A recent announcement described plans to move student-employee payroll from monthly to bi-weekly, but it has become necessary to move this transition out by about one year. The Workday project team has become aware that making this change prior to launching Workday will significantly increase the complexity of the project and introduce potential for errors in payroll processing.

By delaying the transition, we can remove a significant source of risk, reduce complexity, and better ensure that Workday payroll fully aligns with our current Banner system.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we work to implement Workday the right way and continue to Transform Our Future.

— Chris Gill, Chief Information Technology Officer

Spring is a great time to refresh more than your home or office—it’s also an opportunity to clean up your digital workspaces. Over time, files pile up, folders multiply, and it becomes harder to find what you need. But did you know that excess digital clutter also has an environmental impact? Storing unnecessary files consumes energy in data centers, contributing to a larger digital carbon footprint. By being intentional about what we keep, we help conserve energy and reduce the University’s overall resource consumption.

Start with your files in OneDrive and Teams. Take a few minutes to delete drafts and documents you no longer need and organize your active files into clearly named folders. You may also want to review shared folders or Teams channels you no longer use. As members of a campus community, we can all be good stewards of University resources by managing our digital storage responsibly.

One of the easiest ways to reduce digital clutter is to share links instead of emailing files. Using the “share” option in a digital document keeps everyone working from the same version, helps avoid confusion from multiple copies labeled “final,” and minimizes redundant data storage. These small actions, when added up across campus, can make a noticeable difference in our collective digital footprint.

The best news is that you don’t have to do everything at once. Even a quick 10-minute cleanup can help you feel more organized and efficient, while also supporting sustainability efforts and responsible use of University resources this spring.

Becky Klein
Assistant Director, Campus Engagement

In light of recent military actions in Iran, Drake University’s Department of Political Science and the Maxwell Fund are hosting a panel discussion, “The U.S. Airstrikes on Iran: What’s Happening and What’s Next?” today, March 3, at 6 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room. This event is free and open to the public.  Refreshments will be provided.

The panel discussion will cover a broad range of high-stakes topics, including:

• The longstanding tensions between the two nations.
• Recent Iranian protests and their impact on internal stability.
• The legality of military action under international and domestic law.
• Regional and global implications for Israel, the Middle East, and U.S. foreign policy.
• Domestic political consequences, including the impact on the American midterm elections and public opinion.

The panel will feature Associate Professor Kieran Williams, Professor David Skidmore, Professor Debra DeLaet, Assistant Professor Adrien Halliez, Professor Mary McCarthy, and Professor Rachel Paine Caufield.

— Rachel Paine Caufield, Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science and Co-Executive Director of the Ron & Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy

Facilities Planning and Management has scheduled several repairs and preventative maintenance to some key electrical equipment on campus that will necessitate power outages in several buildings on Monday, March 16, 2026.

The following buildings will be without power and will remain closed on March 16, 2026:

• Old Main
• Cole Hall
• Carnegie Hall
• Cartwright Law School
• Opperman Law Library
• Olmsted Center

The power outage in these buildings is scheduled to begin at 7:00am and last through 3:00pm. While there is a possibility work will be completed earlier than 3:00pm, these buildings will remain closed so as not to disrupt work schedules.

— Colin Atkinson, Associate Director, Facilities Planning and Management

Join the conversation about affordable housing in Iowa with open tours of the Community Crate, March 23–26, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., at the Drake OTD building parking lot, 3003 Forest Avenue. When you visit, consider bringing a donation for the OTD Hygeine Drive to benefit hygiene banks throughout the metro.

What is the Community Crate? Using local data and stories from Iowa housing experts, Uplift has transformed a shipping container into an interactive housing exhibit designed to dig into the challenges many Iowans face when it comes to finding a place to call home. Drake’s Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program has partnered with Uplift to host this exhibit, known as the Community Crate.

Tours are free and open to everyone. Please contact Ashley Ezzio, ashley.ezzio@drake.edu, if bringing a class or group.