June is Pride Month and our opportunity to celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community at Drake and their accomplishments, as well as the ongoing pursuit of equal justice for the community.

Come celebrate all these things and more, and walk with Drake University at the 2023 Capital City Pride Parade on Sunday, June 11, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the East Village. Afterwards, we invite you to join us for a post-parade social. All members of the Drake community are welcome, including students, staff, faculty, and alumni, and allies are encouraged to walk with us as well.

Also, did I mention that Griff II will be there! Our official parade vehicle is the Griffmobile, although it’s too hot for him to be walking in the Parade, he will be cruising down in the air conditioning.

If you would like to walk with us, please register at the website here. This lets us know how many people to expect and how many materials to bring. All attendees are encouraged to wear their Drake Blue!

— Gregory Lin, Alumni Relations

Enjoy yoga on Tuesdays during the summer from 12:15– 1 p.m. at the Bell Center. The class will be a Hatha style yoga class, aimed to center the body and the mind.

— Gail Witte, Assistant Director of Recreation Service

Jen Rasmussen will serve as Drake’s next Director of Environmental Health & Safety. Jen comes to Drake from the Iowa-Illinois Safety Council were she was an Environmental Health & Safety consultant and trainer. She also served as an Environmental Compliance Specialist at EFCO Forms in Des Moines. Jennifer has a Certificate in Occupational Safety from Iowa State University where she also secured degrees in psychology and sociology. Jennifer has an extensive knowledge and background in developing and implementing health and safety programs and leading legal compliance efforts. We are excited to welcome Jen to Drake.

— Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

Mark your calendars for Oct. 25, 2023, for the first annual Drake wellness conference. The conference will include relaxed social time to get to know the faces of the various departments, presentations, and lectures, as well as experiential activities and breakout sessions.  There are many opportunities to participate in the day and even win some prizes! Keep an eye out for updates. If you would like to be a part of this conference as a facilitator, please reach out to gail.witte@drake.edu.

— Gail Witte, Assistant Director of Recreation Service

July 3–4 will be a University holiday. Therefore, the student payroll approval deadline will be changed. The deadline for students to submit timesheets will not change. Students will still have until July 1 at 12 p.m. to submit, but approvals will need to be completed by 11:59 p.m. on July 5.  It is imperative that everyone meets the deadline as this student payroll will be completed in a shorter timeframe. If you will be taking vacation over the summer, consider Adding a Proxy for your approvals.

— Heather Winslow, Administrative Services Specialist

The Bulldog Shop in Olmsted Center is now open under new management as Drake’s new course materials and retail merchandise vendor, eCampus.com, has begun to serve the Drake campus.

Currently, everything in the store is marked 75% off while supplies last. In addition, you will notice many other merchandise and store enhancements taking place over the summer months.

We are also pleased to announce that Kyle McVey is returning to Drake to serve as the Bulldog Shop manager. Please be sure to stop in and say hello to Kyle and his team.

Updates to the website are also in progress to ensure the store is referred to as the Bulldog Shop rather than the Drake Bookstore. The Bulldog Shop website has lots of great information including detailed instructions on how students can order course materials. Students will now select course materials online and receive them on campus prior to the start of classes.

— Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

Christine Urish, professor of occupational therapy, and Sarah Grady, professor of pharmacy practice, will teach a Mental Health First Aid course on Friday, June 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Fitch Hall, Room 102. If you are interested in attending, email Sarah Grady at Sarah.grady@drake.edu.

Mental Health First Aid is an international, evidence-based program that teaches people to identify, understand, and respond to the signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.

— Sarah Grady, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

The DART bus service is expanding transit options this June with the addition of two new DART On Demand zones in north Des Moines and West Des Moines. DART will also once again extend D-Line service on Saturdays through October for the Downtown Farmer’s Market, beginning at 8 a.m.

As a service reminder, there will be no DART bus service on Monday, May 29, in recognition of Memorial Day.  Regular weekday service will resume on Tuesday, May 30.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Since March 13, 2020 repayment on most federal student loans have been paused with a 0% interest rate. The student loan payment pause will end 60 days after the litigation over the student debt relief program is resolved OR August 29, 2023 (whichever is sooner). More information about the payment pause and the status of the student debt relief program is available at www.studentaid.gov.

Included below is content that was designed to aid borrowers who will begin/resume repayment later this summer.

• How to Prepare for Successful Student Loan Repayment
• How to Pick the Right Repayment Plan
• Tips & Tricks to Prepare for Student Loan Repayment
• Topic Index for Helpful Student Loan Content
• Avoiding Student Loan Scams

Drake’s Financial Aid Office is available to assist with questions related to federal student loan repayment. Contact us if we can be of service!

— Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid