As a new semester is starting, we wanted to provide an update that the Student Services Center will remain in the temporary location in Lower Hubbell Hall for the remainder of the spring semester. 

We also want to provide some helpful information regarding campus card access. If you read the information below and feel you do not have the correct access on your Drake Card, please email studentservices@drake.edu so we can research your card issue. Please be aware that some access is based on a specific approval process, and may not be granted.

All Drake faculty and staff should have automated 24/7 exterior door access to the building that their office is in, and also have extended 6 a.m.–11 p.m. exterior access to other academic buildings for meetings/classes.

Additional card access is available when needed, and includes an approval process and manual update. Most manual access updates are tied to specific campus jobs or research. If you think you are missing a plan, speak with your manager, main building contact, or use one of the contact methods mentioned above for additional information. 

Lost cards are generally turned in at the Student Services Center, and cardholders are notified via email when they are found and available to pick up. If your card is lost and needs to be replaced, you may purchase a new card in the Student Services Center. The lost card will be deactivated automatically upon printing of new card. If your card is no longer working (but has worked in the past), check to see if there are small cracks in the card—cracked cards cannot communicate with door readers, and will need to be replaced at the Student Services Center. 

Have a great semester, and feel free to reach out with questions or card issues.

Sara Heijerman, Student Services Manager

Drake faculty and staff can enjoy lunch for just $5 at Hubbell Dining Hall South every Wednesday throughout the remainder of J-Term and the spring semester! Hubbell provides healthy choices, hot soup, full salad bar, and more, and it is located just 5 minutes from almost anywhere on campus. Save your parking spot and celebrate Hump Day at Hubbell. We’ll see you Wednesday!

Jennifer Bowersox, Drake University Dining

To book airfare together with one itinerary for Student Group (non-athletic) travel, use the Student Travel Registration form located on the Short’s portal under “Info Center.” Once completed, email the form to state.shortstravel.com and your group will be booked together by the agent.

Caron Findlay, Director of Purchasing & Business Services

ITS will be continuing phishing education this month using emails that mimic real attacks. As a reminder, here are some indications that an email may be dangerous:
• A strange sender, or one that you don’t expect
• A request that you take ‘urgent’ or ‘immediate’ action
• Links or attachments that don’t match the message content or that you don’t recognize.

Slow down and take a second look before acting. If you receive an email that you suspect is phishing, don’t click any links, download any attachments, or reply. Instead, forward the email as an attachment to informationsecurity@drake.edu.

A short training lesson is assigned to faculty and staff members who repeatedly click links or open attachments in phishing emails, simulated or not.

For more information on how to report phishing emails, see the IT Service Portal guide, Reporting a Phishing Message (How-to).

Peter Lundstedt, ITS

To celebrate our core values, we have created videos on Joyful Accountability and Generosity of Spirit (with more to come). Please take a look!

Everyone also has access to an inventory of Core Value recognition cards. You are encouraged to use these cards to recognize and thank your peers. Each college dean and unit leader has a supply, so if needed — just ask!

Lastly, e-cards representing each of the Drake core values are now available for use in Peerceive, Drake’s online recognition tool.

Nate Reagen, Chief of Staff

How do we ensure that Drake University is great for years to come? With Big Ideas. Drake’s Big Ideas initiative invites faculty, staff, students, and volunteers to submit ideas that have the potential to make a powerful and momentous impact on Drake, the region, and the world.

Proposals can be submitted beginning Monday, Jan. 14. The submission window will remain open for one month, closing Feb. 15.

The initiative invites the University community to take a shared ownership in defining Drake’s future. Submitted proposals will be reviewed by the Big Ideas Steering Committee, with select proposals being used by University Advancement to attract and inspire private giving in the years ahead.

Visit the Big Ideas website to read more about what is a Big Idea, the submission process, and project timeline. The website also contains a FAQ to help you better understand the initiative. Those with Big Ideas are encouraged to reach out to a member of the Steering Committee for questions and as a resource as they develop their proposal.

Beginning Monday, faculty, staff, and students (through a campus champion) are encouraged to submit bold, transformational ideas that will help solidify Drake as a leading institution for generations to come.

John Smith, University Advancement

Have you ever heard students say that they may not be able to return to school because a parent lost a job, or due to significant family medical expenses? Have you wondered how to help?
Federal regulations give financial aid administrators the authority to make certain adjustments (called professional judgements) to a student’s FAFSA to better reflect a student’s current financial circumstances. Professional judgments may result in an increase to the student’s eligibility for need-based assistance.

Student Financial Planning has developed the Special Circumstances Form designed to help a student report financial situations that are either not reported on the FAFSA, or have changed since the tax year on which the FAFSA is based. Our office will review these forms to determine if adjustments to a student’s FAFSA could be made.

I know that students frequently share their financial struggles with others around campus. Thank you for your partnership as we seek to increase awareness about this recourse for students encountering financial hardship. Please share this form with students who may need it, or direct them to Student Financial Planning for assistance.

Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid

Reminder: Two online courses, Drake University Online Information Security Awareness and Prevent Sexual Violence Together, were due to be completed Dec. 7. If you haven’t completed them, see the information below.  An additional course, Prevent Discrimination and Harassment Together, is to be completed by March 31.

These new online programs underscore Drake’s commitment to the safety and security of our people. You’ll view realistic scenarios based in a higher education setting and interactively answer related questions. Training is completed at your own pace and the courses may be accessed multiple times. Courses retain previously completed content and will return you to the place you last viewed course information. The Blackboard system will electronically record your status as “completed” when you finish each course.

Course access in Blackboard
To locate the courses log in to myDrake and click the Blackboard app in the shaded blue area near the top of the screen. Click Agree and Continue at the pop-up screen describing privacy, cookies and terms of use. Next, enter your Drake Banner numeric ID and password and you’ll be directed to the Blackboard home page. The courses are listed in the My Courses area of the page.

Need Help?
The home page of Blackboard includes a link to On Demand Help topics. If you have questions about the Information Security Awareness course, contact Peter Lundstedt, director, Information Security and Compliance.  For questions about the other courses, contact Mary Alice Hill, director, HR Partner Services, or Kathryn Overberg, Title IX coordinator and equity and inclusion policy specialist.

Mary Alice Hill, Human Resources

ITS is preparing for a major upgrade to the servers hosting our campus applications. This upgrade will begin Saturday, Jan. 12 at 5 a.m. and last until 11 a.m.

During this maintenance period, myDrake, MyDUSIS, Banner 9, and all related applications will be inaccessible at times. As the maintenance window continues, these applications will return gradually.

Thank you for your patience as we perform this necessary work. If you continue to have any issues after the planned maintenance window, please contact the Support Center at 515-271-3001 or visit service.drake.edu/its to report your issue.

Carla Herling, ITS