Projects made possible by gifts to The Ones are already making a difference at Drake. Nearly four months after launching, the University’s comprehensive campaign is now more than halfway to its $225 million goal.

Donors have gifted $125 million to The Ones: Drake’s Campaign for the Brave and the Bold. The gifts will fund new scholarships that create opportunities, institutes that strengthen communities, and facilities that expand possibilities.

Some major gift highlights from the initial round of contributions:

• Campaign co-chair and Drake Trustee Suzie Glazer Burt has donated more than $8 million to the campaign. Her generosity will help the Drake women’s basketball program reach new heights. She also changed the Drake campus, and the lives of thousands of local children forever, by funding the creation of the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Boys & Girls Club at Drake University.
• Campaign co-chair and Drake Trustee Mark Ernst, BN’80, and his wife, LeighAnn Davis, believe so strongly in the mission of Drake University they have pledged $3 million for the University to use with no restrictions.
• Peggy Fisher, FA’70, the chair of the Drake University Board of Trustees, and her husband Larry Stelter, are giving $3.325 million to the campaign. Their gift will be felt throughout the university including the Burt Club, the men’s basketball program, and the University’s annual fund and endowment. They will also help create the University Center, the future focal point of the Drake Campus.
• Drake Trustee Paul Schickler, BN’74, GR’83, and his wife Claudia will make a difference in the health and viability of rural communities with a $6 million gift that will be used in part to create the Jay N. Darling Institute. The Schicklers’ gift will also help fund the men’s basketball program and Knapp Center renovation.
• The Drake University Law School Refugee Clinic will be able to provide free legal services to individuals applying for asylum in the United States thanks to a $1 million gift from Karen Shaff, LW’79, and her husband Steven Jayne, LW’78.
• Every year, one student with exceptional potential and a financial need will be able to attend Drake University Law School due to a $1 million gift from Sheldon Fleck, LW’75, and his wife Terry Fleck, PH’74. The chosen scholar will receive full tuition and additional financial support.
• Honorary Campaign Chairs, Bill, BN’57, and Jean Buchanan, are inspiring entrepreneurs through the Buchanan Center. The Buchanans are gifting an additional $2 million to the Center to enhance its programming.
• The University Center is coming closer to fruition with a $2 million gift from Gary Porter, BN’72, and his wife Melissa. In addition, the Porters have contributed a $100,000 endowed gift to the Changemaker Scholars program, which will help students use their talents to create positive change in the world.
• Generations of Drake students will benefit from a $3 million collective gift from Meredith Corporation (now Dotdash Meredith) and the Edwin T. Meredith Foundation to renovate and enhance Meredith Hall, the home of Drake’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Renovation work begins this summer.
• Students who are the first in their families to attend a four-year university will benefit from a $1 million gift from the David J. Noble Foundation to the Noble Center in Drake’s College of Business and Public Administration. The gift will be used to create scholarships and fund the programming of the Center. In 2014, the late David Noble and American Equity committed $1.5 million for the CBPA to create the Noble Center.

Read the full press release, or for more information on the campaign, visit: theones.drake.edu.

With new dates of March 3–4 from noon-to-noon, All In 2022 is going to be bigger than ever. This tradition of collective generosity and impact helps Drake transform every day for our students, faculty, staff, and community. The challenge will reach new heights with a total of $100,000 being unlocked for Drake University if 1,250 donors go All In during the 24 hours. This match is made possible by the generosity of Trustee Lindsay Whorton, AS’08, ED’08; Doug Zinser, AS’96; Christopher Smith, AS’88; and an anonymous alumni couple.  

There are also tens of thousands of matching dollars available with specific challenges for each college and school, athletics, fine arts, students, first time donors, and more! A gift of any amount, to any area, will be doubled or even tripled through these fantastic matching opportunities. When you support Drake during All In, you are embracing and empowering the innovations, connections, achievements, and opportunities that happen here each day. You are joining the ones who provide for the NOW that will build the better FUTURE for us all. 

Learn more at drake.edu/allin and follow all the fun and excitement on the Drake University and Drake Alumni social media channels.  

— Becca Widmer, University Advancement

Arrival testing and reporting for residential students
Residential students: If you are back on campus, you should have completed a PCR test upon arrival. Please submit your test results through the Report Return-to-Campus Test Results form. Failure to report your test results, may ensue deactivation of your key card. Until students receive their results, they are asked to avoid close contact with others and, as always, adhere to the University’s mask policy.

Residence hall guest policy
From Jan. 24–Feb. 6, residents may not have guests in their residence hall, with the exception of assistance provided during move-in.

Masks
KN95 masks are available to non-residential students, faculty, and staff and can be picked up in the Student Life Center in the Olmsted Center (one per person, while supplies last). Residential students will receive two KN95 masks upon arrival to their residence hall. These masks are to be worn during the first two weeks of the semester.

Student Life: Through Feb. 7
In-person student activities will be limited until in-person classes resume Feb. 7. Please help keep Drake safe and healthy by restricting social activity during these crucial two weeks, including informal social gatherings. Athletic events will continue as scheduled during the first two weeks of the semester. Please note: Drake athletic teams follow extensive testing and safety protocols recommended by the NCAA. Dining halls, the Bell Center, Underground Fitness, Student Health and Counseling, and the libraries will remain open following masking and safety protocols.

How to get a test kit on campus
Self-administered saliva-based PCR test kits through Test Iowa are available at the Student Services Center in the Olmsted Center. Students, faculty, and staff can pick up a test kit at no cost. Students with COVID-19 like symptoms are asked to notify contacttracing@drake.edu before administering a test. Please refer to the COVID-19 Testing FAQ for additional information.

— Chris Nickell, Environmental Health and Safety; Jerry, Dean of Students

The CDC recently adjusted its isolation and quarantine guidance. As it has since the start of the pandemic, Drake will follow the CDC’s recommendations. The new requirements are:

If you test POSITIVE for COVID-19 (regardless of vaccination status):

• Days 1–5: Isolation(stay home).
• Days 6–10: If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving and you have been fever free for 24 hours, you can leave isolation. Continue wearing a mask around others at all times. Do not eat and drink around others. This includes all campus dining facilities and coffee shops. Drake travel is prohibited until after day 10.

Note: If you have symptoms, the five-day isolation period begins the day after symptoms appear, regardless of test date. If you do not have symptoms, the five-day period begins the day after your test date.

If you were EXPOSED to COVID-19 and boosted:

• Continue wearing a mask around others. It is recommended to test on day five. If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home. Follow the guidance above if you test positive.

If you were EXPOSED to COVID-19 and unvaccinated or vaccinated more than five months ago with Pfizer or Moderna (more than two months ago with Johnson and Johnson) and have not received your booster:

• Days 1–5: Quarantine (stay home). The date of exposure is day zero.
• Day 5: Take a test. Send your results to contacttracing@drake.edu. If you test negative, you no longer need to quarantine. If you do not choose to test or do not communicate your negative results to contacttracing@drake.edu, you must quarantine for the full 10 days.
• Days 6–10: If you test negative on or after day 5, you can leave quarantine. Continue wearing a mask around others. Do not eat and drink around others. This includes all campus dining facilities and coffee shops. Drake travel is prohibited during days 1–5. If you test negative on or after day 5, travel can resume.

Studies show that after getting vaccinated against COVID-19, protection decreases over time. This is why it’s critical to get your booster shot. Boosters increase your protection from COVID-19, including against variants such as Omicron.

A recent study from the CDC showed that people who have completed the primary vaccination series with a booster dose had a 75% rate of protection against COVID-19, whereas people who were fully vaccinated without a booster dose had about a 35% rate of protection.

The CDC recently adjusted its recommended time for receiving the Pfizer and Moderna booster shots from six months to five months after completing the primary series. Primary and booster shots are available at numerous locations statewide, often without an appointment. Find a convenient location.

Once you have received your booster, please upload a photo of your vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form.

Reporting your vaccination helps to shape the University’s plans and decisions. Important to note: Those who report their boosters will be exempt from quarantine (in accordance with new CDC guidelines) if they are exposed to COVID-19 and not experiencing symptoms.

Booster shots will be key to our ability to enjoy a robust, in-person spring semester with all the traditions and activities we cherish. Please get your booster and report it as soon as possible.

Provost Sue Mattison sent a message to campus Jan. 11 announcing that the first two weeks of classes for the Spring 2022 semester will be held remotely. See highlights from her message below.

• Classes will begin Monday, Jan. 24, as scheduled, and the first two weeks of classes will be held remotely.  For Law students, classes begin on Tuesday, January 18, and will also be remote.  
• Based on current scientific evidence, cases are expected to peak in Iowa during the last week of January/first week of February.  This means the likelihood of extreme disruption to the classroom experience due to students in isolation and quarantine is very high.  

For students 

• Residence hall students may move in Jan. 22–23 as planned, although students are not required to return at this time. 
• Chief Student Affairs Officer Jerry Parker will share more information in the coming days regarding move-in details for residence hall students. Please watch your inbox.
• Students are strongly encouraged to administer a COVID-19 test at home prior to returning to campus. This could alleviate having to move to and from campus multiple times, and most importantly, exposing others.
• Students who participate in off-campus experiences such as student teaching, clinics, and practica must consult with their advisors and follow policies of their host institutions.  
• Law students will receive additional information on orientation to the Legal Clinic. 
• Many student activities and events will be postponed or held virtually during the first two weeks of the semester. This does not include athletic events. Chief Student Affairs Officer Jerry Parker will provide additional information to students later this week.

For faculty and staff

• Managers should consider allowing staff to work remotely during this time where practicable, but individual departments and managers will determine and communicate changes regarding remote work based on their departmental needs.
• Please watch for an update this week from Chief Administrative Officer Venessa Macro with more information.

For faculty 

• Information and resources on virtual teaching support will be sent from Deputy Provost Renee Cramer and Executive Director of Online Programming Christina Trombley.

The importance of getting and reporting your booster

• Emerging research shows that those who have been fully vaccinated—including a booster—have a much lower risk of severe illness compared to those who have not been vaccinated or who have not received a booster.
• Booster shots will be key to our ability to enjoy a robust, in-person spring semester with all the traditions and activities we cherish. 
• Once you have received your booster, please upload a photo of your vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form.
• Reporting your vaccination helps to shape our plans and decisions. Important to note: Those who report their boosters will be exempt from quarantine (in accordance with new CDC guidelines) if they are exposed to COVID-19 and not experiencing symptoms.

Meredith Hall is the most utilized building on campus, servicing over 5,000 students each semester. With that in mind, the Capital Projects Team is moving forward with renovations to Meredith in order to improve the building for many years to come. The planned renovations include improvements to the HVAC system, lighting, ceilings, exterior painting, technology, and auditorium style seating in the lecture halls. 

These renovations have been extended to last the entirety of the 2022–2023 academic year. This is a change from the original plan of just the Fall 2022 semester. Meredith Hall will be closed for the duration of this project. All faculty and staff that currently are in offices in Meredith will be relocated to other locations around campus. More information is to come as the project nears the start date. 

Faculty will have until Tuesday, May 31, to move out of their current offices in Meredith. If anyone who currently has an office in Meredith is interested in moving things during winter break, the University has the ability to store furniture or other items. If you are interested in this service, please email rob.ebel@drake.edu with the subject line including Meredith Office Move [FACULTY LAST NAME]. Boxes are also available for those who need to move things from their offices. More information regarding moving will be communicated to those who reside in Meredith in the Spring semester.

— Michelle Huggins, Planning and Design Manager

Full-time, part-time, and student workers are subject to these requirements

The recent emergency temporary standard (ETS) issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all employers with 100 or more employees to either ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or require unvaccinated workers to mask and produce a negative test result on a weekly basis.

Drake continues to review the ETS and is monitoring pending legal challenges. However, in the meantime, the University must prepare to meet the upcoming ETS deadlines to ensure compliance with its requirements. To be considered fully vaccinated by the Jan. 4 deadline currently set in the ETS, employees who are not already fully vaccinated will need to start the vaccination process by the dates listed below.

Moderna: First dose by Nov. 23, 2021.
Pfizer: First dose by Nov. 30, 2021.
Johnson & Johnson: Dose needed by Dec. 21, 2021.

An individual is fully vaccinated two weeks after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series, or two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is free and readily available in our community, often without an appointment. Find a convenient location.

Drake employees who are fully vaccinated but have not yet notified the University of their full vaccination status are asked to do so by Nov. 23, through Drake’s secure online form. Moreover, employees who have attested to being vaccinated, but have not yet uploaded a photo of their vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form, need to complete this step by Nov. 23. Failure to submit proof of vaccination, will result in these employees being considered unvaccinated.

As a result of our community’s efforts to encourage vaccinations, the vast majority of our employees are already vaccinated and have uploaded documentation of their vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form. For these individuals, there is no further action needed. Thank you for doing your part.

The federal vaccine requirement applies to all Drake University full-time, part-time, and student employees.

Let’s continue doing our part. If you haven’t been vaccinated, act now to protect yourself and others and to continue the important work of our University.  

Full-time, part-time, and student workers are subject to these requirements

An emergency temporary standard (ETS) issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) last week requires all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or require unvaccinated workers to produce a negative test result on a weekly basis.

Drake continues to review the ETS and is monitoring pending legal challenges. However, in the meantime, the University must prepare to meet the upcoming ETS deadlines, to ensure compliance with its requirements.

As a result of our community’s efforts to encourage vaccinations, the vast majority of our employees are already vaccinated and have uploaded documentation of their vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form. For these individuals, there is no further action needed. Thank you for doing your part.

Drake employees who have not yet notified the University of their full vaccination status are asked to do so by Nov. 23, through Drake’s secure online form. The federal vaccine requirement applies to all Drake University full-time, part-time, and student employees.

Moreover, employees who have attested to being vaccinated, but have not yet uploaded a photo of their vaccination card through Drake’s secure online form, are expected to complete this step by Nov. 23. Failure to submit proof of vaccination, will result in these employees being considered unvaccinated.

The COVID-19 vaccine is free and readily available in our community, often without an appointment. Find a convenient location.

Let’s continue doing our part. If you haven’t been vaccinated, act now to protect yourself and others and to continue the important work of our University.