Category Archives: For Students Archive

New semester, new looks

The fresh semester means fresh fits! Explore the Bulldog Shop’s newest arrivals and refresh your Drake styles to start the new semester looking your best and showing your school spirit. Not back on campus yet? No problem. Shop your favorites online and select “Ship to Campus” at checkout for easy, convenient in-store pickup when you arrive on campus.

And don’t forget to gear up for basketball season too. Find exclusive basketball gear at the Bulldog Shop or visit us at Spike’s Locker Room on game days. We’re open at all men’s and women’s home games. Go Bulldogs!

— Bulldog Shop

Fitness On Demand Launch Party

Get ready to level up your fitness game! 🎉 Join us for the Fitness on Demand Launch Party—a high-energy event designed to make wellness fun and accessible for everyone. Experience the hottest virtual workouts, sample healthy snacks, and win prizes. Whether you’re a fitness fanatic or just looking to try something new, this party is your ticket to sweat, socialize, and stay inspired. Let’s make fitness your favorite new habit—don’t miss out!

The launch party will take place from 10:00 am – Noon on Saturday, February 8 in the Bell Center Studio

– Gail Witte, Recreational Services

Complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA Now!

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2025-2026 is now available at studentaid.gov. We recommend that you review Tips for Completing the FAFSA to help avoid the most common issues that students experienced with the 2024-2025 FAFSA.

U.S. Citizens and eligible non-citizens should complete the 2025–2026 FAFSA to be considered for need-based grants, federal work-study, or to take advantage of federal student loan programs in the Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Spring 2026 semesters.

– Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid

Everclass: Overcome the Holiday Hustle: Simple strategies for an organized life

As the holiday season approaches, many struggle to balance work, family, and endless tasks, often feeling overwhelmed and disorganized. While responsibility and dependability are crucial skills, few of us have formal training in mastering them, leading to reliance on complex systems that add to the stress.

Everclass: Overcome the Holiday Hustle: Simple Strategies for an Organized Life will focus on simplifying life during the holiday rush by creating easy routines and habits to stay organized and reduce stress. Learn how to align your calendar, to-do list, and priorities without worrying about missed deadlines or commitments.

Join us at 12 p.m. on Thursday, December 12th to discover strategies for surviving the holidays with less stress and more ease! This session will be facilitated by Kristin Economos, Senior Director, Adams Leadership Institute at Drake University.

Andy Verlengia, Alumni Relations

Holiday Timesheet Deadlines for Payroll

Deadlines for monthly direct pays and ESFs are:

  • 12/10/24 for payroll direct pays and ESFs for the December monthly payroll

Deadlines for biweekly direct pays and ESFs are:

  • Pay period 12/2/24-12/15/24 direct pays and ESFs are due Monday 12/16/24 at 10:00 AM
  • Pay period 12/16/24-12/29/24 direct pays and ESFs are due Wednesday 12/18/24 at 10:00 AM

Deadlines for student direct pays are:

  • Pay period 12/1/24-12/31/24 direct pays are due Thursday, 01/02/25 at noon

Deadlines for the biweekly time sheets are:

  • Pay period 12/2/24-12/15/24 timesheets must be submitted by Monday 12/16/24 at 10:00 AM and approved by Monday 12/16/24 at noon. Payment date is 12/20/2024
  • Pay period 12/16/24-12/29/24 timesheets must be submitted by Wednesday 12/18/24 at 10 AM and approved by Wednesday 12/18/24 at noon (remember to estimate your hours for the holiday break). Payment date is 1/3/2025.

*Medical, Dental, and Vision insurances for the biweekly payrolls will be deducted on the 01/17/25 and 01/31/25 paychecks*

Deadlines for student time sheets are:

  • Pay period 12/1/24-12/31/24 timesheets must be submitted by Thursday 1/02/25 at NOON and approved by Friday, 1/03/25 at NOON

If you will be out of the office, plan ahead to ensure these tasks are completed by the stated deadlines. Instructions to set up a proxy to approve time sheets in your absence are at https://www.drake.edu/hr-internal/managerstoolkit/ under Online Time reporting.

Lisa Etnyre, Controller

DU England: Drake Semester at Harlaxton

While Harlaxton Manor is abuzz with holiday decorating and awaiting the arrival of Santa, Professor McCarthy and the amazing Drake cohort (never has she met such an enthusiastic group!) enjoyed a Christmas afternoon tea at Petticoat Vintage Tea Room in Grantham, England.

This is the culmination of a fascinating semester of local activities like visiting the parish council and attending monthly meetings of the local history society, along with school trips to places like Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Stonehenge, and personal trips to Ireland, Switzerland, and more. To follow one student’s journey, with some great laughs along the way, read student Samantha Pollack’s blog.

And come meet us at DU England: Drake Semester at Harlaxton. Look for information sessions in the spring semester!

Upcoming Planned Maintenance on ITS databases

ITS staff will be performing routine maintenance on our Oracle databases on Sunday, Dec. 22 between 7 – 9 a.m. During this time, Drake systems including Self Service, Banner, ProcessMaker, eTranscripts, and TouchNet may be unavailable. This work is necessary to maintain the security of University data.

If you experience issues after the maintenance is complete, contact the ITS Support Center for help by visiting service.drake.edu/its, calling 515-271-3001, or visiting the lower level of Carnegie Hall.

To see the full maintenance schedule, visit drake.edu/its/maintenanceschedule/.

Becky Klein, ITS

Upcoming Blackboard Ultra Maintenance

On Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024 2 – 8 a.m., Blackboard will be fully unavailable to all users while required maintenance is being performed on the back-end database. This maintenance is necessary to ensure optimal system security and performance.

If you have questions, contact us by submitting a Blackboard Ultra Request ticket though the ITS service portal (service.drake.edu/its) or by calling the Support Center at 515-271-3001.

Karly Good, ITS

Student Internship Opportunity

Are you ready to experience a career in research administration? The Iowa Research Administration Internship Student Experience (I-RAISE) is your gateway to a dynamic and rewarding future!

Funded by the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) GRANTED program, I-RAISE offers an unparalleled opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students from six partner institutions (Drake, ISU, UNI, Simpson, Dordt, Central College).

Dive into a comprehensive program that includes a classroom-based bootcamp, a 10-week summer internship at Iowa State University, and 12-week fall and spring internships here at Drake. Gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and invaluable connections to job opportunities across Iowa. Plus, enjoy financial support and resources throughout the program.

Don’t miss out on this chance to experience the world of research administration! For more information and to apply, click here!

If you have questions, please reach out to Lori Byrd (lori.byrd@drake.edu) or Preston Miller (preston.miller@drake.edu) in the SPARC office.

 —Lori Byrd, Sponsored Programs Administration and Research Compliance

Drake University Social Science Journal Accepting Submissions

The web-based Drake University Social Science Journal (DUSSJ) is accepting submissions for its 24th edition, to appear in Spring 2025. Any current Drake undergraduate (or recent graduate) is eligible to submit a research paper (10 pages or longer) on a topic in the social sciences (e.g., political science, international relations, anthropology, sociology, economics, history, LPS, and social psychology). Papers that feature thoughtful, original analysis, polished writing, and careful citation are especially welcome!

The deadline for submission is Wednesday, Feb. 19

Only one submission per person will be considered. Submissions will be blind peer-reviewed by a student editorial board.

Direct questions and submissions to the DUSSJ Faculty Advisor, David Skidmore, at: advisor.dussj@gmail.com Find previous editions of the journal at http://www.drake.edu/dussj/

David Skidmore, College of Arts & Sciences