Category Archives: For Students Archive

For Students Archive

Student finance and registration one-stop shop

The Offices of the Registrar and Student Accounts (including cashier), previously located in the lower level of Old Main, have joined the Office of Student Financial Planning in the main level of Carnegie Hall to create a “one-stop” student experience for all matters related to student finance and registration. Because billing and financial aid are closely related to course registration, this restructuring will provide a more seamless service for Drake students.

However, this change also increases the potential for foot traffic to Carnegie Hall. For your safety, we strongly encourage you to make an appointment prior to visiting the Offices of Student Accounts, Registrar, or Student Financial Planning (see details below):

  • Office of Student Financial Planning: Visit the Student Financial Planning profile in Starfish to schedule appointments, view contact information, and more.
  • Registrar: Visit the Registrar webpage to view our services, common FAQ’s, how-to instructions, and more. Contact registrar@drake.edu for virtual assistance, questions, or to schedule a virtual or in-person appointment.
  • Student Accounts: Visit the Student Accounts webpage to access contact information for our office, as well as other helpful billing information.

Whenever possible, virtual meeting options such as video or audio calls will be encouraged. Microsoft Teams is available to all Drake students and provides a great platform for screen sharing, file transmission, and other powerful features.

If you visit Carnegie Hall, please be aware that the north doors (facing Carpenter Avenue) are designated as entrance-only. The south door (facing Cole Hall) will be designated exit-only. To access ITS Support in the lower level of Carnegie, use the ramp on the east side of the building (facing Old Main).

Welcome back, and we look forward to serving you!

— Offices of the Registrar, Student Accounts, and Student Financial Planning

For Students Archive

Now hiring: Residence hall front desk assistant

The Office of Residence Life is now accepting applications for Desk Assistant positions in the residence halls.

A Desk Assistant is a student who serves as the primary resource and customer service representative for a particular residence hall. Desk Assistants will assist residential students and guests at Drake University through carrying out the daily operations of the residence hall community desk, maintaining safety and security through guest procedures, aiding in the fostering of community among the residential students, and responding to requests by guests, residents, and hall staff.

Apply and find more information

For questions, contact Sara Schilling, area coordinator, at sara.schilling@drake.edu.

— Randy McMullin, Office of Residence Life

For Students Archive

Watch out for COVID-19 scams targeting college students 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning college students of phishing scams targeting their personal information. These emails claim to be from the Financial Department of Drake University or another school and instruct you to click a link to see a message about your COVID-19 economic stimulus check, then log in with your Drake ID and password. If you do log in, you could be giving your ID, password, and other personal information away to scammers, as well as potentially downloading malware to your computer or smartphone. 

Fortunately, these scams are easy to avoid by taking a few steps:  

  • Research where a legitimate university email would be coming from, as many phishing emails use inaccurate department names.  
  • Call Drake’s Finance or Registrar’s office (or whatever office it claims to be from) directly to confirm the email’s authenticity.
  • Examine the message closely. While some phishing emails can be nearly impossible to distinguish from the real thing—bad grammar and spelling can give them away.  

If you receive an email that you’re unsure about, forward it to informationsecurity@drake.edu or report it directly to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. 

—Peter Lundstedt, ITS 

For Students Archive

Spain and Morocco Zoom info session

The “Spain & Morocco: Exploring the Intersections of Ethics and Culture” J-Term 2021 travel seminar will have a Zoom information session on Wednesday, June 10, at 5:30 p.m. CT. Attend to learn from instructors Professors Cris Wildermuth and Amy Pfeifer more about the course, the excursions and activities included in the program, and ask any questions you may have about the travel seminar.

Access the Zoom meeting on Wednesday, June 10, at 5:30 p.m. using the password “adventure.”

Learn more about all of Drake’s 2021 travel seminars, including how to apply.

— Nathan Jacobson, Drake International

For Students Archive

Standing for Justice: Resources for staying well and engaging your community

The following message was sent from Erin Lain, associate provost for campus equity and inclusion; Tony Tyler, associate dean of students; and Danielle Green, director of the counseling center, to the campus community on Monday, June 1.

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,

We write you today in a very serious time in our nation. Not only are each of us determining how to stay safe in a worldwide pandemic, but we are faced with continual reminders of violence Black communities face.

The death of George Floyd has struck a chord with many people. For many it resonates deeply in a long string of extra-judicial killings from Ahmaud Arbury to Breonna Taylor and highlights long standing violence against marginalized communities in our country. We have seen violence even in the Des Moines community in the past few weeks with the attack on DarQuan Jones. 

It seems like every week we hear about a Black person being killed, a Jewish grocery store being attacked, refugees being mistreated, LGBTQ folks facing homophobia and transphobia, or Asian communities facing xenophobia. The list goes on and on. The reports of violence and inequity can be overwhelming. 

It is important that at this time we not only take care of ourselves as we are bombarded with violent images, but also that we reaffirm our commitment to equity and inclusion. We must take action to show those from marginalized groups that their lives matter.  

The added stress and ambiguity of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic adds additional challenges right now. Below are some suggestions and guides for staying well and engaging your community.

Educate yourself  
If you are looking for a way to take action and respond, often the best place to start is educating yourself. The Office of Equity and Inclusion has developed a series of Social Justice Toolkits, located here. There is an Anti-Racist Toolkit listed after the list of other toolkits.

Protest and Social Unrest
Protests are a form of social and political discourse. You may feel compelled to join a local safe, organized protest or travel to join one. If you do, we suggest you review your rights as a protester. Please also see guidance on safe and healthy public demonstrations.

A Time to Come Together
On Wednesday, June 3, at noon, faculty, staff, and students are invited to come together virtually to share, grieve, and organize. In order to join this session please register here.

Prioritizing Mental Health 
Mental health challenges may creep up in ways we do not anticipate. When we are alone, or quiet, or without distraction is often when challenging mental health concerns can arise. The answer is not to avoid being alone or quiet or without distraction, rather, it is notice what you are thinking and feeling and take action to care for yourself. Some simple ways to do this are to eat well, sleep well, check in with others, and visit with the counseling center. This website provides additional tips and tools you can use to cope.

If you are a student, the Counseling Center is offering a Zoom Call with Sharaine Conner, (LMSW, IADC), a therapist at Thriving Family Counseling Services  in Des Moines to discuss mental health during this time of social unrest. We will share on Drake Student Central on Facebook opportunities to register for this Zoom Call.

If you are a faculty or staff member, the Drake Counselling Center has guidance for supporting students, and at the bottom of the page, information on contacting Employee Family Resources if you need support.  

In solidarity,

Erin Lain, PhD, JD
Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion
Professor of Law
She/Her/Hers

Tony Tyler, M.Ed.
Associate Dean of Students
He/Him/His

Danielle Green, MSW, LISW, CADC
Director of the Counseling Center
She/Her/Hers

For Students Archive

Finland J-Term 2021 info session

The ‘Finland: Perspectives on Education’ J-Term 2021 travel seminar will have a Zoom information session on Wednesday, May 20, at 12 p.m. Attend to learn from the lead instructor, Professor Trent Grundmeyer, about the course, about the excursions and activities included in the program, and to ask any questions you may have about this travel seminar.

Access the Zoom meeting on Wednesday, May 20, at 12 p.m.

Learn more about all of Drake’s J-Term 2021 travel seminars, including how to apply.

— Nathan Jacobson, Drake International

For Students Archive

Register now: Summer online courses begin May 18

Summer is a great time to continue your education, pick up additional credits, or work to improve your grade point average. Whether you’re located in Des Moines or thousands of miles away, online courses are available to you—no matter your location. Use Drake’s online scheduling feature to see the current listing of summer online courses.

Summer at Drake begins May 18 and ends August 25 for most classes, with online courses offered during two sessions. For Drake Law School, the summer session runs June 1 through July 31. All summer courses will be taught by Drake faculty who will provide an exceptional Drake learning experience.

For Students Archive

Bulldog Bucks can be spent at the Bookstore

Do you still have Bulldog Bucks to spend? You can shop online at the University Bookstore and use your Bulldog Bucks as a payment method.

Bulldog Bucks carry over from year-to-year (so returning students can use them next year), but they are not refunded when you leave Drake. If this is your last semester here (congrats, Seniors!), consider purchasing something to show off your Drake pride.

— Sara Heijerman, Student Services Center

For Students Archive

J-term 2021 travel seminar deadline May 15

Reminder: Apply for a J-Term 2021 travel seminar by May 15 for the priority deadline. Applications will be reviewed at that time and students will be accepted or waitlisted by June 1. Please carefully review the following information if you are interested in going abroad or on a domestic program for J-Term 2021:

  • Deposit: After acceptance, to secure your spot on a travel seminar, you will need to commit to the program in Terra Dotta, pay your $500 deposit, and complete Terra Dotta post acceptance steps. Given the impact of COVID-19 on students and families, we have temporarily revised our deposit refund policy. If you choose to independently withdraw prior to Sept. 1, your deposit will be refunded. As always, if Drake cancels a travel seminar, your deposit will automatically be refunded.
  • On campus registration back up plan: In addition to applying for a travel seminar, we ask that you also register for an on-campus course at Drake as a backup plan (if you need J-Term credit regardless of the travel component). Please register during the regular registration process and timeframe. If you have questions about registering for on-campus courses for J-Term, please reach out to your academic advisor.
  • Independent withdrawal: We want you to be clear on the financial implications of committing to a J-Term travel seminar. Given the impact of COVID-19 on students and families, we have temporarily revised our deposit refund policy. If you choose to independently withdraw prior to Sept. 1, your deposit will be refunded. If after Sept. 1 you decide you want to withdraw from the program, you will be subject to Drake’s withdrawal and refund policies. Because of this, we strongly recommend you familiarize yourself with our withdrawal and refund policies which can be found in Terra Dotta. In addition, we strongly recommend you purchase ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ travel insurance through an insurance carrier.

Please be assured that your health and safety is of utmost importance. Given that this is an ever-evolving global situation, applicants will be notified if we make a change to the policy regarding J-Term travel seminars. Should you have any questions, we encourage you to reach out to studyabroad@drake.edu.

J-Term Timeline:
— May 15: Priority Deadline
— June 1: Accept/waitlist Students who applied by May 15
— June 15: Students Commit in Terra Dotta and pay a $500 Deposit to secure their place in the program
— May 15–Sept. 1: Students can still apply if travel seminars have openings; deposits are due within two weeks of acceptance
— Sept. 1: Final day to apply and final day for deposit refunds

— Maria Rohach, Drake International

For Students Archive

University Bookstore rental return

Spring rental textbooks are due Friday, May 15. While the due date for rented books has not changed, the “non-return charge date” has been extended 15 days past your current return due date to allow time for your mailed book to reach the store. To avoid late charges, please have your book in transit by the due date.

Two ways to get a Rental Return Label

  1. Wait for the rental reminder email that is sent 14 days before your rental due date. Email is sent again seven days, three days, and the day of your due date. This email contains a link to generate a free return shipping label and packing slip.
  2. You can immediately generate a free return shipping label on drake.bkstr.com in your account:
    • Click the Sign In link on the top right side of the page to sign into your account.
    • Enter the email address you provided at the register when you rented. Note: Even if you rented in the store, an account was created using the email you provided at the register. If you do not know your password, you can click Forgot Password link for a temporary password to be emailed to you.
    • Once you have signed in, click the link Rentals. You will be navigated to the Rentals page in your account.
    • On Rentals page, scroll down the page to see the books you rented. Click the link Return All Rentals by Mail. You can also click the button Return by Mail. Both open a pop up to select your rentals to ship back.
    • Follow the steps to generate and print the return label and packing slip. This option is available until your rental due date.

For questions, contact drake@bkstr.com.

— Katie Wilz, University Bookstore