All posts by Hannah Sappenfield

International Education Week is Nov. 14–18

Join Global Engagement in celebrating International Education Week, November 14–18.

There will be events hosted throughout the week for students, faculty, and staff. Join in to discover all the ways Drake is global. Check out the full calendar of events at calendar.drake.edu/ieweek.

Featured events:

Global Scholar-in-Residence, Inés Rojas
Presentation and reception for faculty and staff
Monday, Nov. 14, at 2:30–4 p.m.
Reading Room, Cowles Library
Learn More >>

Fulbright U.S. Student Program Information Session
Presentation by Professor Karen Leroux and Karen Williams, Education Abroad Advisor
Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Medbury Honors Lounge
Learn More >>

The European Union in 2022: Key Challenges of Our Time
Visiting scholar lecture by Dr. Robert Pichler (Austria). Part of the Principal Center for Global Citizenship fall speaker series.
Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 2-3:15 p.m.
Sussman Theater
Learn More >>

U.S.-China Symposium
Hosted by Ambassador-in-Residence Terry Branstad, featuring sessions on relevant topics including education, politics and foreign affairs
Thursday, Nov. 17 – Sessions all day
Olmsted Center
Learn More >>

— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Engagement

Voting in the Midterm Elections

The 2022 Midterm Elections are just one week away. The polls will be open on Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check your Iowa voter registration status here.

Iowa offers same-day voter registration, so all Drake students that are U.S. citizens and over the age of 18 may register to vote on Nov. 8 (even if you did not pre-register). Drake students may vote at their nearest polling location, which can be accessed on the Iowa Secretary of State website. Eligible voters must bring a photo ID (with an expiration date) and proof of address.

For on-campus students, you can access your residence hall address for proof of residency by signing into myDrake. Under the ‘My Drake Profile’ category, select ‘My Information’ and print out the page. According to the Secretary of State’s office, you may use this printout as your proof of residency when you go to the polls.

To learn more about voting as a college student, visit https://www.drake.edu/community/learningservice/studentopportunities/votingcivicengagement/

Questions? Reach out to Stephanie Kiel, Community Engagement Peer for Voter and Civic Engagement, at stephanie.kiel@drake.edu.

— Stephanie Kiel, AS’23

Winter break payment processing deadlines

Please note the following schedule for payment processing, through the Finance Self-Service portal, to accommodate winter break:

  • Friday, Dec. 16, 2022 – All payment requests (including wires) are due, with proper approvals, and received by AP by the end of the business day.  Requests received by this deadline will be processed for payment before Winter Break.
  • Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 – Normal payment processing will resume this week.

The accounts payable office will be closed during winter break.

Thank you for your help in coordinating to ensure we meet all needs during the upcoming season.

For questions, contact Jeni at ext. 4509 or jenifer.baugher@drake.edu.

— Jeni Baugher, Accounting Supervisor

All Staff Council chili lunch social and bake off

As a reminder, All Staff Council is hosting a chili lunch and dessert bake off Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Pomerantz Stage, Olmsted Center. Sodexo will provide chili and cornbread for staff for $5.

We encourage staff members to sign up for the dessert bake off. Any and all desserts are welcome. You must provide at least 24 servings per entry. You will deliver your baked items to Lynne Cornelius in the student inclusion suite, Olmsted Center, before 11 a.m. Entries will be judged by a three-person panel and there will be prizes for the top three entries. Sign up here.

— Courtney Conrad, On behalf of All Staff Council

Spring 2023 and J-Term billing update

Spring 2023 and J-Term 2023 bills will be emailed to students and authorized users around Dec. 15 and will be due the first day of the term. Please remember, in order to register for the upcoming terms your Fall 2022 balance must be paid in full or you must be current on your established monthly payment plan. To view your current balance and make a payment please login to your student account via MyDrake>Student Accounts and Financial Aid> Make a Payment.

A J-Term FAQ is available for questions related to J-Term billing. The FAQ has been updated to include information regarding the new J-Term administrative fee that will begin for J-Term 2023.

If you have any questions about your current balance or a future J-Term and spring balance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at stuacct@drake.edu.

— Julia Gwebu, Director of Student Accounts

Register for the Sussman Leadership Conference

Register today! The Sussman Leadership Conference is an annual event that brings together Drake student leaders from all across campus to explore and gain skills in a particular leadership topic and theme. This year’s conference, “Confidence and the Comparison Trap,” will explore how to gain genuine and authentic confidence as a student leader and young professional with featured keynote speaker Alex Weber. Conference registration is free for students (valued at $75 per seat!) including a gourmet brunch, nationally-renowned keynote speaker, and several breakout sessions. All conference registration fees are covered by the Adams Leadership Institute. Space is limited, learn more and register by Nov. 1 at bit.ly/sussman22.

— Kristin Economos, Office of Student Involvement and Leadership

Federal loan cancellation application available

The application for one-time federal student loan debt relief has been made available here. Borrowers are encouraged to complete the application as soon as possible.

The debt relief plan offers up to $10,000 of loan cancellation for borrowers meeting income requirements, and up to $20,000 for eligible borrowers who received a Pell Grant. More information about the Biden-Harris Administration’s student debt relief plan is available here.

— Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid

Temporary Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) deadline Oct. 31

Do you have federal student loans? If so, Drake Human Resources encourages you to take advantage of the temporary changes made to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. A limited waiver is in effect until Oct. 31, 2022, making it easier for millions of public service workers to get credit for past periods of repayment that would otherwise not qualify under the traditional PSLF—reducing, or potentially eliminating, student loan debt.

For example, under the Temporary waiver:

  • Past periods of repayment are potentially eligible whether or not you made a payment, made that payment on time, for the total amount due, or on a qualifying repayment plan.
  • Borrowers with a FFEL Loan, Perkins Loan, or other previously excluded federal student loans can benefit by consolidating their loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan and receive credit for periods of repayment prior to the consolidation.
  • Months spent in deferment before 2013 will count under the Temporary PSLF waiver.

In short, the waiver will allow borrowers gain PSLF credit, even if you had been told previously that you had the wrong loan type or the wrong repayment plan.

To see whether you qualify, visit studentaid.gov/pslfwaiver. There, you will find the PSLF Help Tool and additional information to assist you with processing. Even if you do not yet fully qualify, the PSLF website recommends that you still submit the form annually, so it will be easier when you do fully qualify.

Drake HR is committed to helping all current and past employees complete the necessary forms. To ensure timely processing, send your employer portion to DrakeHR@Drake.edu prior to noon on Oct. 31, 2022.

All information must be uploaded to your loan carrier prior to 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022 for full consideration. Mail-in submissions must have an employer signature date prior to Nov. 1, 2022 to qualify.