With improvements and efficiencies come change, and this is where we find ourselves with check printing. The addition of Paymerang, earlier this spring, was the first step to better efficiency, reducing the time and costly supplies required for the check printing process. With the implementation of Paymerang, the quantity of checks printed ‘in house’ has drastically reduced. With this level of success we find ourselves at the next step of efficiency.

Starting Sept. 1, 2019, checks will only be printed ‘in house’ on Wednesdays of each week. These checks include; checks for individuals or vendors that have attachments to be mailed with their check or checks that need to be picked up. Paymerang payments will continue to be processed every Friday for the rest of our business vendors.

We are excited to be moving forward with this in an effort to be better stewards of our time and resources. Please make sure that you are planning ahead for your events so that the proper documentation is presented to Accounting with enough time for us to process payments accordingly. Drake printed checks will be processed within seven business days from the time we receive the completed paperwork.

For any questions, please call Jeni Baugher at extension 4509.

–Jeni Baugher, Accounting

Effective Aug. 1, Kelly Foster will transition to the role of business & insurance manager, Kelly will be the key campus contact for all risk and insurance-related matters, including insurance claims and coverage, contracts, proof of insurance, foreign and domestic travel, experiential programs and coverage or claim questions. Kelly will continue to perform some project support for Facilities, Planning & Management and Administration. Please welcome Kelly to her new role and visit the Risk and Insurance Services website.

–Venessa Macro, Finance & Administration

What if there were a way to know every time someone attempted to access your account? Even better, wouldn’t it be terrific if stolen passwords were completely useless to attackers? Many phishing scams would be completely ineffective. That’s the power and control that multi-factor authentication (MFA)—sometimes known as two-step verification—can provide. 

As faculty and staff, you’re probably already using MFA to access your Drake email or Banner, and these benefits are part of the reason why ITS implemented Duo MFA last year. Attackers know that accounts only protected by passwords are easily compromised and stealing or modifying information undetected can be done quickly and easily. 

If you aren’t already using MFA on your personal accounts, why not start now? Here are some key accounts where you should consider adding MFA:  

• Email accounts: “Forgot password” reset requests from websites send instructions and links via email, so protecting your email ensures you are in control of resetting account passwords. 

• • Financial accounts: Protect your finances and credit. 

• • Social media and website management: Protect your online presence and personal brand. 

• Online shopping: Protect your credit cards. 

MFA is becoming more widely available and easier to use. Typically, you’ll install a mobile app or use text/phone call functionality. Most MFA mobile apps also generate codes to use while traveling or when cell service is unavailable. 

Depending on the type of website and/or data you’re protecting, you may want to adjust the frequency of the prompts. For example, you may want extra verification every time you sign into your retirement accounts but may only need that extra step occasionally or if you’re using a new device when signing into your personal email. 

The phishing attacks that we see at Drake often attempt to bypass account security, even those that are MFA-enabled. ITS will continue to provide phishing education in August using simulations of common attack methods. 

—Peter Lundstedt, ITS 

Jeremy Gudauskas and Whitney Roberts of North Central College in Napeville, Ill., will present the keynote address at the Faculty and Staff Learning Symposium, Friday, Aug. 16. This year’s symposium begins at 9 a.m., in the Olmsted Center.

The keynote presentation is entitled Navigating the Seas(ons) of Change: Lessons Learned From Those Still Swimming, and it will be presented just before lunch, beginning at 10:45 a.m.

Please visit the Learning Symposium webpage to learn more. You will also find a complete list of breakout sessions and a link to registration on Eventbrite.

Schedule of Events

–Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

The Provost’s Drake Social will be Friday, Aug. 16, beginning at 4 p.m. in the Reading Room, Cowles Library. Please join colleagues for a little relaxation, conversation, and reconnecting. There will be light snacks, beer, wine, and soft drinks.

Those who have childcare responsibilities right after work may bring their children to the event. Soft drinks will be provided.

–Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

Drake University is committed to fair and ethical principles, practices, and conduct in all business and academic relationships. To facilitate and protect this commitment, the University has contracted with EthicsPoint to manage a confidential hotline which provides a way to report situations that may represent financial misconduct or violations of local, state, or federal law or University policies.

Reports may be anonymous at the election of the reporter. Reports may be made via telephone by calling 877-295-7940 or via electronic submission. For additional information and access to the electronic reporting tool, click here.

–Venessa Macro, Finance and Administration

In about two and a half weeks a new class of Drake first-year students will be arriving on campus! We will soon be greeting them curbside and directing them how to check into the residence halls and where to take their personal belongings.

The Office of Residence Life staff members are often busy inside the buildings on move in day, checking in the students and answering questions, and are unable to assist with the directing of traffic and move in crew helpers curbside.

This is where we are requesting some assistance. 

The Office of Residence Life is seeking Drake faculty and staff members who would like to welcome students to Drake on move in day and are interested in volunteering (and have the approval of your supervisor to do so).

If you are interested in volunteering please sign up at: here

Feel free to forward this invitation to any Drake Faculty or Staff member whom you feel would be willing and able to volunteer. We are hoping to garner enough faculty & staff volunteers to fill the following curbside check in shifts (if you can only do a partial shift that is fine too, just let us know when signing up on the volunteer link). 

This wonderful welcome for our First Year Students and Families, would not be possible without YOU!

Volunteers would report to the Carpenter front desk to receive instruction and the necessary information to properly direct the students arriving for move in. It is our goal to have the drivers stay with the vehicle curbside, while the student goes into the residence hall to check in and get their room key. Meanwhile, the move-in crew members (student volunteers) will unload and take the student’s property directly to the student’s room. Once the vehicle is unloaded, the driver can be directed to park in the nearest Drake parking lot before going in to help their student get settled, allowing for another family to pull up curbside. Ideally it takes 5-10 minutes to unload the vehicles.

We encourage volunteers to consider wearing Drake apparel and their professional name badge. This helps students and families to recognize who you are and what departments are there supporting them on move-in day.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this request! 

–Tony Tyler, Office of Residence Life

ITS is excited to announce eduroam (education roaming), a new wireless network at Drake. Faculty, staff, and students at any eduroam-participating institution can access the eduroam wireless network at all other participating institutions worldwide. This means that by logging into eduroam on campus using your Drake email address and password, you will then be able to connect to eduroam networks wherever you travel, across the state (at Iowa State, University of Iowa, and University of Northern Iowa), or across the globe. Currently eduroam is available in over 1000 locations in 100 countries.

The eduroam network is replacing both DUStudent and DUFacStaff. DUFacStaff will be phased out on December 31, but we encourage you to switch to eduroam today.

You must log into eduroam using your Drake email address, rather than your Drake ID number. This ensures that your credentials are passed securely anywhere you connect to the eduroam network.

Learn more at our FAQ page and in the ITS knowledge base.

When we think of a healthy person we often envision someone in great physical shape, but how we think and process emotions is just as important as how often we exercise and how healthy we eat. Becoming more mindful can improve emotional intelligence, reduce stress, and help manage change. But how do we learn these skills?

Koru is an introduction to mindfulness and meditation.  It teaches you skills you can use to manage your stress, focus your mind, and gain perspective on challenges you may be facing. Using traditional tools from breathing techniques to guided imagery, you will learn how to let go of the thoughts and worries that can overcome your ability to be present.

Join Christine Urish, Professor, Occuptional Therapy, for a four-part series which will meet Wednesdays from 2–3:15 p.m. on Sept. 4, 11, 18, and 25 in the Occupational Therapy building. You must attend all four sessions. Class size limited to 12 people.  Contact Linda Feiden for registration information.

–Linda Feiden, Human Resources

The first Provost’s Drake Social this year will be Friday, Aug. 16, in Cowles Library Reading Room, at 4 pm.

The Provost would like to make this year’s Socials easier to attend for faculty and staff who have young children and who have childcare responsibilities right after work. This year, you can pick up your kids from daycare or school, and bring them along to the Social. Children will get “white tickets” for soda, and are welcome to enjoy the light snacks.

The first Social this year will be directly following the Drake Learning Symposium.

–Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost