All posts by Aaron Jaco

HR Information Archive

Wellness events in November

Holiday Trimmings Weight Challenge
Holiday Trimmings is a six-week program designed to encourage you to maintain or lose weight over the holiday season. If you have trouble dodging festive yet fattening foods like pecan pie, sausage stuffing, and egg nog, this challenge is for you.

Beginning and ending weights will be recorded, and throughout the challenge you will receive healthy holiday tips. Everyone who maintains or loses weight will be placed in a drawing for a chance to win prizes.

For more information or to register to participate please email Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu with the subject line “Holiday Trimmings.” Deadline to register is Thursday, Nov. 17.

A packet of information will be sent to you. Read through the packet carefully and start the challenge on Monday, Nov. 21.

Let’s make this a happy AND healthy holiday season!

$10 Chair Massages
Step away from your worries and take a 10-minute vacation with a relaxing chair massage. On Nov. 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. in Cowles Library Heritage/Collier Room and Nov. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Olmsted Center Drake Room, licensed massage therapist Anne Boal will be giving chair massages.

Cost is $10 for a 10-minute chair massage paid directly to Anne Boal at the time of your appointment—correct change cash or check only. One name will be drawn after the event and that person will receive a gift certificate for a free 10-minute chair massage!

Click the link below to register for the day and time of your choice. You may register for one or two time slots per registration sheet.

For additional information or questions, please contact Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu.

Food & Mood Presentation
When was the last time you monitored your mood as it relates to what and how much you eat? Emotional eating is a common response to stress and fatigue, but it can lead to unhealthy eating habits, which in turn can lead to chronic health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. In this presentation you’ll learn ways to track mood and food,and identify the difference between hunger, boredom, and stress eating.

Join us Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. in Olmsted Center, Rooms 310/311, for this fun and informative presentation. Johanna Dunlevy from Employee & Family Resources will be presenting.

Participants will earn BUILD (Bulldogs United in Learning Drake) credits and be entered into drawings for prizes each semester.

The registration form for this class is accessible through blueView’s Employee tab, in the Learning and Development Channel under Human Resources, or by clicking here. Please email Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu for more information.

—Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Can you spot phishing emails?

During the last month, in recognition of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, ITS shared information about identifying and protecting yourself from phishing emails. Now, here’s a chance to see what you’ve learned and help you better protect yourself from online threats such as identity theft and fraud—both on campus and off.

Later this week we are re-launching phishing simulation training. A phishing simulation email will be randomly sent out to 500 faculty and staff members. If you receive the email and click through the link, you’ll be sent to an informational page. If you receive an email you suspect is phishing, simulated or not, please forward it as an attachment to informationsecurity@drake.edu.

Participating in training like this is an effective and risk-free way to learn about the dangers of phishing and help protect individual and campus data. If you have questions or concerns, please contact informationsecurity@drake.edu. To learn more about IT security, please visit our blog at its.drake.edu/category/security-blog/. And don’t forget to enter the ITS phishing contest at its.drake.edu/phish!

—Peter Lundstedt, Information Security Manager

Featured Events Archive

Drake CASA presents “Early Experiences Matter”

The best outcomes for children and families involved in child welfare are a result of a community with a working knowledge of the impact of trauma and how to avoid exacerbating trauma within the context of child welfare cases. Join Retired Judge Constance Cohen to see how Iowa is bringing science to justice for toddlers, parents, and their families in child welfare cases on Thursday, Nov. 3, 6–7:30 p.m., in Sussman Theater.

—Natalie Deerr

Strategic Updates Archive

Administrative Services Survey

From President Martin:

An important aspect of our Continuous Improvement Plan is consistently and repeatedly examining our performance on administrative processes. We will do so by survey twice per year. To that end, I encourage you to complete the fall 2016 administrative services survey at http://tinyurl.com/AdminServSurvey. This should take 5–10 minutes to complete.

This fall’s survey focuses on Human Resources, Facilities Planning and Management, and Information Technology Services, and was developed by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment in collaboration with President’s Council members. Your feedback will help these departments understand where service gaps may exist and how they can better serve the needs of our University.

Continuous improvement efforts are meant to drive intentional and strategic action. Your response to this survey will shape our future efforts. Thank you in advance for your participation, and we look forward to sharing the results with the campus community and identifying needed action steps.

Campus Announcements Archive

Holiday check schedule

Please note the following schedule for check processing to accommodate the holiday break:

  • All check requests are due to Accounts Payable by the end of the business day, Friday, Dec. 16.
  • For requests received by the above deadline, checks will be processed and available after noon on Tuesday, Dec. 20. This will be the last check run before the holiday.
  • The accounting office will be closed during the holiday break. Normal check processing will resume on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

Thank you for your help in coordinating to ensure we meet all needs during the upcoming season.

Please contact Accounting at ext. 2125 with any questions you may have.

—Jeni Baugher, Accounting

HR Information Archive

Benefits town hall meetings

Drake strives to provide quality benefits, responsive to the needs of faculty, staff, and their families. Human Resources works with the University Benefits Committee to make important decisions about benefit plan design and offerings. All faculty and staff are invited to hear more about benefits at Drake and some of the issues the University Benefits Committee has addressed in preparation for this open enrollment period.

An overview of the benefit review process, as well as the status of Drake’s medical and dental plans will be provided by Mark J. Becker during the enrollment period.

During the upcoming town hall meetings, discover:

  • How Drake Plans compare to the local and national market;
  • Why Plan contribution rates remain unchanged for 2017; and
  • Why Drake Plans have a two-tier structure  (single and family participation)

Please plan to join us at the following Benefits Town Hall Meetings:

  • Nov. 2, 3:30 p.m., Cowles Library, Room 201
  • Nov. 15, 3 p.m., Olmsted Center, Room 310

—Gary Johnson, Human Resources

For Students Archive

Eat lunch with Michael Gartner

Every semester, The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement offers a small, intimate group of Drake students the opportunity to meet with local, state, and national leaders for food and conversation. This student lunch and reception series provides undergraduate, graduate, pharmacy, and law students with the networking opportunity of meeting informally with a leader in policy, government, business, and nonprofit industries.

For the fourth and final event in this series this semester, we will bring Michael Gartner, owner of the Iowa Cubs and former president of NBC News to the institute for lunch on Wednesday, Nov. 9. The event is from 11:40 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. in the Harkin Institute office at 2429 University Ave.

Michael Gartner is one of Iowa’s greatest journalists, businessmen, and public servants. Mr. Gartner has been the page one editor of The Wall Street Journal, a general news executive for Gannett Co. and USA TODAY, and worked in various positions in the Des Moines Register for over 11 years. He was the President of NBC News for five years. Mr. Gartner then worked at The Daily Tribune in Ames, Iowa where he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for his editorials about community issues. He owns the Iowa Cubs baseball team, served on the Iowa Board of Regents, co-owns the media company that publishes the Cityview alternative weekly newspaper, and serves on countless nonprofit boards and advisory councils throughout the state. The Harkin Institute is proud to say that he is one of the founding members of the institute’s National Advisory Council.

Apply here by 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, for the opportunity to have lunch with Michael Gartner.

—Sarah Mattes, The Harkin Institute

Featured Events Archive

Social justice panel

Drake Law School student organizations are hosting a panel focused on social justice issues specifically related to the LGBTQ community and people of color. The social justice panel is scheduled for Nov. 3, 5 p.m., in Cartwright Hall, Room 206. The event is free and open to the public. Food will be provided.

Topics to be discussed include transgender inequality, police brutality, and racial disparities in the Iowa criminal justice system.

The panelists are:

  • Frank Cownie, mayor of Des Moines
  • Lt. Lillie Sams, City of Des Moines Police Department
  • Donna Red Wing, executive director of One Iowa
  • Joshua Barr, director of the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission
  • Louis Foundation, community activist and founder of FountainOne Consulting LLC

The event is hosted by OUTLaws with support from the Drake Black Law Students Association, Drake Hispanic and Latino Student Association, Drake Law Democrats, Drake Student Bar Association, Public Interest Law Association, and Drake One Voice.

—Kayla Choate, Drake Law School

News & Achievements Archive

Dining events on campus

Tuesday, Nov. 2, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.: Lunch at Hubbell Dining, Reinventing the Meal/ World Vegan Day
Join us for a twist on the traditional meal and celebrate World Vegan Day by trying some delicious vegan dishes. (Regular meal rate applies)

Wednesday, Nov. 9, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.: Lunch at Hubbell Dining, Faculty/Staff $5 lunch featuring German cuisine
Drake faculty and staff can dine at Hubbell Dining for only $5. We will be featuring German cuisine.

Wednesday, Nov. 16, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.: Lunch in Parents Hall Thanksgiving meal! Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend! Join us for a Thanksgiving feast with carved turkey and all of your holiday favorites. (Regular meal rate applies)

—Jennifer Bowersox, Sodexo

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

November FYS Lunch

A reminder: Our November, FYS Lunch/Discussion is on Friday, Nov. 4, at noon in the Medbury Honors Lounge. While these meetings are designed for those currently teaching FYS, we welcome those with an interest in possibly teaching FYS in the future as well. If you would like to attend and for us to provide you with lunch please go to: http://tinyurl.com/NovFYSLunch2016 by Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 10 a.m., and let us know your lunch preferences.

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost