The Capital Project Policy has undergone another round of edits in response to campus input. Key changes include simplifying the review/approval process, recognizing the role of unit Budget Managers or other project leaders, and ensuring clear delineation of funding sources before work begins. In addition, Facilities, Planning & Management, with key input from Finance, is proposing the addition of a construction management fee for qualifying projects. This helps support budgets for our internal construction management services. The proposed revisions are now posted for comment.
Open Enrollment ends at 11:59 PM on Nov. 30—no exceptions (plan rules, sorry). If you participate in any of Drake’s benefits, please take a few minutes to walk through the open enrollment process in the Benefits Portal. Just the other day, I did this myself and it took me two minutes. It is easy, self-explanatory, and darn near fool-proof. Added bonus, it serves as a nice reminder of all the benefits Drake employees enjoy.
We encourage (no urge) you to take a few minutes to do this before you turn your attention to Thanksgiving Break. Then it is done, and you don’t have to remember to circle back to the topic after the break. Every year, we have people who miss the month-long window or wait until the absolute last minute and find they have questions and no time to have them answered. Don’t let this be you!
The window to submit your premium discount form is the same as open enrollment (Nov. 30). If you have not yet had your physical or submitted your form to Linda Feiden, that clock is ticking down as well.
Time is running out. Employees on Drake’s health plan, who want to receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2024—a savings of $34 per month—need to complete a physical with their primary care physician (PCP) and submit a Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form by Nov. 30, 2023.
If you had a physical since Dec. 1, 2022, but haven’t turned in your completed form, please do so now. If you haven’t scheduled your annual physical yet with your PCP, you are running out of time. Please email linda.feiden@drake.edu with questions.
The ITS Support Center will expand our open hours beginning Jan. 29 with the start of the spring semester. Under this new model, the Support Center will be staffed by Student Techs for extended weekday evening hours as well as limited weekend hours. Operational hours will vary when classes are not in session. The new hours will be:
Monday–Thursday: 8 a.m.– 9 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sunday: 3–8 p.m.
The schedule change is due to ITS ending our contract with Blackbelt Help for after-hours support, effective Dec. 15, 2023. This service was discontinued due to declining call volume and increasing costs. Calls to the Support Center will be answered as usual during operating hours. When the Support Center is closed, calls will be directed to voicemail, and ITS staff will respond to these calls in the order received on the following business day.
The classroom emergency line will be answered beginning at 7:45 a.m. on weekdays. We encourage the campus community to continue submitting support tickets via our 24/7 support portal at service.drake.edu/its.
In addition to the new Support Center hours, ITS will be updating our Service Portal. The Service Portal includes access to the Service Catalog to submit issues or make requests, the Knowledge Base to find how-to guides and information, and additional technology resources. This update will provide a clean, simplified layout with easy-to-access buttons and helpful tips for navigating the Service Portal. More information will become available as we approach the launch date.
If you have questions, contact us by submitting a ticket though the Service Portal (service.drake.edu/its) or by calling the Support Center at 515-271-3001.
The Drake Principal Center for Global Citizenship and the Nelson Institute are looking for submissions to the 2024 Nelson Student Research Symposium, which will be held March 8. This annual event promotes a university-wide discourse on global and intercultural topics. At the symposium, selected students are given a platform to share outcomes of their research on a global topic of interest, practicing presentation skills and obtaining useful feedback from Drake faculty.
We recommend that presentation topics be thematically framed by one of the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which provide a framework for tackling complex, pressing global issues.
How to submit a proposal
While research presentations that support the theme are encouraged, all global topics from any academic discipline are welcome. Presentations will be about 15 minutes each. Papers (or concepts) should be submitted using this online formby Friday, Feb. 16, for consideration. Additional information about the Symposium and the submission process can be found at the Drake Nelson Institute website. For questions, please reach out to global@drake.edu.
Feeling overwhelmed and lacking motivation are common feelings lately in Access & Success. Remember, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Finals are right around the corner and you are going to make it.
Here are five ways to stay motivated for the rest of the semester:
Use a timer. Sometimes five minutes of focus is all you need to get the ball rolling. Set a timer and START!
Plan for tomorrow, tonight. Set three goals every night for what you want to accomplish the next day. Somedays you may be more productive and do more than three, but try to get at least those three things done. Feeling accomplished goes a long way for motivation.
Make your bed. A great way to start your day is to make your bed. Once you make it, don’t mess it up. It is harder to go back to bed if its already made.
Get out of your room. Your dorm room is never a great place to study, too many distractions. Challenge yourself to find a new place to study. Changing things up changes your prospective and will lead to productivity.
Have some fun! It’s real easy to feel you need to study and not have fun, but you need to give your brain a break. Reward yourself for finishing a paper or having a good study session. You’ve earned it.
Enjoy your break and come back ready to tackle the rest of the semester. Access & Success is here to help.
Thomas Rosburg, professor of biology, was one of six Iowans recently honored as an Iowa Nature Champion at the Iowa Nature Summit, held at Drake University Nov. 16 and 17. The award, which was given for the first time at the Summit, recognizes individuals for their lifetime contribution to protecting nature, advocating for nature and educating others about nature.
Professor Rosburg has taught courses in ecology, botany, statistics, Iowa natural history, and nature photography for 27 years. Students in his courses learn about nature by being in nature on field trips to many places in Iowa and nearby states. He has been awarded over $1.9 million for studies in plant ecology. His work has resulted in 150 scientific papers and reports, 220 scientific presentations, and contributed material to 7 books. Professor Rosburg’s passion and knowledge has made him a popular advocate for nature. He has made over 425 public presentations to Iowans of all ages all across the state.
Professor Rosburg established the Drake Prairie Rescue and Restoration Program in 2004. Since then, more than 300 students have contributed 3,450 hours to prairie and savanna restoration on 66 sites in 22 counties for 55 landowners. Professor Rosburg has donated nearly 2,000 hours to Drake Prairie Rescue.
“Much of what I do every day can be regarded as education, whether it’s in a classroom, leading a field trip, writing a report or paper, making a presentation, consulting with a client, mentoring a student in research, or taking students on a camping and prairie rescue adventure. Therein lies both my proudest work and my hope for the future. It’s the legacy of knowledge bound by love and respect for nature. Hopefully anyone who spends time with me will likewise be infected with the utmost awe and reverence for nature as well as the moral duty to defend it.”
Written communication is important in almost any academic field, but the genres and accepted conventions of writing vary from discipline to discipline. In this project, we will discuss ways to integrate writing instruction into courses for which written communication is not necessarily the primary learning outcome, as well as courses that require students to communicate in field-specific ways (for instance, lab reports or business memos).
Instructors who participate in this project will have a one-semester commitment that will include:
Working with the Director of Writing, Megan Brown, on the development of a writing assignment, writing activities, or a writing project for one of their spring classes.
Attending hour-long meetings of all participants in the program in February, March, and April (or early May) 2024. These meetings may be structured as two sessions each month, with half of the group at each session, to facilitate more in-depth discussion.
Requiring all students enrolled in their class to attend tutoring sessions at the Writing Center at least twice during the semester.
After the initial meeting(s) with the Director of Writing to develop a writing assignment or writing project, participants will receive a stipend of $250. After completing the project and attending the final meeting, participants will receive an additional $250.
Participation is limited to 10 individuals.
If you are interested in participating, contact Madison Bemus (madison.bemus@drake.edu) by Friday, December 1.
The International Student Association will be hosting its annual event with the theme Cultural Explosion on Nov. 18, 2023, in the Knapp Center from 5–8 p.m.
International Night (I-Night) is an annual event that is held every fall. It brings international students, domestic students, and members of the community together, to showcase and include many cultures represented at Drake. During this event, there will be cultural performances and a fashion show of students walking in their traditional clothing. We also include a menu of international foods and raffle prizes. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.
The Office of Residence Life has opened its 2024–2025 Resident Assistant Application to Drake Students. In addition, there are two RA Information Sessions happening in Meredith Hall, Room 235, on Nov. 15 from 6–7:30 p.m. and on Dec. 1 from 10–11:30 a.m.
