While Harlaxton Manor is abuzz with holiday decorating and awaiting the arrival of Santa, Professor McCarthy and the amazing Drake cohort (never has she met such an enthusiastic group!) enjoyed a Christmas afternoon tea at Petticoat Vintage Tea Room in Grantham, England.
This is the culmination of a fascinating semester of local activities like visiting the parish council and attending monthly meetings of the local history society, along with school trips to places like Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Stonehenge, and personal trips to Ireland, Switzerland, and more. To follow one student’s journey, with some great laughs along the way, read student Samantha Pollack’s blog.
All Staff Council and Human Resources invite faculty and staff to attend this year’s Holiday Cheer gathering on Tuesday, Dec. 17, by the Pomerantz stage in the Olmsted Center. You are welcome to come and go as you please from 9 to 11 a.m.
Relax and enjoy some tasty holiday treats and beverages with friends and colleagues. Griff II is going to stop by, so bring your phone for a chance to get your picture taken with him in your favorite holiday attire. And we encourage everyone to bring at least one non-perishable food or other goods for Drake’s Free Little Food Pantries. We would love to stock it up prior to the holiday break.
This event is a chance to give back to others in the Drake community, while mingling with coworkers. Please take a moment to stop by, grab some cheer, and drop off a donation.
As the end of the Fall 2024 semester is nearly here, preparations for ‘final exams’ of a different sort continue at the Johansen Student Center (Morehouse). Flooring, wall finishes, mechanical systems start-up, and building inspections are all scheduled for the coming weeks ahead of furniture installations and thorough cleaning.
When the campus community returns from winter break at the end of January 2025, the entire project team is excited for students and staff to begin using their newly revitalized building.
Go check out the Johansen Student Center website for more information.
ITS staff will be performing routine maintenance on our Oracle databases on Sunday, Dec. 22 between 7 – 9 a.m. During this time, Drake systems including Self Service, Banner, ProcessMaker, eTranscripts, and TouchNet may be unavailable. This work is necessary to maintain the security of University data.
If you experience issues after the maintenance is complete, contact the ITS Support Center for help by visiting service.drake.edu/its, calling 515-271-3001, or visiting the lower level of Carnegie Hall.
On Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024 2 – 8 a.m., Blackboard will be fully unavailable to all users while required maintenance is being performed on the back-end database. This maintenance is necessary to ensure optimal system security and performance.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Survey of Administrative Services. Your insights help us align ITS services with the needs of our students, faculty, and staff. I’m pleased to share this summary of the 2024 findings.
Survey Participation and Satisfaction Trends
This year, 266 community members responded to the survey to provide invaluable feedback. Overall satisfaction reached 4.42 on a 5-point scale—the highest we’ve ever seen—demonstrating strong, positive growth.
Staff and Service Quality
Across all service areas, including staff courtesy, professionalism, knowledge, and timely resolution, satisfaction has trended upward. These results reflect our commitment to providing responsive and reliable support that meets your needs and resolves issues to your satisfaction.
Communication and Access to Resources
Satisfaction with communication and support services continues to rise as well. Respondents reported improvement in key areas, such as having the right tools, accessible training, regular updates, and clear communications on technology changes.
Please note that our Internal Site has been updated with new information on ITS policies, project management, cybersecurity awareness, and more. We’ll continue to keep you informed about the status of your tickets and upcoming changes to campus technology. This is a key priority area for us in the coming year, and we are committed to ensuring you stay updated on all developments.
Commitment to Core Values
We’re also pleased to see that satisfaction with how ITS embodies Drake’s core values—joyful accountability, generosity of spirit, all in this together, and commitment to mission—continues to grow. These values guide our approach to service and foster collaboration across campus.
Looking Ahead
We’ll use your feedback to guide future improvements, focusing on effective training options, clear communication, and seamless service. Thank you for your engagement and trust in ITS as we work to provide reliable, responsive technology solutions for our campus.
In addition to the annual survey, we gather regular feedback through ticket surveys sent after each support interaction. This continuous feedback loop helps us quickly identify and address issues while validating trends seen in the annual survey, such as improvements in staff professionalism and communication. Your responses to these surveys enable us to respond promptly and effectively to your needs year-round.
If you have additional feedback or questions, please reach out. Together, we’re building a better ITS experience for everyone.
Are you ready to experience a career in research administration? The Iowa Research Administration Internship Student Experience (I-RAISE) is your gateway to a dynamic and rewarding future!
Funded by the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) GRANTED program, I-RAISE offers an unparalleled opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students from six partner institutions (Drake, ISU, UNI, Simpson, Dordt, Central College).
Dive into a comprehensive program that includes a classroom-based bootcamp, a 10-week summer internship at Iowa State University, and 12-week fall and spring internships here at Drake. Gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and invaluable connections to job opportunities across Iowa. Plus, enjoy financial support and resources throughout the program.
Don’t miss out on this chance to experience the world of research administration! For more information and to apply, click here!
Drake defines a first-generation student is a college student whose parents/legal guardians have not received a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university. At Drake, First-generation students make up 29% of Drake’s new student population. This includes 26.2% of new EFR students — an all-time high for Drake.
In an effort to make more connections between first gen students and first gen faculty/staff, we are creating a directory to share on our website that lists our first gen faculty and staff.
If you identify as first generation and would like to be listed on this directory, please email Marina at marina.verlengia@drake.edu by Monday, December 16.
The web-based Drake University Social Science Journal (DUSSJ) is accepting submissions for its 24th edition, to appear in Spring 2025. Any current Drake undergraduate (or recent graduate) is eligible to submit a research paper (10 pages or longer) on a topic in the social sciences (e.g., political science, international relations, anthropology, sociology, economics, history, LPS, and social psychology). Papers that feature thoughtful, original analysis, polished writing, and careful citation are especially welcome!
The deadline for submission is Wednesday, Feb. 19
Only one submission per person will be considered. Submissions will be blind peer-reviewed by a student editorial board.
Get to know employers (culture, mission, values, etc.)
Share your resume
Boost confidence
Find opportunities for post-graduation
Visit with graduation and professional education programs
Connect with other students, Drake faculty, and staff
To help students prepare, we’ll have a drop-in Resume Critique event on Thursday, February 6 from 10am to 4pm in the Conference Rooms in Upper Olmsted. It’s another time to meet employer partners and receive feedback on your resume and experiences!
