Social distancing and remote learning created a period of reduced or altered opportunities to practice oral communication techniques that we all need in a variety of situations. Drake University’s Speaking Center is here to support students, faculty, and staff in our shared efforts to develop and advance these crucial skills.

Students can book appointments to meet with a tutor or the director for help in preparing, composing, and delivering speeches and presentations—or even to get advice for initiating difficult conversations and participating in interactive discussions. We can accommodate students who need presentations to be recorded in a private venue for a small audience. We also work with students, faculty, or staff on strategies for navigating situational anxiety related to public speaking, stereotype threat, and/or imposter syndrome.

Location and Hours: The Speaking Center will be holding appointments in our tutoring space downstairs in Cowles Library, Room 039. Please follow the signs through the tutoring areas back to the SW corner to find our new location. Tutoring appointments are currently available Monday–Thursday afternoon.

To make an appointment: Visit http://library.drake.edu/speaking to schedule a personal meeting with a tutor.

Appointments are scheduled for 30 minutes each, and students are encouraged to schedule multiple times while preparing for a single event if they wish. Any questions or concerns should be directed to speaking-help@drake.edu.

Speaking Center Services: Speaking Center tutors have experience and training in speech pedagogy and are prepared to assist students when selecting and narrowing topics, organizing ideas, drafting and revising an outline, preparing visual aids, and practicing delivery. The Speaking Center’s staff also facilitates access to research and resources that can help speakers and presenters and can address a variety of oral communication issues.

— Faber McAlister, Associate Professor of Rhetoric

Cowles Library is always expanding our catalog of books, databases, streaming services, news subscriptions and digital resources. We’re excited to now offer audio and ebooks as part of our ever-growing selection of new popular titles. You can also always access our featured collections to explore more curated topics.

Come visit us in the library to browse our collections and start the academic year off right.

— Erin Menardi, Cowles Library

Drake University joins other colleges and universities throughout the country in recognizing September as National Campus Safety Awareness Month to bring attention to the issue of safety on campus. As we begin the academic year, we remain mindful of the importance of safety on campus.  

The mission of Drake Public Safety is to provide a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors. Drake Public Safety strives to achieve this mission through a community friendly approach that enhances safety through the visibility of Public Safety personnel, preventive patrols, 24-hour accessibility, positive conflict resolution, and a variety of safety programs.

Drake Public Safety reminds all members of the campus community that one of the best ways to prevent crimes on the campus is by locking room doors and vehicles. Most crimes on our campus are crimes of convenience, with the perpetrator taking advantage of unsecured buildings, rooms, or vehicles. Even if you are sitting alone in your room or will only be gone for a minute, locking your doors will greatly reduce the risk of your being the victim of a crime. 

Public Safety works in partnership with many groups, including the Des Moines Police Department, Title IX Office, University Counseling Center, and the Division of Student Affairs, by identifying, assessing, and managing the risk around campus safety both on and off our grounds.

In addition to security training, Drake Public Safety officers are trained to assist in a variety of medical emergencies. Officers have undergone training in CPR and first aid and have access to portable defibrillators for use in emergency situations. Over the past several years DPS staff has increased their ability to intervene in medical emergencies with the help of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Drake Public Safety staff have been trained in the use of Narcan to help address the issue of the opioid epidemic in America. DPS staff now carry Narcan on patrol as an added safety net for the community.

We know that without the participation of the campus community our efforts to maintain a safe campus would not be successful. We ask that “if you see something, say something,” and we know that many of the best ideas for how to improve campus safety come only through our partnership with the community.

If you have not done so yet, we recommend that you download our Drake Guardian App for additional safety when travelling on and around the campus, it is a “blue light” in your pocket. If you have any questions about campus safety, please reach out to me, Scott Law, the Director of Public Safety at scott.law@drake.edu.

— Scott Law, Public Safety

As a reminder, the new myDrake website was launched on July 28, and ITS is happy to assist with your user experience and answer any questions. If you would like to schedule a one-on-one, group, or departmental training, please submit a Custom Technology Consultation/Training ticket.

For more information about the myDrake launch and navigating the new site, please see New myDrake launching July 28, Using the new myDrake, and Understanding the new myDrake. For news, updates, and more information about the myDrake site and other campus systems, visit drake.edu/its.

— Rashmee Virmani, ITS