All posts by Linda Feiden

For Faculty, For Staff

Call for nominations: Levitt Employee Excellence and Community Service awards

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All Drake faculty and staff are invited and encouraged to nominate a colleague for the 2025 Madelyn M. Levitt Distinguished Community Service and Employee Excellence Awards.

The Employee Excellence Award is presented to a staff member who demonstrates exceptional commitment to excellence in the performance of their duties. The Distinguished Community Service Award recognizes the outstanding contributions of Drake faculty and staff to the Drake community. The criteria to be eligible for each of these awards can be found here.

To nominate a colleague, submit a letter of nomination to Human Resources. Nomination letters may be sent through campus mail or electronically to drakehr@drake.edu.  The subject line should read “Madelyn M. Levitt Award Nomination”.  The letter should detail specific examples of how the nominee exemplifies each of the applicable criteria. Additional letters of support are not necessary. Nominations are due to Human Resources by Monday, March 3.

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

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information

Wellness Premium Incentive reminder

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Many start the year out by getting their annual physical. If that sounds like you and you are on Drake’s health plan, don’t forget to take a copy of the Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form to your appointment.This form can be found on the Drake HR Internal website. Just look for Wellness Premium Discount under the DU Well – Wellness and Wellbeing tab.

Those on Drake’s health plan who complete a physical with an in-network provider between Dec. 1, 2024, and Nov. 30, 2025, and submit a completed form by Dec. 1, 2025, will qualify for the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2026, which is a savings of over $30 per month.

If you already had your physical since Dec. 1, 2024, please fill out the form and turn it in now. If you turned in your form last year—great! But don’t forget, this is an annual event.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Campus Announcements

Inspiring reads on Middle Eastern history and culture

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Cowles Library invites you to explore its latest featured collection, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Middle East. This curated selection includes titles spanning a wide array of topics, from philosophy and politics to cinema, music, and beyond.

Dive into both fiction and nonfiction works by Middle Eastern authors to gain insight into the history, culture, and diverse perspectives of this region.

Visit the library to uncover inspiring reads and hidden treasures. There’s always something new waiting for you!

— Joanna Stankiewicz, Cowles Library

Campus Announcements

Nine tips for winter walking

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Numerous injuries result from slips and falls on icy sidewalks, parking lots, roads, and other outdoor locations. Snow removal and frequent salting of these areas can help. Many times, total elimination of the hazard is impossible, and measures must be taken to cope with this problem.

What precautions can we take to reduce both the frequency and severity of injuries which result from this hazard? Being aware of the danger is very important.

  1. Anticipate falls. Often ice will appear in the morning, in shady spots or where the sun shines during the day and melted snow refreezes at night.
  2. Wear the right shoes. The type of footwear you have on is very important during icy conditions. Footwear should have low heels with soles constructed of a slip-resistant material.  We shouldn’t wear footwear that is not able to grip the surface we are walking on.
  3. Be careful when you shift your weight. When stepping off a curb or getting into a car, shifting your weight may cause an imbalance and result in a fall.
  4. Shorten your stride—take shorter steps. You should adjust your stride so that your center of gravity is maintained directly above your feet at all times. Walk with your feet spread further apart laterally than you would under normal conditions.
  5. Plan ahead. While walking on snow or ice on sidewalks or in parking lots, walk consciously. Instead of looking down, look up and see where your feet will move next to anticipate ice or an uneven surface. Occasionally scan from left to right to ensure you are not in the way of vehicles or other hazards. Be careful about what you walk under.  Injuries also can result from falling snow/ice as it blows, melts, or breaks away from awnings, buildings, etc.
  6. Use your eyes and ears. While seeing the environment is important, you also want to be sure you can hear approaching traffic and other noises. Avoid listening to music or engaging in conversation that may prevent you from hearing oncoming traffic or snow removal equipment.
  7. Walk slowly on steps. When walking down steps, be sure to grip handrails firmly and plant your feet securely on each step.
  8. Avoid taking shortcuts. Shortcuts are a good idea if you are in a hurry, but may be a bad idea if there is snow and ice on the ground. A shortcut path may be treacherous because it is likely to be located where snow and ice removal is not possible.
  9. Try not to track snow into buildings. When you get to your destination, be sure to look at the floor as you enter the building. The floor may be wet with melted snow and ice. Wipe your feet off at the entrance so others won’t slip and fall on melted snow.

— Kevin Moran, Executive Director, Facilities Planning and Management

For Faculty, For Staff

Reminder: Writing in Your Academic Field faculty development for Spring 2025

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Written communication is important in almost any academic field, but the genres and accepted conventions of writing vary from discipline to discipline. In this project, we will discuss ways to integrate writing instruction into courses for which written communication is not necessarily the primary learning outcome, as well as courses that require students to communicate in field-specific ways (for instance, lab reports or business memos).

Instructors who participate in this project will have a one-semester commitment that will include:

  • Working with the Director of Writing, Megan Brown, on the development of a writing assignment, writing activities, or a writing project for one of their spring classes.
  • Attending hour-long meetings of all participants in the program in February, March, and April (or early May) 2025.  These meetings may be structured as two sessions each month, with half of the group at each session, to facilitate more in-depth discussion.
  • Requiring all students enrolled in their class to attend tutoring sessions at the Writing Center at least twice during the semester.

After completing the project and attending the final meeting, participants will receive a $500 stipend.

Participation is limited to 10 individuals.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Madison Bemus (madison.bemus@drake.edu) by Monday, January 27.

If you have questions, please contact Megan Brown (megan.brown@drake.edu).

— Megan Brown, Professor of English/Director of Writing

Campus Announcements

Stop in at these new restaurants near campus

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There are three new restaurants in the area worth checking out: Cafe Chai is in the old Subway in Drake West Village ($8 wraps!) with Haiku now open under new ownership next door (grab & go options!). Hugo’s at 32nd Street and University Avenue is relatively new as well. This is all in addition to the many, diverse lunch and dinner options in Dogtown,  the Drake Neighborhood, and Hubbell as well!

— Nate Reagen, Office of the President

HR Information

Check out the Spring 2025 BUILD schedule

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Bulldogs United in Learning & Development (BUILD) provides faculty and staff learning opportunities throughout the academic year to enhance professional skills, improve wellbeing, and create conversation.  BUILD is a great platform for learning new ideas as well as an opportunity to collaborate with others from across campus.

The Spring 2025 schedule is available online and registration is open.  Please take a moment to check out the classes on the Drake HR website under Learning & Development.  Click on BUILD – Upcoming Sessions for the full list, including detailed descriptions.  There is an online registration link to a Qualtrics survey that makes signing up easy.

This semester’s class list includes everything from safe space training and mental health first aid for higher education to vehicle and lawn equipment basics. Find out why sitting too long is bad for your health, create a vision board, or join one of a couple tours.

Most classes are only an hour in length, and many are facilitated by our own faculty and staff.  This is a great way to invest in yourself, support your colleagues, and take in the culture that Drake has to offer.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Faculty, Staff, & Students

Drake students share Washington, D.C. travel seminar experience

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From Jan. 7–21, a J-Term class headed to Washington, D.C. with the goal of attending the inauguration. They visited the lying in state of Jimmy Carter, met Wolf Blitzer, explored the Capitol after hours, and so much more. Check out their blog for a glimpse into all they experienced.

Drake in DC student blog: https://drakeindc.org/

— Alan Fox, College of Arts & Sciences

Campus Announcements

Rec Services hours for spring semester

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Spring Semester facility hours begin Monday, Jan. 27.

Bell Center

Mon-Thurs: 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m.
Friday: 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.–9 p.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m.–10 p.m.

Underground Fitness

Mon-Thurs: 7 a.m.–9 p.m.
Friday: 7 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday: CLOSED
Sunday: 3 p.m.–9 p.m.

Roger Knapp Tennis Center

Mon, Wed, Fri: 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Tues & Thurs: 12 p.m.–1:30 p.m. & 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Saturday: CLOSED
Sunday: 4 p.m.–8 p.m.

Bell Center Pool
Check rec.drake.edu for updated hours

For Faculty, For Staff

FPM shares results of Administrative Services Fall 2024 Survey

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The annual Survey of Administrative Services (SAS) is a valuable tool for gathering feedback from faculty and staff about the services provided by Facilities Planning and Management. This survey helps highlight successes and areas for improvement, creating an opportunity for the team to assess their performance and address any concerns. By using the feedback, FPM staff can make informed decisions to enhance our services and ensure better support for the campus community.

The results from this year’s Survey of Administrative Services (SAS) indicate a strong positive trend in overall satisfaction with Facilities Planning and Management (FPM) services. Respondents have provided encouraging feedback, highlighting several areas where FPM has made significant improvements over the past year in staff courtesy, professionalism, knowledge, timeliness and exhibiting the core values.

The Electrical Services Team has achieved an outstanding milestone by winning the FPM Annual Golden Bulldog Award, thanks to their exceptional performance and an impressive satisfaction rating of nearly 92%. This year, the team stood out among nine FPM-specific services, with improvements in satisfaction across all FPM areas. Congratulations to Corey, Ron, and Josh for their hard work and dedication—this achievement truly reflects their commitment to excellence!

Overall satisfaction with FPM has seen a notable increase from the previous year, rising by 4.7% to reach over 78%. This improvement is a direct result of the hard work and dedication our team has shown throughout the year, successfully closing nearly 5,000 work orders.

FPM is dedicated to continuously identifying areas for improvement. In the coming year, improving communication with the campus will be a top priority. We will proactively clarify the roles and responsibilities of FPM services to the campus community. Furthermore, FPM management will consistently review and update work orders to ensure issues are addressed promptly and information is communicated back to building contacts.

— Kevin Moran, Executive Director FPM