All posts by Ashton Hockman

Strategic Updates Archive

Record year for University fundraising

Drake University is celebrating one of the University’s best fundraising years on record. Fiscal year 2019, which ended June 30, generated more than $42.5 million in new gifts, multi-year pledges, and documented qualified deferred gifts.

Compelling initiatives such as The Harkin Institute building project, The Gregory and Suzie Glazer Burt Boys and Girls Club, the University Streetscape project, and the Lorentzen Sustainability Challenge—which supported several campus initiatives to reduce the University’s carbon footprint—drove many of the generous gifts and commitments. Contributions also included a leadership gift to revitalize one of our academic buildings (more details to follow later this semester), transformational investments in Drake Athletics, and multiple realized estate gifts.

Other highlights from fiscal year 2019:

  • The Drake Fund generated $3.84 million. The Drake Fund supports the most immediate needs of the University, including student scholarships and key priorities among the colleges and schools.
  • Cash contributions totaled $29.25 million, marking the fifth-highest annual amount of cash gifts received in history. These cash payments represent new cash gifts, pledge payments, and estate gifts. This metric is captured within the University’s balanced scorecard under the Volunteer Support of Education (VSE) measure.
  • All In, the University’s annual giving challenge, generated a record-setting number of gifts and donors. In 24 hours, the challenge raised more than half a million dollars from 1,680 donors—340 of whom were faculty and staff.

The University Advancement team is deeply grateful to faculty, staff, alumni, volunteers, and community members for supporting Drake’s mission and vision. It is through philanthropic giving that we can support student scholarships, academic resources, faculty research, new technology, community partnerships, experiential learning opportunities, and state-of-the-art facilities. Put simply, donor support allows us to transform the lives of our students and secure the University’s future.

Throughout the semester, I will continue to share updates in OnCampus on future fundraising goals and priorities. Specifically, look for an article next week regarding the Big Ideas initiative.

—John Smith, Vice President, University Advancement

Strategic Updates Archive

Drake earns STARS Bronze rating for sustainability

As a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), Drake is continuing to advance sustainability as an institution and in the community. Drake is thrilled to announce and share with the community that we have earned a Bronze STARS rating demonstrating Drake’s commitment to sustainability. This is Drake’s first time participating in the STARS reporting process.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a program of AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. STARS is a comprehensive sustainability ratings system for colleges and universities that addresses the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability. STARS was developed by the higher education community through a transparent and inclusive process. The score an institution receives is based on the percentage of applicable points earned in credits across four main categories: Academics, Engagement, Operations and Planning, and Administration. More specifically STARS is designed to:

  • Provide a framework for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education.
  • Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements.
  • Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.
  • Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance.
  • Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.

View Drake’s public STARS report in detail and learn more about sustainability at Drake.

Through this assessment, we have been able to track Drake’s sustainability performance. This process is helping us better identify areas for improvement and connect us with resources to perform better in the future.  Some highlights include:

  • Air & Climate
  • Diversity & Affordability
  • Academic Curriculum & Research
  • Immersive Experiences
  • Community Partnerships

We encourage members of the Drake community to explore and utilize the resources provided as a member of AASHE. Visit the AASHE website to take advantage of our membership resources. AASHE enables higher education institutions to meet their sustainability goals by providing specialized resources, professional development, and a network of peer support. Membership covers every individual at an institution, so the entire campus community can take advantage of member benefits, www.aashe.org.

We would like to thank all the faculty, staff, and students who helped complete this process. Creating a more sustainable campus and community requires a willingness to participate from everyone, and we are excited to see positive changes in the coming years.

Have questions or ideas? Want to get more involved with Drake’s Sustainability? Email Drake Facilities Planning & Management’s Sustainability Intern Sophia Siegel at Sophia.Siegel@drake.edu or Director of Facilities Kevin Moran at Kevin.Moran@drake.edu.

—Sophia Siegel, Sustainability Intern, Facilities Planning and Management 

Campus Announcements Archive

Three Drake-owned houses moving to Sherman Hill

Please note: As a correction to the OnCampus email, the date and time of the house moves are still being determined.

There are three houses that Drake University owns along Brattleboro Avenue that are being planned to move to the Sherman Hill area in Des Moines. The anticipated moving date is still being determined but expected to take place in the coming weeks. Once a moving date is finalized, it will be communicated with campus.

The houses will be lifted from their foundations and put on a semi-trailer and placed in parking lot 24. This means a section of lot 24 will be blocked off for parking until the houses are moved.

The planned route around Drake will start at parking lot 24, across from the Olmsted lot, and go east on University Avenue, before moving south onto 26thStreet, and then east again on Cottage Grove.

These houses are being moved to make way for new additional parking in lot 24 and are part of the new Harkin Institute building project.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Kelly Foster.

—Kelly Foster, Finance and Administration

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Fiscal year-end purchasing guidelines

With the University’s fiscal year-end (June 30) approaching, below are recommended guidelines for efficient and effective year-end processing of purchases.

Accounting for departmental expenses:
In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, Drake is required to report transactions in the proper fiscal period. For that reason, expenses are recorded in the period when goods are received and/or services are rendered. In short, items expensed to a FY19 budget will need to be received before June 30, 2019.  Factors such as budget allocation, invoice receipt, or payment issuance would not have an impact on the application of expenses within a fiscal period.

Exceptions to this general rule apply when a benefit of service or receipt of item extends into multiple fiscal years. In such cases, the following guidelines will be applied.

  • Expenses less than $5,000: will be charged against the fiscal year in which the majority of the expense will be incurred. (For example, if a subscription is purchased for $3,000 and covers the period of 7/1/18 through 12/31/19, the expense would be charged to FY19)
  • Expenses greater than or equal to $5,000: will be split into the fiscal years according to the percentage of benefit received during each fiscal period. (For example, if a subscription is purchased for $10,000 that covers a period of 7/1/18 through 6/30/20, $5,000 would be charged to FY19 and $5,000 charged to FY20)

The University’s guidelines for year-end purchases are subject to external audit. As you make purchases during this period leading up to and overlapping our fiscal year end, it is important to note when the goods or services were received so they are expensed according to reporting requirements. If the timing of receipt is not clearly noted on the invoice, it would be beneficial to help call the receipt date to accounting’s attention by clearly marking the appropriate fiscal year for the expense, based on the above guidelines, on the pay request.

Please contact Jeni Baugher at x4509 orjenifer.baugher@drake.eduwith any questions you might have.

Year-end timeline:
In order to facilitate efficient and effective year-end processing, the following timeline is recommended for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019.

Heather Travis, Finance and Administration

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Fiscal year-end purchasing guidelines

With the University’s fiscal year-end (June 30) approaching, below are recommended guidelines for efficient and effective year-end processing of purchases.

Accounting for departmental expenses:
In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, Drake is required to report transactions in the proper fiscal period. For that reason, expenses are recorded in the period when goods are received and/or services are rendered. In short, items expensed to a FY19 budget will need to be received before June 30, 2019.  Factors such as budget allocation, invoice receipt, or payment issuance would not have an impact on the application of expenses within a fiscal period.

Exceptions to this general rule apply when a benefit of service or receipt of item extends into multiple fiscal years. In such cases, the following guidelines will be applied.

  • Expenses less than $5,000: will be charged against the fiscal year in which the majority of the expense will be incurred. (For example, if a subscription is purchased for $3,000 and covers the period of 7/1/18 through 12/31/19, the expense would be charged to FY19)
  • Expenses greater than or equal to $5,000: will be split into the fiscal years according to the percentage of benefit received during each fiscal period. (For example, if a subscription is purchased for $10,000 that covers a period of 7/1/18 through 6/30/20, $5,000 would be charged to FY19 and $5,000 charged to FY20)

The University’s guidelines for year-end purchases are subject to external audit. As you make purchases during this period leading up to and overlapping our fiscal year end, it is important to note when the goods or services were received so they are expensed according to reporting requirements. If the timing of receipt is not clearly noted on the invoice, it would be beneficial to help call the receipt date to accounting’s attention by clearly marking the appropriate fiscal year for the expense, based on the above guidelines, on the pay request.

Please contact Jeni Baugher at x4509 orjenifer.baugher@drake.eduwith any questions you might have.

Year-end timeline:
In order to facilitate efficient and effective year-end processing, the following timeline is recommended for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019.

Heather Travis, Finance and Administration

Campus Announcements Archive

OnCampus summer distribution schedule

OnCampus will move to a biweekly schedule through the summer months. The newsletter will be delivered to faculty, staff, and student inboxes every other Tuesday. It will resume to a weekly distribution schedule Aug. 27.

Summer distribution dates:
Tuesday, May 21
Tuesday, June 4
Tuesday, June 18
Tuesday, July 2
Tuesday, July 16
Tuesday, July 30
Tuesday, Aug. 13
Tuesday, Aug. 27

Ashton Hockman, University Communications & Marketing

Strategic Updates Archive

Fully-licensed Starbucks coming to Olmsted

Construction on a new, fully-licensed Starbucks in Olmsted will take place this summer with plans for a grand opening at the beginning of the fall 2019 semester. 

The new Starbucks is expected to offer a full range of Starbucks items, including Starbucks-branded food, drinks, and merchandise. This means an expanded drink and food menu from the current Olmsted Coffee Shop offerings. In addition, the new Starbucks will honor Starbucks gift cards, and customers can earn Starbucks Rewards on purchases. Another benefit is that it will be open on the weekends. 

Starbucks will take the place of the Olmsted Coffee Shop, which currently sells Starbucks brand coffee and is licensed to make some official Starbucks drinks. The new coffee shop will no longer offer Oasis smoothies, and the current selection of bakery items will change to Starbucks menu items. The new Starbucks is part of an ongoing plan by Drake Dining (operated by Sodexo) to enhance the on-campus retail dining options. The decision to offer a fully-licensed Starbucks was informed by student surveys and in-person focus groups. More details on the project will be shared over the coming months.

Venessa Macro,Chief Administration Officer

HR Information Archive

Adventureland 2019 corporate partner program

With summer quickly approaching, some Drake faculty and staff may be making plans for vacation time with family and friends. If you are looking for a fun family activity close to home, Adventureland Park may be the answer. Employees can purchase discounted tickets by following these three steps:

  • Go to the following website: www.adventurelandresort.com/corp/
  • Create an Adventureland account with your drake.edu email address
  • You will be routed into their online discounted ticketing website to complete your purchase

The attached flyer has additional information, including prices.  If you have any questions, please email ross@adventurelandpark.com.

A full list of Drake Employee Perks & Discounts can be found in myDrake by clicking on the Human Resources App (top of page). Next click Benefits, and then Additional Benefits, and finally Perks & Discounts for Drake Employees.

Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Final days of food drive to help local non-profits in need

Help three local non-profits (Drake Head Start, Grubb YMCA, and Central Iowa Shelter + Services) provide meals this summer during a donation drought by purchasing these products now through May 15:

— Bagels/bread
— Beef jerky products
— Canned items
— Non-refrigerated meals
— Pasta meals
— Protein/granola bars

Students, there are collection bins around the C-Store for donations. For faculty, staff, and students who do not regularly visit the C-Store, contact Hannah Cohen at hannah.cohen@drake.edu to schedule a donation pick up.

Any donation makes a difference, even if it is not one of the specific products above. Your donation will help provide aid to community members in need.

Contact hannah.cohen@drake.edu with questions or concerns.

Hannah Cohen, AS, JO