Orientation leaders are dedicated to providing incoming students and their families with all of the information and resources necessary to ensure their transition to Drake is a smooth and enjoyable one.

We need you to help make this happen. Each year we recruit current Drake students to become part of the orientation leader staff. Orientation leaders play a vital role in this exciting process, working closely with new students and their families on a wide variety of topics including academics, student involvement, housing options, and more.

We highly encourage you to attend one of the information sessions being offered. Click here to sign up for a session.

• Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 4–5 p.m. in Olmsted, Room 310
• Thursday, Dec. 1, from 6–7 p.m. on Zoom
• Friday, Jan. 27, from 12–1 p.m. in Olmsted, Room 310

You will be compensated for your time and effort and gain valuable skills in this position.

Learn more about the position. For questions, contact Marina Verlengia at marina.verlengia@drake.edu.

— Marina Verlengia, New Student and Parent Programs

Financial aid information and policies can be found at drake.edu/finaid. Here you will find: 

• instructions for submitting a financial aid appeal for special circumstances,  
• terms and renewal information for most of the financial aid that Drake offers 
• Helpful resources, including scholarship search sites and free personal finance education 

 Please take time to familiarize yourself with the information available on our website! The Office of Student Financial Planning is here to serve you (in person, over the phone, or virtually)! If you have questions about your financial aid please contact us to schedule an appointment or stop by Carnegie Hall. 

— Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is currently accepting applications for the treasurer position for the 2023–2024 academic year. The selected applicant will train/shadow the current treasurer during the Spring 2023 semester, prior to fully assuming the position in April 2023. Apply here.

This is a great opportunity for students studying accounting/finance/other business disciplines and have a passion for providing opportunities to make our residence halls “a home away from home.”  The RHA Treasurer develops and manages one of the largest student organization budgets on campus.

Any student who will live in a residence hall or Campus Suites at Dogtown for the entirety of the 2023–2024 academic year is strongly encouraged to apply by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 27.

Feel free to direct any questions to current RHA Treasurer Matthew Williams at matthew.williams@drake.edu.

— Matthew Williams, BN, Senior

The web-based Drake Undergraduate Social Science Journal (DUSSJ) is now accepting paper submissions for its Spring 2023 edition. Any current Drake undergraduate (or recent graduate) is eligible to submit a paper on a topic in the social sciences (political science, international relations, anthropology, sociology, economics, history, philosophy, religion, and social psychology). Submissions may be short analytic essays or longer research papers. Papers that feature thoughtful, original analysis, polished writing, and careful citation are especially welcome!

No more than one submission per person will be considered. Submissions will be peer-reviewed by a student editorial board. When submitting a paper, please indicate if it is a research paper or short analytic essay. Also, please indicate the primary discipline and any secondary discipline(s).

Questions and submissions should be directed to the DUSSJ faculty advisor Professor Li and DUSSJ Acquisitions Editor at advisor.dussj@gmail.com. 

— Kaiya Kielb Young, Senior

The 2022 Midterm Elections are just one week away. The polls will be open on Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check your Iowa voter registration status here.

Iowa offers same-day voter registration, so all Drake students that are U.S. citizens and over the age of 18 may register to vote on Nov. 8 (even if you did not pre-register). Drake students may vote at their nearest polling location, which can be accessed on the Iowa Secretary of State website. Eligible voters must bring a photo ID (with an expiration date) and proof of address.

For on-campus students, you can access your residence hall address for proof of residency by signing into myDrake. Under the ‘My Drake Profile’ category, select ‘My Information’ and print out the page. According to the Secretary of State’s office, you may use this printout as your proof of residency when you go to the polls.

To learn more about voting as a college student, visit https://www.drake.edu/community/learningservice/studentopportunities/votingcivicengagement/

Questions? Reach out to Stephanie Kiel, Community Engagement Peer for Voter and Civic Engagement, at stephanie.kiel@drake.edu.

— Stephanie Kiel, AS’23

The deadline to register for Co-Rec Innertube Waterpolo  is Wednesday, Oct. 26. Learn more and sign up at imleagues.com/spa/intramural/550ab0b3251e4b9387d21ca441000d01/home. Don’t miss your chance to participate!

— Emy Hayes, JO’24

Spring 2023 and J-Term 2023 bills will be emailed to students and authorized users around Dec. 15 and will be due the first day of the term. Please remember, in order to register for the upcoming terms your Fall 2022 balance must be paid in full or you must be current on your established monthly payment plan. To view your current balance and make a payment please login to your student account via MyDrake>Student Accounts and Financial Aid> Make a Payment.

A J-Term FAQ is available for questions related to J-Term billing. The FAQ has been updated to include information regarding the new J-Term administrative fee that will begin for J-Term 2023.

If you have any questions about your current balance or a future J-Term and spring balance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at stuacct@drake.edu.

— Julia Gwebu, Director of Student Accounts

Register today! The Sussman Leadership Conference is an annual event that brings together Drake student leaders from all across campus to explore and gain skills in a particular leadership topic and theme. This year’s conference, “Confidence and the Comparison Trap,” will explore how to gain genuine and authentic confidence as a student leader and young professional with featured keynote speaker Alex Weber. Conference registration is free for students (valued at $75 per seat!) including a gourmet brunch, nationally-renowned keynote speaker, and several breakout sessions. All conference registration fees are covered by the Adams Leadership Institute. Space is limited, learn more and register by Nov. 1 at bit.ly/sussman22.

— Kristin Economos, Office of Student Involvement and Leadership

Faculty from the Department of Political Science will hold an informal, off-the-record discussion of the U.S. midterm elections and current events around the world on Friday, Nov. 11, from 1–2 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room. All interested students are welcome.

— Kieran Williams, Political Science

We’re excited to be offering five retreat experiences for first-year students during J-Term in 2023. The experiences are all centered around Drake’s mission and will engage students virtually during the first two weeks of J-Term before students return to campus on Thursday, Jan.19, for a retreat.

Applications are open until Nov. 11 at 5 p.m.

Students who complete a Mission in Action J-Term experience will become Mission Ambassadors for Drake University, which will be reflected on their official Drake University transcript. As Mission Ambassadors, students have proven that they are actively living out Drake’s mission.

For more information, please visit https://www.drake.edu/dc/j-termexperience/2023missioninactionfirst-yearexperience/.

— Melissa Sturm-Smith, Academic Excellence and Student Success