Ready to see the world? Don’t miss our annual Study Abroad Fair on Aug. 28 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the lower level of JSC (Fischer-Stelter Hall). This is your chance to explore incredible opportunities to study, intern, or volunteer in a variety of locations. Whether you’re considering a semester with one of our DU cohorts, a summer interning or studying abroad, or using your winter break to complete another three credits, we’re sure to have a great program for you. Meet with representatives from various programs, talk to faculty and past participants, and get your questions answered about funding, applications, and academic credit.
During the summer, contractors have been hard at work making improvements to Olmsted. We are pleased to share that the project is on time and on budget. Contractors will be on site working on final touches through the end of September. A few milestones to note:
The Bulldog Shop will be open on Monday, August 11.
The 2025 Learning Symposium will be hosted in Parent’s Hall on Tuesday, August 19.
Olmsted will open to the public on Wednesday, August 20.
Starbucks will be up and running on Wednesday, August 20.
Fun new branding elements will be installed through the month of September.
The new On The Go Convenience Store is planned to open at the end of September. The existing C-Store in lower level of Hubbell will be operational until the On The Go store is complete.
The Drake Room will be offline through September 5.
Steam Line replacement is completed with testing of the systems over the week of August 11. Site restoration and landscaping replacement will continue through the month of September.
Student Services Center will be permanently located on the 1st floor of the Johansen Student Center.
Former SSC location in the breezeway of Olmsted will serve as a Welcome Desk for Olmsted and staffed by our events team.
New mail room package pick-up lockers are installed in the lower level of Olmsted.
We are excited for all of campus to see the improvements!
Drake University strictly prohibits hazing in all forms. In accordance with The Stop Campus Hazing Act and Iowa Code § 708.10, all students, faculty, staff, and affiliated organizations are expected to uphold a culture of respect and safety. For more information related to hazing, resources, and contacts, please review the University’s hazing policy.
Microsoft recently began moving suspicious emails to a “quarantine” area instead of users’ junk folders within Outlook. To view or release these messages, you’ll need to log in to a separate site at https://security.microsoft.com/quarantine.
To simplify message management while still protecting you, ITS staff members are working to make adjustments to these new settings so that messages will once again be routed to your “junk” folder instead of the quarantine. We will continue to keep campus informed on whether a permanent fix can be applied.
If you have questions or concerns, contact the ITS Support Center by submitting a ticket through our service portal (service.drake.edu/its) or by calling 515-271-3001.
The Divine Nine Project, located east of Painted Street, will begin on Aug. 4. The work includes adding concrete foundations, granite benches, and stainless steel elements near the Paint It Black circle, situated between Meredith Hall, Jewett Hall, Cowles Library, and the Johansen Student Center. During construction, there will be some short-term sidewalk closures and directional signage in the area.
— Heather Winslow, Capital Projects, Facilities Planning & Management
With The Ones: Drake’s Campaign for the Brave and Bold having come to a successful close in October 2024 securing more than $265 million in gift commitments, the University maintained the campaign website for eight months before archiving it and taking it offline. This means any materials, including email signatures, containing links to the site are no longer active. However, you can still find campaign results and video content for each of the campaign priorities on Drake’s newsroom.
Update your email signature
If your email signature still includes The Ones logo at the bottom, please follow these steps to updated it:
In Outlook, select “Outlook” in your top navigation
Select “Outlook Settings”
Select “Signatures”
Under “Signature Name,” highlight your current signature and click “Edit”
This will open an editable window. Simply highlight the bottom portion of your signature with The Ones logo and delete it. Then click “Save”
Recycle campaign materials
We are no longer using our campaign brochures (AKA case statements). Please find a time to recycle any unused materials.
Join The Harkin Institute and Polk County for the first official presentation of findings from the Central Iowa Source Water Resource Assessment (CISWRA) report—a groundbreaking scientific study that provides the most comprehensive analysis of water quality in the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers to date.
This historic event will feature a distinguished panel of scientists who were directly involved in creating this landmark 227-page assessment, offering attendees unprecedented access to the researchers behind this critical work. It will provide an opportunity for residents of Polk County to get the information firsthand and to share their reactions.
For more information about the CISWRA report, click here.
Join The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement and the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at Cornell University for a webinar on using disability statistics in your work using DisabilityStatistics.org. DisabilityStatistics.org provides data from the U.S. Census Bureau, but instead of republishing huge tables of raw data, the site provides maps, charts, and focused tables. This hands-on webinar will use everyday examples to show you how you can take advantage of this tool in your work.
Join us in celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and our recently awarded “Gold” certification. Earlier this year, the Tom and Ruth Harkin Center became only the second building in the United States to achieve the Gold Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification.
On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, The Harkin Institute will host an unveiling ceremony for the certification plaque that will hang in our atrium. The ceremony will be followed by a panel discussion that will cover the benefits of universal design and how to implement accessibility features in your work place. Light refreshments will be provided.
Before the unveiling, guests will have a chance to check out the Tom and Ruth Harkin Center for themselves! The building will be open for self-guided tours starting at noon. The Harkin Institute staff will be on hand for any questions you have throughout the tour.
American Sign Language and live-captioning (CART) in English will be provided for all attendees during the unveiling ceremony and panel discussion. ASL interpreters will also be on hand from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. for those who need interpretation during the open house portion of the event.
WHAT:Gold Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification Celebration and Panel Discussion WHEN: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Open house and self-guided tours: 12:00 – 3:30 p.m. Unveiling ceremony: 3:30 – 4:00 p.m. Panel discussion: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. WHERE: The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center (2800 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 50310) RSVP: Please RSVP via Eventbrite if you plan to attend the unveiling ceremony and panel discussion
— Kathryn Kuckelman, Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement
