Starting in the spring semester, the new Drake Mobile ID will be available to campus.

Do you misplace or forget your Drake ID card? Do you frequently use campus services, including the dining halls, Bulldog Bucks, recreational services, and the library? You can soon access these services and more using just your mobile phone or smart watch. 

The Drake Mobile ID is a new, secure way for you to use Drake services from the convenience of your phone or watch. In order to use the mobile ID, you must have a picture on file with Student Services. Next, you will download the Transact E-Accounts application and add your Drake Mobile ID to your Apple or Samsung wallet. Then, simply hold your phone or watch to a card reader to scan your ID. No need to turn your device on or search for your card. More instructions and detailed information will be available before the launch date. 

A group of select students, faculty, and staff have graciously tested these features, and the Drake Mobile ID will be released to campus on January 29, 2024. Participation in the Drake Mobile ID is not required but encouraged. You are not required to dispose of your physical ID card if you choose to participate in the Drake Mobile ID. 

The Drake Mobile ID is subject to the same terms and conditions as a physical ID card. Any misuse, including sharing your credential with any other individual, is in violation of Drake University Student Conduct Code and will result in disciplinary action. The Drake Mobile ID uses the native NFC technology within each device that is also utilized for any other ID or payment function. Additionally, the ID credential stored within the Drake Mobile ID is encrypted and can only be read by readers deployed by Drake with the proper decryption. 

Please contact the Student Services Center with questions or concerns by emailing studentservices@drake.edu, visiting the office located in Olmsted, or calling 515-271-2000. 

— Scott Law, Public Safety & Operational Services

As we head into the holiday break, please note that the Bulldog Shop store hours will be reduced to give our team a well-deserved rest. We will be closed Thursday, Dec. 21, through Tuesday, Jan. 2. Make sure to plan your visits accordingly and grab your Drake essentials and holiday gifts in time. Wishing everyone a relaxing and joyful break.

Please note: Online orders received after noon on Wednesday, Dec. 20, will be processed beginning Wednesday, Jan. 3.

— The Bulldog Shop

The Offices of Finance and Financial Aid would like to thank everyone for taking the time to complete the Administrative Services Survey earlier this fall.  We have gained valuable feedback to help us maintain and improve the services we provide to students, faculty, and staff.

Ratings for every question were very consistent with prior year ratings.  Each of the departments individually scored between 4.0 and 5.0 on the 5-point scale.  The overall satisfaction with the services provided by the Offices of Finance and Financial Aid score was 4.42 compared to 4.57 in 2022.  While there is always room for improvement, the unit’s staff are clearly doing their best to meet our service-oriented objectives to:

• Ensure our constituents are engaged and informed,
• Ensure integrity and transparency,
• Process university resources timely and accurately, and
• Improve service excellence.

The comments included in the survey were very helpful.  We appreciate the many positive comments that recognized outstanding service provided by staff.  The item for improvement that we noted and plan to work on over the next year is to ensure that we are having consistently positive interactions with all those that interact with the finance and financial aid functions.

Thank you again for participating in the Administrative Survey and please know that your input is reviewed and analyzed by the entire staff of the Offices of Finance and Financial Aid.

— Adam Voigts, Chief Financial Officer

It is with great sadness that we share that Professor Emeritus of History Julian Archer passed away on Nov. 23. Julian was an accomplished history professor who served Drake for 42 years.  In addition to his role as a faculty member, he lead multiple alumni travel excursions and was a long serving member of the Bucksbaum Committee. Julian will be deeply missed by his colleagues and by generations of students. He was preceded in death by his wife Jane. A memorial is being planned for next spring. Our deepest condolences go out to his children, Jane, Elisabeth, and Laird.

The upcoming winter break provides our Facilities Planning and Management team and contractors time to complete projects. One of these projects is the replacement of the second corridor flooring in Meredith Hall. This work will occur from Dec. 18, 2023, to Jan. 22, 2024. During this time, faculty, staff, and students will not have access to the second floor. Stairwell and elevator access from the first floor to the basement level will be maintained.

— Rob Ebel, Project Manager, Facilities Planning and Management

ITS will be performing routine Oracle Database maintenance from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023. Several Drake systems, including Self Service, ProcessMaker, eTranscripts, and Banner, will be unavailable during this window. For a full schedule of maintenance dates for 2023, please see https://www.drake.edu/its/maintenanceschedule/.

— Tyler Spoon, ITS

At the end of January 2024, the existing campus-wide cable service for all residence halls, academic, and administrative buildings will be discontinued. In addition to increasing costs for the service, Mediacom has limited ability to support the aging analog equipment, which has resulted in extended service outages. In its place, a new high-speed internet connection will be dedicated to residence halls to provide better streaming capacity in student rooms. The addition of this internet connection will be transparent to students as it will simply provide additional capacity on the “eduroam” and “DUEntertainment” networks. 

Departments in academic and administrative buildings may request that digital cable connections be installed at an additional cost to the department. ITS will centrally manage the billing account, and monthly charges will be expensed to departmental budgets. Please contact Alicia Mann, ITS Budget and Office Manager, at alicia.mann@drake.edu with questions regarding department digital cable installations. 

— Alicia Mann, ITS

Construction on Morehouse Hall will begin this month. The former residence hall will be transformed into a lively student center that will serve as a gathering place and home base for more than 150 student-led campus organizations.

Eleven million dollars has been raised for the project, and total construction costs are expected to be 100% donor-funded. The project is made possible in large part by the many donors who have contributed to The Ones: Drake’s Campaign for the Brave and Bold. The revitalization project is estimated to be complete in January 2025, just in time for the Spring 2025 semester. Read more about the project.

We will continue to share updates on the progress of this project.

— Heather Winslow, Capital Projects, Facilities Planning and Management

Join Drake professors Chris Porter and Chris Snider for a virtual lunch and learn about generative AI tools on Dec. 15—with a holiday theme. Porter and Snider will introduce tools for creating text, images, video and more. Sign up here.

— Chris Snider, Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication

During Finals Week, only same day, urgent appointments will be scheduled. To schedule, call us at 515-216-5100 the day of or the day before you would like to be seen.

Please also visit us at Meredith Hall, Room 203, from 1–3 p.m. during Bulldog Balance to have on campus relaxing, engaging, and soothing activities. You deserve a break!

Visit drake.edu/counselingcenter/ for more information.

— Kayla Bell-Consolver, Broadlawns Drake Counseling Center