Category Archives: Campus Announcements Archive

Campus Announcements Archive

From the Provost: Important end-of-semester updates

The Day Free for Study
As we approach the end of the semester, this is a reminder of Drake policy related to performance evaluation and grading (Faculty Manual 2.131) and the Day Free for Study:

  1. Student Records and Academic Information publishes a final evaluation schedule for the last week of fall and spring semesters. A two-hour evaluation period is designated for each class and all classes are expected to meet at the designed time and place for a final session. If a final examination is given in a class, it must be given during the designated final evaluations period. Deviations from the final evaluation schedule require authorization of the dean.
  2. The last class day prior to the beginning of the final evaluation period is designated as a “Day Free For Study”, commonly called “Dead Day.” During this time, no committee meetings (for which students or faculty unable to attend would be at a disadvantage) may be held, and classes do not normally meet. Individual colleges and faculty members may schedule voluntary review sessions for their classes, with the provision that attendance by students is voluntary and no new materials can be presented which will be included in the final evaluation. Laboratory reports and term papers previously assigned may be assigned due dates during the Day Free for Study. No final evaluations may be given during the Day Free for Study.

Commencement
The commencement ceremony for those students—graduate and undergraduate—graduating at the end of this semester will be held in The Knapp Center on Saturday, Dec. 19, beginning at 10 a.m. If faculty are planning on attending—as I encourage you to do—please plan to be in the Bell Center for robing and assembly no later than 9:30 a.m.

To assure that we have a sufficient number of chairs on the floor for faculty, please RSVP to https://drakefallcommencement2015.eventbrite.com no later than Tuesday, Dec. 15. Please, only RSVP is you DO plan to attend. As this is President Martin’s first commencement at Drake. I ask that you do him—and the students who have earned their degrees—the honor of your presence.

If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Geiger at x3095 or nancy.geiger@drake.edu.

Being Social
The final faculty/staff social of the semester will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., immediately following the campus community budget discussion (4–5 p.m.) in the Shivers Hospitality Suite. Please attend both the campus discussion, led by Chief Financial Officer Teresa Krejci and President Martin, and the social. It has been a long and productive semester, and it will be pleasant to end it in each other’s company. Nearby parking is available in Lot 2 east of Shivers at the NE corner of Forest and 25th Street.

—Joe Lenz, Interim Provost

Campus Announcements Archive

Service-learning match grants

The Ronald and Jane Olson Endowment for Global Service-Learning is providing support for two $500 service-learning match grants for the 2015–2016 academic year. Applications are currently available with a due date of Dec. 17 at 5 p.m. Applicants will be notified by Dec. 22 regarding award status. Apply today!

The Olson Global Service-Learning Match Grant funds are designated to enhance global service-learning projects by providing additional funds that would otherwise not be accessible.

Requirements:

  • Funds or in-kind donations of at least $500 must have already been raised.
  • Projects must have a strong global service-learning emphasis.
  • Student applicants must have demonstrated faculty/staff support.
    Please note that we are NOT able to reimburse for individual’s mileage.

Direct additional questions to Maria Rohach, global learning program coordinator, at maria.rohach@drake.edu.

—Submitted by Maria Rohach

Campus Announcements Archive

Business continuity & disaster recovery planning

Since project inception in January 2015, the Information Security team within Drake Technology Services’ Infrastructure & Security Services unit has been working to develop business continuity and disaster recovery plans for processes and technologies in use at Drake. An off-site datacenter, designed to hasten and ease recovery of our most critical technology assets, has been leveraged to help reduce downtime in the event of an outage and ensure that data is secured and available for recovery, if needed.

Meanwhile, DTS staff conducted tabletop Business Continuity Planning (BCP) exercises using a potential disaster scenario, designed to help guide conversation around plan updates and potential changes to plans. These exercises help to ensure adequate continuity is in place to maintain University processes should a real disaster occur. Ongoing work throughout the year will help ensure our plans are up to date.

—Submitted by Jeff Sabin, Information Security Officer, Head of Infrastructure and Security

Campus Announcements Archive, Strategic Updates Archive

Provost open forums this week

To meet President Martin’s goal to have a strong leadership team in place as soon as possible, we are pleased to present three candidates this week for our new Provost.

The Provost search committee invites your participation in the campus forums this week with three highly qualified candidates. Please make time Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to meet the following candidates:

Dr. Darrell Radson
Dean and Professor
Foster College of Business
Bradley University
Peoria, IL
Monday, Nov. 30, 3–4:15 p.m.

Dr. Alzada Tipton
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty
Elmhurst College
Elmhurst, IL
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 3-4:15 p. m.

Dr. Sue Mattison
Dean, College of Professional Studies
University of Wisconsin – Green Bay
Green Bay, WI
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 3–4:15 p.m.

The CVs for each candidate are located on the homepage of blueView on the right-hand side. A Qualtrics survey will be sent to campus for the committee to learn your impressions of the candidates.

—Darcie Vandegrift, Associate Professor of Sociology

Campus Announcements Archive, HR Information Archive

Benefits Open Enrollment ends TODAY

If you wish to change your current medical, dental and/or wellness elections for 2016, you MUST complete new enrollment forms. Enrollment forms can be found in the Forms Library.

If you wish to participate in Drake’s flexible spending account plans during 2016, you MUST complete a new enrollment form.

ALL FORMS must be received by Human Resources NO LATER than 4:30 P.M. TODAY!

—Submitted by Marlene Heuertz, Assistant Director, Benefits

Campus Announcements Archive

Phishing education

phish·ing
noun
The activity of defrauding an online account holder of confidential information by posing as a legitimate company.

We’ve all been the target of a phishing attack. Whether it’s a warning of an expiring email account or an “urgent message” from a financial institution, these attacks put the confidential information of our students and employees at serious risk, and require significant personnel and technology resources to resolve.

Faculty, staff, and students of Drake are no exception, and the attackers have been making their email attacks even more difficult to spot. Several of the attacks recently spotted have used a forged copy of our webmail login page to convince people to give up their username and password.

The login page below is from an email phish that we received, but there’s nothing on the page giving it away. The page gives the appearance of legitimacy but is designed to steal passwords and information.

phishing

However, the URL at the top gives it away. As you can see, pilatesg.com isn’t affiliated with Drake or with Microsoft, our email provider. If you are ever asked by email to take an urgent action regarding your account, go to the page you know and trust rather than following a link.

Drake webmail is located at: outlook.com/drake.edu

Links to safe login pages for Blackboard, blueView, EMS, and more are also located at the following pages:

www.drake.edu/facstaff/

www.drake.edu/students/

If you think you’ve received a legitimate email but aren’t sure, don’t take chances! Call Client Services at 515-271-3001 or email informationsecurity@drake.edu. If you think you may have already opened a malicious link, call or email right away to get your password changed.

Drake utilizes a service called PhishMe to provide education on these types of attacks—what attackers are after, how they get through our spam filter, how to spot them, and, most importantly, what to do if you’ve been targeted. For more information on phishing and how to avoid becoming a victim, please visit the DTS Information Security website.

—Submitted by Jeffrey Sabin, Information Security Officer

Campus Announcements Archive, HR Information Archive

Complete your online wellness assessment this week

Don’t forget to complete your online assessment via Wellmark by Dec. 4. You must complete the online assessment in addition to the biometrics screening to receive the wellness incentive (approximately $300 off your Drake health insurance in 2016). Find instructions on completing the assessment here.

Visit the Wellness Incentive Program site to learn more about the wellness incentive and for a FAQ. Questions may be directed to Diana Lei-Butters and diana.lei-butters@drake.edu or 271-1871.

—Submitted by Cindy Adams, Associate Director, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive, News & Achievements Archive

Drake welcomes Tracy Bainter

Tracy Bainter, our newly hired senior grants specialist, is returning to Drake. She has two degrees from Drake, a B.A. in English and Magazines with University Honors in 2001, and a Master of Public Administration with an emphasis on Executive Development in 2008. She also received a Certificate for Grant Writing and Management from Drake’s Center for Professional Studies.

Tracy worked as the coordinator of marketing and special events in the School of Education from 2005 until 2010. After leaving Drake, she founded and ran her own business, TAB Media and Marketing, which provided support for nonprofit agencies including writing, submitting, and managing grant proposals. Since 2013, she has been the communications director for the Iowa Association of School Boards. She started on Nov. 23, so please welcome her.

This fills one of two openings in the Sponsored Programs Office. We are initiating the search for the director of sponsored programs and hope to hire someone by the start of spring semester.

—Submitted by Provost Joe Lenz

Campus Announcements Archive, For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

From the Associate Provost

J-Term 2017 on-campus schedule
It will soon be time to construct the J-Term 2017 on-campus schedule. Each school/college assembles the schedule of their classes, and they will have deadlines sometime very early in the spring semester. If you have questions about J-Term classes (such as how to develop an intensive three-week learning experience, which faculty or staff have successfully organized on-campus J-Term classes and are willing to discuss with others, or what compensation rules are), feel free to contact Associate Provost Art Sanders (arthur.sanders@drake.edu).

Interested in teaching an FYS next fall?
It is time to start considering teaching a First Year Seminar in Fall 2016. If you are interested, visit the FYS Resource page, where you will find sample syllabi and other information about the program. And at the bottom of the page you will find the FYS Course Proposal form. (Please note: If you are a full-time faculty member and you are planning on building FYS into your schedule, you still need to fill out this form.) If you have questions, or want additional information about the FYS program, contact arthur.sanders@drake.edu.

Final FYS discussion
This coming Friday, Dec. 4, will be our final lunch/discussion for FYS instructors and those who are considering teaching an FYS in the future. For information about the event and to RSVP, go to http://tinyurl.com/fyslunch-dec

—Submitted by Art Sanders