Part of the mission of Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival is to give back to our community. One way that is done is through academic scholarships to Iowa high school and college students.
You can be one of the $1,000 scholarship winners of the 2022 Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival.
Applications due by Sept. 6.
— Brandi Miller, Student Financial Planning
Drake University has received University-Earned Credit (UEC) status from the Society of Actuaries (SOA). This will enable students in the university’s School of Actuarial Science and Risk Management to earn credit for select SOA exams by attaining required UEC scores in related courses. The SOA’s Exam FM (financial mathematics) and Exam SRM (statistics for risk modeling) will be included in the initial roll-out of the program which is made possible by Drake’s elite standing as an SOA Center of Actuarial Excellence (CAE).
“This new pathway demands a high academic standard to ensure that the same exam rigor is present in our curriculum so Drake’s CAE status provides our students an ideal foundation for success,” said Alejandro Hernandez, dean of the College of Business and Public Administration, which is home to Drake’s actuarial science program. “The UEC is the first step in the SOA’s new modernized and modularized education system designed to empower students. We are eager to be on the leading edge of this initiative to offer new options and opportunities for students and employers.”
The leadership and faculty of Drake’s actuarial science program completed a comprehensive application process to earn the UEC status. This submission included evidencing work done to structure the related courses to meet standards established and monitored by the SOA. This new option, available starting in the fall 2022 semester, will allow students enrolled in the university’s actuarial science program to earn credit for the FM and SRM exams after receiving required scores in respective courses that cover the exam’s syllabus. The development work conducted by the School of Actuarial Science and Risk Management to achieve the UEC status was facilitated by support from EMC Insurance Group, Inc.
— Alejandro Hernandez, Dean, CBPA
Full-time employees in a regular position at Drake University are eligible to participate in two tuition exchange programs, which offer waived or discounted tuition at other participating institutions for employees, their spouse/partner, or eligible dependent(s).
Those wishing to apply for tuition exchange in the 2023–2024 academic year can apply now. Applications are only for students not already approved for tuition exchange—those who have been approved for tuition exchange in 2022–2023 will automatically be re-certified for consideration in the 2023–2024 academic year (assuming the employee remains eligible).
There are three main steps in the tuition exchange application process:
Schools have different application deadlines and timelines for announcing award determinations. It is the employee’s responsibility to submit the tuition exchange application early enough to allow time for step #2 to be completed in advance of each school’s deadlines.
Details about each of Drake’s tuition exchange programs are provided below:
Tuition Exchange, Inc. (TE)
TE has over 670 participating schools. Visit tuitionexchange.org to learn more, view participating schools, and to submit an application.
Council of Independent Colleges & Universities Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP)
CIC-TEP has over 440 participating schools. Visit cic.edu/tep to learn more, view participating schools, and to submit an application.
— Ryan Zantingh, Student Financial Planning
Please join us at an open house celebrating the opening of Drake’s newest residence hall—Campus Suites at Dogtown, located at 1140 24th Street. Formerly the location of the Holiday Inn Express, Drake has converted the hotel into a residence hall for third-year students and above. Faculty and staff are invited to tour the building Thursday, Aug. 25, from 9–10 a.m.
— Michelle Huggins, Planning and Design Manager
The All Staff Council Recognition Committee is accepting True Blue nominations. A staff member who is called to be True Blue is someone who:
If this sounds like someone you know, make your nomination today! And, congratulations to all of the staff members who received a True Blue award this past year! We appreciate your hard work and dedication!
— Betsy Wilson, On behalf of All Staff Council
Bulldogs United In Learning Drake (BUILD) is a learning and development series available to faculty and staff who wish to enhance their professional skills, improve their wellbeing, and expand their boundaries.
We encourage all employees to check out the BUILD Fall 2022 Schedule that is now available on myDrake in the learning & development section under the Human Resources app. To register for any class, send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.
September offerings:
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) 101. Sept. 13 from 2-3 p.m. in the Olmsted Center, Conference Rooms 310-311
Best Practices in TeamDynamix. Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Olmsted Center, Conference Rooms 310-311
Impeccable Dependability: Strategies to get and stay organized. Sept. 20 from 10-11 a.m. in the Olmsted Center, Conference Rooms 310-311
QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) Training for Suicide Prevention. Sept. 21 from 1–2 p.m. in the Olmsted Center, Conference Rooms 310-311
Tour of Drake Campus (FULL). Register to be placed on waiting list for the next tour
Getting a Head Start: A TIAA Workshop to help create a retirement strategy. Sept. 28 from 10-11 a.m. in the Olmsted Center, Conference Rooms 310-311
Excel Pivot Tables & Filters. Sept. 29 from 2-3 p.m. via Microsoft Teams
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
Do you feel like your use of technology (social media, news outlets, email) is out of your control? Do you feel distracted or unable to focus due to constant digital interruptions? Would you like to start this academic year off by establishing a new relationship with technology? If so, join us for a Digital Detox inspired by Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism: Choosing Life in a Noisy World. Portfolio/Penguin, 2019.
During this six-week session, participants will consider their relationship with technology, set their own rules of technology engagement, and support one another as we detox from the technology that runs our life. Sessions will be held on Mondays from 3:30–4 p.m., beginning Sept. 12. Space is limited to the first 25 that sign up, so commit to a better relationship with tech today.
To register for this program, send an email to Erin Lee Schneider at erin.schneider@drake.edu.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
Drake faculty members are invited to participate in a Faculty Writers’ Workshop (FWW) focused on working effectively on our writing and scholarship. We will meet virtually from 10 a.m.–11 a.m. on Fridays (Sept. 9, Sept. 23, Oct. 21, Nov. 11, and Dec. 9) to discuss issues with getting writing done and workshop work-in-progress, with optional additional meetings for writing quietly together. The FWW will be co-facilitated by Nate Holdren (LPS) and En Li (History). Our goal is to help set ourselves up to make progress on our scholarship over the semester. To the degree faculty are interested, we will read and discuss Joli Jensen’s book Write No Matter What. The session will also include discussion/workshop of the faculty members’ own scholarship and on-site writing time.
This writers’ workshop has been generously supported by the Provost’s Office, and was previously supported by the Humanities Center, and the Dean of the College of the Arts and Sciences. There are spots for ten faculty participants. Should more than ten individuals express interest, priority shall be given to 1) Those who actively participated in the previous Faculty Writers’ Groups, 2) Tenure-track faculty who are not yet tenured, 3) Faculty who are members of groups under-represented.
Participants who attend all five sessions will receive a stipend of $150 (approximately$109+38% benefits).
If you are interested in participating, fill out the interest form by Friday, Aug. 26.
For questions, contact the co-facilitators of the FWW, Nate Holdren (nate.holdren@drake.edu) and En Li (en.li@drake.edu).
— En Li, History Department
Are you interested in China? Are you interested in finding out more about how Drake engaged in modern and contemporary China, or the other way around?
Are you interested in writing your own history, and first, learning to create a research guide/annotated bibliography of sorts that would help future students from disciplines find areas of possible research?
Do you have 10+ hours per month and 40+ hours this fall to complete a research project?
If you answered yes to the questions above, keep reading:
Drake undergraduate students are invited to participate in a pilot documentation project entitled “Drake in China: Past and Present.” The project will be co-facilitated by En Li, assistant professor of history, and Hope Bibens, associate professor of librarianship. We are looking for undergraduate researchers to create a collection of materials related to Drake University’s historical engagement in China and to explore possible platforms to showcase their research. Sample topics include but not limit to:
Successful projects will be invited to present at the U.S. China Symposium and International Educational Week on campus this fall. Researchers are also encouraged to submit their projects for publication in the Drake Undergraduate Social Science Journal (DUSSJ). The digital/physical exhibit will be featured during the Asian Heritage Month in May 2023.
This project is generously supported by a Drake Research Grant from the Provost’s Office. There are spots for three researchers. Selected researchers will be awarded a stipend of $450 only upon completion of proposed research.
What do you need to do to receive a $450 stipend?
Selection criteria:
If you are interested in participating, submit your proposal by filling out this form below by Sept. 2. Selected candidates will be notified via email by Sept. 6, Monday.
For research and China related questions (for example, what might make the Drake Football Team’s visit to Drake an interesting topic), please contact En Li (en.li@drake.edu), for archive related questions (for example, what would be considered to be valuable archives to collect from the Football Team’s trip to China, and what would be feasible platforms to publish/exhibit the results), please contact Hope Bibens (hope.bibens@drake.edu).
— En Li, History Department
The ITS Support Center in Carnegie Hall assists students, faculty, and staff with campus technology issues.
During academic semesters, the Support Center is open:
Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
The ITS Support Center will have extended support hours during move-in and Welcome Week as follows:
Aug. 22–23, 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
Aug. 24–Aug. 25, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.
Aug. 26, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Aug. 27–Aug. 28, 1–5 p.m.
Students may drop in for help from Student Techs anytime we’re open. Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to submit tickets via the ITS portal, as technicians resolve many problems remotely. If an issue can’t be resolved remotely, we’ll schedule an appointment with you to ensure appropriate technical staff are available to assist.
Visit the ITS service portal at service.drake.edu/its (or click the ITS Support button in myDrake) to find answers to most questions or report any tech issues. You can also call 515-271-3001 during our open hours. Classroom emergency? Select option 1 when you call.
eduroam wireless network: Connect to the eduroam network on campus and sign in using your Drake email address and password. Reminder: DUGuest is only for visitors and many campus resources are unavailable from this limited network.
Multi-factor authentication: Verify that you’ve completed the MFA setup process to ensure uninterrupted access to campus systems. If you experience issues accessing myDrake or connecting to eduroam, visit the ITS Support Center for help in making sure your MFA is fully setup.
Blackboard Learn Ultra: Over the summer, Blackboard updated and enhanced many features in Learn Ultra including Gradebook and Question Bank improvements. Up-to-date information about Blackboard Ultra changes and services is available on Drake’s Blackboard home page. Guides to help you use Blackboard Learn Ultra are available on the ITS service portal.
E911 services from Teams phones: To ensure the safety and security of the Drake community and remain compliant with federal and local regulations, ITS enabled E911 calling within the Teams phone system. This will allow Teams to send an approximate location to emergency services personnel when a user dials 911 from that device. To learn more about the E911 calling feature within Teams, see E911 Calling with Teams (FAQ).
Connect with ITS: Want to know about tech changes? Outages? Watch for more ITS information in upcoming issues of OnCampus, follow Drake ITS on Twitter @DrakeITServices, or watch our news feed on drake.edu/its or service.drake.edu/its. You can also sign up for outage text messages by texting DrakeITSALERTS to phone number 226787. NOTE: You must already be signed up to receive texts from Bulldog Alerts to add the ITS outage messages.
—Keren Fiorenza, ITS
