All posts by Ashton Hockman

Drake ID Card benefits

You carry your Drake ID Card and know it can be used to access buildings during specified times.  But do you know what else it can do? Your Drake Card can be used to:

  • Utilize the Drake University Bell Center. The work out facilities and group fitness classes are free for full-time employees. Memberships are also available for purchase for adjunct/part-time employees and for faculty/staff family members.
  • Check out items at Cowles Library. Now would be a great time to join the Drake Book Club—they are currently reading “The Immortalists” and meeting on Jan. 22.
  • Print and scan at the campus printers
  • Receive a discount at the University Bookstore
  • Ride the Des Moines DART Bus or Drake Safe Ride Bus free of charge
  • Conveniently pay for purchases on campus with your Bulldog Bucks account.  Your card can be loaded with funds and used for Drake Dining (including concession stands) or University Bookstore purchases.
  • Check out a bicycle from the Olmsted Bike Library

For more information on your Drake ID Card, please contact Sara Heijerman.

Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Women’s Basketball faculty and staff appreciation night

All Drake faculty and staff are eligible to receive up to four complimentary general admission tickets to the Women’s Basketball game versus Iowa on Friday, Dec. 21. Tickets may be picked up at the Knapp Center Ticket Office Monday–Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or at the ticket window on game day. Must show valid Drake Card at time of pick up.

For more information please contact the Drake Athletics Ticket Office at 515-271-3647 or visit GoDrakeBulldogs.com.

Ryan Harris, Athletics

Little Bulldogs youth jersey ticket package

For only $25 the package includes:
One official replica Drake Bulldogs youth jersey
One game ticket
One concession voucher

Package valid for one ticket to one of the following games:
Women’s Basketball vs. Iowa, December 21, 6 p.m.
Men’s Basketball vs. McKendree, December 29, 2 p.m.
Men’s Basketball vs. Loyola, January 5, 2 p.m.
Women’s Basketball vs. Loyola, January 11, 6 p.m.

To order visit DrakeTix.com/promo using Promo Code JERSEY or visit the Knapp Center Ticket Office.

Ryan Harris

Hy-Vee Classic student tickets

A limited number of student tickets are available for the Hy-Vee Classic on Saturday, Dec. 15. The Drake Men’s Basketball team will play the Iowa State Cyclones at Wells Fargo Arena.  Drake undergrad and graduate students may claim one free student-section ticket by visiting the Knapp Center Ticket Office and showing a valid Drake Card during regular business hours Monday–Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This ticket will give you access to both games: Drake vs. Iowa State at 3:30 p.m. and UNI vs. Iowa at 6 p.m.

For more information please contact the Drake Athletics Ticket Office at 515-271-3647 or tickets@drake.edu.

Ryan Harris, Athletics

Finance shares Survey of Administrative Services report

The Offices of Finance and Student Financial Planning would like to thank everyone for taking the time to complete the Administrative Survey in October 2018.  We have gained valuable feedback to help us maintain and improve the services we provide to faculty and staff.

Our median scores, on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest, were as follows:

Statement 2017 2018
Staff are courteous. 4.33 4.38
Staff are professional. 4.41 4.45
Staff are knowledgeable. 4.41 4.40
Staff respond to my inquiries in a timely manner. 4.39 4.39
Overall, how satisfied are you with the Finance Department. 4.30 4.26

Each of our departments individually scored between 4 and 5 on all survey questions, with the average score = 4.31 for both 2017 and 2018.  In addition, we scored between 4 and 5 on each of our core values.

In accordance with our continuous improvement plan, we currently have initiatives in place to meet the following service-oriented objectives:

  • Ensure our constituents are engaged and informed
  • Ensure integrity and transparency
  • Process university resources timely and accurately
  • Improve service excellence

We appreciate all the comments included in the survey.  Thank you for the many positive comments, which support our efforts to be prompt, helpful, responsive, and friendly.  Thank you, too, for providing feedback to help us make improvements in the future.  Based on those comments, we are taking the following steps to make improvements:

  • We recently attended a process improvement training presented by the Education Advisory Board (EAB). We intend to review our processes using the EAB model, in order to:
    • Simplify
    • Communicate better
    • Collaborate more
    • Be more consistent
    • Reduce paper processes
    • Streamline operations
    • Improve customer experience and satisfaction

As part of this work, we will include stakeholders in the process review and communicate the results of our work.

  • We have also reaffirmed our commitment to our Finance Service Standards, namely:
  • Provide Solutions not Excuses
  • Take Ownership
  • Foster an Innovative Environment
  • Be Accountable as Team Members and Individuals
  • Value and Trust Others
  • Uphold Professional, Ethical and Confidential Standards
  • Exceed Expectations
  • Be an Ambassador for Drake
  • Recognize Contributions

Teresa Krejci, Chief Financial Officer

 

 

Voluntary contribution limits to increase in 2019

The annual contribution limit for Drake’s Voluntary Retirement Plan will increase from $18,500 to $19,000 effective January 1, 2019. Employees age 50 and over may contribute an additional $6,000 for a total maximum of $25,000 during 2019.

If you would like to change your current contribution amount, or open a voluntary retirement account, please contact Human Resources. Should you wish to schedule an individual counseling session with a TIAA Consultant, please call 271-1901.

Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

ITS shares Survey of Administrative Services Report

I wanted to share with you the most recent results from this year’s Survey of Administrative Services as it relates to ITS. We are pleased to report that over the three years of this survey, data indicates a steadily improving sense of satisfaction with ITS.

In 2018, overall satisfaction with ITS has increased from 3.8 to 4.0 on a scale of 1 to 5. We are proud that the campus community recognizes the work that’s been done, but the results clearly leave room for additional improvement.

Figure 1 – Overall Satisfaction with ITS 2016-17 Trend

Questions related to satisfaction with ITS staff showed almost uniform improvement, although satisfaction with quality showed the least improvement year over year.

Figure 2 – ITS Staff Satisfaction 2016-18 Trend

From left to right

  • ITS staff are courteous
  • ITS staff are professional
  • ITS staff are knowledgeable
  • ITS staff resolve my requests in a timely manner
  • ITS staff resolve my requests without errors
  • ITS staff provide regular communication about the status of my requests
  • When I contact ITS, I have confidence my requests will be resolved to my satisfaction

Responses to questions related to ITS’s continuous improvement efforts also show increasing satisfaction across all questions. Limited improvements to the question I have the right technology tools I need to do my job effectively show that the availability of functional, reliable technology remains an ongoing campus-wide concern.

Figure 3 – ITS Continuous Improvement Satisfaction 2016-18 Trend

From left to right

  • I have the right technology tools I need to do my job effectively
  • I know how to use the technology I need to do my job effectively
  • I have the right level of support to use technology effectively
  • I know how to get training when I need to learn new technology
  • I know how to find information about the status of technology issues or problems on campus
  • ITS keeps me aware of changes to technology that will impact my work

During the past year, ITS has paid particular attention to improving the consistency and frequency of communication to campus and we are pleased to see this effort reflected in the survey’s results. Two of the questions that showed the largest increase year-over-year are ITS staff provide regular communication about the status of my requests and I know how to find information about the status of technology issues or problems on campus.

This coming year, we are creating procedures to ensure that we have fully addressed your service requests to your satisfaction before closing them. We will also continue to focus on providing consistent communication regarding progress on your individual requests and on issues affecting the campus community to ensure future progress in these areas.

Although we are pleased to see your recognition of our hard work, we recognize that trust must be constantly earned. Thank you for taking the time from your busy schedules to provide us with your helpful feedback and perspectives. Our goal is to make sure that you see the benefits of that feedback in the overall quality and consistency of our services.

Chris Gill, Chief Information Technology Officer

December Drake Social: Generosity of Spirit

Please plan to attend the Provost’s Drake Social, Thursday, Dec. 13, at Shivers Hospitality Suite. Employees who exemplify Generosity of Spirit will be recognized.

You may nominate a colleague as one who exemplifies Generosity of Spirit until Monday, Dec. 10. Submit their name and a sentence or two explaining why they embody this Drake Core Value to Drinda Williams, drinda.williams@drake.edu.

Generosity of Spirit: We trust, empower, and assume the best of each other. We treat our colleagues with care, respect, and civility. We remain committed to equity and inclusion.

Anyone nominated will be part of a rolling display at the event. Three will be selected at random to choose from a menu of prizes that this month includes: preferential parking space for a month, baked goods, restaurant gift certificates, and more!

The Social will be preceded by a town hall budget update presented by Teresa Krejci, chief financial officer, beginning at 3:30 p.m. The Social will follow immediately afterward.

The Drake Social is a time to relax with colleagues and enjoy wine, beer, soft drinks, and snacks.

Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

Final Grades Due Dec. 19

Faculty, the deadline for final grade entry for the fall semester is 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 19. Exception: final grades for the Law School are due on Tuesday, Jan. 15.

View instructions on how to send your final grades from Blackboard to MyDUSIS.

Those of you who want to submit grades directly into MyDUSIS should begin by clicking the Grading button in the “Faculty & Advising” menu in MyDrake and then finding the “Final Grades – Submittal Link”.

The final evaluation schedule includes a listing of when and where courses are scheduled to meet for their final evaluations.

Kevin Moenkhaus, Associate Registrar