Beautiful Bulldog Contest at Drake University is a unique, historic, and now trademarked event that kicks off Drake Relays Week. The contest has grown from a small gathering of alumni in downtown Des Moines, to a huge Bulldog festival in the Knapp Center.
The contest is attracting more people to Drake University and the committee needs your help! We are seeking applicants to join the contest committee, which oversees all aspects of what Buzzfeed once called “the Coachella of Bulldog festivities.”
Specifically, the committee is looking for help with the Family Fun Zone and general hospitality when welcoming our two and four-legged guests to campus.
If you are interested in joining the committee, please fill out this application for members to review and consider.
— Niki Smith, University Communications & Marketing
Drake Online and Continuing Education is offering two discounted seats for faculty or staff to participate in the 2020 Drake Leading Others program, a unique executive development leadership program serving leaders from our region’s top organizations. A 40% discount will be applied to the program fees for the first two qualified faculty or staff applicants.
This program is designed for mid- to senior-level leadership roles charged with creating organizational value. Participants are calling this executive program a “master class in leadership.” You will appreciate the opportunity to set intentions for your leadership growth, as well as learn how to drive your function-level plans to better Drake’s overall vision and mission. Enjoy a diverse and rich cohort based learning experience with minimal time away from the office.
Reach out to Sarah Ramsey for more information at sarah.ramsey@drake.edu by Nov. 6, 2019, and visit the Drake Online and Continuing Education’s Executive Leadership website for more information on the program.
— Sarah Ramsey, Director, Business and Professional Development at Drake’s Online and Continuing Education Department
