All posts by Linda Feiden

HR Information Archive

Wellness premium incentive reminder

Have you completed your annual physical since last December?  If 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 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. 

Besides receiving a premium discount, an annual physical is a great way to receive important health information through age and gender specific examinations, schedule recommended preventative screenings, and create a doctor-patient relationship.

If you have not scheduled your annual physical yet with your PCP, you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

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

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Last chance to register for the Walk this May step challenge

Don’t forget to put together your team for this year’s Walk this May team step challenge.  During the month of May, teams of four to six will record their weekly step counts.  Totals and how teams rank will be shared weekly to keep the competitive juices flowing. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the month.

To register, send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu by April 26 with your team members and team name.  Grab your shoes and let’s get going!

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Students Archive

Course material ordering has moved

Course material ordering has now moved online to Drake University’s NEW Official Online Bookstore, powered by Books by eCampus. The new partnership will provide students access to course materials through a customized online storefront. This means The Bulldog Shop no longer carries physical textbooks on shelves.

Don’t worry, you can still get the materials you need! The new online bookstore offers 24/7 online ordering with convenient shipping options. Summer course materials are now available for ordering at drake.ecampus.com.

For Students Archive

Drake Wellness: Peace and calm during high stress times

Are you struggling with motivation or experiencing stress overload? Combat these challenges with a study break!

Drake Wellness will host events on May 4 and May 5 to give students scheduled time to take a break before jumping back to their textbooks.

May 4 at 6 pm: Dance Aerobics

May 5 at12:15 pm: Yoga

May 5 at 2 pm: Yoga Nidra (a guided meditation also known as yogic sleep)

These activities will allow you to experience a deeper sense of peace, calm, and relaxation to prepare you for finals. So, practice some self-care and love, you deserve it!

— Gail Witte, Recreational Services

For Faculty Archive

Call for applications: DU England: Harlaxton Faculty-in-Residence

Drake University is seeking interested faculty to apply for the DU England: Harlaxton Faculty-in-Residence position for Fall 2024.  Drake is developing semester-long, cohort-model study abroad programs where a Drake faculty member travels abroad with a group of students teaching and supporting the program in various other capacities.

Faculty will teach two 3-credit undergraduate courses meeting an AOI and taking advantage of the program location. One course will be a lower-level intro course with broad appeal, with the second course being upper-level. Drake students on the program will be required to take one of the two courses.  As you are thinking about what courses you could offer, consider what course offerings would allow for a cohort of students from your department to study abroad and stay on track for graduation.

This is an opportunity for you to teach and live abroad in a 100-room Victorian Manor constructed in 1831, with magnificent gardens, spectacular architecture, and beautiful woodlands. Set in 300 acres of beautiful countryside in the heart of England, Harlaxton allows you to enjoy the British Midlands with the ability to be in London in about an hour.  Harlaxton’s central location in Lincolnshire also brings other major cities and towns within easy reach, allowing academic and culturally important sites to be visited in a day out or weekend away.

The DU England: Harlaxton Faculty-in-Residence application is live through Qualtrics for Fall 2024. To learn more about this opportunity including eligibility, compensation, responsibilities, and to apply, please go to: https://drake.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b3N99sIS5gq8Kge

Submissions are due Wednesday, May 24, 2023. If you have questions or want to discuss ideas you have, please reach out to Maria Rohach, director of education abroad, at maria.rohach@drake.edu.

— Maria Rohach, Global Engagement

For Students Archive

Apply now for DU England: Harlaxton, Fall 2023

Apply for the DU England: Harlaxton program through Terra Dotta.

While travel has been more difficult the last few years, you still have time to study abroad if you haven’t been able to fit it into your academic experience yet. Drake has been repeatedly ranked as a top sending university in the US for study abroad participation, and we want to make it a reality for as many Drake students as we can to go abroad – including you!

Drake is currently accepting applications for DU England: Harlaxton, where you can study abroad fall 2023 at a Victorian Manor set in the English countryside, just over an hour outside of London. If you are interested in learning about other cultures, traveling to different countries, and discovering a lot about yourself, take the leap and study abroad.

This upcoming fall, a cohort of Drake students will study at Harlaxton with Drake Professor of Psychology, Maria Clapham. If you want to study abroad but are unsure of traveling alone, the cohort model allows for you and your friends to go abroad together. Students enroll in one Drake experiential-based course, as well as courses at Harlaxton College, taught by British and visiting faculty.  Courses taken at Harlaxton can be pre-approved to count toward your major(s), minor(s), concentration, and/or AOIs.

Studying abroad on DU England: Harlaxton, students are charged Drake tuition and have access to their financial aid package while studying abroad. Students are also responsible for non-tuition fees which are similar to room and board charges at Drake.  Yes, you read that right t is the same tuition, and similar non-tuition costs, for you to study abroad as it does to stay at Drake! You can study and live in England while going on weekend day trips for nearly the same cost as staying in Des Moines.

If you have questions or want to set up a study abroad advising appointment, please reach out to studyabroad@drake.edu.  We are excited to help make studying abroad a reality for you!

— Maria Rohach, Global Engagement

For Faculty Archive

Faculty site-visit abroad to England in June

Global Engagement is supporting a few Drake faculty members to do a site visit to see Drake’s semester study abroad program, DU England: Harlaxton.  There is a 4-day summer conference (June 21–24, 2023) where you can stay at Harlaxton Manor, meet the Dean of Harlaxton, converse with the local British faculty, learn about the support and services they offer students, tour the walled gardens, and explore the nearby town of Grantham.

If you are interested, email Maria Rohach, Director of Education Abroad with a brief statement on why you are interested in visiting Harlaxton by May 12.  We are looking to send faculty who have an interest in teaching at Harlaxton, and want to develop courses that will allow for a cohort of students from your department to study abroad for a semester.  If you want to talk through any ideas you have on developing out semester offerings, please reach out.  Those chosen for the site visit will be notified mid-May.

— Maria Rohach, Global Engagement

Campus Announcements Archive

2023 Iowa Character Award nominations due May 2

The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center annually recognizes Iowans who demonstrate the Six Pillars (trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and good citizenship) of CHARACTER COUNTS! Individuals, organizations, schools, and communities can all be nominated. Award recipients are honored at the 2023 Iowa Character Awards dinner, with a one-hour Iowa Character Awards prime-time special, and at a special hometown event organized by The Ray Center. Nominations are accepted until May 2, 2023. Submit nominations now at IowaCharacterAwards.org.

— Megan Wesselink, Robert D. & Billie Ray Center