All posts by Marlene Heuertz & Maureen R De Armond

HR Information Archive

Committees comprised of faculty and staff support employee benefits

As a reminder to existing Drake employees and a “good to know” to new employees, Drake has two standing committees that help support Drake employee benefits:

The Drake University Investment Review Committee focuses on retirement benefits. It kicked off the academic year on Aug. 23. The committee includes faculty and staff and long-term outside consultants, Well and Good (who recently merged with PlanPilot). One of the hot topics discussed is a new federal law, called the Secure Act 2.0. While some specific aspects of the law, and its implementation timeline, remain in the air, it will likely offer high income earners additional avenues to save for retirement (such as shifting to a Roth IRA for catch-up contributions for those over the age of 50 who earn more than $145,000). As soon as there is more certainty to the “what” and “when” of the Secure Act 2.0 changes, TIAA will partner with Drake University on communications. To learn more about the likely changes this law will make, visit TIAA’s Secure Act 2.0: What You Need to Know page.

The second standing committee is the Drake University Benefits Committee, which is also comprised of faculty and staff and long-time consultants: Mark Becker & Associates (who recently merged with Gallagher). This committee focuses on our self-funded health insurance plan, dental plan, vision plan, flexible spending accounts, life insurance policies, long-term disability insurance, and other related benefits and perks. During this time of year, Drake HR is meeting with our vendors and consultants to anticipate what changes, if any, may be appropriate or needed for the following plan year. Due to our Open Enrollment schedule, by November 1, when Open Enrollment starts, we have to have all decisions for January 1 set in stone. More information to come about the work of the Benefits Committee in the coming months.

If you would like to learn more about Drake’s employee benefits and perks, please visit Drake HR’s new internal website and checkout the pages linked below the Employee Benefits tab! As always, you can reach out to Drake HR with any questions or suggestions that you have. You can best reach us at drakehr@drake.edu.

— Maureen R. De Armond and Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

For Students Archive

IFC Recruitment Week is Sept. 5–9

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) formal recruitment week will begin Tuesday, Sept. 5, and will conclude on Saturday, Sept. 9. Our recruitment process is free and non-committal, with food and drinks being provided by chapters throughout the week. If you are interested in the recruitment process, signup. For more information about IFC and recruitment, follow us on Instagram @drakeuniversityifc or check out our website drakefsl.com/ifc.

— Cody Butenhoff, Junior

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Sprout Garden Spruce Up event Sept. 6

Join All Staff Council on Wednesday, Sept. 6, from 2–4 p.m. to spruce up the Sprout Garden and Food Forest. Help with weeding, harvesting, and other important tasks.

No experience is necessary. Gloves and tools will be provided and you can come and go as your time allows. Please dress for the weather and wear something you don’t mind getting a little dirty. Close-toed shoes are recommended. Bring sunscreen and a hat if you prefer.

To sign up, visit https://givepul.se/a64btj.

Refreshments will be provided by the All Staff Council Events & Community Service committee. The Sprout Garden is located at 1270 30th Street in Des Moines.

— Elissa Johnson

Campus Announcements Archive

New on-campus employment website is live

We are excited to announce a website dedicated to on-campus employment. It was designed to support students looking for on-campus employment, those who already have on-campus positions, and the supervisors who oversee student workers.

The section headings include: Everything Students, How to Get Started, All about Timesheets, and a Supervisor’s Toolkit. Within the site, you will find information and resources, including frequently asked questions for students and supervisors, information specific to international students, and more.

We invite you to spend some time on the website: https://drakeedu.sharepoint.com/sites/OnCampusStudentEmployment.

Our hope is that this new page will provide students and supervisors with the information they need to support all facets of student employment. While we think the new page is great, there is surely room for additional improvement. Please provide us with feedback and suggestions by emailing student.employment@drake.edu. Your ideas and suggestions are both welcomed and greatly appreciated.

— Marli Jefferson, Human Resources

Strategic Updates Archive

Meredith Hall renovations wrap up in time for fall semester

Meredith Hall, home to Drake’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC), Bright College, and many College of Arts and Sciences programs, is wrapping up renovation work and will be ready to serve students for the fall semester. Faculty and staff with offices in the building started moving back into their spaces last week.

The renovation work began in December 2022 with the intent to preserve the building’s historically significant architecture, while making the facility more environmentally friendly and better suited to the teaching and learning styles of today.

Throughout the planning and renovation process, Drake Facilities Planning and Management worked in close coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to ensure the building remains eligible to be on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The completed project includes improvements to the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, new LED light fixtures, a solar array installed on the roof, new ceiling systems, new bottle-filler drinking fountains, and technology upgrades throughout the building. Areas within the building were also reimagined to include a new student collaboration space and zip spaces. A new film viewing room was created in the lower level that includes salvaged seating from Varsity Theater.

Another notable aspect of the renovation included returning the signature metal exterior to its original shade of black, as it was when it was first constructed in 1965 and received international attention for its Mid-Century Modern architectural appeal.

Picture of Meredith Hall when it opened in 1965.

Meredith Hall was designed by world-renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and part of the renovation project includes restoring the building’s courtyard, which is distinct among Mies’ designs.

Improvements to the courtyard include new landscaping and furniture to match Mies’ original intent of furnishings from the Knoll 1965 collection.

The Drake Facilities Planning and Management team also worked closely with SHPO to add padded cushioning to the original wooden seats in both of Meredith Hall’s auditoriums. To maintain the original design and aesthetics of the seats, Drake worked with the original manufacturer, Carroll Seating Company, on the renovations in which the original seat backs and bases will be used. In fact, the same person who designed the seats in 1965 worked to help renovate those same seats now.

Read about all the infrastructure updates, new sustainable features, and enriched teaching and learning opportunities on the Meredith Hall Revitalization web page.

“Our ultimate goal of updating this historic facility was to create learning spaces that meet the needs of today’s students while retaining the building’s key historic features,” said Michelle Huggins, planning and design manager, Facilities Planning and Management. “We want to ensure that people another 50 or 100 years from now will walk into this space and be just as impressed as they were in 1965 when the building first opened.”

— Heather Winslow, Facilities Planning and Management

For Students Archive

SPSS Statistics 29 now available for install

SPSS Statistics 29 is now available for install on Drake-owned computers.

To install this software on a Windows computer, navigate to the Company Portal. Search for the software, and follow the install instructions. For more information and detailed steps on using the Company Portal, please see Using Company Portal (How-to).

To install this software on a Mac computer, navigate to the Self Service application. Search for the software, and follow the install instructions. For more information and detailed steps on using Mac Self Service, please see Adding Software to your Drake-owned Mac Computer (How-to).

If you have issues installing SPSS 29 or would like assistance, please submit a Software Request ticket, call 515–271–3001, or visit the lower level of Carnegie Hall.

— Greg Christie, ITS

Campus Announcements Archive

Understanding the new myDrake

On July 28, the new myDrake website was launched. As the start of the semester approaches, we are happy to assist with your user experience and answer any questions. If you would like to schedule a one-on-one, group, or departmental training, please submit a Custom Technology Consultation/Training ticket.  

Because the new myDrake website has changed platforms, any saved links or bookmarks you may use will need to be updated. When accessing myDrake for the first time, please clear your browser cache and cookies. Delete your old myDrake bookmark by right clicking and selecting delete. Then, visit https://my.drake.edu or https://drakeedu.sharepoint.com.sites/myDrake. From there, add a new myDrake bookmark by clicking the star icon on the right side of the address bar. Rename and save the bookmark to your desired location.

For more information about the myDrake launch and navigating the new site, please see New myDrake launching July 28 and Using the new myDrake. For news, updates, and more information about the myDrake site and other campus systems, visit drake.edu/its.

— Rashmee Virmani, ITS

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Food trucks on campus Aug. 17 for Learning Symposium

Two food trucks, Mactopia and Bearded Jackal, will be on campus Thursday, Aug. 17, as part of the Learning Symposium to offer lunch to Drake faculty and staff. Food will be ready at 11:30 a.m. for Learning Symposium attendees (lunch voucher provided at the symposium).

Register for the Learning Symposium through EventBrite. Faculty and staff not attending the Learning Symposium are invited to join for lunch at their own cost (anticipated $12–15, including food and beverage) starting at 12:30 p.m. Vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available.

Mactopia items will include Perfection, Garden of Eden (vegetarian), Bliss, and Paradise, as well as soft drinks. Bearded Jackal items will include Peruvian Chicken, Bulgogi, Skirt Steak with Chimichurri, or Thai Curry Tofu (vegetarian). This will come with a side of street corn and Dragon Fruit Lemonade.

— Lauren McCarthy, Zimpleman College of Business

HR Information Archive

New BUILD classes released, mark your calendar for upcoming sessions

Bulldogs United in Learning & Development (BUILD) provides faculty and staff learning opportunities throughout the academic year that address technical, soft, philosophical, and very practical skills. BUILD is a great platform for learning new ideas as well as an opportunity to collaborate with others from across campus.

The Fall 2023 schedule is now available for viewing and registration is open. Please take a moment to check out the classes on the new 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.

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