All posts by Jazlin Coley

Mentor Acknowledgement Day

At Crew, we want to celebrate all of the incredible mentors who have been part of our journey since our program began in 2013. Your guidance and support have made a lasting impact on our scholars, and now it’s time to show our gratitude!

If you’ve been a mentor or are currently one, we’d love to celebrate with you! Join us at the Medbury Honors Lounge on October 28th, between 9-11 am for a casual, come-and-go breakfast! Enjoy bagels, donuts, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate-and grab some fun Crew swag as well.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued participation and dedication.

We hope to see you there!

Jazlin Coley-Smith, Provost’s Office

Planned Maintenance: Banner and Connected Systems

ITS staff will be performing maintenance on the Banner system beginning Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. and lasting approximately 12 hours, with the system available around 7 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27. During this time, Self Service, Admin Pages, TouchNet, ProcessMaker, eTranscripts, and other systems connected to Banner will be unavailable. This downtime is necessary to keep University data more secure and apply mandatory patches from our vendors. 

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. 

To see the full 2024 maintenance schedule, visit drake.edu/its/maintenanceschedule. 

—Becky Klein, ITS

Teaching & Time Management Workshop on Friday, October 25

The Center for Teaching & Learning is excited to host a 1/2-day workshop facilitated by Dr. Rachel McLaren of the University of Iowa and the National Council for Faculty Development & Diversity.

The topic for the workshop is Teaching and Time Management: How to Manage Your Time So You Can Teach Efficiently and Effectively and Have a Life Beyond the Ivory Tower.

Read the brochure for the workshop to learn more.

Friday, October 25 from 9am to 12pm

Collier-Scripps Hall Room 301

Email bret.sikkink@drake.edu to register

—Bret Sikkink, Drake Curriculum and First-Year Seminar

October Provost’s Social

Drake faculty and staff who exemplify the Core Value of Joyful Accountability will be recognized at the next Provost’s Social, Monday, Oct. 21, in Schickler Club (formerly Shiver’s Courtside Club) beginning at 4 p.m.

To nominate a colleague, please use the Qualtrics form. All those nominated will be recognized on a rolling display at the event.

How do we define Joyful Accountability at Drake? We look for colleagues who are curious, creative, bold, and brave, and who strive each day to be their best!

When you nominate colleagues, be prepared to describe how each colleague meets these descriptions. From among those nominated, several will be chosen at random for prizes.

Refreshments will include an assortment of beverages and light snacks. This is a family friendly event. Feel free to bring your children or partner!

—Madison Bemus, Provost’s Office

Generative AI Panel Discussion on Friday, October 25

Join panelists Eric Manley (Computer Science), Sean Rogers (Athletic Training), and Eduardo García-Villada (World Languages and Cultures) as they talk about how generative AI is changing their classrooms.

—Bret Sikkink, Drake Curriculum and First-Year Seminar

Halloween at Old Main

Get ready for some spooktacular fun! On Tuesday, October 29th, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, offices in Old Main will open their doors to the children of Drake faculty and staff for trick-or-treating. Participating offices will have treats to share. We can’t wait to see all the creative Halloween costumes this year!

—Madison Bemus, Provost’s Office

Faculty Lounge Grand Opening

Please join us from 3:30-5:30 pm on October 24th in Howard Hall 212 to celebrate the opening of the brand new faculty lounge! Come enjoy some refreshments, music, and conversation as we break in the new space. This is an open house, so please feel free to come and go as you please.

Soda, wine, beer, and an assortment of appetizers will be served.

—Madison Bemus, Provost’s Office

Save the Date! Benefits/Wellness Fair on Friday, Nov. 1

This year’s Benefits and Wellness Fair will be held Friday, Nov. 1, from 9-11:30 a.m. in Levitt Hall in Old Main. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending this “come and go” event.

Representatives from our benefits partners will be present to answer your questions, including: Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, Broadlawns, Delta Dental of Iowa, TIAA, Long Term Care Strategies, The Hartford, HealthEQUITY, Avesis, and Employee & Family Resources. Chat with registered dietitian Samantha Matt and folks from Drake Recreational Services. Stop by the table hosted by the Drake Athletic Training Club to get your blood pressure taken and visit with the Drake Kinesiology students.

There will be beverages, freebies, and the chance to win prizes. Most importantly, this is an opportunity for you to be sure you understand and take advantage of the benefits and perks offered to you as an employee of Drake University and help prepare you to make benefit elections during the month of November, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Don’t forget to pick up a bingo card when you arrive and have the vendors you visit stamp/mark it.  If you secure a blackout (filling in all vendor spots), we’ll enter your name in a drawing for prizes.

—Linda Feiden, HR

Reminder on the Survey of Administrative Services

Reminder: As you saw from President Martin’s email, please complete this year’s Survey of Administrative Services by October 22 if you have not already. It is completely anonymous and often takes less than five minutes to complete. You will only be asked to provide feedback on the areas you work with regularly. We’re off to a great start with 173 responses so far with a goal of 350+. Thank you for your input!

— Nate Reagen, Office of the President

Registration for the 57th Annual Drake Road Races opens on Monday, October 21st with the lowest prices of the year! 

Get ready to be part of a historic tradition! The 57th Annual Drake Road Races are coming, and registration opens this Monday, October 21! This year, we’re offering our lowest prices of the year during a special flash sale—but hurry, the sale ends Tuesday night.

Choose from the 5k, 10k, or half marathon, and experience the thrill of crossing the finish line on the historic Blue Oval. Now’s your chance to lock in your spot at one of Iowa’s most iconic road races. Sign up early, save big, and join us in celebrating 57 years of running excellence.

Flash Sale Dates:
🗓️ Monday, October 21 – Tuesday, October 22
Event Date:
🏅 Sunday, April 19, 2025

Don’t miss out on this limited-time offer. Register now at drakeroadraces.org before prices go up!

—Ben Huftalin, Athletics