All posts by Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond

HR Information Archive

University Benefits Committee: Overview of our work this fall

Due to the timing of the academic year, the University Benefits Committee (UBC) does not meet in the summer. Instead, the UBC performs the bulk of its annual work in the fall. This year was no different. However, we did welcome several new UBC members. Presently, the UBC consists of:

Mike Daly, who serves as the UBC Chair, along with (in alphabetical order): Maureen De Armond, Linda Feiden, Jennifer Harvey, Marlene Heuertz, Nate Holdren, Elissa Johnson, Lee Jolliffe, Karl Kaiser, Jeremy Kidd, Venessa Macro, Andy Verlengia, Adam Voigts, and Andrew Welch.

UBC is an advising (not decision-making) committee on matters relating to employee health benefits. Drake’s guiding principles regarding benefits is to provide quality benefits that are responsive to the needs of employees and their families. We strive to offer benefits that are competitive with peers and other Iowa employers. Consistent with our fiduciary duties, we also strive to provide straightforward and efficient benefits, while maximizing our limited resources.

Drake University is advised by wonderful outside consultants who have worked with Drake for years and know our institution (and the market) quite well. Last year, Mark J. Becker & Associates joined Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. Drake continues to be advised by Mark Becker, Nick Brown, and now also Madison Pavlich.

Based on feedback from campus, we explored, among other topics, the addition of a new stand-alone optional vision plan and enhancements to dental coverage. The UBC also assessed responses to a Request for Proposals (RFP) regarding Drake’s Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM).

You can review UBC meeting minutes on the Benefits page.

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Teaching opportunities in John Dee Bright College

Curious about teaching opportunities in the John Dee Bright College? Attend a teaching Q&A panel next week.

 Instructor Q&A Panel Session:

Nov. 10 from 10–11 a.m. CST – virtual, Zoom
Link to register: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4EA5AD28A4FDCF8-bright1

 If you are interested in learning more about teaching for Bright College, please join us for an informal Q&A panel session where Megan Brown, Stacy Gnacinski, and Craig Owens will share their lived experiences teaching in the college as well as outline potential opportunities for future instructors. This is a prime opportunity to ask any/all questions you may have about teaching in the college. As these sessions are merely informational, please know that your attendance in no way implies commitment to involvement in the college.

Thank you in advance for your interest and attendance.

— Stacy Gnacinski and Megan Brown, John Dee Bright College Associate Deans

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Volunteers needed for CHARACTER COUNTS! Day at Drake Women’s Basketball

The Ray Center and the Drake Women’s Basketball team are excited to be bringing back the CHARACTER COUNTS! Drake Women’s Basketball Game for the first time since 2019! Thousands of K-8 students will join us on December 1 for a morning full of fun, character education, and basketball! The Ray Center is looking for volunteers from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. to help thousands of students on and off buses, find their assigned seats, carry in coolers with sack lunches, assist teachers, help with concessions, etc. If you are interested in volunteering for this fun event, please email Megan Wesselink at Megan.Wesselink@drake.edu by November 18. Go Bulldogs!

— Megan Wesselink, The Ray Center

Campus Announcements Archive

First Generation Student Day celebrations

Nov. 8 is National First Generation Student Day. Drake defines a first-generation student is a college student whose parents/legal guardians have not received a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university. At Drake, about 20% of our incoming students are first generation students. The Office of New Student and Family Programs and Drake First Gen Student Organization are partnering to celebrate Drake first generation students, staff, and faculty.

On Nov. 8, we will be tabling on Helmick Commons or Olmsted Breezeway (depending on weather) from 1–4 p.m. passing out snacks and First Gen Bulldog stickers. We hope you can stop by for a sticker and some snacks!

We will cap off the week with a Brunch and Learn on Friday, Nov. 10, from 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m. in the Courtside Club at the Shivers Basketball Practice Facility. The Brunch and Learn will feature a session on “From Community to Career.” Renee Sedlacek Lee, director of Community Engaged Learning, will share her story as a first-generation college student and how students too can use community engagement opportunities to prepare for life after college.  Click here to rsvp for the Brunch and Learn!

We encourage First Generation students, staff and faculty to join our Facebook group and follow on Instagram.

We look forward to seeing you at some of the First-Generation Student Day events!

— Marina Verlengia, New Student and Parent Programs

HR Information Archive

Highlights from the Benefits and Wellness Fair

On Friday, Nov. 4, HR hosted the annual Benefits and Wellness Fair and it was a record-breaker. Last year’s fair was the first in-person fair since before COVID and we had 65 people attend. This year, we had 74 attendees.

Our benefits and wellness partners and vendors were on hand to share information and goodies, answer questions, and ask a few, too. Attendees enjoyed coffee, snacks, and games—including the chance to enter a raffle by having our partners stamp their fair passport. We drew names and contacted raffle winners yesterday.

Griff came by to say hi and several attendees took advantage of the photo op with our favorite bulldog.

If you attended the fair, we hope you had a wonderful time. If you did not, we sure hope you will consider attending next year.

If you missed the fair but have benefits questions, no need to worry. On Nov. 18, we will be offering two open enrollment benefit overview sessions. Join us:

During these sessions, we’ll share highlights of the plan changes taking effect January 1, 2023, and answer your questions. We will record the virtual session for people who are unable to attend either session.

You can also contact Drake HR (drakehr@drake.edu)—or email Marlene directly (marlene.heuertz@drake.edu)—any time. We are happy to help you!

Please do not wait until the last minute to enroll in your benefits or reach out with questions!

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Scheduled power outage Nov. 25

On Friday, Nov. 25, Facilities Planning and Management will conduct annual cleaning, maintenance, and testing on a series of high voltage electrical vaults on campus.  In addition to our annual work, contractors will work on high voltage electrical improvements as part of the Meredith Hall Renovation project.  Below is a tentative schedule of the expected outages on Nov. 25.

6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Morehouse
Cowles Library
Meredith Hall

6 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Jewett
Opperman
Old Main
Carnegie
Cole
Cartwright

9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Stadium
Studio Arts
Carpenter
Crawford
Hubbell Dinning
Goodwin Kirk

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Harmon Fine Arts North

1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Knapp – NE corner

If your office is in one of the buildings being impacted, please turn off your computers, electronic devices, and clean out anything that you have in a refrigerator before leaving for the Thanksgiving Holiday. 

— Aaron Edwards, Facilities Planning and Management

Campus Announcements Archive

An Evening with Charlie Cook, renowned political analyst, Dec. 8 – free event

Join The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium or virtually, for our event An Evening with Charlie Cook. Click here to register.

This event is open to Drake University undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff, as well as the larger Des Moines community. This event is free, but registration is required. American sign language (ASL) and real time captioning (CART) will be provided, please contact harkininstitute@drake.edu to request other accommodations.

An Evening with Charlie Cook is an opportunity to hear insight and analysis on the state of American politics by one of the leading authorities on the U.S. political scene. This year Cook will also share important insights about the midterm election. Cook is a political analyst for National Journal magazine, editor and publisher of the Cook Political Report, co-author of the 2020 and 2022 editions of the Almanac of American Politics and a National Advisory Council member for The Harkin Institute.

More information about this event can be found on The Harkin Institute website.

— Lila Johnson, The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement

For Students Archive

Call for papers: DUSSJ Spring 2023 edition

The web-based Drake Undergraduate Social Science Journal (DUSSJ) is now accepting paper submissions for its Spring 2023 edition. Any current Drake undergraduate (or recent graduate) is eligible to submit a paper on a topic in the social sciences (political science, international relations, anthropology, sociology, economics, history, philosophy, religion, and social psychology). Submissions may be short analytic essays or longer research papers. Papers that feature thoughtful, original analysis, polished writing, and careful citation are especially welcome!

No more than one submission per person will be considered. Submissions will be peer-reviewed by a student editorial board. When submitting a paper, please indicate if it is a research paper or short analytic essay. Also, please indicate the primary discipline and any secondary discipline(s).

Questions and submissions should be directed to the DUSSJ faculty advisor Professor Li and DUSSJ Acquisitions Editor at advisor.dussj@gmail.com. 

— Kaiya Kielb Young, Senior

Campus Announcements Archive

Campus safety walk

On Thursday, Nov. 3, at 8:30 p.m., members of the campus community partnered together to conduct a campus safety walk.  Members of Student Affairs, Residence Life, Facilities, Environmental Health and Safety, and Public Safety were joined by over a dozen student representatives from the Student Senate and Residence Hall Association.

Split into two teams, the group covered the campus to look at safety issues that may present themselves at night to members of the community walking on campus.  The two groups located various safety concerns, and took the steps to document them so that corrective actions can be taken.  All of the concerns were directed to either Public Safety, Facilities, or Environmental Health and Safety to work on resolving.

As we all know campus safety is a shared responsibility.  The campus looks and feels a lot different after-hours and a safety walk with various members of the campus community allows for items that might not be seen during the day to standout.  Although Public Safety and Facilities conduct regular monthly lighting surveys, this walk looked not only at lighting, but several other issues.

Special thank you to Douglass Robinett, assistant director of Residence Life, for proposing this idea and working with RHA to join the effort and to Connor Oetzmann, student body president, for getting the Student Senate involved.

In order to continue this effort, there will be a Spring Campus Safety Walk held in early April.  If you have any questions about the fall walk or would like to participate in the spring walk, please send an email to scott.law@drake.edu.

— Scott Law, Public Safety & Operational Services

Strategic Updates Archive

United Way campaign progress

With President Martin’s message and the United Way email to full-time and regular part-time employees, yesterday we launched the 2022 United Way campaign. Our collective response is inspiring!

As of this morning, we have raised $16,811 for local nonprofits. Thus far 88 full-time employees have participated, along with one retiree and one part-time employee. Currently, we show a full-time employee participation rate of 9%. Our 2022 United Way campaign goal is $40,000 with a 40% participation rate.

To those who have contributed, thank you. If you have not yet donated, please consider the impact of your potential investment. If you contribute $5 per month via payroll deduction, your $60 donation could represent 192 meals for neighbors experiencing homelessness. Every dollar makes a difference. So, we invite you to donate today.

How to Donate
Check your inbox for an email from Mary Sellers, president of the United Way of Central Iowa. The email was sent Nov. 8 and contains instructions for how to participate in this year’s campaign.

— Ryan Arnold, Director, Community Engagement