Last week, we hosted our latest Paws for Success session for first-year students. As part of the session, we asked student leaders on campus to share their top advice for building community and finding belonging at Drake.
Watch a video to hear the advice shared by student leaders!
— Marina Verlengia, New Student Programs
The Drake community has spent some time during the past few years trying to better understand how we can support students at Drake to better achieve their goals while at Drake and after graduation. One key area being explored is how we can make Drake a “student-ready” institution. A student-ready institution provides holistic support to its students and restructures systems to support student needs.
Currently, there is a faculty committee focused on reviewing Drake’s ability to be a student-ready institution and ways the campus community can play a role in achieving this goal. This past spring, the faculty committee met with campus stakeholders and assessed faculty practices and University systems related to this area to understand where we are. While this helped us develop a picture of Drake’s current practices, WE NEED YOUR HELP to better understand the undergraduate student viewpoint on what is being done and what improvements can be made to achieve the goal of being a student-ready institution.
We invite you to participate in one of several undergraduate student focus groups dedicated to assessing our University’s preparedness to be a truly student-ready institution. These sessions will gather your insight into how Drake currently is and, in the future, can do better to support you and effectively prepare you for both academic success and future careers. The first 50 students who participate in a focus group will receive $10 in Bulldog Bucks. Sign up for a session below.
Please note that for efficiency, artificial intelligence will be used during the meetings to record and transcribe the discussions. The findings from student focus groups will be combined with data from corresponding faculty and staff focus groups to generate a comprehensive report outlining ways actionable changes and best practices for faculty and suggestions for institutional system modifications to make Drake a more student-ready institution.
Friday, October 2nd, 1:00p to 3:00p, Johansen 301: https://calendly.com/maria-valdovinos-drake/ad-hoc-student-ready-institution-focus-group-student4
Friday, October 9th, 9:00a to 11:00a, Johansen 301: https://calendly.com/maria-valdovinos-drake/ad-hoc-student-ready-institution-focus-group-student5
Friday, October 16th, 1:00p to 3:00p, Library 201: https://calendly.com/maria-valdovinos-drake/ad-hoc-student-ready-institution-focus-group-student-6
Friday, October 23rd, 1:00p to 3:00p, Johansen 301: https://calendly.com/maria-valdovinos-drake/ad-hoc-student-ready-institution-focus-group-student7
Friday, October 30th, 1:00p to 3:00p, Johansen 301: https://calendly.com/maria-valdovinos-drake/ad-hoc-student-ready-institution-focus-group-student8
— Maria Valdovinos, Professor of Psychology
Prospective students are welcome to attend the Drake Law School Open House on Friday, Oct. 16, starting at 1 p.m. Our open house is intended for students that are looking to enroll in the Fall of 2027 or 2028. During this event students will hear from the dean, admissions staff, and current students. If you are looking to learn more about Drake Law School and get a tour of our facilities, we encourage you to register for our event.
— Jill Costanzo, Law School
Drake University is committed to fostering a community where students can practice, observe, and engage with their religious, spiritual, and cultural traditions with respect and understanding.
The Religious Holidays Calendar highlights observances that members of the Drake community may recognize throughout the academic year. The calendar is intended to serve as a resource for awareness, planning, and fostering a more inclusive campus community. It is important to recognize that not everyone within a particular religious, spiritual, or cultural tradition observes the same holidays or practices them in the same way. Dates may also vary depending on tradition, community, calendar, or other factors. The calendar is therefore not intended to be an exhaustive list of all observances or practices.
If you anticipate missing class, an exam, or another academic activity due to a religious, spiritual, or cultural observance, you should communicate with your instructors as early as possible and use the Drake University’s established religious holiday notification form.
Please reach out to me at anisa.hansen@drake.edu with any questions or issues.
— Anisa Hansen, Associate Provost for Equity and Inclusion