All posts by Ashton Hockman

A celebration of Congressman Neal Smith

2017-09-19 Ashton Hockman

A celebration to honor Neal Smith, former U.S. congressman and a 1950 Drake Law alumnus, will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium.

The program will feature selections from a videotaped interview with former Drake Law Dean David Walker, titled “Visionary of Shared Dreams: He Helped Government Work Better.”

In the interview, Smith reveals details of his nearly four decades in public service, including his work with other members of Congress, U.S. Supreme Court justices, and U.S. presidents. He also recalls his childhood growing up on a farm in Iowa during the Depression, enlistment in the military during World War II, and landmark legislation he worked on in Congress.

The event is free and open the public. No RSVP is required. View the news release for more information.

—Kayla Choate, Law School

Featured Events Archive

White Privilege Symposium

2017-09-19 Ashton Hockman

The Office of Equity and Inclusion is pleased to announce the White Privilege Symposium–Iowa from Oct. 27-28 on Drake’s campus. In keeping with the White Privilege Conference (WPC), a long-standing national conference, WPS-IA will focus on issues of systemic inequity and oppression through empowering and challenging educational programming. The workshops and keynotes provide practical tips, tools, and strategies for combating systemic inequities.

Confirmed speakers include Jackie Battalora, Eddie Moore Jr., Jasiri X, Jennifer Harvey, and others. The symposium will bring together high school and college students, teachers, University faculty and higher education professionals, nonprofit staff, activists, social workers and counselors, health care workers, members of the spiritual community, and corporate arena, among many others.

Registration and attendance for Drake faculty, staff, and students is free. Register using your Drake ID through Eventbrite.

Non-Drake participants can register at: https://www.regonline.com/wps-ia. Registration fees for non-Drake participants are $100 for general admission, $75 for teachers, and $50 for students.

The National White Privilege Conference is an opportunity to join local frontline racial justice activists, academics, artists and more, as we explore the pressing issues of our time, understand root causes of systemic injustice, build solidarity, strengthen community, and develop strategies for dismantling privilege and oppression.

The conference will take place in various buildings on campus from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 27, and 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 28

—Erin Lain, Associate Provost for Equity and Inclusion

HR Information Archive

Re-energize with a chair massage

2017-09-19 Ashton Hockman

Relax with a chair massage, or buy one for a co-worker as a gift. Ten- and 20-minute chair massages will be offered on campus Wednesday (now full) and Thursday this week as well as Nov. 7 and 8. Cost is $10 for a 10-minute massage. Payment should be given directly to Anne Boal, licensed massage therapist, at the time of appointment. Correct change, cash, or check is required.

Those who participate will have the chance to win a gift certificate for a free 10-minute chair massage. One name will be drawn from those who receive a massage in September, and again in November.

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.

Sept. 21: Aliber Hall, Conference Room 204, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Nov. 7: Cline Hall, Conference Room 101, 2–4 p.m.
Nov. 8: Olmsted Center, Drake Room, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

For more information, contact Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu.

—Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Featured Events Archive

The iconic American Baritone Sherrill Milnes to visit Drake

2017-09-19 Ashton Hockman

The famed baritone Sherrill Milnes and his wife Maria Zouves will visit campus Sept. 28–29. The duo will lead a series of free events open to the public in Sheslow Auditorium.

Thursday, Sept. 28

A lecture and Q&A on “The Business of Singing”, 2–3 p.m.
Voice Masterclass with Milnes, 7:30–9:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 29

The Audition Panel: Selected Drake students sing a mock opera audition and receive feedback from Milnes and Zouves, 11–12:30 p.m.
Voice Masterclass with Zouves, 2–3:30 p.m.
Lecture: “Sherrill Milnes––My Life on Stage,” 7:30–9:30 p.m.

HR Information Archive

Flu shots for faculty and staff

2017-09-19 Ashton Hockman

Register now to receive your flu shot. Human Resources has purchased 200 doses of flu vaccine to be provided at no cost to faculty and staff. Flu shot clinics will be open Sept. 20, 22, and 25, and Oct. 2. Those who wish to participate must sign up for an appointment.

The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences student pharmacists and faculty will hold the flu shot clinics on campus in Harvey Ingham, Room 107 (Johansen Lab). Flu shots will be administered in private rooms.

You will receive an email the day before your scheduled appointment outlining the following details:

Wear a shirt/blouse that will allow access to your upper arm (this is where the vaccine will be administered).
Please print and fill out the immunization screening form attached to the email. Bring the form with you to your flu shot appointment.
You must bring your Drake ID Card to your appointment.

For questions, contact CPHS.wellness@drake.edu.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Free online financial program

2017-09-19 Ashton Hockman

Drake is offering faculty and staff free access to the online financial training program, Financial Fitness Challenge, through the Financial Fitness Group and funded by the Iowa Insurance Division. This Financial Fitness Academy™ is an easy and fun way to learn how to improve your unique financial situation.

Faculty and staff may complete the program at their own pace. It is simple and convenient with 24/7 access on all Internet-connected smartphones, tablets, and computers. Once enrolled, participants will complete a 10-minute confidential Financial Fitness Checkup™. Based on the results, they will receive some learning recommendations, but ultimately they can choose what is most interesting to them. There are over 400 Academy™ tutorials to choose from covering budgeting, saving, the basics of investing, retirement planning, financial planning, and much more. Participants can complete as many tutorials as they wish during the eight-week program. At the end of the program, they will complete another Checkup™ to track their progress. All responses are private and confidential.

If you are interested in participating, contact Linda Feiden by Wednesday, Sept. 20, at linda.feiden@drake.edu.

—Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Bulldog Pack Rewards Program

2017-09-19 Ashton Hockman

Bulldog Pack Rewards Program is a points-based scorecard dedicated to helping you enhance your quality of life in five areas: physical, financial, community, social, and occupational. Earn points by participating in various activities and making healthy choices. Reach 100 points between Sept. 15 and June 1, 2018, and be placed in a drawing for a chance to win your choice of prizes from a wellness catalog.

The Bulldog Pack Rewards Program scorecard is available to all full-time and part-time faculty and staff, regardless of enrollment in the Drake Medical Plan. Click here for instructions on how to access the scorecard and start earning points now.

Please note that the annual biometric/wellness screenings and online wellness assessment are separate from this scorecard. These two items are only for current employees on Drake’s medical plan and must be completed annually to receive the wellness premium incentive.

For more information, contact Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu.

—Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Schedule your biometric screening today

2017-09-19 Ashton Hockman

The Hy-Vee wellness screening option has ended. If you haven’t completed a biometric screening yet and wish to be included in the early bird drawing, you may still complete a screening with your physician as long as you or your doctor fax the completed Physician Wellness Screening Results Form by Sept. 30.

The online registration form for on campus wellness screenings with UnityPoint is open. To guarantee a slot, register early. The screenings will be held between 6:30 and 10:45 a.m. in the lower level of the Olmsted Center on Oct. 4-6, 9, 11, 13, 17, and 19. To schedule a screening, log in with the username DRAKE and password SCREEN (in all caps).

If you registered for an on-campus screening but don’t remember your appointment date and time, check your received, spam, or deleted email folders for an email confirmation from UnityPoint with the subject: Health Screen Confirmation. It would have been delivered to the email address you entered on your registration. Questions regarding the on-campus UnityPoint screenings should be sent to unitypointhealth.desmoines@gmail.com.

If you need to cancel an on-campus screening, send an email to jennifer.umphfleet@unitypoint.org with your name, date, and time of appointment you wish to cancel. You will need to re-register online for a new appointment. Changes can be made up to 48 hours prior to the appointment, if slots are still available.

If you have already completed your biometric screening, don’t forget to complete your online wellness assessment on wellmark.com by Nov. 17.

Additional information about this year’s biometric screenings and wellness assessments (including copies of the Physician Wellness Screening Results Form) can be found under the employee tab of blueView. The Wellness Portal is on the right-hand side of the employee page.

If you are on Drake’s health plan, you must complete a biometric screening and wellness assessment annually to retain your wellness premium discount, which is a savings of approximately $300. For questions, contact Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu or 271-1880.

—Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Register for the 2017–2018 BUILD program

2017-09-19 Ashton Hockman

Registration for the learning and development program, Bulldogs United In Learning Drake (BUILD), is available on the Employee tab in blueView.

The BUILD program includes a variety of learning opportunities for faculty and staff who want to enhance their skill sets and learn more about Drake. Through BUILD, faculty and staff can:

Pursue lifelong learning with professional development workshops and skill-building opportunities
Understand their benefits and learn how to make the most of them
Improve their health and overall wellness
Strengthen their management and leadership abilities
Connect with colleagues from across campus

A list of BUILD sessions can be found here. Individuals who participate in the sessions, ITS’s Tech Tuesdays, and additional sessions announced throughout the year will be entered into drawings to receive prizes.

While online registration is available through blueView (listed under Learning and Development), registration is requested, not required.

—Debra Wiley, Human Resources