Category Archives: Campus Announcements Archive

Campus Announcements Archive

Finance shares Administrative Survey results

The Offices of Finance and Student Financial Planning would like to thank everyone for taking the time to complete the Administrative Survey in October.  We have gained valuable feedback to help us maintain and improve the services we provide to students, faculty, and staff.

Ratings in nearly every question increased over the prior year. Each of the departments individually scored between 4 and 5 on the 5-point scale with only one exception. While not a statistically significant difference, the overall satisfaction with the services provided by the Offices of Finance and Student Financial Planning increased to an average score of 4.38 this year compared to 4.26 in 2018. While there is always room for improvement, the unit’s staff are clearly doing their best to meet our service-oriented objectives to:

  • Ensure our constituents are engaged and informed,
  • Ensure integrity and transparency,
  • Process university resources timely and accurately, and
  • Improve service excellence.

The comments included in the survey were very helpful. There were many positive comments all centered around the staff being knowledgeable, approachable, courteous, service-oriented, responsive, and helpful, as well as displaying a ‘can do’ attitude. There were also several valuable suggestions for improvement. The most significant theme identified by our staff pointed to the need for continuation of our focus on process improvements. Two recent examples of already implemented process improvement include the automation of our payment processing using the services of Paymerang and the transition of the tuition rebate application to an online form rather than paper. Additional process improvement initiatives are already in the works, such as efficiencies in processing transactions from restricted and endowed funding sources. Other initiatives will continue as staff time and IT resources allow.

Thank you again for participating in the Administrative Survey and please know that your input is reviewed and analyzed by the entire staff of the Offices of Finance and Student Financial Planning.

— Adam Voigts, Chief Financial Officer

Campus Announcements Archive

Heritage and Holocaust info sessions Nov. 20

The deadline for submitting your application to Terradotta for the May 2020 travel seminar Heritage and Holocaust is Dec. 8.

For information about the Terradotta portal, the details of the Heritage and Holocaust travel seminar, or the five concentration camps included in the itinerary, plan to attend one of the information sessions on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Sessions are 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 125.

— Dorothy Pisarski, Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication

Campus Announcements Archive

DU Well Healthy Holidays Challenge

DU Well Healthy Holidays Challenge is a five-week program that runs from Dec. 2, 2019, through Jan. 5, 2020.  It consists of a series of one-day challenges that you can do at home or at Drake. From taking a walk break, to phoning a friend, or checking the batteries on your smoke detector, there is something for everyone.  Simply check off the challenges as you complete them on the tracking form you will be provided.  If you complete a daily challenge on 30 of the 35 days, you will be placed in a drawing for a chance to win prizes.

As an added bonus, the tracking form will include a place to record your weekly weight.  This is optional, but if you maintain (or lose) weight over the holidays, it will count as completing three (3) daily challenges.

To register for DU Well Healthy Holidays and receive your tracking form, send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Thanksgiving Feast at Parents Hall

CORRECTION: The meal is at Parents Hall not Hubbell Dining as previously stated.

Kick off your Thanksgiving holiday with friends and a feast full of fun! Celebrate at Parents Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 11 a.m.– 1:30 p.m. We’re serving all your holiday favorites, including roasted turkey, hickory smoked ham, candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and more. We will also have a Simple Servings station set up for allergen free dining.

This will be a Zero Waste Event, and all plates and utensils used will be composted. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend. Price is $7.40 plus tax (or $7.92 total.) Students can use a meal swipe.

— Jennifer Bowersox, Dining Services

Campus Announcements Archive

GroupX Schedule and Thanksgiving Update

Check out our GroupX schedule for the rest of the semester, attend 15 classes and get a free incentive T-shirt.

Thanksgiving Update: Our last GroupX class before break will be Body Blast at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday the Nov. 24; classes will resume on Monday Dec. 2. The last day of classes for the semester will be Thursday, Dec. 5.

— Emily Madsen, Recreational Services

Campus Announcements Archive

Bark Tank winners

On Saturday, Nov. 9, the Entrepreneurship Centers hosted the annual Bark Tank Competition. We would like to thank and congratulate all the participants for their pitches and extend a special congratulations to the four prize winners:

  • First Place: $750 to Alex Mathison, EC VR
  • Second Place: $500 to Tim Zuo, The Herban Webinar Series
  • Third Place: $250 to Kellen Karls, Echobreakers
  • Honorable Mention: $250 to Amir Chaouch, Babylon – Rooftop Gardens

We would like to thank our judges, Tyrek Washington (2018 Second Place Winner), Kaleigh DeBont (2017 First Place Winner), Seth Hartman (2017 First Place Winner), and Professor Brian Sweeney. This was the seventh Bark Tank competition and it is sponsored by alum, Dan Sinykin, JO ’86.

— Stephanie Cardwell, Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

Campus Announcements Archive

Information sessions for Heritage and Holocaust travel seminar

Come to an information session to learn more about the Heritage and Holocaust travel seminar, scheduled for May 2020. You can discover the nuances of short-term travel seminars, get course details, learn about registering via Terradotta, and meet the faculty leaders at these information sessions.

Sessions are scheduled Monday, Nov. 11, at 3:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 9 p.m. Sessions are held in Meredith Hall, Room 125.

Contact dorothy.pisarski@drake.edu or jarad.bernstein@drake.edu for additional information.

— Dorothy Pisarski, Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication

Campus Announcements Archive

The Benson Lecture: Coming out with Guy Benson

Guy Benson, author, political editor of Townhall.com, Fox News contributor, and member of Forbes 30 under 30, will be hosting a conversation on Wednesday, Nov. 13, in the Cowles Reading Room from 7–8 p.m. about identity politics and social conservatism from the lens of a millennial conservative. Benson’s talk is hosted by Drake College Republicans and sponsored by Drake University alumnus Mike Mason BN ’68 and the Slay Fund. For more information, view the Drake event calendar or the Facebook event page.

— John Altendorf, AS, JO

Campus Announcements Archive

Social justice dialogue

Join Community Action Board on Monday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m. in upper Olmsted, CR 310–311, for a collaborative round table discussion on how to improve community engagement and how to be a good neighbor within the Drake Neighborhood. The session will also cover how to get involved with CAB during the school year.

— Laura Harris, AS’20