All posts by Linda Feiden and Maureen De Armond

HR Information Archive

Employee perks and discounts – limited time offer

Drake offers a range of discounts and perks, including discounts on your phone bill, car batteries, Dell computers, free Mango language training, special pricing on Adventureland tickets, car rentals, and much more.

Review the full list of Perks & Discounts available to Drake employees. Three discounts—including a new partnership and limited time offer—are highlighted below.

Bank of America (coming soon)
A new discount program is in the works with Bank of America. Once finalized, we will share more details and add the discount to the list above.

Limited time only—20% discount for Drake employees at Raygun
I am excited to share a limited time discount at Raygun! Drake employees will receive 20% off their in-store purchases at Raygun from Nov. 20–23 only. To get the discount, you must print or show on your phone this Raygun flyer. (This flash sale is only for Drake employees and only for in-store purchases on the applicable dates).

Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile discounts available
Recently, I realized I was not taking advantage of a discount offered to Drake employees by Verizon. So, I logged into my Verizon account, searched for “employer discounts,” and followed the simple steps. After Verizon confirmed my Drake email, I got this message:

Access Fee Discount up to: 18%
Accessory discount: 25%
Please allow 1–2 billing cycles for updates to appear on  your bill.

I wish I would’ve taken advantage of this offer sooner!

Review the Perks & Discounts list to learn more about the discounts and deals available to you.

— Linda Feiden and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Bulldog Connect luncheon Nov. 16

All Staff Council is holding a Bulldog Connect Networking lunch on Wednesday, Nov.16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come join us for a $5 lunch at Hubbell Dining Hall. We encourage attendees to wear their Drake name tag. Anyone is welcome to come—bring a fellow Bulldog along with you. Look for the table with the Drake swag and a special Bulldogs Connect table tent in Hubbell.

Also a reminder that All Staff Council invites you to share any suggestions, concerns, or other feedback you’d like us to look into using this form. (If you’d like us to respond to your feedback directly, please include your name and contact information, otherwise let us know your thoughts anonymously.)

— Megan Franklin, On behalf of All Staff Council

Campus Announcements Archive

Bulldog Bucks users can win GrubHub gift card

Did you know you can use your Bulldog Bucks at awesome local businesses and on the GrubHub app? To show our appreciation to our Drake community, we’re partnering with GrubHub this week to give out $50 gift cards to five lucky winners that use their Bulldog Bucks during the week of Nov. 14–20.

Simply load funds into your Bulldog Bucks account, and either spend funds at some of our local participating businesses or on the GrubHub app.  You can also enter in the GrubHub App to win using this mobile link (no purchase necessary to enter).  We’ll pick 5 winners on Nov. 21, and winners will receive an email from studentservices@drake.edu.

As a reminder, Bulldog Bucks are different than Dining Dollars (Dining Dollars are just used for on campus dining).  Bulldog Bucks are an optional account, loaded by any Drake cardholder, and they carry forward from semester to semester as long as your card is active.  Bulldog Bucks can also be used for on campus dining, but have a variety of other uses.  They can be used for food (both on and off campus and in the GrubHub app), at the bookstore, at the mailroom, and for campus printing.

If you have any questions about this giveaway, or our Bulldog Bucks program, please feel free to email studentservices@drake.edu. 

— Sara Heijerman, Campus Card Office

For Students Archive

Drake in China documentation project panel discussion

The Drake in China documentation project will be conducting a panel discussion that everyone is welcomed to attend. The discussion involves material collected from the Drake special archives and relations between Drake University and China. Information about the presentations are below.

Drake in China: A Documentation Project
Moderated by En Li, Assistant Professor of Chinese History

10:30–11:30 am, Collier Scripps Hall Room 335 
Presenter#1 Kaiya Kield Young (International Relations and History) 
Title: “Christianity in China through the Drake University Bible College”. 
Presenter#2 Tavia Swarney (Anthropology and Sociology) 
Title: “Chinese Cultural Exchange in the Modern Day” 

Discussants;  
David Skidmore, Professor of Political Science 
Liping Zheng, Professor of Economics 
Hope Bibens, Associate Professor and Director of Archives & Special Collections 

— Kaiya Kielb Young, AS, Senior

For Students Archive

Become an orientation leader

Orientation leaders are dedicated to providing incoming students and their families with all of the information and resources necessary to ensure their transition to Drake is a smooth and enjoyable one.

We need you to help make this happen. Each year we recruit current Drake students to become part of the orientation leader staff. Orientation leaders play a vital role in this exciting process, working closely with new students and their families on a wide variety of topics including academics, student involvement, housing options, and more.

We highly encourage you to attend one of the information sessions being offered. Click here to sign up for a session.

  • Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 4–5 p.m. in Olmsted, Room 310
  • Thursday, Dec. 1, from 6–7 p.m. on Zoom
  • Friday, Jan. 27, from 12–1 p.m. in Olmsted, Room 310

You will be compensated for your time and effort and gain valuable skills in this position.

Learn more about the position. For questions, contact Marina Verlengia at marina.verlengia@drake.edu.

— Marina Verlengia, New Student and Parent Programs

For Students Archive

Financial aid policies and information

Financial aid information and policies can be found at drake.edu/finaid. Here you will find: 

  • instructions for submitting a financial aid appeal for special circumstances,  
  • terms and renewal information for most of the financial aid that Drake offers 
  • Helpful resources, including scholarship search sites and free personal finance education 

 Please take time to familiarize yourself with the information available on our website! The Office of Student Financial Planning is here to serve you (in person, over the phone, or virtually)! If you have questions about your financial aid please contact us to schedule an appointment or stop by Carnegie Hall. 

— Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid

For Students Archive

Apply to be the Residence Hall Association treasurer

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is currently accepting applications for the treasurer position for the 2023–2024 academic year. The selected applicant will train/shadow the current treasurer during the Spring 2023 semester, prior to fully assuming the position in April 2023. Apply here.

This is a great opportunity for students studying accounting/finance/other business disciplines and have a passion for providing opportunities to make our residence halls “a home away from home.”  The RHA Treasurer develops and manages one of the largest student organization budgets on campus.

Any student who will live in a residence hall or Campus Suites at Dogtown for the entirety of the 2023–2024 academic year is strongly encouraged to apply by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 27.

Feel free to direct any questions to current RHA Treasurer Matthew Williams at matthew.williams@drake.edu.

— Matthew Williams, BN, Senior

 

Campus Announcements Archive

Drake Theatre Arts presents Silent Sky

Drake Theatre Arts proudly presents their final production of the fall semester, Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson, Nov. 17–20 in the Performing Arts Hall (PAH); Directed by Drake Senior Morgan Erwin. Silent Sky tells the story of 19th century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and her fellow female researchers – or “computers” – in the Harvard University observatory, who set the standard still used today for measuring distances in space while discovering thousands of stars. Tickets can be purchased through the following link: https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/drakefinearts/6865 or at the Fine Arts Box Office.

— Jacob Lemons, Fine Arts

For Staff Archive

Bulldog Applause goes to Drake Online

The ASC Recognition Committee would like to Celebrate Drake Online and Continuing Education with a Bulldog Applause.

The team that creates programming and opportunities to serve new populations of students with the same rigor for which Drake University is known! From their newest member, Dianna Gray, the Director of Graduate Admission and Engagement who just started last month, to their oldest member, Shannon Hilscher, the Instructional Designer who has been here for over 5 years, we are thankful to have each and every one of you on the Drake University campus!

It is awesome to see a team that works mostly remote together in this office space, working on keeping that retention for online students over 85%! It has remained over that 85% mark for the last 5 years, what an accomplishment! You all serve over 40 faculty members with your Ultra Office Hours, successfully converted Leading Others and Supervisory Leadership to fully online during a pandemic, and have overall been spectacular assets to the success of Drake University.

3rd for overall quality among universities in the Midwest for 8 years running – you all didn’t think we saw that, we did!

5th in the nation among the 653 universities in Drake’s ranking category! We saw that too!

Drake University is honored to have people like each of you, doing great and tremendous things around campus. Thank you, each of you, for everything you do!

Team Members:

  • Christina Trombley
  • Shannon Hilscher
  • Nichole Stabile
  • Kara Wendelin Carnahan
  • Bret Sikkink
  • Bill Klein
  • Suzanne Wisslead
  • Sarah Ramsey
  • Pamela Moore
  • Dianna Gray

— Trevon Smith, On behalf of All Staff Council

HR Information Archive

New: Delta Dental CheckUp Plus

No more excuses for not seeing a dentist! Starting Jan. 1, 2023, our dental benefits through Delta Dental will now include CheckUp Plus.

CheckUp Plus encourages you to use preventive services while allowing you to get the most out of your annual benefit maximum. That’s because, with Check Up Plus, diagnostic and preventive services will no longer count toward the annual maximum $1300 benefit in 2023.  Participants will have access to two preventive exams at no cost throughout the plan year (January 1 – December 31, 2023).

CheckUp Plus helps:

  • Promote regular visits to the dentist for exams, X-rays and cleanings — which can improve your overall health.
  • Save on costs over the long-term because preventive care can help reduce the need for more expensive dental services.

Preventive Services included in CheckUp Plus
  • Examinations
  •  Routine X-rays
  • Cleanings
  • Sealants
  • Fluoride applications

In other dental news: Dental contribution rates will remain unchanged for the 2023 Plan Year. You and your eligible dependents continue to have access to Delta Dental’s PPO and Premier networks, as well as services from out-of-network providers. Your current dental participation will automatically be continued during the 2023 Plan Year. If you wish to make a change, you must do so in the Benefits Portal via myDrake. A summary of Drake’s Dental Plan is available here.

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources