All posts by Linda Feiden

HR Information Archive

Blank Park Zoo Membership Discount for Faculty/Staff

For the remainder of 2026, Drake University faculty and staff can receive a 10% discount on membership to Blank Park Zoo. 

To purchase a discounted membership, go to https://www.blankparkzoo.com/memberships and click PURCHASE NOW. Select Zoo Memberships, complete the rest of the form, and enter the code BPZPARTNER10 at checkout.  Please note: this promotion is for Zoo memberships, no combos or joint specialty memberships.

Zoo memberships include free, unlimited daytime admission to Blank Park Zoo for one year. Members also receive 50% off admission at nearly 200 other zoos and aquariums, including: Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Kansas City Zoo. A full list of benefits and member discounts can be found on the website.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Check Out the Fall 2026 BUILD Schedule

The Fall 2026 BUILD schedule is available for viewing and registration is open.  Simply click on BUILD – Upcoming Sessions for the full list, including detailed descriptions. 

Are you ready to register?  There is an online registration link to a Qualtrics survey that makes signing up easy.

Bulldogs United in Learning & Development (BUILD) is a platform for faculty and staff to learn new ideas as well as an opportunity to collaborate with others from across campus.  Most classes are only an hour in length, and many are facilitated by our own faculty and staff.

Take the time to invest in yourself, support your colleagues, and take in the culture that Drake has to offer.

— Linda Feidan, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

New Employee Orientation Sept. 2

Managers, please encourage your new employees to attend the first available New Employee Orientation (NEO) after their employment. Either the manager or new employee can RSVP by sending an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu. Please put “NEO” in the subject line of the email.  The next available NEO session will be held Wednesday, Sept. 2, from 9–11 a.m. in Conference Rooms 310/311 of the Olmsted Center (2nd floor).

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Meet Your Access & Success Team

Access & Success (A&S) partners with students, faculty, and staff to ensure equitable access to academic resources, personalized support, and accommodations. Over the summer, A&S welcomed three new team members to support campus success:

  • Sam Shelton, Director of Accessibility: Works with students, instructors, and campus partners to ensure equitable access to learning. Sam leads the student accommodation process, promotes Universal Design for Learning, and advocates for campus-wide accessibility.
  • Mia Stefani, Academic and Student Support Manager: Oversees tutoring and academic coaching programs while providing direct academic coaching to students.
  • Katie Akin, Student Success Systems & Data Manager: Analyzes Starfish data, workflows, and success metrics to evaluate program efficacy and share best practices with advisors and instructors.

Sam, Mia and Katie will work primarily in Starfish, Drake’s student success and early alert system. If you have questions, reach out via email, or visit the Access & Success office on the lower level of Cowles Library.

— Katie Akin, Access & Success

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Help Welcome Students as a Griff Guide

Help kick off the new semester with a warm welcome for our new and returning students! We are looking for faculty and staff to serve as Griff Guides during the first few days of classes to assist students with navigating campus, answering quick questions, and making them feel connected.

Got 15 minutes? Volunteering is easy.

  • Choose the exact time slot and campus location that fits your schedule. See a map of all locations here.
  • Signs are provided at each station so students can easily identify you.

Sign up to volunteer here!

Together, we can ensure every student starts the semester knowing they belong at Drake.

— Mia Stefani, Access & Success

Campus Announcements Archive

Reminder: Drake Ethics Hotline Transition to Mitratech

As we begin the new academic year, please note that the University updated its whistleblower reporting service provider over the summer. The Mitratech Ethics Hotline (Drake Ethics Hotline) has officially replaced the NAVEX EthicsPoint platform.

Functionally, the reporting process remains the same. The Drake Ethics Hotline allows community members to report ethics and compliance concerns anonymously while enabling ongoing dialogue with select University administrators.

How to Submit a Report:
Reports can be made online at report.syntrio.com/drake or by calling 877–853–5263.

Questions?
For questions, contact Samantha Nordstrom at samantha.nordstrom@drake.edu.

View Ethics Hotline Flyer

— Samantha Nordstrom, Title IX Coordinator & EEO Specialist

Campus Announcements Archive

Tech Help at Your Fingertips: Resources for the New Semester

As the semester gets underway, students, faculty, & staff can use Drake’s online technology resources anytime and from any device. Read more about these resources (and bookmark them now) so they’re easy to find when you need help.

Start with the University Service Portal

Visit https://service.drake.edu to submit a technology request, check the ITS Support Center’s hours and phone number, or search the ITS Knowledge Base.

What’s great is you don’t need to know how the portal is organized to find what you need. Use the search box at the top of any page to look for a service, article, or topic.

The Knowledge Base includes hundreds of articles on common questions and tasks, including:

  • Connecting devices to Drake’s wireless networks
  • Activating a wired connection in a residence hall room for streaming or gaming devices
  • Setting up a backup multifactor authentication method
  • Troubleshooting common technology issues

Because the Service Portal is available 24/7 from computers, phones, and tablets, you can still search for answers or request help when your primary device isn’t working.

Manage Passwords and MFA

Visit https://password.drake.edu to manage your Drake password, security question, and multifactor authentication devices. You can also use the “Forgot password” option if you’re unable to sign in.

Drake passwords are valid for two years. Adding a backup MFA method will help prevent an account lockout if your phone is lost, replaced, or unavailable.

Contact the ITS Support Center

If these options don’t resolve your issue, submit a ticket through the University Service Portal at https://service.drake.edu or call the ITS Support Center at 515-271-3001.

You can also visit the ITS Support Center in the lower level of Carnegie Hall while we’re open. If possible, bring the device you need help with. Current hours are always posted on the University Service Portal.

Welcome Week hours, Aug. 17–23:

  • Monday–Tuesday: 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday–Friday: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: 1–8 p.m.

Regular semester hours beginning Monday, Aug. 24:

  • Monday through Thursday: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
  • Friday: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: 3–8 p.m.

— Becky Klein, ITS

Campus Announcements Archive

Upcoming Intramurals & Registration Deadlines

Intramurals are kicking off strong to start the year. Here is the schedule of upcoming sports and their registration deadlines. Sign up for all intramurals using the DrakeRec app or by visiting the registration portal online.

Volleyball Tournament:

Registration deadline: Aug. 26 at 4 p.m.
Tournament date: Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m.

6v6 Indoor Volleyball:

Registration deadline: Sept. 2 at 4 p.m.|
Season start: Sept. 8

Outdoor Soccer:

Registration deadline: Sept. 3 at 4 p.m.
Season start: Sept. 9

NFL PickEM:

Registration deadline: Sept. 9
Season start: Sept. 9

 — RJ Hurd, School of Education

Campus Announcements Archive

Planned Campus Network Maintenance: Thu 8/13

ITS will attempt the final phase of a campus network upgrade on Thursday, August 13. Internet access will be intermittent beginning at 8:30 p.m. Continue reading for timing, affected services, and support information. 

ITS will reconfigure network equipment on Thursday, August 13, as part of Drake’s ongoing network refresh project. This work will transition the campus internet connection to a new network architecture. 

ITS previously postponed this work twice after testing raised concerns about completing the transition without disrupting campus events. The new date was selected to reduce the risk of impacting scheduled activities while allowing ITS to complete the upgrade. 

The maintenance window will begin at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 13, and is expected to last approximately four hours. Services should be restored by 12:30 a.m. on Friday, August 14. 

Campus internet service will be intermittent throughout the maintenance window. Because this work affects network-connected equipment, the outage may also impact phones, elevators, and other non-computer devices connected to the campus network. 

Web-based services such as Microsoft 365 will not be impacted. 

After work is completed, if you continue to experience issues, please contact the ITS Support Center through the University Service Portal, by phone at 515-271-3001, or by visiting us in person with your device in the lower level of Carnegie Hall. 

ITS appreciates your patience as we complete this important network refresh work. 

— Becky Klein