All posts by Kathryn Kuckelman

Campus Announcements Archive

2024 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium: Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness

Whether you’re budgeting for the present or planning for your retirement, managing your finances can be an overwhelming task. That’s why The Harkin Institute chose “Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness” as the theme for this year’s Harkin Retirement Security Symposium. The event will bring together advocacy and community organizations, government agencies, and private companies and their foundations that work on financial wellness and retirement security. The symposium will provide a forum to discuss the most pressing challenges and find collaborative opportunities to address documented financial wellness needs and their relationship to retirement security, with an emphasis on vulnerable populations.

WHAT: 2024 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium: Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness

WHEN: Tuesday, April 30, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.

WHERE: Olmstead Center at Drake University (2875 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 5031)

RSVP: Registration is free for Drake students, staff, and faculty! The event will also be livestreamed on The Harkin Institute’s YouTube channel.

For more information on the 2024 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium, click here.

— Kathryn Kuckelman, The Harkin Institute

Campus Announcements Archive

Building Brands, Empowering Entrepreneurs: A Conversation with Emily Steele, BN’12

Join us Wednesday, April 10, at 7 p.m. to hear from Emily Steele, BN’12, Drake alum and the CEO & co-founder of Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds is a dynamic marketing platform connecting place-based brands with community-minded content creators. Emily will share insights on her innovative approach to marketing and entrepreneurship, leveraging social media and community collaboration to empower small businesses and elevate emerging brands.

This is a virtual event open to Drake faculty, staff, and students.

Register here.

Questions? Reach out to Andy Verlengia at andrew.verlengia@drake.edu.

— Andy Verlengia, Office of Alumni Relations

Campus Announcements Archive

Form a welcome tunnel for Findley Elementary first graders April 12, 9:35 a.m.

Start your morning in the best possible way. On Friday, April 12, first-graders from Findley Elementary School will be visiting campus. Join us at the main entrance of Meredith to form a welcome tunnel at 9:35 a.m. (Students should be arriving around 9:45 a.m.). It will only take 15 minutes of your time, yet it will leave a lasting impact on the students. If you can wear your favorite Drake gear, even better.

Drake University has adopted the Findley Elementary School first-grade class and it is a special occasion to have them visit Drake each spring. The students will have a chance to hear from student leaders, go on a “bulldog scavenger hunt,” participate in learning activities with a health sciences class, and do drills with the football team. Thanks to all of those who are involved in making this a special day. Let’s give them the best Bulldog welcome!

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Reminder about Security Awareness Training

On Monday, March 25, all faculty and staff should’ve received an email from “Drake Information Technology Services (ITS)” with the subject line “You’ve been enrolled in ITS security awareness training” regarding a mandatory security awareness training module from our training partner, KnowBe4. If you haven’t completed the training, you’ll receive a reminder message with a link to the training module later this week. The course should be completed as soon as possible and will take you about 15 minutes. 

Cyber security awareness training provides our Drake community information to effectively protect both institutional and personal data. This training is also required for Drake to comply with applicable data privacy laws and helps contain our cyber insurance costs.

We appreciate the number of people who reached out to verify the legitimacy of the message. If you have other questions or concerns, submit an Account/Security Request or call the ITS Support Center at 515-271-3001.

— Becky Klein, ITS

For Faculty Archive

DU Semester Faculty-in Residence positions abroad available

Drake University is seeking interested faculty to apply for the DU Faculty-in-Residence positions to teach and support student learning on Drake’s semester-long, cohort-model, study abroad programs.

Two openings available. You may apply for one or both positions.

  • Spring 2025 in Seville, Spain
  • Fall 2025 in Grantham, England

The DU Semester Faculty-in-Residence applications are live through Qualtrics for Spring 2025 and Fall 2025. To learn more about these opportunities including eligibility, compensation, responsibilities, and to officially apply, please go to: QUALTICS LINK

Submissions are due Wednesday, May 1. If you have questions or want to learn more about these opportunities, please reach out to Maria Rohach, director of education abroad, at maria.rohach@drake.edu.

— Maria Rohach, Global Engagement

Campus Announcements Archive

Student opportunity: Religion and Philosophy Conference

On April 12–14, Drake will host the sixth annual Iowa Interfaith Conference (IIC), this time in conjunction with the regional conference of the upper-Midwest American Academy of Religion (UWMAAR) on April 12–13.

These conferences will feature site visits (on Friday evening, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning/afternoon) and panels and keynotes (on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and afternoon). The on-campus events will be held in Meredith Hall.

Here, in brief, is the schedule for both events. (Also see below for detailed schedules of each and attire/etiquette information about the site visits.)

FRIDAY, APRIL 12
-3:30 pm: reception
-4:00-5:15 pm: first session (panels 1 & 2)
-6:00-6:45: Visit to Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Iowa (33916 155th Ln, Madrid)
-7:00-8:30: Visit to Islamic and Education Center: Bosniak (17630 Bosniak Ln, Granger), dinner
-9:00: Ice Cream social at Drake Diner

SATURDAY, APRIL 13
-7:45: breakfast
-8:15-9:30: second session (panels 3, 4 & 5)
-9:30: coffee break
-10:00-11:15: plenary address: Dr. Douglas Kries, “Religions and Their Communities: Is Religion Friend or Foe?”
-11:15-11:45: lunch
-11:45-1:00: screening of and panel about digital stories from Drake’s interfaith camps (Varsity Theater)
-1:00-2:15: session 3 (panels 6 & 7)
-2:30-3:25: interfaith plenary address: Sarah McCammon, “Making Sense of Religious Pluralism as an E(x)vangelical”
-3:25: coffee break
-3:45-5:00: session 4 (panels 8, 9 & 10)
-5:15-6:30: session 5 (panel 11)
-5:45-6:45: visit to Wat Lao Buddhavas (1804 E Park Ave, Des Moines)
-7:00-8:30: visit to Hindu Cultural and Educational Center (1940 E Army Post Rd, Des Moines), dinner

SUNDAY, APRIL 14
-10:00-12:00: visit to St Mary Coptic Orthodox Church
-12:00-1:30: visit to Iowa Sikh Association

— Catalina Samaniego, senior, Arts & Sciences

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Last chance to take the faculty and staff survey

Thank you to the 337 faculty and staff members who have already completed the 2024 faculty and staff survey. However, we need more responses and have not yet reached our participation goal of 60%. The good news is, there is still time to complete the survey. The survey period ends tomorrow, April 3, so if you have not completed the survey, please consider taking this opportunity to make your voice heard.

The survey link can be found here.

Your voice matters and your responses help the University identify opportunities to improve. Overall responses are reviewed to identify actionable areas for improvement over the next year. The higher the response rate, the more accurate and complete the results. It is easy, quick, and completely anonymous.

— Nate Reagen, Office of the President, & Maureen DeArmond, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Introducing Course Ready

Starting in Fall 2024, all undergraduate students will automatically receive required course materials on or before the first day of class. This eliminates the shopping process, saving students time and money while lowering stress. The program cost is added to student accounts with the opportunity to opt-out. Learn more about this exciting program. A student FAQ and Faculty FAQ can also be found on the Course Ready webpage.

— Jerry Parker, Chief Student Affairs Officer