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

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

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

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

Get ready to groove with jazz funk April 12. Jazz funk combines jazz, hip-hop, and African dance to create an exciting groove. We’ll warm up, learn cool moves, and have a blast.

— Gail Witte, Recreational Services

Hillel will be hosting the first night of Passover. It will be at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 22, in Levitt Hall. There will be a service that lasts around 45 minutes to an hour and then a kosher dinner following that. The dinner will be catered by Maccabees Deli. Dress Code: Business Casual

Students: $10
Faculty/Staff: $15
Public: $25

Please fill out this form if you are interested: https://forms.gle/UeyirTpyAnE3x4SX8. Please do so before April 13 at 9 p.m. We are using Venmo but can take cash or Zelle upon request.

— Sydney Dvorak, senior, Arts & Sciences

The Iowa Statewide Tornado Drill will take place on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 10 a.m. The statewide drill allows us to test our planning and readiness and practice seeking appropriate shelter in case of a tornado. Faculty, staff, and students should participate in the drill by following campus severe weather plans and going to the lowest level of their building, away from doorways and windows.

March 25–29 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in the State of Iowa. Every year on the fourth Wednesday of March, the State of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department in conjunction with the Governor’s office run a statewide tornado drill.  Drake University will participate in this drill to test our own procedures and protocols. The University will test its campus notification systems, consisting of the sirens located on the blue light phones and the Bulldog Alert system at the same time the City of Des Moines and Polk County test their emergency sirens.

Know these terms to help identify a tornado hazard.

Tornado watch: Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.

Tornado warning: A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Take shelter immediately. Most injuries associated with high winds are from flying debris, so remember to protect your head.

Tornado Preparedness Checklist:

https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/get-help/pdfs/tornado/EN_Tornado-Safety-Checklist.pdf

Tornado Facts:

• Tornadoes can last from mere minutes to several hours.
• Tornadoes have touched down on every continent except Antarctica.
• Most tornado activity occurs in the afternoon and evening.
• The average tornado moves southwest to northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.

—Jen Rasmussen, Environmental Health & Safety

The Summer and Fall 2024 schedule of classes and related registration information is available online. Registration begins Monday, April 8.

View registration information, including the registration time table that shows when you become eligible to register. View the schedule of classes.

Some courses will be temporarily reserved for students who have declared a certain field-of-study (major, minor, concentration, or endorsement). On Monday, April 22, those reservations will be removed. Note that some courses have restrictions that are permanent.

If you are an undergraduate or pharmacy student intending to make any changes to your field-of-study and have those changes take effect before registration begins, file your changes via the change of record request no later than 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 1. Requests submitted after this date may be delayed.

The change of record request can be found by navigating to myDrake, selecting Self-Service under commonly used apps, and clicking on the link for the change of record request under Student Records.

— Ryan Trump, Office of the Registrar