All posts by Linda Feiden

HR Information

Build a Bulldog Contest

Last year Human Resources held a “Build a Bulldog” contest as part of employee appreciation month.  We had some fantastic entries, so we are going to do it again!

To participate, simply click HERE to print off an outline of Griff II for the contest. Decorate the picture using whatever artistic materials you wish and send your completed picture to Linda Feiden, HR, 3rd floor Old Main, by Monday, March 10. You are welcome to submit multiple entries if you have budding artists at home, and don’t forget to put your name on the back of each entry.  All entries will go through a preliminary screening and the finalists will be on display for faculty and staff to vote on at this year’s BINGO event on March 12.  More details on the BINGO event will be shared soon!

If you have any questions, please feel free to send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.

Campus Announcements

Roads to Religion 2025

On Sunday, Feb. 23, from 3–5 p.m., Drake University’s The Comparison Project, in conjunction with the “Iowa Interfaith Exchange,” hosts “Roads to Religion” in the Olmsted Center (Parents Hall) on Drake’s campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, features dozens of local religious communities, collectively representing at least a dozen religious traditions. These communities will be arranged throughout the hall as if on a map of the metro area. Visitors will receive a map to guide them in their exploration of them. Refreshments will be provided by Drake’s catering service, Sodexo.

The ”Iowa Interfaith Exchange” includes Drake’s The Comparison Project and three other local nonprofits: CultureALL, the Des Moines Area Religious Council, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.

— Catalina Samaniego, College of Arts & Sciences

Strategic Updates

New Drake Website in Development: What You Should Know

The Drake University Communications & Marketing (UCM) team, in close partnership with ITS and partner agency, Carnegie, have been working diligently on the initial phases of a website redesign for Drake.edu. The new website will be an enrollment-first destination for prospective students and families, with a focus on usability and accessibility.  

The teams are grateful to the many faculty and staff on campus who have already contributed to the process, as we’ve been working through the new website’s structure and auditing more than 5,000 pages that are live on the current website. 

As an outcome of the current website audit, we have identified a number of pages that would be better suited to myDrake internal sites and/or Teams versus being public facing on Drake.edu. Migration of this content will require assistance and input from individuals across programs and departments. 

Starting this spring, expect that the project team will begin reaching out to many of you for assistance and input on website content and migration of content to myDrake internal sites or Teams. We will work with campus partners to understand the options available for where that content can migrate and provide training necessary to allow for the content migration. 

More details and updates are forthcoming as we progress through the process. We appreciate the collective effort and are confident the new website will better serve prospective students and families through their college decision-making process. 

— Leslie Maynes, executive director, University Communications and Marketing; and Keren Fiorenza, deputy CITO & chief information security officer 

For Faculty, For Staff

New Network Security Measures for Employee Devices

Starting Feb. 19, new security measures will be implemented on our campus wireless network. These changes will only affect Drake faculty and staff using personal devices to connect to eduroam.

What’s Changing?

Employees connecting with personal devices will have limited access to certain Drake services, including Banner Admin Pages. However, essential services like myDrake and Microsoft 365 apps will remain accessible and unaffected.

Why the Change?

This update will enhance our network security by ensuring only Drake-owned devices have full access.

Need Help?

We’re here to assist you through this transition. For questions or support, submit a ticket though the ITS service portal (service.drake.edu/its) or call the Support Center at 515-271-3001.

— Becky Klein, ITS

Campus Announcements

Apply to Study Abroad Fall 2025 before April 1

Drake Global Engagement is excited to announce students will apply to study abroad for fall 2025 and beyond through a new, more streamlined study abroad application system!  It will be going live soon with an update sent out in the next OnCampus.

If you are interested in studying abroad fall 2025 and haven’t already met with Global Engagement, set up a meeting with Drake’s Education Abroad Coordinator, Emily Erschen, through Starfish.  This will ensure we know who is interested and we will reach out to you directly when we go live.  As a reminder, the application deadline to study abroad Fall 2025 is April 1st.

— Emily Erschen, Global Engagement

Campus Announcements

Heavy Weightlifting Class at the Bell Center

Join Drake Weightlifting Club for a special Heavy Weightlifting series adjustable to all levels. We will use the Athletic Training Gym in the Bell Center.  These classes are for everyone, please join the class that best suits your needs.  If you require any further accommodations, please contact gail.witte@drake.edu.

The series will run weekly until March 6..

Women’s+ classes: Mondays and Wednesdays, 7 p.m.

Mens’s+ classes: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 p.m.

Check the Drake Rec App for details and signup.

— Gail Witte, Rec Services

Campus Announcements

Adaptive Fitness Series at the Bell Center

Join us for an adaptive fitness series at the Bell Center. These are classes targeting everyone, especially people who may not feel comfortable in typical fitness classes. We want everyone to be able participate in a way that will work for them and their body. Feel free to take a break at any time and we will be giving frequent breaks. We are also increasing the number of verbal instructions/cues.

We are also doing our best to make these classes sensory friendly so feel free to bring any sensory equipment you normally need/use. We will also be dimming lighting (expect for the pool), turning off tv, and playing any music at a lower volume. Contact suzanne.shoemaker@drake.edu with any questions.

— Gail Witte, Rec Services

For Students Archive

Tax Benefits for Higher Education

Did you know that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides tax benefits for education? The tax benefits can be used to get back some of the money you spend on tuition or loan interest or to maximize your college savings.

Even if you normally wouldn’t file a tax return because of your income level, be sure to do so. If you don’t, you could miss out on tax credits that would put money in your pocket.

Learn more about tax benefits for higher education here.

—Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid

For Students Archive

Commuter Student Johansen Student Center Tours

Welcome back to campus bulldogs! We are excited to have you back and to introduce students to the Johansen Student Center. This new student center has plenty of great space for students, especially our commuter students. The space offers areas for students to study, relax in between classes, lock up personal items, and more. We are happy to offer tours of the space for our commuter students on the following dates and times:

  • Thursday, January 30, at 9 a.m.
  • Wednesday, February 5, at 1 p.m.
  • Tuesday, February 11, at 3:30 p.m.

Please plan to meet in the main lobby on the ground floor (yellow carpeted area).

—Marina Verlengia, New Student Programs