A password is typically composed of ten or fewer letters, numbers, and symbols. It could be a single word like “yourname”, a word that is obfuscated with other characters like “Dr@ke123”, or a string of random characters such as “B@3!&O$$”. Those examples go from least secure to most secure in terms of password choice, but EVERY password fewer than ten characters can be cracked within three weeks using modern computer technology.

A passphrase, however, is longer than a password and can contain spaces between words. An example would be “The road to success is always under construction!” A passphrase doesn’t have to be a proper grammatically correct sentence, but passphrases often have spaces between words and are always significantly longer than the average password.

So why would you use a passphrase instead of a password?

1. Passphrases are easier to remember. You are more likely to remember a phrase you create than a short but complicated password.
2. Passphrases satisfy complexity rules easily. The combination of upper- and lower-case letters as well as punctuation in passphrases usually meet systems’ password complexity requirements.
3. Passphrases are much more difficult to crack.Most highly efficient password cracking tools break down around ten characters. These tools cannot guess, brute-force, or pre-compute passphrases, especially if they are more than 15 characters.

Are passphrases always better?

Not necessarily. A long password – 14 characters or more – comprised of random uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols is just as difficult to crack as any passphrase, but it’s much harder to remember. If you are using a password manager, which will allow you to securely store and easily retrieve passwords, the security and usability differences between passwords and passphrases will not be significant. However, if you are setting passwords that you must remember and enter by heart, then passphrases will always be better choices.

Recommendations for creating and using passphrases:

1. Ensure your passphrase is a minimum of 15 characters.
2. Include at least four words, though five is even better.
3. Use punctuation in the passphrase. Including a number further increases the complexity and is required by some systems.
4. Don’t create passphrases from common quotes, sayings, or songs. It should be meaningful to you, but not easy to guess.
5. Use a unique passphrase for every account you own. That way, if one passphrase is compromised, your other accounts will remain secure.

Regardless of how complex a password or passphrase is, hackers will still attempt to trick you into divulging login credentials, often via email.

Because of this ongoing threat, ITS simulates phishing and will assign training to those most susceptible as part of our larger cybersecurity strategy. If you believe you’ve been targeted by phishing, see Reporting a Phishing Message (How-to) for next steps.

— Christopher Mielke, ITS

Drake printers/copiers are leased from and maintained by Laser Resources Inc. (LRI) and we are entering into a new agreement with them this summer.  

A project team, made up of staff members from ITS, Student Services, Finance, and LRI representatives, has been meeting weekly. In June, LRI staff held initial meetings with representatives across campus to discuss printing, scanning, and copying needs for their departments. 

LRI is currently scheduling follow up meetings with departments to let them know about expected printer changes and the replacement timeline for their area. The printer order has been placed, but we don’t know when the new devices will arrive on campus. Much like other electronics, there have been global supply chain issues that may cause delays. We hope, however, that they begin arriving by mid-August. 

As printers arrive, we will be prioritizing installation in academic and student areas. Our intention is to switch over the devices of each department or area all at once, rather than having a mix of devices. We will also be updating our step-by-step printing guides as the new devices arrive on campus. 

Want to learn more? We’ve created a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page at drake.edu/its/printing. Additional questions and answers will be added as the project progresses and more information becomes available. Also, more information including which devices will be in each location, and other changes, will be shared in future OnCampus articles.  

—Kris Brewster, ITS 

Since the spring, our project team has been working on an update to move campus from using the MyDUSIS system to using Drake Self Service. On Thursday, Aug. 5, we will release the employee dashboard and link it from myDrake.

We’re excited to launch this cleaner and more modern interface to campus. From the employee dashboard you’ll be able to submit or approve time or leave reports, view your tax information, review past jobs, access pay information, and more.

A few items to remember as we launch the employee dashboard:

• Faculty and staff must use Duo Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to access the employee eashboard. For help with Duo, see the Duo guides in the IT service portal.
• The processes for submitting timesheets and leave reports are different than in MyDUSIS.

To help you navigate these changes, we’ve created guides to walk faculty, staff, and student employees through the new processes, step by step, all including screenshots and/or screen capture videos:

• Reporting Time or Leave in Self Service (How-to)
• Approving Timesheets and Leave Reports for Managers (How-to)
• Setting up Direct Deposit in Self Service (How-to)
• Filling out Timesheets for Student Employees (How-to)

On Wednesday evening, Aug. 4, the My Employee Dashboard link will be added to the Human Resources section of myDrake replacing a number of current links. For student employees, the employee dashboard link will be found in the Student Employment section.

We acknowledge that it will take a bit of adjustment to adapt to these new processes, so if you encounter any issues with using the employee dashboard, please contact drakehr@drake.edu.

— Kris Brewster, ITS 

The Office of Global Engagement is excited to launch DICE – Drake Intercultural Community Exchange. This new volunteer program will match faculty and staff (and their families) with an incoming international student for a term (or longer), with the goal of fostering meaningful connections beyond the classroom. The program is launching at the start of the Fall 2021 semester.

DICE hosts would be expected to reach out to their student two or three times a semester to grab a meal, participate in a shared interest, or meet up at DICE/ISSS-sponsored events. Participating as a DICE volunteer is open to ALL Drake faculty and staff. The only requirement is that you have a strong interest in developing an inclusive community and the desire to make our international students feel welcome.

If you are interested in becoming a DICE host, please complete our online application: http://drake.qualtrics.com/DICE_HostApplication

If you have any questions about the program, please send inquires to Jorona Johnson, international student advisor, at jorona.johnson@drake.edu.

— Jorona Johnson, Global Engagement

What’s New? 

• Announcements are pop-up notifications inside a course. 
• Class Conversations allow talk about assignments and assessments for questions without creating specific discussion boards. 
• Group Discussions are no longer built inside of groups but are housed under discussions. 
• Messages replaces the ability to email from courses. 

How do I create items? 

• Organization with Modules and Folders. Remember, you can only build two levels deep.  
• Content (Written documentation with multiple feature options; Video tutorial) 
• Assignments (Written documentation with multiple feature options; Video tutorial) 
• Tests (Written documentation with multiple feature options; Video tutorial) 
• Discussions (Written documentation with multiple feature options; Video tutorial; Best practices) 
• Journals (Written documentation with multiple feature options; Video tutorial) 

Best practices for communication:

• Announcements: Announcements allow you to post critical time-sensitive information and may include push notifications, emails, and/or pop-up notifications. 
• Messages: From a course, you can access messages from the navigation bar. The course messages page shows all messages from the course you’re in. 
• Conversations: Allows students to contact their instructors and peers for questions about specific assignments, or assessments, if made available. 
• Journals: Students can express their thoughts, questions, and concerns privately with instructors. 
• Discussions: Students can share ideas, gather feedback and refine opinions and plans with their classmates. 

Course Storage and Retention Policy Updates:

• From now on, we are only retaining two years of course history on Blackboard. An additional three years of course archives are available upon request. You must provide both the course term and CRN. 
• Courses are limited to 5GB of storage space. To save space, please use Panopto to host your videos and link them to your Blackboard courses. 

The next OnCampus will feature how-to tips for rosters, accommodations, and gradebook setup.  

— Karly Good, ITS

The following article was included in the July 6 edition of OnCampus:

Drake University has updated the Cellular Phone Policy that was originally developed in 2009.  The University will continue to not own cellular phones for the use of individual employees except in limited situations.  Employees whose job functions include the frequent need for a cellular phone may receive a stipend, in the form of a cell phone allowance.  Eligibility for the cell phone allowance will be confirmed by managers and approved by the applicable President’s Council member in accordance with eligibility factors listed in the policy.  The amount of the cell phone allowance is changing to be more reflective of cellular phone billing practices while still acknowledging that job functions may require some level of business-related use of an employee’s personal cell phone.

Based on feedback received, the policy has been revised.  In addition, the following comments address specific feedback received.

• When the Cellular Phone Policy was originally developed in 2009, most personal cell phone plan charges were based on usage. The more calls made and data used, the more that was paid.  The cell phone allowance amount was set at that time to approximate the actual costs employees paid for business-related usage of the cell phone.  The stipend amount was never intended to cover 100% of the personal cell phone plan charges as the device was used for both personal and business-related use.  In contrast today, most personal cell phone plan charges are based on unlimited calling and unlimited (or much higher limits) data usage.  Except in rare instances, employees are not incurring any more costs for the Drake-related usage of the phone than what is being paid to have and use the phone for personal use.
• The cell phone allowance should not be considered compensation. While the allowance is taxable for IRS purposes, the allowance was originally intended to reimburse employees for personal costs incurred.  And now, the allowance is intended to be an acknowledgement of the business-related use of the cell phone even though no personal costs are incurred.
• There is no requirement that employees have a personal cell phone for use for Drake business unless they are receiving the cell phone allowance. While a cell phone may be used for Drake business out of convenience, such as for ITS dual-factor authentication, there is no expectation that employees have a personal cell phone.  Per ITS, there are three options for two-factor authentication.  Using an app on an individual’s mobile device is generally the most convenient.  However, there is also the option to have an authorization code sent via SMS or phone call, which can be made through both mobile devices or a land line phone.
• The review of the outdated cell phone policy has been overdue for several years. However, it was a consultant hired by the University to review non-personnel spending that noted the allowance offered by Drake was rich.  Most local Des Moines businesses have reduced their cell phone allowances or eliminated them completely.  In addition, Finance staff surveyed other Iowa private colleges as well as the members of the College and University Sustainability Project (CUSP).  The updated cell phone allowance amount is consistent with what other Iowa institutions and the CUSP members are providing for allowances.
• Feedback comments noted that cell phone plan prices as well as the cost for devices are increasing. Cell phone plan prices may be increasing but they are coming with more benefits including unlimited calling and data.  And device costs for the newest models have increased dramatically but there is no Drake requirement that employees purchase the costly devices.  Rather, this is personal choice.
• There were comments related to Facilities Planning and Management (FPM) employees that use Drake provided cell phones for Drake-related business. FPM is one of the limited exceptions where the University has authorized the ownership of cellular phones that are provided to employees while at work.  These phones are available for work only and personal use is not allowed or even available on the phone.  This arrangement in FPM will continue and is not impacted by the revised cellular phone policy.

Thank you to those who provided comments related to these policy revisions.  We feel the additional revisions to the policy as well as the above comments are reflective of the feedback received.  The Cellular Phone Policy, as revised, is effective as of August 1, 2021.

— Jessica Morgan-Tate, Finance & Administration

Faculty and staff are invited to a grand opening celebration for Hubbell Dining Hall on Friday, Aug. 20, from 2–4 p.m. Appetizers will be served from new Executive Chef Angela Shultz, cold beer and wine will be available, and President Martin will be on-site for a ribbon cutting. Be sure to mark your calendars!

— Casey Morgan, Sodexo Food Services

Many employees are aware that Drake University offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) called Employee and Family Resources (EFR). However, this resource is often underutilized and even misunderstood. While confidential and free counseling is a critical component of EFR, some employees may not know that the counseling services are available to not just them, but also their family members.

Counseling is only one aspect of this great benefit. If you have not yet explored the EFR website, it is possible you have not discovered some of the hidden gems contained in this benefit. For example, did you know you can complete a DASS-21 self-assessment? The DASS-21 assessment quantifies distress along the dimensions of depression, anxiety, and stress. The self-assessment consists of 21 questions and only takes a couple minutes to complete. You’ll get an immediate assessment, which does not constitute a clinical diagnosis, but it will consist of an insightful sliding scale noting your depression, anxiety, and stress scores.

Did you know that EFR’s past webinars are available on demand? There are wonderful topics to explore, including conversations such as Unlocking the Powers of Mindfulness and Compassion During Tough Transitions, Moving from Confusing to Thriving: Life in an (Almost) Post-Pandemic World, Breaking the Silence: Men and Mental Health, Shaping a Strong Generation: Youth Resiliency, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, and many more. Prefer podcasts? No problem. EFR has those, too. You can check out the list of recent podcasts here.