Drake’s staff and students have been calling for administrative change for too long. While the pandemic amplified the administration’s inadequacy, it is clear that the people who actually run Drake only care about it’s bottom line. 

This university does not care about our wellbeing or even giving us the opportunities we expect to receive from a college education. It cares about it’s reputation.

This administration would rather create an associate degree program than measures to make four year degrees more accessible to students of color. The John D. Bright college is specifically marketed to demographics that may not be able to afford the time/financial commitment of a bachelor’s degree. Making a community college will not reverse more than a century of exclusion, but it is a great pr strategy for the University. 

Rather than donating money to surrounding public schools to build their own facilities, Drake recently broke ground on a stadium for Des Moines Public Schools to share. Though these schools will have access to new facilities, some will have to drive 20 minutes just to play a “home” matchup. If these schools had the funding they would prefer to stay within their community, but Drake doesn’t care. 

This is often the rationale behind the school’s actions. While the Fine Arts Center falls apart, it would rather build a new student center that no one asked for. It’s also worth mentioning that the new building will cover the largest parking lot on campus. Students will most likely still have to pay $500 a year for parking, which is a lucrative price relative to other universities.

High schoolers visiting will be told that Drake’s price-lock on tuition ensures college won’t cost more than anticipated, however they aren’t told that room & board prices are raised every single year. In the last two years alone, students have found themselves paying nearly $1,000 more for housing. The price-lock is simply a diversion, and students should not be required to live on-campus if they can’t be guaranteed a price-stable bill. 

Students on campus will also attest to the institutions lack of respect for their health. Bring “Drake Busy” is not a healthy standard to set, and as a result many students neglect their emotional well-being for the sake of their careers. College is supposed to be the best time of one’s life, but Drake students instead work it away in hope for good job placement. If the university offered more resources and job connections, maybe they could relax. Students on this campus are depressed and anxious about entering the job market because there is so little support. The student counseling center in recent years has been flooded with young adults who struggle to keep up with Drake Busy, it’s time for the administration to look inward and ask why so many people they’re supposed to look after are hurting here. 

Drake will be gone if it continues these practices, but the administration has yet to face accountability. Professors and students alike are tired of unconscious initiatives. It’s time for change, and time for leaders that practice what they preach.