Category Archives: Archive

Campus Announcements Archive

DU Spain: There’s Still Time to Apply

Apply for the DU Spain: Drake Semester in Seville program through Via Global, and experience a semester you’ll never forget! Make the most of your semester abroad with this 3-country program with excursions to cities in Spain such as Granada and Cordoba, a weekend to Lisbon, Portugal, and a multi-day trip to Meknes, Morocco. Priority deadline and scholarship deadline: Tuesday, September 15. 

This upcoming spring, a cohort of Drake students will study at the University of Seville with Drake Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication, Jen Wilson. Students enroll in one Drake course and round out their semester credits taking a variety of courses taught by Spanish and international faculty. University of Seville courses can be pre-approved to count towards your major(s), minor(s), concentration, and/or AOIs.

Drake course offered: 

JMC199: Travel Journalism in Spain 

AOIs: Written Communication or Global & Cultural Understanding

When studying abroad on DU Spain: Drake Semester in Seville, students are charged Drake tuition and keep their financial aid package, making your experience abroad comparable in cost to staying right here in Des Moines. In addition, we award about $200,000 in Global Learning Scholarships every year!

Join our upcoming events to learn more:

  • Spanish Tapas 
    • Get a taste of Spain and mingle with program alums!
    • Monday, August 31, 2:00-4:00pm, Johansen Student Center room 250
  • Spanish Tile Painting
    • Paint your own coaster in the design of a Andalucian Alhambra Tiles!
    • Friday, September 11, 3:00-5:00pm, Cowles Library
  • Walk-In Advising
    • Learn more about how this program can fit into your Drake degree, finances and scholarships, and more!
    • Tuesday, September 1, 2:00-4:00pm, Division of Global Affairs

If you have any questions, please reach out to studyabroad@drake.edu or schedule a study abroad advising meeting through Starfish.

—Emily Erschen, Education Abroad Coordinator

 

Campus Announcements Archive

Apply for DU Korea Today

Drake is accepting applications through Via Global for DU Korea: Drake Semester in Seoul, where you can study abroad in spring 2027 in the bustling capitol of South Korea!

This upcoming spring, a cohort of Drake students will participate in internships in Seoul and study at Konkuk University with Drake Professor of Business, Kelley Ellis. Students enroll in one Drake course and round out their semester credits with a 6-credit custom internship placement + 1 or 2 local classes, or study full time and choose from a variety of courses taught by Korean and international faculty. Konkuk University courses and internships can be pre-approved to count towards your major(s), minor(s), and/or AOIs. 

Drake course offered: 

BUS 198: Business for Good Lab 

AOIs: Engaged Citizen, Values & Ethics 

When studying abroad on DU Korea: Drake Semester in Seoul, students are billed Drake tuition and keep their financial aid package, making your experience abroad comparable in cost to staying right here in Des Moines. In addition, we award about $200,000 in Global Learning Scholarships every year!

Join our upcoming events to learn more: 

  • Korean Corndogs
    • Stop by our table outside of Olmsted to try one of Korea’s favorite street foods! 
    • Tuesday, September 1, 11:30am until supplies last, Olmsted Breezeway
  • Walk-In Advising
    • Learn more about how this program can fit into your Drake degree, finances and scholarships, and more!
    • Tuesday, September 1, 2:00-4:00pm, Division of Global Affairs

If you have any questions, please reach out to studyabroad@drake.edu or schedule a study abroad advising meeting through Starfish.

— Emily Erschen, Education Abroad Coordinator

Campus Announcements Archive

Not Sure Whether to Submit a Ticket? The Answer is Yes

Summary: Not sure whether your technology question, issue, or request needs a ticket? Learn how submitting one helps ITS route, prioritize, and track your request while keeping communication organized—then read the full article.

 If you have a technology question, issue, or request, submit a ticket – even if you’re not sure which ITS team handles it. Starting with a ticket is the easiest way to get your request to the right people and keep it moving.

What happens when you submit a ticket?

A ticket creates one place to record the details, track progress, and preserve the solution for future reference. Ticket data also helps ITS identify recurring issues and campus-wide trends so we can address underlying problems, not just individual symptoms.

You don’t need to know which ITS employee or team to contact. The Support Center routes your ticket to the right group, and the shared queue means another available technician can help when someone is away. Tickets also give ITS the information needed to prioritize issues based on their urgency and campus impact. Submitting a ticket instead of contacting an individual directly helps prevent requests from being delayed, overlooked, or dependent on one person’s availability.

Your ticket also keeps communication organized. Updates and questions are delivered by email, and you can review the request’s status and full conversation at any time in the University Service Portal. Keeping everything with the ticket reduces scattered email threads, preserves important details, and makes handoffs between technicians easier. This will become even more useful as additional University departments begin using the system.

Submitting a ticket also helps ensure a consistent support experience. Requests enter the same process regardless of who you know or which ITS employee you contact, helping students, faculty, and staff receive service based on the issue’s urgency and impact.

Ready to get started? Visit the University Service Portal to submit a ticket or review an existing request.

— Becky Klein, ITS

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Books for Breakfast Returns Next Week

This fall, all faculty and staff are invited to join Books for Breakfast, a non-fiction book club meeting once per month during Community Fridays. This fall, we are reading Zena Hitz’s book “Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life” (Princeton U. Press).

The first Books for Breakfast meeting will be Friday, Sept. 25, at 9:30 a.m. in the Howard Hall Faculty Lounge. Coffee, tea, and light items to nosh will be available. No prior reading needed; this meeting is to pick up our copies of the text and meet fellow readers.

To reserve a physical copy of “Lost in Thought”, message Bret Sikkink in the Center for Teaching & Learning.

Cowles Library has a digital copy of the text through JSTOR.

— Bret Sikkink, Faculty Development Specialist

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Upcoming Blackboard Open Office Hours

Get your Blackboard pages ready for the new semester! Faculty are invited to drop in and meet with a learning designer for hands-on assistance during two upcoming sessions this August.

Wednesday, August 19

Location: Howard Hall Faculty Lounge (Room 212)
Drop-in Times: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. & 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Wednesday, August 26

Time: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Drop-in Location: Howard Hall Faculty Lounge (Room 212)
Microsoft Teams Virtual Option: Available via Teams

If you have questions outside of Blackboard Office Hours:

  • Review the help guides for faculty, organized by topic, in Drake’s Knowledge Base.
  • Go directly to the upgraded Blackboard LMS Help Center.
  • Click the question mark icon in the lower-right corner of most Blackboard pages to open Blackboard’s related help pages.

— Bret Sikkink, Faculty Development Specialist

Campus Announcements Archive

Harkin Institute Policy Discussion: Strengthening Social Security for Future Generations

Join The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement for a policy discussion exploring challenges facing Social Security and key reforms to bolster the program for retirees today and tomorrow. Former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley will deliver the keynote address.

Event Details:

  • What: A policy discussion on the state of Social Security and strategies to strengthen its future
  • Keynote Speaker: Martin O’Malley, former Commissioner of the Social Security Administration
  • When: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. CDT
  • Where: The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center at Drake University (Des Moines, IA) and livestreamed on The Harkin Institute YouTube Channel
  • Tickets: Reserve your spot on Eventbrite

Check out The Harkin Institute YouTube Streams to watch archived policy talks and access live event streams.

— Mandy McClure, Harkin Institute

Campus Announcements Archive

Drake Rec Services Facilities & Hours Aug. 24–30

Here is the operational schedule for rec services and facilities for the first week of classes (Aug. 24–30):

Facility Schedules

Bell Center:

  • Monday–Thursday: 6:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
  • Friday: 6:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
  • Saturday & Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Pool: Check reservation availability and lap swim times at rec.drake.edu.

Underground Fitness: Closed

Tennis Center: Closed

— Allison Bjork, Rec Services

Campus Announcements Archive

Fall Sussman Lecture Features Pulitzer Winner Brian Goldstone

The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement, in partnership with Anawim Housing, will host Pulitzer Prize-winning author Brian Goldstone for the fall Sussman Lecture.

Goldstone, author of There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America, will explore how the working poor face growing housing instability in urban centers and what these trends mean for capital cities across the nation.

Event Details:

  • Speaker: Brian Goldstone
  • Date & Time: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. CDT
  • Location: Sheslow Auditorium (Old Main) on the Drake University campus
  • Livestream: Available on The Harkin Institute YouTube channel
  • Tickets: Reserve your spot via Eventbrite

— Mandy McClure, Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement

HR Information Archive

Blank Park Zoo Membership Discount for Faculty/Staff

For the remainder of 2026, Drake University faculty and staff can receive a 10% discount on membership to Blank Park Zoo. 

To purchase a discounted membership, go to https://www.blankparkzoo.com/memberships and click PURCHASE NOW. Select Zoo Memberships, complete the rest of the form, and enter the code BPZPARTNER10 at checkout.  Please note: this promotion is for Zoo memberships, no combos or joint specialty memberships.

Zoo memberships include free, unlimited daytime admission to Blank Park Zoo for one year. Members also receive 50% off admission at nearly 200 other zoos and aquariums, including: Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Kansas City Zoo. A full list of benefits and member discounts can be found on the website.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Check Out the Fall 2026 BUILD Schedule

The Fall 2026 BUILD schedule is available for viewing and registration is open.  Simply click on BUILD – Upcoming Sessions for the full list, including detailed descriptions. 

Are you ready to register?  There is an online registration link to a Qualtrics survey that makes signing up easy.

Bulldogs United in Learning & Development (BUILD) is a platform for faculty and staff to learn new ideas as well as an opportunity to collaborate with others from across campus.  Most classes are only an hour in length, and many are facilitated by our own faculty and staff.

Take the time to invest in yourself, support your colleagues, and take in the culture that Drake has to offer.

— Linda Feidan, Human Resources