The National Weather Service will conduct a statewide tornado drill on Wednesday, March 28. A test tornado watch will be issued around 10 a.m. followed by a test tornado warning around 10:15 a.m., in which sirens will sound.

The statewide drill allows us to test our planning and readiness and practice seeking appropriate shelter in case of a real tornado. Faculty, staff, and students should participate in the drill by following campus severe weather plans and going to the lowest level of their building, away from doorways and windows. View a list of designated severe weather shelters.

In the event of actual severe weather in the state during the drill, backup days are scheduled for March 29 and 30.

Learn what actions to take when a tornado hits, whether you are outside, in a manufactured home, or in a building.

Wherever you are, remember that most injuries associated with high winds are from flying debris, so protect your head.

Tornado facts:

• Tornados may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
• Funnel clouds usually last less than 10 minutes before dissipating, and many only last several seconds. On rare occasion, cyclones can last for over an hour.
• Tornados may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
• The average tornado moves southwest to northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
• The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 mph, but may vary from stationary to 70 mph.
• Damage paths of tornadoes can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.

Tornado watch: Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and stay tuned to the NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.

Tornado Warning: A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Seek shelter immediately.

—Chris Nickell, Environmental Health and Safety

Do you know of a Drake student, faculty, staff, or alumnus who is doing great work in the community? Nominate them for an Engaged Campus Award, given out by Iowa Campus Compact. Nominations are due March 30.

It is highly recommended that people review the rubric when writing nominations. The rubric can be found on the website under the Selection Process tab. Award winners will be honored at the Engaged Campus Awards and Summit on May 9 at Coe College in Cedar Rapids.

Awards for students and student groups

Student Leadership: A student leader with demonstrated accomplishments in engaging students in meaningful service and civic engagement.

Network Choice Award: Student organizations or student-led projects can be nominated for online voting in late April that will allow our network to select a winner.

Awards for individuals

Civic Mission Leadership: A faculty or staff member who has demonstrated leadership for higher education civic engagement and has worked to give voice to the civic mission of higher education.

Community Leadership: An alumnus of a member institution making strong contributions to their community and demonstrating the values of the civic mission of higher education.

Emerging Leadership: A new person in the field who is making unique and innovative contributions that demonstrate strong future potential.

Awards for groups or projects

Emerging Innovation: A recent project, program, or initiative making unique and innovative contributions that demonstrate strong future potential.

Community Partnership: A campus-community partnership or collaboration that is deep, reciprocal, and transformational.

Awards for AmeriCorps members

National Service Member of the Year: Individual full-time, part-time, and summer AmeriCorps and VISTA members (in IACC programs) who have made significant contributions to building a community partner or campus department’s capacity.

—Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

A new schedule for GroupX Classes will start March 19 and go through May 10. Times and classes will change, so make sure to check out the new schedule and attend your favorite classes.

— Drake Wellness

This summer, Drake will install fire sprinkler systems in Harvey Ingham, Fitch, and Olin Halls. The project will begin May 21 in Harvey Ingham Hall. The goal is to complete all three buildings before school starts Aug. 27. Facilities Planning and Management will share the construction schedule once it is received from the contractor.

—Jolene Schmidt, Facilities Planning and Management

This week, ITS is upgrading the system responsible for creation, synchronization, and maintenance of accounts in Office 365. Drake uses Microsoft Office 365 for services including email, calendaring, contacts, and cloud storage.

While we don’t anticipate any issues due to this maintenance, it’s possible that a small number of accounts could be briefly disabled. This would temporarily prevent those affected from logging into their email accounts. If you encounter any issues logging into your Drake email this week, please report it online or contact the Support Center at 515-271-3001.

—Carla Herling, ITS

As of Feb. 23, Facilities Planning and Management received 2,788 service requests through its online service portal that launched last October. Ninety three percent of those requests have been completed.

The new online service request system aims to support the department’s six commitments listed below, which were developed in response to the Administrative Services Survey. These commitments are designed to help the department achieve its scorecard objectives.

1. Ensure that FPM meets the promised response and resolution timeframes
2. Collaborate to find reasonable and supportable long-term solutions
3. Strive to understand issues and requests before beginning work
4. Confirm the request was completed to your satisfaction and in a professional manner
5. Improve communication related to project schedules and staffing
6. Work as a team to provide facility-related services on behalf of Drake

In a previous OnCampus article, FPM shared results from the TeamDynamix satisfaction and performance surveys. One area that is below our target goal is commitment number one regarding meeting promised response and resolution timeframes, also known as service live agreements (SLAs). The SLA goal aims to acknowledge work orders within one workday and complete them within three workdays. This excludes work orders that are pending or scheduled. Our measure last year was 75 percent. Currently we are at 78 percent, just short of our 80 percent goal. Our department and leadership team is committed to implementing various action items that will contribute to successfully meeting each of our scorecard objectives.

Manny Toribio, Facilities Planning and Management

As the externally focused arm of the Institution, University Advancement is comprised of Alumni Relations, Development, University Communications, Community Relations, and The RaySociety. Each of these departments intentionally builds meaningful relationships with a variety of audiences.

Think about just a few examples of the life cycle of a Drake alumnus/a:

• A prospective student is introduced to the powerful network of more than 70,000 graduates through an alumni letter writing campaign following admission to the University.
• A first-year student attends the Scholarship Luncheon to meet the donor of their named scholarship.
• Throughout their time on campus, an international student engages in multiple fireside chats through the Student Alumni Association and their College/School.
• A Des Moines student see the powerful role of a University enriching a community by attending a Bucksbaum Lecture.
• A junior from a small Iowa town experiences Drake on the global stage with the financial support of a generous donor.
• Following graduation, a new arrival to Chicago finds comfort through an invitation to network with local Drake graduates.
• A young graduate finds joy by making gift to The Drake Fund following an engaging conversation with a current student.
• Thousands of graduates share their Drake stories through multiple social media platforms.
• Each spring, like some migrating ritual, Drake graduates return to campus for The Drake Relays to celebrate their connection with a place and its people.
• While reviewing recent college rankings, a California alumnus exudes with pride knowing the value of his degree increases with the strengthening of the University’s brand and reputation.
• A retiree accepts the invitation to get back into the classroom through a unique and powerful organization.
• In celebration of their 50-year reunion and their 50th wedding anniversary, a Drake couple makes a gift to create a named endowed scholarship fund.
• A mid-career graduate, receives a call inviting her to write a letter to admitted students in her area. Accepting the invitation, she smiles reflecting on the memory of receiving her own letter years previously.

Moving forward, University Advancement will utilize OnCampus to celebrate collective accomplishments, highlight upcoming activities, announce meaningful milestones, and publicize successful campus partnerships.

The work of University Advancement is strongly grounded in the spirit of “all in this together.” Our work is strengthened through active engagement and involvement with multiple campus partners.

Thanks to all who enthusiastically invite our students, alumni, and friends to enjoy a life-long connection to this remarkable University. We value your active partnership, shared ownership, thoughtful ideas, and powerful example. Without question, we are stronger together.

— John Smith, University Advancement

This semester, 165 international students are enrolled in classes at Drake. Of international students on campus, the largest groups are from Malaysia and China. Drake is proud to have more than 40 different countries are represented on campus. View data from Drake International.

Jacquilline Nagila, Drake International