Join Drake Recreational Services and compete in the final Intramural Tournament of the season in Kickball! Games will kick off on the IM Fields at 3 p.m. on May 4. Register as a team or a free agent through the Drake Rec App. Any questions please email Intramurals@drake.edu!
— Rec Services
Have you used your Community Service Leave benefit for this fiscal year?
Let’s make the most of this benefit, which strengthens ourselves and our communities!
What is Community Service Leave?
Drake University recognizes the importance of community involvement and encourages employees to participate in volunteer and service activities. Community Service Leave (policy) allows staff the opportunity to participate in community service activities that occur during regularly scheduled work hours, without using vacation or personal time. Full-time, regular employees can request paid leave for up to 8 hours per fiscal year to spend time supporting your favorite not-for-profit.
Community service leave is a paid time off benefit and can be used for:
Why volunteer?
Volunteering offers vital help to people in need, worthwhile causes, and the community, but the benefits can be even greater for the volunteer. The right match can help you find friends, connect with the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career. You do not need to make a long-term commitment or take a huge amount of time out of your busy day to reap the benefits of volunteering. Giving in even simple ways can:
Where can I find volunteer opportunities?
Drake’s online community engagement platform, DUgood, connects students, faculty, and staff across campus with partners in Des Moines and beyond. Use the DUgood platform to find opportunities to get involved in our community, track your impact, and explore what your fellow Bulldogs are doing to make a difference.
How can I request Community Service Leave?
Employees wishing to use their community service leave must complete a Community Service Leave Request.
Opportunity Spotlight – Meals on Wheels Hydroponic Farm
The Meals on Wheels Hydroponic Farm is a 3,000 square foot indoor farm capable of producing approximately 20,000 pounds of leafy greens a year. The farm provides some of our most at-risk populations in the metro with a source of fresh, healthy greens year-round. They also provide greens to other WesleyLife and local communities. Training is provided for every task, and there is no gardening or farming experience necessary, simply an open mind and drive to help feed others.
The Meals on Wheels Hydroponic Farm has shifts available through August 29, 2025, and is conveniently located right across from Drake at 3206 University Avenue. Each shift can support up to 10 volunteers, so make it a team-building event with your department and sign up here today!
You are invited to join us at the next Provost’s Drake Social on Monday, May 12, in Schickler Club, adjacent to the Knapp Center, beginning at 4 p.m.
During this event, faculty and staff who celebrated (or will be celebrating) a milestone service anniversary or retirement between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, will have their names scrolled on video screens around the room. There will be assorted beverages and light snacks.
Please take a moment to stop by and congratulate your co-workers!
— Linda Feiden, HR
Now that spring has sprung, it is time to go outdoors and get moving. If you need a little nudge, we are bringing back the Walk this May team step challenge. During the month of May, teams of four to eight will record their weekly step counts. Totals and how teams rank will be shared weekly with the teams to keep the competitive juices flowing. Winners will be announced at the end of the month.
To register, send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu by Wednesday, April 30 with your team members, team captain, and team name. Grab your shoes and let’s get going!
— Linda Feiden, HR
Nineteen staff members were recognized during the annual Sapphire Awards ceremony on April 15, for having received either an individual or team Called to Be True Blue Award during the academic year.
In addition, during this event, the recipients of two special Sapphire Awards and this year’s coveted Madelyn M. Levitt Employee Excellence Award were also announced.
Congratulations to them all! We encourage everyone to take time to congratulate these amazing Drake staff, and to find ways to recognize others.
It’s never too early to start thinking about True Blue awards. Presentations will start up again at the beginning of the Fall 2025 academic term. All Staff Council’s Recognition Committee invites everyone to fill out an online Called to be True Blue nomination form at that time, if they know of someone deserving of this honor.
— Linda Feiden, HR
Join Drake’s Corporate Games team. This annual company-based competition for organizations in central Iowa runs from May 18 through July 31. With over two dozen events to choose from, Des Moines Corporate Games (DMCG) is a great way to meet new people and have fun.
Events range from team-based to individual and competitive to recreational. Try everything from pickleball and golf, to a fitness walk and yoga. You may participate in as many events as you want.
All in-person activities will be held in the evenings and on weekends and are free (except golf cart rental). ALL Drake faculty and staff, student employees, interns, and retirees are invited and encouraged to join Drake’s team.
To participate in this year’s Des Moines Corporate Games, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu for registration instructions.
— Linda Feiden, HR
Looking ahead to Olmsted’s summer refresh, we wanted to alert you of the change in location for some of the Olmsted services for summer. After finals week, all staff and offices normally housed in Olmsted will be moving to other locations during construction. Additional information about the summer schedules and locations for each office are listed below – feel free to contact the office directly if you have questions about availability or location during the summer, as there may be adjustments to their normal hours or availability due to construction or staffing.
Construction is planned to be completed before the start of the fall academic semester, so many of the offices will be returning to Olmsted in August. Student Services plans to remain in Johansen through the start of the Fall semester, and will move back in September.
— Sara Heijerman
Drake Theatre invites you to the final production of the 2024-2025 season, A Doll’s House, part 2 on May 1–4.
Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 play A DOLL’S HOUSE famously ends with the sound of a closing door as Nora Helmer decides to leave her husband and children behind to find her own place in the world. That closing door was the sound that ushered in the modern era of play writing. Lucas Hnath’s A DOLL’S HOUSE (part 2) picks up 15 years after Ibsen’s classic. Nora has returned to her former home. Where has she been? Why is she back? How will her family react?
Tickets are $8/students, $10/adults and can be purchased online at drake.edu/fineartsboxoffice or in person at the box office.
— Amber Hussain
Are you part of a student organization looking to bring exciting, community-focused events to campus? The Holistic Wellness fund, in collaboration with Campus Recreation, Counseling, Student Life, and Access & Success, is launching a brand-new initiative—Second Saturday Social.
We are inviting student organizations to apply for funding to host a social event on the second Saturday of select months: September, October, November, and February. Each event will take place between 7–11 p.m. at either Johansen or Olmsted and will receive $500 in event support from the Holistic Wellness fund.
This is a great opportunity to create fun, engaging, and inclusive experiences for students while fostering wellness, connection, and campus spirit. Whether you envision a game night, open mic, cultural celebration, wellness workshop, or something completely unique—your organization can help shape these dynamic Saturday nights!
Proposal Details:
Interested in hosting? Submit your proposal today and bring your vision to life!
For more information and to apply by May 9 at https://forms.office.com/r/QGpMZr4L2f. Don’t miss this chance to make your mark on campus.
— Laura Shell
Drake University Law School is proud to announce its new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Law Certificate Program.
From day one at Drake, Dean Jones has made AI a top priority, starting with his AI Task Force. “Thanks to Dean Jones’ leadership, we are able to offer this unique opportunity to Drake Law students,” according to AI Law Certificate Program Director, Associate Professor and Sease Faculty Research Scholar Sayoko Blodgett-Ford.
“The AI Law Certificate empowers students to lead at the intersection of law and technology–whether in private practice, government, nonprofit, policymaking or academia,” said Dean Roscoe Jones, Jr. “Artificial Intelligence is not just changing industries; it’s reshaping governance, ethics, and the very framework of legal systems. At Drake Law, we prepare our students with the insight, rigor, and forward-thinking vision needed to meet this moment–and shape what comes next.”
The AI Law Certificate Program is uniquely interdisciplinary, drawing on expertise from across the Drake campus and beyond, including the Institute for Justice Reform & Innovation founded by Judge Mark W. Bennett (ret.), Drake University’s pioneering Artificial Intelligence undergraduate degree, led by Dr. Christopher Porter, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Director of Artificial Intelligence and Co-Chair of the Math & Computer Science Departments, and research at the intersection of the arts, sciences and law.
Designed to be completed by J.D. students during their second and third year at Drake Law, the AI Law Certificate Program is deeply collaborative. “From exploring color and object theory, under the guidance of Assistant Professor of Studio Art Jamey Hart, in the context of machine vision and trademark law, to considering quantum computing data exfiltration detection in cybersecurity, we train law students to go beyond the headlines and critically examine AI’s promises and risks,” said Professor Blodgett-Ford.
Nicholas Romano, a second-year law student in Drake Law’s AI Policy and Governance class, shared, “The new AI Law Certificate at Drake is an amazing opportunity. By working on real-world scenarios that create directly transferable skills, I feel much more prepared to address and advocate for AI-related legal issues and concerns. I’m so happy that Drake is leading the charge.”
Learn more about the new AI Law Certificate program here.
