We are excited to invite proposals for the Fall 2026 First-Year Seminars (FYS). As a cornerstone of our first-year experience, the FYS provides a structured, welcoming environment where students begin building academic confidence, habits, and sense of belonging that will carry them through their Drake journey. These seminars provide incoming students with transformative opportunities to connect with faculty, peers, and ideas in meaningful and developmentally supportive ways.

To propose an FYS for next fall, please complete the Qualtrics proposal form before Monday, February 2, 2026.

If you have any questions as you complete the proposal, contact Bret Sikkink (bret.sikkink@drake.edu) in the Center for Teaching & Learning.

— Kendra Colbert, Drake Online and Continuing Education

 

Drake’s annual career fair is coming up in just a couple of weeks, and we need help from our faculty and staff colleagues to ensure it’s a success for our Class of 2024 and Class of 2025 alumni, all current students, and employer and graduate/professional school partners. 

There are several ways you can help: 

Encourage Participation: Date, time, and location are below. Please distribute these details via email with recent alumni, students, and advisees; post them in your course syllabus; print and post a promotional flier outside your office; share an announcement and reminders in class and during appointments; shout it from the rooftops!

University Career Fair
Thursday, February 12
Olmsted Student Center
3:00 – 6:00 PM

• Students are highly encouraged to register in advance & registration is now open on Handshake. 
• Follow @drakecareer on Instagram for additional event information and updates

Volunteer: We still need a number of volunteers to help with event set-up, student check-in and registration, employer check-in, and especially event tear-down and clean-up. It’s a great opportunity for faculty and staff to connect with students outside of our usual areas, meet our employer and graduate school partners, and go “all in this together!” If you and/or colleagues from your college/school or department are interested in volunteering, please sign up for a shift on the Career Fair Volunteers SignUpGenius.  

Save-the-Dates: Early spring is always a busy time in Career Services! In addition to our career fair, we have three, campus-wide events to help support students’ career and professional development. Please also help us promote: 

Resume Reviews 
Thursday, February 5 
10am to 4pm 
Olmsted Student Center Conference Rooms (Upper level)  

This is a drop-in, in-person opportunity for students to meet with our Career Services staff, employer partners, and other volunteers for feedback and input on their resume or CV in preparation for the career fair. No appointments necessary! 

Level Up with AI: An Alumni Networking Breakfast 
Friday, February 6 
8:30am to 10am 
Olmsted Student Center, Parents Hall South 

Join Career Services, the Office of Alumni Relations, and 20-25 alumni guests for breakfast, networking, and a keynote address from Drake alum and Director of Talen Development at F&G, Ben Weinberg, about IF, WHEN, and HOW to use AI to support career and professional development. All students must register on EventBrite. Space is limited. Thanks to our event sponsors: Principality Group of Wells Fargo Advisors. 

 Internships & Mocktails 
Thursday, March 5 
5:00pm to 6pm 
Fisher-Stelter Hall (Johansen Student Center) 

An evening design for students to learn about internships and build confidence in professional networking. Enjoy appetizers and mocktails as you make new connections, practice professional ‘mocktail’ etiquette, and learn about internship programs offered through Cintas. All students must register using EventBrite. Space is limited.  

 — Jill Batten, Strategic Director of Advising & Career Services

Drake faculty and staff who exemplify the Core Value of Generosity of Spirit will be recognized at the next Provost’s Social, Thursday, Jan. 22, in the Cowles Reading Room beginning at 4 p.m. 

How do we define Generosity of Spirit at Drake? We look for colleagues who trust, empower, and presume the best of others, practice civility, caring, and respect, and are committed to equity and inclusion. 

To nominate a colleague, please use the Qualtrics form. All those nominated will be recognized on a rolling display during the event.  When you nominate colleagues, be prepared to describe how each colleague meets these descriptions. From among those nominated, several will be chosen at random for prizes. 

Refreshments will include an assortment of beverages and light snacks. This is a family friendly event. Feel free to bring your children or partner!

— Anne Marie Greenwood, Office of the Provost

The Division of Global Affairs is calling for proposals for a two-year grant that will fund an interdisciplinary faculty-student research project that addresses a global issue of broad public importance. The deadline for new proposals is March 13, 2026.

The purpose of this initiative is to enhance Drake’s direct involvement in addressing pressing global issues, in direct support of its mission of responsible global citizenship.  Over the last several years, the following projects have received funding for pressing issues grants:

• Increasing interest in and access to STEM careers for marginalized students in Kosovo
• “Cross-cultural Community-based Strategies for Sustainable Urban Streams: Lessons from Des Moines and Jakarta”
• Exploring complementary approaches to combat global non-communicable diseases in India
• Religions of Beijing book project with Minzu University of China in Beijing
• Assessing, collaborating, and empowering to improve water quality in rural Uganda
• “Transnational Des Moines: Reframing Des Moines Immigrant and Refugee Narratives through Collaborative Research with Youth”
• “Drake University’s Presence in the Toledo District of Southern Belize: Maximizing Our Impact While Minimizing Our Footprint”

One project will be funded for the period from July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028. The Olson Global Service Endowment will provide $20,000-$30,000 over the two-year period in support of the selected project, depending upon demonstrated need. Project leaders are encouraged, if necessary, to seek additional funding from on- and off-campus sources.

Send your proposals to Erin McSween, Global Affairs Administrative Assistant (erin.mcsween@drake.edu).  Submissions will be reviewed by an internal committee with representatives from Global Affairs, the faculty, and the Grants Office. Award notification will occur by April 10, 2026.

Successful proposals will present a cohesive, interdisciplinary research initiative that addresses a pressing global issue through rigorous scholarship, meaningful student engagement, and public-facing impact and should contain the following elements/criteria:

1. Explication of Research Topic

• A clear identification of the pressing global issue to be addressed and an explanation of its public significance.
• An exposition of the research objectives and methods related to the project.
• An explanation of how the project takes advantage of the strengths Drake and the community bring to addressing the issue.  

2. Identification of Interdisciplinary Research Team

• Commitments from an interdisciplinary faculty research team consisting of three or more faculty members (at least two of whom must be Drake affiliated). One or more Principal Investigators must be identified.
• Evidence that the team members possess the requisite qualifications to successfully carry out the project (please attach CVs).
• The project must involve two or more paid student research assistants with appropriate qualifications.
• The research may be joint or parallel (i.e., a single joint project or several individual projects that each address related aspects of a common theme).

3. Activities and Outcomes

• The project timeline will allow for completion of the primary research products within a two-year period.
• The project participants will engage in at least two team activities (e.g., summer campus workshop, international travel as a team, cooperative field work, etc.) during the grant period.
• Team members will collaborate with other campus entities (e.g., Global Affairs, Humanities Center, the Harkin Institute, Community Engaged Learning, etc.) to schedule co-curricular events (e.g., speakers, films, panel discussions, etc.) related to the theme during the two-year grant period.
• The project will plausibly lead to externalization in the form of publication, presentation(s) at a professional conference, submission as a report to relevant public or non-governmental bodies involved with policy-making, or other outputs of similar import.

4. Preferences

• Preference will be given to projects that draw upon existing Drake connections with partners at the local, national, or international level.
• Preference will be given to new initiatives not previously supported by a Pressing Issues grant.

Teams are encouraged to consult with Annique Kiel, Chief Global Affairs Officer and Dean of Global Programs, as they prepare their proposals. The successful grant team will be expected to submit a formal progress report by June 30, 2027, and a final grant report by June 30, 2028.

Please direct all inquiries regarding the pressing issues grant process to Annique Kiel (annique.kiel@drake.edu).

Drake Online & Continuing Education and the Center for Teaching & Learning are hosting Blackboard Hours this week, prior to spring semester. Learn more about the new look and feel of Blackboard and get your courses ready to go with the assistance of Drake Online’s learning design services staff.

Each two-hour block features an optional 15-minute informational session about the most recent Blackboard updates, followed by walk-in office hours. You can see the full list of dates, times, and locations on the Blackboard Development Opportunities page.

Please complete this form to indicate when you plan to come and what types of questions you have. Your feedback helps us adequately staff and prepare to assist you.

— Bret Sikkink, Faculty Development Specialist

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

 Ratings were consistent with prior year ratings.  Each of the departments within Finance individually scored between 4.4 and 4.7 on the 5-point scale.  The overall satisfaction with the services provided by the Offices of Finance and Financial Aid score was 4.48 compared to 4.62 in 2024.  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.  A number of comments referenced the impact on services from staffing levels and turnover, along with the Workday implementation.  The Finance staff are doing our best to manage through the challenges and will come out of the Workday implementation in a better position.  We request your continued grace as we work to streamline and continually improve our operations.

Thank you again for participating in the Survey of Administrative Services 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

Drake faculty and staff who exemplify the Core Value of Generosity of Spirit will be recognized at the next Provost’s Social, Thursday, Jan. 22, in the Cowles Reading Room beginning at 4 p.m. 

How do we define Generosity of Spirit at Drake? We look for colleagues who trust, empower, and presume the best of others, practice civility, caring, and respect, and are committed to equity and inclusion. 

To nominate a colleague, please use the Qualtrics form. All those nominated will be recognized on a rolling display during the event.  When you nominate colleagues, be prepared to describe how each colleague meets these descriptions. From among those nominated, several will be chosen at random for prizes. 

Refreshments will include an assortment of beverages and light snacks. This is a family friendly event. Feel free to bring your children or partner! 

— Anne Marie Greenwood, Provost’s Office