In order to complete some testing of new electrical equipment, a building-wide electrical power outage at Johansen Student Center is scheduled for Tuesday, March 18. The electrical outage will begin at 6 a.m. and is expected to be complete by early afternoon the same day. No Drake students, faculty, or staff will be allowed in the building during this time.
Category Archives: Campus Announcements Archive
Statewide Tornado Drill March 26
The Iowa Statewide Tornado Drill will take place on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 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 24-28 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.
— Scott Law, Executive Director for Public Safety and University Operations
Building Access and Safe Ride Hours During Spring Break
Beginning Sunday, March 16, most campus buildings (with the exception of Cowles Library, the Law Library, and Athletic facilities) will have limited hours for Spring Break. Buildings will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and remain closed on weekends. Normal access plans will still function during Spring Break and buildings will return to their normal schedules on Monday, March 24. If you will need to access a building during Spring Break, and do not normally have an access plan to enter the building on your own, please check the with the building manager before break to double check their Spring Break hours.
In addition, the Safe Ride Bus will stop operations on Saturday, March 15, at 2:45 a.m. and resume on Sunday, March 23.
— Sara Heijerman, Student Services
Apply to Study Abroad Fall 2025 With New Portal, Via
Global Engagement is excited to announce the launch of a new, more streamlined study abroad application portal! Students interested in studying abroad fall 2025 and beyond will submit their applications through the new portal, Via Global!
You will see our updated curated portfolio of semester and year-long study abroad programs, inclusive of Drake’s cohort programs, DU Spain and DU England. These high-quality offerings support ongoing student interest while still providing geographic diversity. Students can determine programs of interest by utilizing the Program Match feature in Via Global or by using the Program Search. If you have any questions about the application process or would like to review program options, please schedule a meeting through Starfish with Emily Erschen, Education Abroad Coordinator.
J-term 2026 travel seminars to be unveiled at Drake’s J-term Fair on Wednesday, March 12th 4:30-6:30 pm in Upper Olmsted. These programs will be available to apply to through Via starting on March 12th at 4:30 pm.
As a reminder, the deadline to apply to study abroad Fall 2025 is April 1, 2025. Apply for DU England now! Want to learn more? Information session on DU England held tomorrow, March 5th at 12 pm through Zoom (Passcode: 826896), with an additional session offered Tuesday, March 11th at 5 pm in Olmsted CR 310. Questions? Contact studyabroad@drake.edu.
— Maria Rohach, Global Engagement
Drake Dining Spring Break Hours
Drake Dining will have modified hours during the week of Spring Break.
Friday, March 14
Hubbell Dining Hall
- Breakfast 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Lite Breakfast 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
- Lunch 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Lite Dinner 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Dinner 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Spike‘s Convenience Store: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Starbucks in Olmsted: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday, March 15
All dining locations closed
Sunday, March 16
All dining locations closed
Monday, March 17–Friday, March 21
Starbucks in Olmsted: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Saturday, March 22
All dining locations closed
Sunday, March 23
Hubbell Dining Hall
- Lunch 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Lite Dinner 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Dinner 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Late Night 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Spike‘s Convenience Store: 1:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Starbucks in Olmsted: 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Drake Rec: Jazz and Adaptive Dance Classes
Join Drake Rec for a new jazz dance class at the Bell Center on Saturdays at 11 a.m. The class involves exercises across the floor, choreographed combinations, and more. All dance levels are welcome.
Drake Rec will also be hosting an adaptive dance class for all fitness and ability levels on March 27 at 2:30 p.m.
Visit the Drake Rec App for details and to sign up.
— Gail Witte, Rec Services
Women’s History Month at Drake Rec Featuring Cirque Wonderland
Join Drake Rec to celebrate Women’s History Month with an empowering Circus Arts Workshop, featuring the women-owned business Cirque Wonderland.
The workshop will be at 5 p.m. on March 28; check the Drake Rec app for details.
— Gail Witte, Rec Services
Drake Rec Services Survey: Enter to Win Beats Headphones
Drake Recreational Services wants to know how we are doing. Please respond to the Rec Services Survey and provide some valuable feedback about programs, services and facilities. Please include your name if you want to enter to win a pair of Beats headphones.
If you have any additional comments or suggestions, please reach out to recservices@drake.edu.
— Lisa Murphy, Rec Services
Bulldog Shop Spring Break Essentials
Spring break is just around the corner, and the Bulldog Shop has everything you need to make the most of it. Whether you’re planning a beach getaway, a road trip, or just a relaxing staycation, we’ve got you covered.
Look your best and show off your school spirit in this outback hat or crop tank.
You can shop in-store or online for all your spring break staples. From hats and sunglasses to footballs and coolers, you’ll find just what you need to kickstart your break.
New Student Registration Waiver Request Process
Beginning on March 8, students will be able to request waivers for pre-requisites, major restrictions, and other course restrictions through a new process created by the Office of the Registrar and ITS in collaboration with College and School staff.
Requests submitted through the form will be routed for review by College or School Dean’s Office staff and/or the course instructor. Once reviewed, students will receive an email notification of the decision.
If approved, students will be directed to register for the course in Self Service.
Students may start a request by accessing the form directly here or on the Office of the Registrar’s website here. For questions, please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@drake.edu.
— Ryan Trump, Office of the Registrar