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Important Dates

All dates and times below are subject to change based on University need.

2026-27 Dates

Fall Semester

Move-In Day

  • August 19, 2026: First Year Student Move-In Day.
  • August 18, 2026: Transfer Student Move-In Day.
  • August 21, 2026: Upperclass Student Move-In Day

Students must sign up for a move-in time slot ahead of their Move-In Day. The Office of Residence Life will send a link to sign up for a move in time slot to students' Drake.edu email address on August 1.

Changes to Meal plans can be made:
August 1-27, 2026

Winter Break Hall Closure
Note: Drake University does not offer Hubbell dining services during Winter Break.

  • December 12, 2026: All residence halls close at noon.
  • January 23, 2027: All residence halls reopen for Spring semester at noon (no earlier arrivals will be permitted). 

Winter Break & J-Term

Winter Break
Note: Drake University does not offer Hubbell dining services during Winter Break.

  • December 11, 2026: Jewett Hall opens for Winter Break residents at noon.
  • January 4, 2027: Jewett Hall closes for Winter Break residents at 4:00 p.m.

J-Term
Note: Drake University offers limited Hubbell dining services during J-Term.

  • January 3, 2027: Jewett Hall opens for J-Term residents at 1:00 p.m.
  • January 23, 2027: Jewett Hall closes for J-Term residents at 4:00 p.m.
Jewett Hall Interim Break Housing
  • Jewett Hall* offers limited spaces for students seeking on-campus housing during

Winter Break, J-Term, Spring Break, and Summer Break.

Students placed in Jewett Hall during this time will be charged a per-day fee, billed to their student 
account. Residents will not have access to their room in another residence hall during these breaks
and should take all needed items with them before the break period begins. Students interested in
Jewett Hall break housing should contact campsandconferences@drake.edu for more information.

Spring Semester

New transfer and international students arriving to campus for our Spring Orientation prior to regular hall openings may request temporary housing in Jewett Hall,* beginning January 21, 2027. Students interested in
Spring Orientation housing should contact campsandconferences@drake.edu with the subject line 
“Spring Orientation” and their name and Drake ID in the body of the email for more information.

Spring Semester Reopening
January 23, 2027: All residence Halls reopen at noon. We are unable to accommodate early arrivals.

Meal Plan Changes
January 1-28, 2027:  Students can make changes to their meal plans online through the first Thursday of 
classes. We are unable to accommodate any changes made after this date for the spring semester

Spring Break

TBA, March 2027: All residence halls close at noon.
All residence halls reopen at 10 a.m., TBA, March 2027.

TBA, March 2027: Jewett Hall* opens at 8 a.m. for students seeking on-campus
Spring Break housing. Students interested in Jewett Hall break housing should contact 
campsandconferences@drake.edu for more information.

Jewett Hall closes at 4 p.m. to Spring Break students, TBA, March 2027.
Drake University does not offer Hubbell dining services during Spring Break. 

Summer Break Hall Closure

  • May 15, 2027: All Residence Halls (Carpenter, Crawford, Goodwin-Kirk, Herriott and Stalnaker) close at 5:00 pm.

Jewett Interim Break Housing

  • May 14, 2027: Jewett* Hall Interim and Summer housing opens at 8:00 a.m. for students seeking on-campus Summer Break housing.
  • August 28, 2027: Jewett Hall closes at 5:00 pm.

Jewett Hall interim break residence assignments are first-come, first-served based on availability. Once full, students will need to seek other off-campus housing options.