Faculty, the deadline for final grade entry for the spring semester is 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 23. Exception: final grades for the Law School are due on Tuesday, May 29.
The final evaluation schedule includes a listing of when and where courses are scheduled to meet for their final evaluations.
— Kevin Moenkhaus, Office of the Registrar
The discussion group for the University Book Club is meeting tonight, April 3, at 4:45 p.m. in one of the back rooms at Smokey Row. The book club is reading Arrowood by Laura McHugh, an eerie tale set in Keokuk, Iowa.
To RSVP for the discussion, or to receive future book club information directly to your email, contact ascspecialevents@drake.edu. The discussion is open to any staff and faculty member.
In addition, the book club is accepting book selection ideas for the next fiscal year. Please send book suggestions to ascspecialevents@drake.edu.
Previous selections include:
— All Staff Council, Special Events Committee
Join ITS staff for the next sessions of Tech Tuesday on April 10 and May 8 from 2 to 2:50 p.m. in the Dial Center Large Conference Room. On Tuesday, April 10, find out where you can learn more and start on the path to becoming a Microsoft Office pro. On Tuesday, May 8, come and learn about the video conferencing tools available to faculty and staff. Learn more and sign up for the sessions today.
— Carla Herling, ITS
The Office of Community Engaged Learning invites you to an open house to see their new space at 1213 25th Street, immediately north of the Varsity Theater, on Friday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tour the space and hear about programs making a difference in the community from food recovery to college access programming. Refreshments will be provided. An optional tour at the Sprout Garden near The Knapp Center will also be offered. Contact renee.sedlacek@drake.edu or 515-271-2454 with questions.
—Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning & Service
Ambassador John K. Menzies, former Chief of Mission at the U.S. Office in Kosovo and U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina, will be a visiting diplomat at Drake on April 6. Faculty and staff are invited to a breakfast with Ambassador Menzies on Friday, April 6, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the Medbury Honors Lounge. Please RSVP to denise.ganpat@drake.edu if you plan to attend. Ambassador Menzies will also hold “office hours” for students from 10 to 11 a.m. on April 6 in the International Center, located at 1213 25th Street.
— Denise Ganpat, Center for Global Citizenship
All Staff Council elections are now open. Please take a few minutes to vote for your representatives for the 2018–2019 All Staff Council. Voting ends April 14.
—Tony Tyler, Division of Student Affairs/All Staff Council
A faculty and staff social will be held Wednesday, April 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Shivers Hospitality Suite. All faculty and staff are invited to enjoy beverages, popcorn, and snack mix, while relaxing with friends and colleagues. Watch your email for the Provost’s trivia question to earn an additional drink ticket. There will be not be a town hall discussion prior to the social.
— Drinda Williams, Provost’s Office
Faculty, the deadline for final grade entry for the spring semester is 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 23. Exception: final grades for the Law School are due on Tuesday, May 29.
The final evaluation schedule includes a listing of when and where courses are scheduled to meet for their final evaluations.
— Kevin Moenkhaus, Office of the Registrar
All In is this Thursday and Friday from noon to noon! The 24-hour online giving day is an opportunity to make a huge difference in a short amount of time, but in order to be successful, we need all of us—faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, and fans—to be all in.
Challenge opportunity
Thanks to a group of generous donors, gifts made during All In can go even further. If 1,000 people make a gift, alumni Doug Zinser, AS ’96, Al McCoy, FA ’54, and Paul, JO ’68, and Laura Miller, AS ’70, will collectively give $50,000 to Drake. Be sure to participate and be counted as one of 1,000 to earn this substantial amount for the University.
How to be All In
Don’t forget, the entire campus community is encouraged to wear Drake gear on both April 5 and 6! Faculty and staff who make a purchase at the Bookstore this week will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 gift card—this is in addition to the standing 20 percent off discount faculty and staff receive.
For questions about All In, contact Becca Widmer, director of annual giving, at becca.widmer@drake.edu.
— Becca Widmer, University Advancement
Each month, a faculty member, nominated by their dean, is recognized for their efforts to integrate innovative technology into the classroom. March’s digital faculty member of the month is Michael Q. Rieck, associate professor of computer science. Read an interview between ITS and Mark.
What type of technology do you use?
VirtualBox with Ubuntu and Minix virtual disks
In what context do you use this technology?
Lab work, during regular class sessions
In what course do you use this technology?
CS 160: Operating Systems
How does this type of technology align with your teaching pedagogy?
It gives students an opportunity to do some Linux systems programming, and to rewrite source code for Minix and explore the effects.
Where did you get the inspiration to make a change?
It started more than a decade ago. Minix goes along with a textbook by Tanenbaum, and I wanted students to wrestle with OS source code, and Minix seemed easier than Linux.
How long did it take for you to implement this technology?
Including labs that I developed, it took about half a year to get it all set up.
Did ITS assist you in implementing this technology?
Yes, particularly with the installation of VirtualBox in FAC 335, which is a room I depended upon for Ubuntu and Minix labs, until recently.
Are you interested in trying out new technology in your classroom? Want help from ITS staff? Schedule a technology adoption consultation.
—Erin Ulrich, CPHS, and Carla Herling, ITS
