Blue, the Alumni Insider publication, is typically distributed by mail in the spring and fall. The circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift to an all-digital issue. The Drake community is invited to access and read the issue.

— Alicia Chilton, University Communications & Marketing

Drake has currently restricted all international travel due to COVID-19. However, J-Term 2021 travel seminars have not been canceled at this point given that January is many months away. Due to the ever-changing situation, please know this could change in the future. Please carefully review the following information if you are interested in going abroad or on a domestic program for J-Term 2021:

• Deadline Extended: You can still apply to study abroad J-Term 2021. The J-Term travel seminar priority deadline has been extended from April 15 to May 15. Applications will be reviewed at that time and students will be accepted or waitlisted by June 1. To apply go to: https://drake-sa.terradotta.com/.

• Deposit: After acceptance, to secure your spot on a travel seminar, you will need to commit to the program in Terra Dotta, pay your $500 deposit, and complete Terra Dotta post acceptance steps. Given the impact of COVID-19 on students and families, we have temporarily revised our deposit refund policy. If you choose to independently withdraw prior to Sept. 1, your deposit will be refunded. As always, if Drake cancels a travel seminar, your deposit will automatically be refunded.

• Availability: Some travel seminars already have more applicants than we can accept. If you haven’t already started an application, we encourage you to check out these options:

• Finland: Perspectives on Education
• Italy: Forks and Farms in Italy: Global Food Security and Sustainability
• Kosovo: Repairing and Rebuilding
• Panama: Place-based Integrated Science
• South Africa and Zimbabwe: Religions of Africa
• Spain and Morocco: Exploring the Intersection of Ethics and Culture
• Thailand: Research, Exploration and Reflection

• On campus registration back up plan: In addition to applying for a travel seminar, we ask that you also register for an on-campus course at Drake as a backup plan (if you need J-Term credit regardless of the travel component). Please register during the regular registration process and timeframe. If you have questions about registering for on-campus courses for J-Term, please reach out to your academic advisor.

• Independent withdrawal: We want you to be clear on the financial implications of committing to a J-Term travel seminar. Given the impact of COVID-19 on students and families, we have temporarily revised our deposit refund policy. If you choose to independently withdraw prior to Sept. 1, your deposit will be refunded. If after Sept. 1 you decide you want to withdraw from the program, you will be subject to Drake’s withdrawal and refund policies. Because of this, we strongly recommend you familiarize yourself with our withdrawal and refund policies which can be found in Terra Dotta. In addition, we strongly recommend you purchase ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ travel insurance through an insurance carrier.

Please be assured that your health and safety is of utmost importance. Given that this is an ever-evolving global situation, applicants will be notified if we make a change to the policy regarding J-Term travel seminars. Should you have any questions, we encourage you to reach out to studyabroad@drake.edu. 

New J-Term Timeline:
May 15: Priority Deadline
June 1: Accept/waitlist Students who applied by May 15
June 15: Students Commit in Terra Dotta and pay a $500 Deposit to secure their place in the program
May 15–Sept. 1: Students can still apply if travel seminars have openings; deposits are due within two weeks of acceptance
Sept. 1: Final day to apply and final day for deposit refunds

— Maria Rohach, Drake International

Participate in National Volunteer Week April 19–25 from wherever you are. There are many ways to support our neighbors, even during social distancing. Let’s continue to give back and support our community in a time when it is most needed.

Help make a difference in your community by participating in some of the activities on the volunteer bucket list. Track your service by checking off the activity completed. Snap a photo completing that activity and post it on social media using #DrakeServes.

For every activity you complete, you will be entered in the National Volunteer Week’s prize raffle April 19–25. Learn more.

National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to celebrate the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to come together to tackle tough challenges and build stronger, more resilient communities. Each year during this week, a focus is put on the people and causes that inspire us to serve, recognizing and thanking volunteers who lend their time, talent and voice to make a difference in their communities.

—Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

The Student Services Center is reducing their in-office hours for the remainder of the semester (through May 15). We will be staffing the desk on Mondays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. If possible, please visit during those hours for assistance. If you cannot visit on Monday mornings, please email studentservices@drake.edu to make an appointment for an alternate visit time.

Key pickups are temporarily being handled at Public Safety (1227 25^th Street) Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Contactless key returns can be done at the blue drop boxes at the SSC and Public Safety. Please fill out an envelope and leave keys in the drop box.

The best way to contact us during this time is via email (studentservices@drake.edu). If you need additional/urgent campus assistance, please contact Public Safety at 515–271–2222.

— Sara Heijerman, Student Services Center

Cowles Library has launched a new Research Guide highlighting resources and services to assist with remote learning and instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The library remains closed, but chat assistance is available Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students, faculty, and staff can make an appointment for a virtual research consultation with a librarian. If you currently have books checked out, due dates have been extended to August 31, 2020. If you need to return items, our book drop outside the north entrance of the library is open. If you are able to keep your books until the library reopens, please do.

Updates or changes to services will be posted to the Research Guide and shared on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

— Carrie Dunham-LaGree, Cowles Library

We all experience stress in our lives, but current world events have more than likely increased your stress levels. Finding ways to cope with stress is vital not only to your mental health, but also your physical health. Join Danielle Green, director of the Student Counseling Center, for a virtual meeting on April 16 at 9 a.m. as she discusses stress and ways to manage some of the emotional stress you may be feeling.