Several services and departments have relocated to Cowles Library:

Global Engagement is near the south (University Avenue) entrance. Use your Drake ID to enter the building, then go past the row of flags and turn right.

Community Engaged Learning is in the southeast corner of the lower level. Enter through the north (campus side) doors, go down the half-flight of stairs, turn left, then right.

Transfer and Veteran Student Services are in the northwest corner of the lower level. Enter through the north doors, go down the half-flight of stairs, turn right, go past the tutoring area, and turn right again.

Tutoring (including Writing Workshop and Speaking Center) will resume in the lower level, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 7.

Staff from these areas and Cowles Library will be on hand to welcome visitors on Tuesday, Aug.t 31, from 3–5 p.m. While the “All In the Library” open house is directed primarily at students, faculty and staff are encouraged to stop by. The first 80 students to visit all the open house stops will receive a free Starbucks beverage.

—Jill Gremmels, dean, Cowles Library

Drake University’s Greenhouse team is having a plant sale from Aug. 30 through Sept. 3 in Helmick Commons from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. A variety of plants will be sold while supplies last to support improvements to the greenhouse. These plants are perfect to freshen up a dorm room or office space and bring the serenity of nature inside. For questions, contact Ashly Frazier at ashly.frazier@drake.edu.

— Ashly Frazier’22

In the last year, a number of campus departments have relocated. Please make note of where each department now resides.

Public Safety is now located on the lower level of Ross Hall (1214 31^st Street) in suites 102–108. Public Safety remains a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week service for campus. Public Safety can be reached at 515–271–2222. 

Human Resources is located on the top floor of Old Main, Room 319.

The Registrar’s Office is located in Carnegie Hall, Room 101.

Student Accounts and Drake Loans & Past-Due Accounts are located in Carnegie Hall, Room 103.

The Cashier Office is located in Carnegie Hall, Room 104.

The ITS support center is located in the lower level of Carnegie Hall.

Global Engagement is located in Cowles Library near the south (University Avenue) entrance.

Community Engaged Learning is located in the lower level (southeast corner) of Cowles Library.

University Communications and Marketing is located in the lower level of Old Main. (Marketing/PR, Room 102; Executive Director/Brand Integration, Room 105)

OLLI at Drake (formerly named the RaySociety) is located in the Alumni House.

Institutional Research/Academic Success is located in on the second floor of Howard Hall, Suite 203

Drake Online and Continuing Education is located in the lower level of Jewett Hall.

Head Start is located at 3800 Merle Hay Rd., Suite 323, Des Moines.

The University Bookstore has undergone renovations to expand its apparel and gift areas, and new lighting was added to brighten the entire store.

Now is the time for a new change—a name change—and we need your help. We are currently named the University Bookstore, but we are more than a bookstore. We are a clothing outfitter, gift shop, graduation provider, and more, and we want your input on how to brand this store with Bulldog pride!

Over the next few weeks as you visit our newly renovated store, please give us suggestions on a new store name that is symbolic to Drake University. We will narrow the suggestions to a select few, and then the community will vote on a new name.

Each person to give us a suggestion will be entered to win a $100 Bookstore gift card.

— Kyle McVay, University Bookstore

The Department of Public Safety has a new home on campus. Drake Public Safety is now located on the lower level of Ross Hall (1214 31^st Street) in suites 102–108. Public Safety remains a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week service for campus. Public Safety can be reached at 515–271–2222. For questions, contact Scott Law, executive director of Public Safety and University Operations, at scott.law@drake.edu.

— Scott Law, Public Safety and University Operations

Campus Mail Operations is pleased to announce Natalie Russell as the new mailroom supervisor in the Olmsted Center. Natalie comes to Drake from the University of Texas at Austin where she was the supervisor of residence hall mail center operations.

“I am excited to fulfill my role as the lead in the mail operations center with new and innovative changes and future improvements,” said Natalie. “I have received a warm and friendly welcome from all and I look forward to meeting each one of you.”

For questions about anything mail related, contact Natalie at campusmailoperations@drake.edu or 515–271–3162.

A few fun facts about Natalie:

• Natalie owned and operated a small flower shop for 10 years.
• Natalie likes to bake cookies—and share them, of course!

Welcome, Natalie! We are thrilled to have you on campus.

— Scott Law, Public Safety and University Operations

Contextual Help
In the bottom right corner of any page in Blackboard Learn Ultra, look for the purple question mark and click on Blackboard Help to be directed to resources to help you learn more about the feature you are using. 

ITS Service Portal  

• Visit the Learn Ultra knowledge base category to see guides on using Learn Ultra features and best practices. 
• Visit the Blackboard Learn Ultra services category to request assistance with issues, troubleshooting, or new spaces, etc. 

New Features and Noteworthy Changes
A well-organized summary of the new features and noteworthy changes found in Blackboard Learn Ultra is available at drake.edu/its/learnultra. 

 — Karly Good, ITS

There continues to be construction along University Avenue. Part of this activity includes relocating a house from the 2900 University Avenue block, between 29th Street and Walgreens. The house is scheduled to move starting around 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 31, (weather dependent). The house will travel west on University Avenue, then south on 31st Street and be put on the foundation at the corner of Cottage Grove and 31st Street. Steps have been taken to abate all environmental and hazardous conditions in the house.

There is another house in this 2900 block area that will be razed as part of future planning for this site. Razing of this house will be taking place in the next few weeks. We look forward to sharing more on plans for the future in this area in the coming weeks.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact Kelly Foster at kelly.foster@drake.edu.

Drake’s Intensive English Program (IEP) provides free learning opportunities for faculty, staff, and full-time students to improve their English skills. Our IEP offers intermediate and advanced level classes with an academic focus. If you feel that you may need additional help in a certain English skill area, be it advanced academic writing, grammar, or speaking, or if you simply would like to improve your pronunciation, you may want to consider taking one of our classes.

Classes begin Monday, Aug. 30, and end Friday, Dec. 10. The last day to register for classes is Friday, Sep. 3. Exceptions may be made to this deadline at the course instructor’s discretion. Please note that these classes are not credit-bearing.

If you are interested in joining a class, wish to see the schedule, or have questions about the program, contact Kendra Hossain-Morehead at kendra.hossain-morehead@drake.edu.

— Kendra Hossain-Morehead, Director of International Student and Scholar Services

Joanne Brown, beloved associate professor emerita of English at Drake, passed away at her home Aug. 5, 2021, in the presence of family. Joanne earned her master’s (1969) and doctorate (1980) from Drake University. She then became a tenured professor in the English department where she taught business writing and authored four books.

In her retirement, Joanne taught courses at the RaySociety, now referred to as the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Drake. She also continued to pursue her passion for theatre. Her final stage appearance was at age 84 in Marjorie Prime as Marjorie.

Joanne was a long-time volunteer and active in her community. She was dedicated to literacy and served as a tutor at the Adult Literacy Center, located at Drake from 1976–2018. She also volunteered as a children’s theatre teacher, Des Moines Community Playhouse board member, and facilitator of book groups at Temple B’nai Jeshuran.

Joanne was known for her loyalty, independence, and generosity, and will be remembered with love and gratitude by colleagues, friends, and family alike. Donations in Joanne’s memory may be made to Temple B’nai Jeshurun or to Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa. A funeral service was held on Sunday, Aug. 8, and can be viewed online.

Read Joanne’s full obituary and leave a message of condolence.