Family Weekend kicks off Thursday, Oct. 6, with Hoops Fest in the Historic Court Avenue District.  Hoops Fest is from 5–8 p.m. and will feature the Drake Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams competing in various competition on a temporary court on Court Avenue. Along with the action on the court there will be giveaways, drink specials, food trucks, and much more!

Friday the volleyball team opens its home slate in a newly renovated Knapp Center at 6 p.m. It’s a “Blue Out” so there will be a T-shirt giveaway plus bring your Drake Hoops Fest mug and get in free. Saturday is Family Day as the football team welcomes San Diego at 1 p.m. followed by volleyball back in the Knapp Center at 6 p.m.

The weekend wraps Sunday at 1 p.m. as the Women’s Soccer team faces off against UIC at Drake Stadium.

For a full list of athletic events during Family Weekend visit, draketix.com/familyweekend.

A variety of other events such as a family game night, coffee social, campus and neighborhood tour, tailgate cookout, sweetheart sing, and a 5K and one mile run/walk will also round out the weekend. Learn more and view the Family Weekend schedule.

— Michael Admire, Athletics

Grab your walking shoes and join this year’s Healthiest State Walk on Wednesday, Oct. 5.  For those working on campus, we invite all faculty, staff, and students to meet at noon at the start of the Bulldog Mile.  This one-mile path begins outside the Olmsted Center (just southeast of the building).  We will have a drawing for some prizes, and then follow the signs and giant paw prints on the sidewalk as we make our way around and through campus.  Bring a colleague or make it a team or department event.  If it is raining, we will move the event to the indoor track at the Knapp Center.

For those not on campus, we encourage you to take a break sometime during the day on Oct. 5 and go for a walk. Then send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu for a chance at additional prizes.  Let’s get moving!

— Linda Feiden, HR

This is the fourth year of Drake’s Walktober step challenge with Des Moines University and Wesley Life.  Each site has won the challenge (and coveted trophy) once, which makes this the tie breaker year.  To bring the trophy back to the Drake campus, we need your help, by joining the Drake Walktober step challenge team.

You will receive a journal and instructions to track your daily steps both on and off campus during the month of October.  Any movement that records steps will count toward the total. Along the way, you will receive fun facts and have a chance at individual prizes.  This event is open to all faculty, staff, and students.  Send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu to register.  Registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 30.

— Linda Feiden, HR

I would like to take a moment to remind everyone to make sure they have had an opportunity to review the two active shooter video’s (academic and residence hall) that were sent out Sept. 1.  These videos focus on what to do if there is an active shooter on the Drake campus.  While we hope we will never face an active shooter situation, we must focus on preparedness like we would for any other emergency, such as fire or weather events.

In support of our educational efforts in the area of active shooter response, Drake has revised two important policies that have direct implications. The University has posted for review of the policies on a Violence Free Campus and the Policy on Firearms, Other Lethal Weapons, Fireworks and Dangerous Objects.  Members of the Drake community are encouraged to review and comment on these policy revisions by Oct. 16, 2022.

— Scott Law, Public Safety and University Operations

Come practice speaking in Spanish with conversation facilitators from Bolivia and Argentina. Students, faculty, and staff of all levels are welcome to join Kate and Ana at the at Cowles Library during the following days and times:

Monday/Lunes: 4:30–5:30 p.m., Cowles Library, Room 234A

Tuesday/Martes: 4:30–6:30 p.m., Cowles Library, Room 234

Wednesday/Miércoles: 6–7 p.m., Cowles Library, Room 045

Friday/Viernes 4:15–5:15 p.m., Cowles Library, Room 045

There are no Conversation Hours during University holidays and finals week. For accommodations or questions, email inbal.mazar@drake.edu.

— Cati Davis, Office of the Dean of Arts & Sciences

Starting today, the Self Service registration-related pages have new features. You will see a new link: Registration & Schedule on the Registration card and on your Student Profile left navigation menu. From this link you will access the new registration landing page where you can register for classes, view the schedule of classes, the course catalog, and your current and past schedules. You can view registration-related Knowledge Base articles to help you navigate the new screens.  If you experience a technical issue with the new registration pages, please submit an ITS ticket here.  As a reminder, you will be able to access the former registration pages by clicking the Registration and Schedules (Legacy) link on the Registration card.  This link will be available through Feb. 17, 2023.

Faculty and staff also use the new registration landing page to access the schedule of classes and course catalog. If you do not currently see the Registration card in your Self Service screen, click the blue Discover More button. To add the card to your homepage, click the bookmark icon in the upper right corner of the card. You will continue to provide registration overrides and viewing your advisees’ schedules and degree audits in the current Self Service pages.  For more instructions on navigating these pages, view the Self Service Knowledge Base articles here.

— Jenny Tran-Johnson, Registrar