All posts by Linda Feiden

HR Information Archive

Wellness Premium Incentive reminder

Have you completed your annual physical since last December? Please remember that the premium discount physician form must be filled out annually to continue to receive the premium incentive.

If you are on Drake’s health plan, take a copy of the Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form to your annual exam. This form can be found on myDrake under the Employee Wellness section of Human Resources.

Those on Drake’s health plan who complete a physical with their primary care physician (PCP) between Dec. 1, 2022 and Nov. 30, 2023 and submit a Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form  to linda.feiden@drake.edu by Nov. 30, 2023, will receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2024, which is a savings of approximately $30 per month. 

If you have not yet scheduled your annual physical with your PCP, you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible to guarantee you make the Nov. 30 deadline.

Please contact linda.feiden@drake.edu with questions.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Time to play HealthyU BINGO

Join us in July for HealthyU BINGO.  The goal is to fill up a blank BINGO card (or two), during the month, with healthy activities completed from a provided list and then play some games of HealthyU BINGO for prizes.

To get started, send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu. Deadline to register is Friday, June 30.  All participants will receive a packet that includes a list of HealthyU BINGO activities, and a blank BINGO card.

Please feel free to reach out with questions.  This is a great event for the whole family!

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Des Moines Corporate Games: Please join!

There is still time to be a part of Drake’s team for the Des Moines Corporate Games.  These games are a great way to have fun with colleagues, get a little activity, and represent Drake while doing so.  All events are held after work and on weekends.

We need help filling these teams with upcoming deadlines.  Please consider joining us.

Bowling (coed, women’s, men’s). Deadline to register is June 28.  The coed team plays Tuesday, July 11, and the men’s and women’s teams play on Wednesday, July 12, at Bowlerama Lanes, beginning at 8 p.m. Five players per team. Plenty of openings on all teams.

4-Person Best Shot Golf (women’s, men’s).  Deadline to register is July 5. Event held Sunday, July 16 at 8 a.m. at A.H. Blank Golf Course.  This differs from the coed date, time, and location.  Need two more men for the men’s team and four women for the women’s team.

Bags.  Deadline to register is July 5.  Event held Friday, July 21 at 5:30 p.m. at Greenbelt Landing at Clive Aquatic Center.  Need one more person for our second team.

Disc Golf (women’s, men’s).  Deadline to register is July 12.  Event held Sunday, July 23 at 12:30 p.m. at Ewing Park Disc Golf Course.  Need two men and two women.  Must provide own discs.

Tug of War.  Deadline to register is July 12.  Event held Thursday, July 27 at 6:30 p.m. (must be weighed in by 6 p.m.) at Raccoon River Park Beach. Plenty of openings.

In addition to the team events, there are several individual events coming up in July that you may be interested in, including a cycling tour ride, 4K and 8K cross country race, a duathlon and triathlon, and a 5K road race.  If you are not into sports, they also have an opportunity for you to donate blood or package meals at Meals from the Heartland.

Signing up is easy—email Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu if you are interested in participating in any (or many) of the events above.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Drake HR hires Suman Rose for Onboarding and Engagement Specialist role

Drake HR is pleased to announce that Suman Rose joined the HR team on June 5. We retooled the position vacated by Trevon Smith. Suman will be working as an Onboarding and Engagement Specialist.

Suman previously worked in the Drake Financial Aid Office as a Financial Aid Coordinator. She is very grateful for the knowledge and skills gained in the Financial Aid Office and is thankful for everyone on the Financial Aid team for their support in her transition to the new role in HR.

As our new HR Onboarding and Engagement Specialist, Suman will play a crucial role in ensuring a smooth transition for new hires, facilitating their integration into our university community, and fostering a positive employee experience. Suman brings with her a wealth of experience and a genuine passion for making a positive impact on the lives of students, faculty, and staff. Suman is already demonstrating outstanding customer service, is a quick study, and has already become a vital member of the HR team.

We are thrilled to welcome Suman to the Drake HR family. We look forward to the valuable contributions she will make. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Suman as she joins our team.

— Drake HR Team

HR Information Archive

Drake HR strengthens commitment to age-inclusivity, offers new AARP perk

Drake Human Resources is receiving free consultations through a state-funded grant on developing age inclusive practices, particularly in recruitment. Age-Inclusive Management Strategies (AIMS) is funded by the state and spear-headed by Professor Brian Kaskie at the University of Iowa, College of Public Health.

As part of the AIMS consultation process, we learned about the option of taking the AARP Employer Pledge. The AARP Employer Pledge is a nationwide group of employers that have expressed allyship in standing with AARP in affirming the value of experienced workers and are committed to developing diverse organizations. By signing the pledge, we further commit Drake to offering equal employment opportunities for all workers, to recognize the value of experienced workers, to recruit across diverse age groups and consider all applicants on an equal basis, and to believe that workers aged 50+ should have a level playing field when applying and competing for jobs.

To show appreciation for Drake’s commitment to age-inclusivity, AARP offering discounted membership to both active and retired Drake employees. Right now, you can sign up for a two-year AARP membership at a discounted rate of only $20. This is an amazing deal—AARP offers its members a wide range of perks, including discounts on travel, restaurants, technology, and much more. A full list of membership benefits can be found here. You can use this AARP Membership Link to take advantage of this amazing perk.

— Maureen De Armond & Marli Jefferson, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Student timesheet approval deadline changed to July 5

July 3–4 will be a University holiday. Therefore, the student payroll approval deadline will be changed. The deadline for students to submit timesheets will not change. Students will still have until July 1 at 12 p.m. to submit, but approvals will need to be completed by 11:59 p.m. on July 5.  It is imperative that everyone meets the deadline as this student payroll will be completed in a shorter time frame. If you will be taking vacation over the summer, consider Adding a Proxy for your approvals.

— Heather Winslow, Finance and Administration

Campus Announcements Archive

Self Service/Banner Admin outage June 25, 7–10 a.m.

ITS will be applying mandatory security patches to our Oracle Databases on Sunday, June 25, from 7–10 a.m. During this time, Self Service, Admin Pages, ProcessMaker, Workflow, eTranscripts, TouchNet, and other connected systems will be unavailable. These updates are necessary to keep our University data secure.

If you experience issues outside of this window, please call the Support Center at 515–271–3001 or visit https://service.drake.edu to report your issue. Thank you for your patience as we continue to strive to provide superior service.

—Praveen Polu, ITS

HR Information Archive

“BUILD”ing for fall: Share your ideas

This past academic year, 445 faculty and staff participated in at least one Bulldogs United in Learning & Development (BUILD) class. These classes assist individuals with learning a new skill, improving their well-being, or strengthening professional knowledge.

We are now in the process of planning for our 2023–2024 academic year.  If there are topics you would like to see addressed in BUILD sessions this fall or you would be interested in facilitating a BUILD class, we would like to hear from you.  Please take a moment to fill out this short Qualtrics survey with your suggestions or send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Apply for the Post-Graduate Global Scholarships Coordinator position

Job Description
The Post-Graduate Global Scholarships Coordinator position seeks to assist current undergraduate and recent graduates from Drake University in discovering and applying to prestigious scholarships with a global focus. In this position, one can expect to assist mainly in Fulbright applications, but also in other global oriented scholarships such as the Rhodes scholarship or Boren scholarship when requested.

The position runs on an annual, renewable contract, and will be effective from July 1–June 30, beginning in summer 2023. Faculty will receive two course reassignments or a combination of a course release and a stipend for serving in this capacity. Candidates must be full-time (tenured or consecutive term) faculty members at Drake University at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.

Primary Job Responsibilities

  • Maintaining familiarity with the various fellowships—the award types, eligibility, different country programs, and selection process—to effectively advise students
  • Promoting scholarship opportunities via outreach such as information sessions and classroom visits
  • Helping students determine the fellowships that best suit their qualifications and interests
  • Providing guidance and support to students on their application essays and revisions
  • Giving constructive, developmental feedback to students on their writing
  • Managing various online application systems and uploading documents
  • Coordinating institutional responsibilities for student applicants, such as: panel interviews, institutional endorsements or evaluation documents, and letters of recommendation
  • Celebrating successes and helping unsuccessful students manage their disappointments and pursue alternatives
  • Helping students recognize what they learn/gain from the process, especially when their work does not succeed in winning a fellowship
  • Working with University Marketing and Communications to assist with press releases and publicity to celebrate student awards

Key Qualifications/Skills

  • Grant writing skills and an ability to teach those skills to mostly undergraduates for writing statements of grant purpose and personal statements
  • Mentoring skills
  • International/intercultural experience to advise students about country decisions
  • Strong faculty/staff network to recruit for panel interviews and mock interviews
  • Ability to run efficient meetings, lead panel interviews, give outreach/recruitment presentations
  • Ability to write letters of recommendation and draft institutional endorsements

Additional Information

  • The heaviest workload can be expected in August and September
  • Workload will vary depending on familiarity with the application process and number of applicants
  • As the position mainly assists in Fulbright applications, it may be of interest to visit https://us.fulbrightonline.org/fulbright-program-advisers

Questions concerning the position should be direct to Annique Kiel, Executive Director of Global Engagement and International programs at annique.kiel@drake.edu.

Application Process

  • Interested individuals should submit a statement of interest, outlining strengths in key areas of responsibility, as well as how the position supports their growth and development as a professor at Drake University. The statement of interest should also reference prior experience with or commitment to internationalization efforts and Drake as a global university.
  • Applicants must include a letter of support from the individual’s college/school dean
  • Files must be submitted to Annique Kiel (annique.kiel@drake.edu) by May 31, 2023. Interviews will take place June, with a July 1 start date.

— Annique Kiel, Global Engagement

Campus Announcements Archive

Celebrate Pride with Drake University at the Capital City Pride Parade

June is Pride Month and our opportunity to celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community at Drake and their accomplishments, as well as the ongoing pursuit of equal justice for the community.

Come celebrate all these things and more, and walk with Drake University at the 2023 Capital City Pride Parade on Sunday, June 11, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the East Village. Afterwards, we invite you to join us for a post-parade social. All members of the Drake community are welcome, including students, staff, faculty, and alumni, and allies are encouraged to walk with us as well.

Also, did I mention that Griff II will be there! Our official parade vehicle is the Griffmobile, although it’s too hot for him to be walking in the Parade, he will be cruising down in the air conditioning.

If you would like to walk with us, please register at the website here. This lets us know how many people to expect and how many materials to bring. All attendees are encouraged to wear their Drake Blue!

— Gregory Lin, Alumni Relations