Drake University

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Drake University

Drake University Logo
Motto Veritas (Truth)
Established 1881
Type Private coeducational
Endowment $119 million (FY 2005) NACUBO
President Dr. David Maxwell
Staff 362
Undergraduates 3,164
Postgraduates 2,057
Location Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Campus Urban, 150 acres (0.5 km²)
Colors Blue and white
Nickname Bulldogs
Mascot Spike
Website www.drake.edu

Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in the city of Des Moines, Iowa. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country. Distinguished alumni include Dwight D. Opperman, former CEO of West Publishing Company, after whom Drake's law library was named; Neal Smith, who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1959 until 1995; and Terry Edward Branstad, a former four-term Republican Governor of Iowa, who served from 1983 until 1999. The University approved a new Master building plan on June 25, 2005, calling for extensive renovations of existing facilities and the construction of several large buildings, including a new first year student residence hall, science building, fine arts building, and multi-purpose learning center.

Contents

[edit] History

The institution was founded in 1881, when most of the staff of Oskaloosa College left that college to establish what would become Drake University, founded by Francis Marion Drake, a resident of Centerville, Iowa and Governor of Iowa (1896–1898). The university's law school was established in 1881 by Chester C. Cole[1], who served on the Iowa Supreme Court from 1864 to 1876. In 1969 Drake's basketball team went to the Final Four under coach Maurice John, but were defeated by the UCLA Bruins by three points. Drake did defeat the North Carolina Tarheels by 20 points in the third place game.

From its founding in 1881, Drake University maintained a nominal affiliation with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) although no religious affiliation is officially recognized today.

[edit] Colleges

The University is made up of the following colleges:

[edit] College of Arts & Sciences

Majors offered: Biology, Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology (BCMB), Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, English, Environmental Policy, Environmental Science, Ethics, Fine Art, Graphic Design, History, International Relations, Law, Politics, and Society (LPS), Mathematics, Mathematics Education (Secondary), Neuroscience, Physics, Philosophy, Politics, Astronomy, Psychology, Quantitative Economics, Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Rhetoric, Writing and Religion.

[edit] College of Business & Public Administration (CBPA)

Majors offered: Accounting, Actuarial Science, Economics, Entrepreneurial Management, Finance, General Business, Information Systems, International Business, Marketing, Management, Quantitative Economics
Graduate programs: Master of Accountancy, MBA, MPA

Distinguished Faculty:

[edit] School of Education

Majors offered: Special education, Secondary education

[edit] School of Journalism & Mass Communication (SJMC)

Majors offered: Advertising, Electronic Media, Magazines, News-Internet, Public Relations, JMC/Law 3+3, Broadcast News

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication is also home to 94.1 The Dog, which operates under the call letters KDRA-LP FM. The station launched in August 2006 after having existed as an internet station, KDCS Bulldog Radio. 94.1 The Dog is broadcast at 80 watts from a tower atop Meredith Hall, the home of Drake's SJMC. An agreement with the FCC allows Drake to utilize the frequency from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. weekdays and all day Saturday, while Grand View College controls the frequency the rest of the week under the call letters KGVC-LP. Drake students schedule 24 hours of programming under "The Dog," broadcasting online and on channel 12 on closed-circuit television on campus even when not broadcasting on the frequency.

[edit] School of Law

Drake's law school is one of the original law schools that were first recognized by the American Bar Association. Additionally, the Constitutional Law Center is one of only a few in the entire United States. The 2007 graduate schools edition of U.S. News ranks the law school as Tier 3. Several Supreme Court Justices have visited campus to deliver lectures on American juris prudence. The Constitutional Law Center is one of four constitutional law programs established by the United States Congress. The Center's mission is to foster in-depth study of the United States Constitution. A significant aspect of the Center's activities is the Dwight D. Opperman Lecture series, an annual event of national importance in constitutional law. Numerous current and former United States Supreme Court Justices have delivered the Opperman Lecture, including Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, and late Justices Harry A. Blackmun, Lewis F. Powell and William H. Rehnquist.

[edit] College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

The 2007 edition of U.S. News best graduate programs ranks Drake's College of Pharmacy the #46 out of 57 pharmacy schools in the United States. Alumni donations run deep at this Midwestern private institution. In 2005, Former Walgreen's Chairman and CEO Dan Jorndt, donated $10 million to his alma mater.
Majors offered: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD.) and Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS)

[edit] Housing

The University provides the following on-campus living accommodations for undergraduate students:

  • Stalnaker Hall (Freshmen only)
  • Carpenter Hall (Freshmen only)
  • Herriott Hall (Freshmen only)
  • Crawford Hall (Freshmen only)
  • Morehouse
  • Jewett Hall
  • Goodwin-Kirk Hall
  • Ross Hall

Drake University and Hubbell Realty leaders announced plans on July 20, 2006 for a $34-million housing and retail development at 30th Street and Carpenter Avenue.

The development will create 7,000 feet of retail space for street-level neighborhood businesses and upper floors for state-of-the-art student suites. The buildings will house up to 500 students.

Current design calls for a mix of one-, two- and four-bedroom units, where each student has a private bedroom and shares a common living and kitchen space. The housing will be targeted primarily at junior and senior undergraduate students and graduate students in the pharmacy program or the Drake Law School. The housing should be available for students in Fall of 2008.

[edit] Student organizations

Drake features over 100 student organizations in which to participate, which include:

[edit] Academic

[edit] Cultural/social

[edit] Religious

[edit] Greek life

[edit] Social fraternities/sororities

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated

[edit] Honorary/professional/service fraternities

[edit] Athletics

The Knapp Center
The Knapp Center

[edit] NCAA sports

Main article: Drake Bulldogs

Drake student-athletes compete in NCAA Division I in the Missouri Valley Conference in all sports except football. In football, Drake competes in the Division I-AA Pioneer Football League.

[edit] Drake Relays

Main article: Drake Relays

Drake University also hosts the Drake Relays during April. This track and field event has been held since 1910, and is the second-largest collegiate track and field event in the United States. Participants come from all over the world to compete in this three-day event, which also helps to draw large crowds of spectators to Des Moines. Many Olympic athletes can be found participating in these events, which commonly break national and world records.

Students kick-off the Relays in the annual tradition of Street Painting, in which student organizations colorfully decorate areas of Carpenter Avenue under a common theme. The theme in 2006 was "If you build it, they will run"—referencing the $15 million renovation of Drake Stadium.

[edit] Rankings

Drake University advanced to seventh in the "Great Schools, Great Prices" rankings and gained sole possession of fourth place in the overall rankings of 142 Midwest Universities - Master's category published by U.S. News and World Report magazine in the 2007 edition of "America's Best Colleges."

Last year Drake ranked eighth in the "Great Schools, Great Prices" category. The rankings are based on a formula that relates a school's academic quality, as indicated by its U.S. News ranking, to the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. "The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal," according to the magazine.

Drake continues to be ranked No. 2 in reputation for academic quality (peer assessment). It has the highest ranking in its category of any Iowa college or university. Drake improved in several areas this year, including student/faculty ratio, average freshmen retention rate and freshmen in the top 25 percent of their high school class.[1]

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] External links


Missouri Valley Conference
Bradley • Creighton (Bluejays) • Drake (Bulldogs) • Evansville • Illinois State (Redbirds) • Indiana State • Missouri State (Bears) • Northern Iowa (Panthers) • Southern Illinois • Wichita State
Pioneer Football League
Butler (Butler Bulldogs) • Davidson • Dayton (Dayton Flyers) • Drake (Drake Bulldogs) • Jacksonville • Morehead State • San Diego • Valparaiso (Valparaiso Crusaders)
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