The Drake Constitutional Law Center kicks off its 2026–2027 lecture series on Constitution Day, Sept. 17, at 3 p.m. with Aziz Z. Huq, Frank and Bernice J. Professor at the University of Chicago Law School and associate professor of sociology. His presentation, “Legality—and what comes after it,” is part of Drake University Law School’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, recognizing the enduring importance of the Constitution and the principles on which the nation was founded.

The free lecture is open to the public and will be hosted in the James Albert Classroom (number 213) in Cartwright Hall on the Drake campus. Registration is required for both in-person and livestream attendance. Register here: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=6a3b6afd-aa6a-403b-b58d-42eaa0bbe14a&envId=p-5q02DJVwcU2zacASsSW7Ig&zone=usa

“Drake Law School is fortunate on this major occasion to host one of the nation’s most accomplished and prolific legal scholars,” said Professor Mark Kende, director of the Drake University Constitutional Law Center and James Madison Chair in Constitutional Law.

Huq is a scholar of U.S. and comparative constitutional law. His recent work concerns democratic backsliding and the regulation of artificial intelligence. Huq’s award-winning scholarship is published in several books and in leading law, social science, and political science journals. He also writes for Politico, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and many other non-specialist publications.

Each year, the Constitutional Law Center hosts multiple lectures on campus with the nation’s leading constitutional scholars, including the Constitutional Law Symposium, Distinguished Lecture Series, and Judge James Grant Iowa Constitution Lecture Series.

Constitutional Law Center 2026-27 Dates:

Sept. 17, 3 p.m., Constitution Day Lecture, Aziz Z. Huq

Jan. 28, 3 p.m., Judge James Grant Lecture, John Dinan

Feb. 11, 3 p.m., Distinguished Lecture Series, Jonathan Gienapp

April 17, 8:30 a.m., Constitution Law Symposium, Suzie Pritchett, Kevin Johnson, Rose Cuisson- Villazor, Rogers Smith

The Constitutional Law Center is one of only four such centers established by Congress and funded by the federal government. It promotes the study of the U.S. Constitution and related topics. The Law School’s annual Constitution Day lecture brings distinguished constitutional law scholars to campus to explore timely issues related to the Constitution and its role in American society.

— Taylor Johnson, Law School

Intramural deadlines are approaching fast; sign up before it is too late! Here is the schedule of upcoming sports and their registration deadlines. Sign up for all intramurals using the DrakeRec app or by visiting the registration portal online.

6v6 Indoor Volleyball:

Registration deadline: Sept. 2 at 4 p.m.
Season start: Sept. 8

Outdoor Soccer:

Registration deadline: Sept. 3 at 4 p.m.
Season start: Sept. 9

NFL PickEM:

Registration deadline: Sept. 9
Season start: Sept. 9

— RJ Hurd, School of Education

Are you interested in sustainability on campus? You can join the Sustainability Committee (a group of staff, faculty, and students) working to make change on our campus!

The committee meets the 3rd Friday of each month at 2 p.m. in SCB 201.

Sign up for the committee or email sydney.dvorak@drake.edu to learn more.

— Sydney Dvorak, Sustainability Coordinator

Summary: Not sure whether your technology question, issue, or request needs a ticket? Learn how submitting one helps ITS route, prioritize, and track your request while keeping communication organized—then read the full article.

 If you have a technology question, issue, or request, submit a ticket – even if you’re not sure which ITS team handles it. Starting with a ticket is the easiest way to get your request to the right people and keep it moving.

What happens when you submit a ticket?

A ticket creates one place to record the details, track progress, and preserve the solution for future reference. Ticket data also helps ITS identify recurring issues and campus-wide trends so we can address underlying problems, not just individual symptoms.

You don’t need to know which ITS employee or team to contact. The Support Center routes your ticket to the right group, and the shared queue means another available technician can help when someone is away. Tickets also give ITS the information needed to prioritize issues based on their urgency and campus impact. Submitting a ticket instead of contacting an individual directly helps prevent requests from being delayed, overlooked, or dependent on one person’s availability.

Your ticket also keeps communication organized. Updates and questions are delivered by email, and you can review the request’s status and full conversation at any time in the University Service Portal. Keeping everything with the ticket reduces scattered email threads, preserves important details, and makes handoffs between technicians easier. This will become even more useful as additional University departments begin using the system.

Submitting a ticket also helps ensure a consistent support experience. Requests enter the same process regardless of who you know or which ITS employee you contact, helping students, faculty, and staff receive service based on the issue’s urgency and impact.

Ready to get started? Visit the University Service Portal to submit a ticket or review an existing request.

— Becky Klein, ITS

A new Acceptable Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy is available for review and comment on the Policy Development and Review page of the University Policy Library internal site (Drake login required). This policy establishes standards for the acceptable use of AI technologies at Drake. It addresses the responsible use, acquisition, integration, and deployment of AI technologies. The purpose of the policy is to ensure that AI-enabled content, automation, and representations of the University are used in a manner that protects security, compliance, institutional integrity, and the rights and privacy of individuals. 

The policy will be open for review and comment through September 30, 2026. Comments may be submitted to dupolicies@drake.edu. 

— Keren Fiorenza, Chief Information Technology Officer

Join The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement for a policy discussion exploring challenges facing Social Security and key reforms to bolster the program for retirees today and tomorrow. Former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley will deliver the keynote address.

Event Details:

• What: A policy discussion on the state of Social Security and strategies to strengthen its future
• Keynote Speaker: Martin O’Malley, former Commissioner of the Social Security Administration
• When: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. CDT
• Where: The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center at Drake University (Des Moines, IA) and livestreamed on The Harkin Institute YouTube Channel
• Tickets: Reserve your spot on Eventbrite

Check out The Harkin Institute YouTube Streams to watch archived policy talks and access live event streams.

— Mandy McClure, Harkin Institute

Here is the operational schedule for rec services and facilities for the first week of classes (Aug. 24–30):

Facility Schedules

Bell Center:

• Monday–Thursday: 6:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
• Friday: 6:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday & Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Pool: Check reservation availability and lap swim times at rec.drake.edu.

Underground Fitness: Closed

Tennis Center: Closed

— Allison Bjork, Rec Services