Category Archives: For Students Archive

Commuter students are invited to have dinner with the dean

Join Dean of Students Hannah Clayborne for a chance to have dinner and catch up on things that are happening at Drake University this semester. This is a great opportunity to make connections with fellow students along with the Dean of Students. Dinner will be provided for students who just sign up in advance, but space is limited to 10 students. This dinner is for commuter students only. Please review the available time slots below and sign up.

Questions about this event, please contact Gina Ryan at gina.ryan@drake.edu with questions.

— Gina Ryan, Dean of Students Office

Summer 2024 Uganda travel seminar

The Summer 2024 Uganda travel seminar is a three-week, six-credit course where Drake students visit Uganda to study sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. The course will take place in the first three weeks of Summer 2024.

Interested students can learn more about the program by attending information sessions on the following days/times:

  • Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. in Aliber Hall, Room 112
  • Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. in Aliber Hall, Room 112

Please contact Professor Henderson (heath.henderson@drake.edu) with any questions.

— Heath Henderson, Associate Professor of Economics

Commuter student focus group opportunity

The Dean of Students office in partnership with New Student Programs will be conducting a Commuter Student Focus Group on Nov. 3 from 12 – 1 p.m., and we are looking for volunteers to participate. Below are examples of topics we will cover during the focus group.

  • Experiences as a commuter student at Drake
  • Challenges you have faced
  • Resources that have been helpful
  • How you have found community on campus as a commuter student
  • Advice for other commuter students starting at Drake

Food will be provided. Please email marina.verlengia@drak.edu if you are interested in participating.

— Marina Verlengia, Academic Excellence and Student Success

Dinner with Dean of Students (commuter students only)

Join the Dean of Students, Hannah Clayborne, for a chance to have dinner and catch up on things that are happening at Drake University this semester. This is a great opportunity to make connections with fellow students along with the Dean of Students. Dinner will be provided for students who sign up in advance, but space is limited to 10 students. This dinner is for commuter students only. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!

Questions about this event, please contact Gina Ryan at gina.ryan@drake.edu with questions.

— Gina Ryan, Dean of Students Office

Slices with Shriver: Join Sussman Lecture speaker for conversation and pizza

Students are invited to join Tim Shriver for conversation and pizza ahead of the Fall 2023 Sussman Lecture, “Dignity: The Foundation of a New Patriotism.” Shriver is the Chairman of Special Olympics International and co-founder of UNITE, an initiative to promote national unity and solidarity across differences. Students can come to The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, for a chance to chat with him, ask him questions, and get a slice of pizza. No RSVP required.

— Kathryn Kuckelman, The Harkin Institute

Five tips to get your academic goals back on track

Finding yourself behind?  Wanting to figure out how to catch up?  Here are five tips to get you back on track.

1.  Let it Go – Ask yourself: Is it essential I catch up on all of the reading? Will I still earn points for this assignment if I turn it in late?  Can I cram everything in before the next exam?  If the answer is no, maybe you need to move on and let things go.

2.  Use Your Resources – Advising Specialists, Faculty Mentors, Access & Success (Academic Coaching), Professors

3.  Work From a Growth Mindset – change your thinking from “have to” to “get to.”

4.  Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference – Talk to your professors. Study every class every day; studying for 15 minutes everyday adds almost two hours of study time a week.  Prioritize keeping up. Rest before an exam to give your brain a break

5.  YOU Have the Power to Make Things Happen! – Remember your “why” and own it!  It’s up to you!

Michelle Laughlin, Director of Access & Success

Access & Success offers academic coaching, workshops, tutoring, and more

Midterms can be stressful! Feeling behind or not happy with your grades at this time—it’s not too late. Let us help you get back on track. Make an Academic Coaching appointment or keep your eyes open for workshops offered through Access & Success.  We can help you prioritize your time and help you catch up in your classes.

Also, don’t forget about tutoring. It’s not too late!

All of our services can be found on Starfish or our website: https://www.drake.edu/access-success/

— Michelle Laughlin, Access & Success

Register for the Sussman Leadership Conference

Each year, the Adams Leadership Institute hosts the annual Sussman Leadership Conference; bringing together undergraduate student leaders from across campus to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and gain skills that can be applied to their personal lives, leadership roles, and professional goals.

This year’s Sussman Conference, “One Better World,” features renowned keynote speaker, Dr. Vernon Wall, and  will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. in the Olmsted Center (Parents Hall). Conference registration fees and gourmet buffet brunch are provided free of charge for all Drake students who register to attend.

Space is limited! Please visit bit.ly/sussman23 to learn more and reserve your seat by November 6.

— Kristin Economos, Adams Leadership Institute

ITS Attack Simulation Training for students

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and ITS is going to be rolling out a testing for students using Microsoft’s Attack Simulation Training.

Phishing has existed in attackers’ toolboxes for decades, with threat actors posing as trusted contacts and then targeting unsuspecting victims through email or text messages to steal sensitive data. While malicious actors always attempt to craft legitimate-looking phishing communications, some cybercriminals excel at this more than others. Historically, phishing communications have often been easy to spot because of careless drafting, with a lot of spelling errors and incorrect grammar.

However, simply advising people to look for “traditional” attributes of phishing is no longer enough to keep organizations safe. Beyond investing in the right technologies, such as enabling spam filters and implementing multi-factor authentication, education can make or break efforts to safeguard organizations from phishing and ransomware.

Below is an email that you will be getting on Wednesday October 18th at about 10:00am.  It is from what appears to be a mail server advising you of two messages that could not be delivered because of the synchronization delay, and it wants you to click on the “View Returned Messages” to get them.

Notice who the email is coming from—it is coming from effecturellc Portal dUScj@effecturellc.com. This is not a legitimate Microsoft email.

When you receive this email, report it as attempted phishing. If you click on the “Report” button, then you can select the “Report phishing” tab.  This will allow you to report this email to Microsoft for review and they will be able to block future emails from getting into our system. It will also delete the email for you, so you do not have to do anything further with it.

You can read more at Report Phishing Button in Outlook (For Students Only). You are an essential part of keeping Drake safe and secure.

Check out this week’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month topic in OnCampus. Learn more about cybersecurity, watch videos, and become a part of Drake’s security culture at drake.edu/its/csam and take the cybersecurity quiz to win prizes.

For ITS assistance, submit a ticket at service.drake.edu/its, visit the lower level of Carnegie Hall, or call 515-271-3001.

— Jeremy Calvert, ITS

Funding available for students to attend regional or national conferences with global focus

The Drake Principal Center for Global Citizenship is excited to be providing funding for Drake students to attend regional and national conferences that focus on global or international topics.

Applications may be funded up to $500, depending on costs and the level of student participation. Priority may be given to applicants who have an active role in the conference (e.g. the applicant will be presenting a paper or serving as a discussant). Funds may be used to cover the costs of travel, lodging, meals, and registration fees. Eligibility for this funding opportunity is open to all current undergraduate and graduate-level students enrolled in any Drake degree program and who are in good academic standing.

Applications for funding will only be accepted using the online form and should include the following. Applications that fail to address all of these items will not be considered.

  • Major(s) and Expected Graduation Year at Drake University
  • Title, Location*, and Dates of the Conference
  • Conference Website
  • Conference Registration Fees (if applicable)
  • Mode of Transportation to the Conference and Expected Costs
  • Plans for Lodging and Expected Associated Costs (if applicable)
  • Other financial assistance the student is receiving for the conference (such as from the student’s academic department, an outside grant, etc.) (if applicable)
  • One brief paragraph explaining how the conference relates to the student’s academic and/or professional goals, how it connects with global or international topics, and what form of participation the student will engage in at the conference
  • Supplemental documentation to support your application, such as the abstract/proposal submitted to the conference organizers (if applicable)

*Virtual conference participation is also eligible for funding to cover the cost of registration.

Conference funding applications are considered on a rolling basis. We ask that applications be submitted at least thirty days prior to the scheduled start of the conference to allow sufficient time for review and response, and to ensure the student can make further or alternate funding arrangements if needed.

If you have any questions, please contact global@drake.edu.

— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Engagement