All posts by Marlene Heuertz

HR Information Archive

Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 1

Drake’s annual open enrollment period will close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1. This is a hard close! If you have not yet reviewed or made modifications to your benefits for 2026, please do so as soon as possible. The deadline to submit your 2026 wellness premium incentive form is also Dec. 1.

Key Enrollment Reminders
You may enroll by accessing the Benefits Portal in myDrake. Click the dropdown window next to Employee Links, and the Benefits Portal will be below Human Resources. During the open enrollment period, you may make changes to your current health, dental, vision, and voluntary life insurance coverage. Additionally:

  • If you wish to participate in the health or dependent care flexible spending account (FSA) plans during 2026, you must enroll—or re-enroll if you are currently participating in Drake’s FSA plans. There is no automatic re-enrollment from year to year for FSAs.
  • The current Health Care FSA contribution is $3,300. Participants are allowed to carry over up to $660 of unused contributions to the 2026 Plan Year. The maximum Health Care FSA contribution for 2026 will increase to $3,400 with participants allowed to carry over up to $680 of unused contributions to the 2027 Plan Year.
  • The maximum Dependent Care FSA contribution for 2026 will increase to $7,500. Current Dependent Care contributions will not be carried over to the 2026 Plan Year.

Open enrollment ends on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. sharp! If you have not yet enrolled in benefits for 2026, please don’t wait until the last minute. If you have questions or problems navigating the benefits portal, reach out to us at drakehr@drake.edu or contact Marlene directly at marlene.heuertz@drake.edu.

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Group X Incentive Week

Attend GroupX classes now through Thursday, Nov. 20, and be entered into a raffle to win prizes!

Whether you’re powering through cycling, finding your flow in yoga, or building strength in kettbell and barre, every class offers its own energy, its own community, and its own prize.

Join as many classes as you’d like—the fun (and the chances to win) start every time you step through the studio doors.

Show up. Sweat. Enter to win. Repeat. See you all week long!

— Gail Witte, Rec Services

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Third Fridays: Faculty and Staff in Community

Join faculty and staff colleagues from around the University on Friday, Nov. 21, in the Howard Hall Faculty Lounge, Room 212. This will be the last of the Third Friday series for 2025.

  • At 11 a.m., hear from Adrien Halliez, A&S Political Science, about American political opinion, polarization, and what all those yard signs can tell us.
  • At 1 p.m., join Leanne Purdum, A&S Law, Politics, and Society to discuss the role of technology in college classrooms.
  • And from 2–4 p.m., stop by to socialize and enjoy a refreshment and snacks before the weekend.

— Bret Sikkink, Faculty Development Specialist

Campus Announcements Archive

Virtual Session on Leadership by Wanda Everage and Cain Hayes Nov. 20 at 12 p.m.

Join us this Thursday, Nov. 20, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. for an exclusive virtual mid-day conversation with Cain Hayes, BN’92, and Wanda Everage, LA’72, two pioneering Black Drake alums and leaders. Please go here to register to receive the zoom link. Their decades of leadership experience in education and healthcare have left them with a wealth of wisdom and lessons that we are privileged to witness. This event is hosted by the Black Alumni Association, but all members of the Drake University community are encouraged to attend to hear from these legends. The conversation will be facilitated by Black Alumni Association Board Member, Greg Jones, LA’81, MBA’83.

Everyone in the Drake community is encouraged to attend to learn from two individuals whose names are all across campus, but that you may have never met. Wanda Everage, LA’72, is a Drake University legend. She worked for 24 years at Drake University, retiring in 2012 as Drake’s vice provost for student affairs and academic excellence. Among many other accolades, she is the namesake for the Wanda E. Everage Peer Mentor Award of the Adams Leadership Awards and the Wanda Everage Academic Success Symposium. Cain Hayes, BN’92, has forged an exceptional career marked by a deep commitment to equitable healthcare as the former President and CEO of Point32Health. You may have seen his name on the Hayes Commons room in Johansen Student Center and he is a current Drake University Trustee.

For questions, contact Greg Lin at gregory.lin@drake.edu.

— Greg Lin, Alumni Relations

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

United Way Campaign: Thank You For Your Generosity!

As shared in President Martin’s email to campus, what a great response from our campus community in support of United Way of Central Iowa! We vastly exceeded our participation goal, we raised more than $36,000, donated well over 100 pounds of supplies and food, and many people signed up to volunteer. Enjoy the full day off on Wednesday, Nov. 26!

— Nate Reagen, Office of the President

Campus Announcements Archive

Everclass: Behind the Badge, A Conversation with Retired FBI Agent Utley Noble, LA’85, JD’88

Tune into Everclass on Friday, Nov. 7, at 12 p.m. and step inside the world of high-stakes investigations with Utley Noble, LA’85, JD’88, a retired FBI agent whose career spanned some of the nation’s most consequential cases. From leading a multi-state search in a nationally known student abduction to collecting evidence at Ground Zero after 9/11, Noble has seen it all. In this Everclass session, he shares how investigators uncover truth amid chaos—revealing lessons in ethics, leadership, and problem-solving that extend far beyond law enforcement. Whether you’re drawn to forensic science or the mindset behind major investigations, you’ll gain rare insights from a life dedicated to uncovering the truth.

The conversation will be held on Zoom and registration is free.

Register here

— Andy Verlengia, Alumni Relations

For Students Archive

Undergrad Night at Drake Law Nov. 11

If you are considering law school—at Drake or anywhere—Drake Law School’s chapter of Delta Theta Phi invites you to Undergrad Night at Drake Law on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. Associate Dean Gaughan will share brief remarks, followed by a candid Q&A with current Drake Law students, and a tour of the law school.

The event is open to any undergraduate student. The conversation will cover law school broadly (applications, academics, careers, and day-to-day life) with examples from the Drake Law experience.

Please RSVP by filling out this link: https://forms.gle/MjbUwjVHw636vLZH6. More information to come.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Zach Noonan (zach.noonan@drake.edu) or Noah Crist (noah.crist@drake.edu).

— Zach Noonan, Drake Law

Campus Announcements Archive

Cowles Library November Featured Collection Celebrates Native American Heritage Month

At Cowles Library, we are committed to curating a diverse range of materials, both digital and physical, for the entire campus community to explore. Each month, our librarians highlight collections that connect with current topics and reflect the wide range of academic and personal interests across campus.

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, Cowles Library is featuring a collection celebrating the voices and stories of Indigenous authors. This selection includes both fiction and nonfiction works that span traditional tales, contemporary narratives, and historical accounts.

Visit Cowles Library or explore our Featured Collections page online to discover these and other highlighted materials.

— Joanna Stankiewicz, Cowles Library