All posts by Ashton Hockman

Bulldog Pack Wellness Scorecard

Chances are you are already making some healthy choices: Getting a dental check-up, participating in BUILD classes or wellness programs, sending a Peerceive kudos, or attending a Drake Social. Now you have the opportunity to win some great prizes for those choices. The Bulldog Pack Wellness Scorecard is a points-based spreadsheet dedicated to helping you enhance your quality of life in seven areas: physical, emotional, financial, community, social, occupational, and intellectual. Simply check items off on the scorecard as you complete them. If you reach 100 points between Sept. 3, 2018, and May 31, 2019, you will be placed in a drawing for a chance to win a prize.

The Bulldog Pack Wellness Scorecard is available to all current Drake full-time and regular part-time employees, regardless of enrollment in the Drake Medical Plan. Download a copy of the scorecard and get started today.

For more information, contact Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu or 515-271-1880.

Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Walktober Step Challenge Results

Drake challenged Des Moines University and Wesley Life to a step challenge in October. During the month team members from all three institutions tracked their daily steps using pedometers, fitness trackers, and smart phone apps. The goal was to be the institution with the highest average step total. The prize – a traveling trophy and bragging rights for the year.

Seventy-four Drake faculty, staff, and students began the program and 58 completed the challenge. Out of those 58 participants, we collected a total of 16,931,373 steps which is equivalent to 8,465 miles. Our average step total was 291,920 steps.

Although we did not win the trophy it was a close competition and we should be proud of our accomplishment!

1st Place: Wesley Life 294,546 average step total

2nd Place: Drake University 291,920 average step total

3rd Place: Des Moines University 272,287 average step total

We will compete again next October and hope that many of you will help us bring this trophy home. But you don’t need to wait until then to get moving. Being more active is possible any time of year. Even during the winter months. Here are a few ways to add steps to your day:

Create a walking group with co-workers and friends. The Knapp indoor track is available most days over the lunch hour. You may need to check times and schedules.

Join a Group X class at the Bell Center.

  • If your building has an elevator, skip it if you are able and take the stairs instead.
  • If possible, walk to talk to co-workers instead of calling, emailing, or texting.
  • Set a timer and every hour get up from your desk and walk around or walk in place for a couple minutes. Walk and talk on the phone as well.
  • Park further from your destination. And if your building has multiple entrances, enter from the furthest door.
  • If you are getting groceries on your way home from work, walk the shopping cart back inside the store when you are done with it.
  • Watching TV at night? Get up and walk around during the commercials. Better yet, skip TV and try an active video gaming experience with a Wii Fit or Xbox Kinect.
  • And instead of getting together with friends for dinner, make it an active night out. Check out a winter farmer’s market, go ice skating, or try a dance class.

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

Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Holiday Trimmings 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 send an email to Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu with the subject line “Holiday Trimmings.” Deadline to register is Thursday, Nov. 15.

A packet of information will be sent to those who register. Read through the packet carefully and start the challenge on Monday, Nov. 19.

Let’s make this a happy and healthy holiday season.

Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Soccer gear drive for Sure Prospects, Uganda

This year’s Uganda Service Learning project is holding a soccer fundraiser for Sure Prospects in Entebbe, Uganda. They are looking for cleats, shin guards, water bottles, goalie jerseys, socks, cones, pumps, soccer bags, balls, jerseys, and penneys. There are four drop-off locations where you can place these items between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., from Nov. 12 to 16, and Nov. 25 to 30: Innovation Studio (124C Meredith); Bell Center; Aliber Lobby; and Olmsted Breezeway. Questions? Email katherine.tallett@drake.edu.
Stephanie Cardwell, Drake University Entrepreneurship Centers

Lorentzen Student Hatchery

Want to get paid to start a business while attending Drake? Apply for the Lorentzen Student Hatchery, a summer startup program where students work toward getting their business up an running while receiving coaching, mentoring, and more. Visit the website (https://www.drake.edu/cbpa/centers/lorentzenhatchery/) or email jpec@drake.edu for more information. Applications are due by 11 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 26.
Stephanie Cardwell, Drake University Entrepreneurship Centers

Bark Tank winners

On Saturday, Nov. 3, the Drake Innovators Club sponsored the annual Bark Tank Competition. This competition is for any Drake student with an innovation or business idea. There were seven participants and the top prizes went to:

  • 1st place, $750: Encryptium LLC – Kellen Karls and Alex Mathison
  • 2nd place, $500: Confident – Tyrek Washington
  • 3rd place, $250: ABC – LiQin (Rey) Huang
  • People’s Choice, $250: StudentPal – Noah Manderfeld and Brendan Voight
Congratulations to everyone who participated and a huge thanks to our judges, Colton Sleister (2016 winner), Kaleigh DeBont (2017 winner), and Chamindi Wijesinghe (alumna).
Stephanie Cardwell, Drake University Entrepreneurship Centers

Banner and MyDUSIS Planned Outage from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17

ITS is making updates to Banner. As a result, access to Banner 9, Banner/DUSIS INB, MyDUSIS, Workflow, ODBC, eTranscripts, Online Balloting, and DSAP will be completely unavailable between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 17. This upgrade is being made to apply security and functionality upgrades and patches.

We appreciate your patience while we perform this necessary work. If you continue to have any issues after the planned maintenance window, please contact the Support Center at 515-271-3001 or visit service.drake.edu/its to report your issue.

Carla Herling, ITS

Email phishing is constantly evolving

On an average day, about 206,000 malicious emails are sent to drake.edu addresses, comprising nearly 80% of all the email sent to campus. Today’s attacks are also more sophisticated than ever. That’s why we continuously work to educate faculty, staff, and students how to avoid these attacks designed to convince us to give away our information.

We’ll be distributing another phishing education scenario soon. These phishing email look-alikes provide information about how to spot malicious emails and allow us to introduce you to the ever-changing types of attacks in a risk-free environment.

When you encounter email you don’t recognize, always slow down and look carefully for red flags that give away its intent before acting. Suspicious emails can be reported by going to https://drake.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/Requests/ServiceDet?ID=17310

Peter Lundstedt, ITS

FPM shares results of Survey of Administrative Services

An objective of Drake’s Continuous Improvement Plan is to ”Elevate Service Excellence”. The Survey of Administrative Services directly supports our continuous improvement in this area.

This fall, the survey was issued to all faculty and staff with the focus on Finance, Public Safety, Human Resources (HR), Facilities Planning and Management (FPM), Information Technology Services (ITS), and University Communications and Marketing.

This feedback helps all of us understand where service gaps may exist and how to improve our services to the University.

Survey respondents provided largely positive feedback about FPM services. Responses were provided on a five-point scale, with five being the highest.

Satisfaction with FPM staff – Total Average 4.30 (4.41 last year)

Respondents assessed their satisfaction with FPM staff including their courtesy, professionalism, knowledge, timeliness, resolution of issues and communication regarding work orders and projects. Satisfaction with FPM staff was generally high.

Satisfaction with FPM support and services – Total Average 4.26 (4.40 last year)

Respondents assessed their satisfaction with FPM support and services including custodial, grounds maintenance, snow removal, moving, cooling and heating, painting, construction, carpentry, trash/recycle, keys/locks, and plumbing. Satisfaction with FPM support and services was generally high for keys/locks (4.67), ground maintenance (4.49)), painting (4.41)), and plumbing (4.38). However, lowest for trash/recycle (3.72) and cooling and heating (3.87).

The preservation of historic buildings can be demanding when upgrading the mechanical systems. It is our goal to heat and cool to establish a comfortable environment, but understand the capacity of the system along with individual preferences. The same holds true maintaining sustainable practices with regards to our impact on landfills. Moving forward we promise to service all needs on campus through collaboration and communication.

Overall satisfaction—Total Average 4.09 (4.27 last year)

Overall satisfaction is above average, but FPM still has room for improvement.

In reviewing the data and reflecting on the comments provided by the respondents, FPM has concluded that:

It is our goal to remain consistent over time with the above benchmarks. While strong ratings were seen in FPM, we are actively developing strategies to improve our services and overall quality.

Over the coming year, FPM makes the following commitments.

FPM will:

1. Ensure that FPM meet the promised response and resolution timeframes.

2. Collaborate to find reasonable and supportable long-term solutions.

3. Strive to understand issues and requests before beginning work.

4. Confirm the request was completed to satisfaction.

5. Improve communication related to work order requests and projects.

6. Work as a team to provide facility-related services on behalf of Drake.

In the following months, FPM will being working on updating our website to better deliver communications. This, coupled with more direct reporting, we anticipate that we can booster our lower administrative service areas. Watch OnCampus and the FP website for more information.

Kevin Moran, Executive Director Facilities Planning and Management

Session on campus and personal safety Wednesday

The safety of our students and the entire campus community is of the highest priority at Drake University.  In response to comments in the recent Administrative Service Survey, Public Safety is offering a series of monthly programs for the campus community on campus and personal safety.  The first program is tomorrow, Nov. 14, from 12–1 p.m. in the Olmsted Center. The topic of the program is “What to do if there is an active shooter on campus.”

If you have any questions about these offering or any security or safety issues, please contact Scott law at scott.law@drake.edu.