Drake University Continuous Improvement Plan

Our mission: Provide an exceptional learning environment that prepares students for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments, and responsible global citizenship. The Drake experience is distinguished by collaborative learning among students, faculty, and staff and by the integration of the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation.

Our inspiration: Together we transform lives and strengthen communities.

Drake University is one of the nation’s top schools for undergraduate participation in study abroad among doctorate granting universities, listed at #17 by the “Open Doors” 2021 report released by the Institute of International Education. Whether studying in Spain, interning in Dubai, teaching English in Chile, or shadowing a health professional in India, Drake is preparing students to become catalysts for intercultural understanding and global change.

Law School

Students work collaboratively in teams throughout the year to learn foundational concepts associated with legal analysis and communication and to craft effective legal documents. This pedagogy provides consistent, effective academic feedback as well as peer assessment. Students also develop interpersonal skills necessary for ethical and effective law practice. Throughout the year, they must work effectively as a team completing graded course material and they must conduct both formative and summative peer assessments of one another. As a result, they learn how to give and receive constructive criticism, work collaboratively toward a shared end, enable the participation of others on their team, and effectively communicate both orally and in writing.

John Dee Bright College

In Fall, 2021, the John Dee Bright College used its organic assessment approach to rapidly identify students who faced acute challenges with adjusting to college-level learning. In one case, the College hired an ESL specialist to work one-on-one with a student who presented with English language proficiency difficulties. In other cases, one-on-one meetings with Access and Success, Counseling Center, and dean’s office staff — including with the dean himself — allowed for individualized troubleshooting and solutions-based mentoring of students identified by faculty.

“We are committed to our city, we are committed to our neighborhood, and we are putting our resources and our competencies to work in a way that is going to lift up the lives of the children of the Drake Neighborhood and their families.” — Drake University President Marty Martin upon the opening of the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Club on Aug. 23, 2019.

Located on the southwest corner of 25th Street and Forest Avenue, the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Club is only the second Boys & Girls Club in the nation located on a private college or university campus. In addition to providing kids and teens in our community with a safe, supportive place to be after school and during the summer, the Club provides numerous educational and service opportunities for Drake students and further integrates the University with the surrounding neighborhood.

During the 2022–2023 academic year, the Safe Ride program transported more than 28,000 students, or almost 3,000 students per month during the fall and spring semesters (Safe Ride does not run in June, July, or most of August). In April, Safe Ride had almost 5,000 riders alone as a result of increased demand during the Drake Relays.

The Office of Information Technology Services is committed to providing Drake University with a robust and connected technology environment. ITS recently completed two hy-flex classrooms, which allow simultaneous in-person and remote instruction. Also, as part of the Meredith revitalization, ITS upgraded technology in six classrooms and implemented an enhanced network design including 48 new wireless access points to improve coverage throughout the building. ITS also installed additional access points in Aliber Hall to expand the wireless network coverage. The University’s robust infrastructure continues to outperform its targets. Since the beginning of 2022, critical systems have been available more than 99.55% of all hours and have exceeded performance targets more than 99.86% of the time.

Drake alumnus John Lorentzen, BN ’77, AS ’77, and spouse Penney Fillmer challenged Drake University in late 2017 to increase its commitment to sustainable practices. Responding to the challenge, Drake’s Facilities Planning and Management team identified several projects that would reduce the University’s carbon footprint and save Drake more than $40,000 annually in energy costs. These projects included a new lighting system in the Knapp Center, the installation of LED lights across campus, and solar panels on the Tennis Center, which are scheduled to be installed this summer. Thanks to a generous matching gift from the Lorentzen’s and support from alumni and friends, Drake fully secured the funds needed to make these projects a reality. As a result of this shared vision, Drake is one step closer toward achieving its carbon reduction goal.

Facilities Planning and Management has continued to keep sustainability a priority with the adding of five Ford E-Transit vans to our fleet. These vans are 100% electric and will help Drake reduce our carbon footprint. Fun Facts about the new E-Vans:
o Lower maintenance costs, as much as 40% less than gasoline-powered vans
o Certified as a zero-tailpipe emissions vehicle
o Battery (400V lithium-ion) is located under the body to maximize cargo space and provides 126 miles of range

Brent and Diane Slay partnered with Drake to create the Slay Fund for Social Justice, which is directed by Professor Renee Cramer. This is the first formal organization on campus dedicated to social justice issues. The Slay’s generosity has provided numerous students with experiential learning opportunities and connected Drake with Des Moines community non-profit agencies. Through support from the Slay’s, Law Professor Brent Pattison was awarded a grant to support an innovative project called #KnowJustice, in which Drake Law School students teach in-need youth about their civil liberties through art. Volunteers from the Drake Law School Legal Clinic facilitate workshops on school policies, juvenile courts, and immigration, and encourage the children to express themselves and illustrate their understanding of what they learned through art.

In the 2021--2022 academic year, Drake University students, faculty, and staff provided more than 240,000 hours of volunteer, community service, and pro-bono client engagements, valued as an $8.4M impact to the local community. Additionally, to assist these efforts to strengthen our community, Drake launched DUGood, a community engagement management system.

Drake University’s Annual Economic Impact

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Bulldogs help drive the Des Moines metro area economy. According to a Drake-commissioned study by Impact DataSource, University spending per year totals $413.5 million, student spending totals $55.2 million, visitor spending totals nearly $15 million, and central Iowa alumni spending totals $2 billion.