All posts by Maureen De Armond & Debra Wiley

HR Information Archive

Updates regarding the FLSA and impacted staff leave policies

FLSA Update

Despite several legal challenges, the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) new Final Rule took effect July 1. It remains a question as to whether the January salary threshold will hold—as the legal challenges remain on-going.

For purposes of the increased July 1 salary threshold, around 23 filled and three vacant positions were impacted. Some of those impacted were converted to hourly employees. A few were given the modest salary increases needed to maintain exempt status.

If the January 1 salary increase survives the legal challenges, that list of impacted staff will be much longer. A reassessment of that list and the anticipated decisions will be completed in the fall when there is more certainty about the implementation.

We will maintain the FLSA Update page as we move toward January 1.

Staff Leave Policies

Thank you to those of you who made time to review the revised Staff Sick Leave and Vacation Policies that were posted on the Policy Development page in June. As shared, those revisions were prompted by anticipated changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act, resulting in more hourly (non-exempt) staff at Drake.

Our goal was to equalize vacation time, especially for those staff who may be reclassified from salaried (exempt) to hourly (non-exempt). We appreciate both the praise and the constructive criticism we received on this change. Ultimately, we believe this is the right change to make at this time—even if rushed a bit due to the anticipated changes to federal regulations.

Effective July 1, this is the new vacation allotment chart for vacation-eligible employees:

Employees Years of Service     Annual Vacation Allotment
0-14 Years160 hours
15+ Years200 hours

We also made some updates to the sick leave policy to clarify appropriate use of this leave for routine visits and check-ups—a change that seemed to be welcomed by everyone. We did not have any proposed edits to the Personal Time Policy, so it remains in effect and unchanged. The updated Sick Leave and Vacation policies are posted in the HR section of the Policy Library.

If you are unsure about how or when to request time off, please speak with your manager, as Departments may appropriately adopt (or update) procedures for requesting time off.

Leave allotments for Fiscal Year 2025 will appear in your Employee Dashboard by July 31.

— Maureen De Armond & Debra Wiley, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Parking permits: Watch for a confirmation email

Parking passes for the 2024–2025 academic year are now available for purchase. You can purchase a pass on the Public Safety website (www.drake.edu/publicsafety/parking).

Please note that a successful registration will result in a confirmation email immediately after your purchase from the Drake Workflow account.  Please double check that you received a confirmation email.

You’ll receive a second email once the parking pass is ready to pick up at Student Services in Olmsted from studentservices@drake.edu. 

Please email studentservices@drake.edu if you’d like us to confirm your parking purchase, or if you have any additional parking questions.

— Sara Heijerman, Student Services Center

News & Achievements Archive

Drake Law School welcomes new director of Criminal Defense Clinic

Drake University Law School is pleased to announce the new Director of the Criminal Defense Clinic, Colleen Cullen. Professor Cullen will bring a strong background of both teaching and criminal law practice to Drake Law School.

Professor Cullen previously served as a fellow in the Criminal Defense Clinic at the University of Denver and has experience both as a student in Georgetown’s Criminal Defense & Prisoner Advocacy Clinic and as an Assistant State Public Defender at the Wisconsin State Public Defender where she handled a wide range of criminal matters.

“We are very excited to welcome Colleen Cullen to Drake as the next director of the Criminal Defense Clinic,” said Professor Suzan Pritchett, Director of Clinical and Experiential Education. “Professor Cullen brings to Drake a wealth of experience in criminal defense practice as well as a strong pedagogical approach to clinical teaching. She is producing cutting edge scholarship and will continue to build on Drake’s strong tradition of helping students develop core lawyering skills through the direct representation of clients in Iowa’s criminal legal system.”

While at the University of Denver’s Criminal Defense Clinic, Professor Cullen directly supervised eight student attorneys per semester who represent indigent individuals in criminal cases in state and municipal courts in Colorado.

Professor Cullen’s appointment underscores Drake Law School’s commitment to providing its students with exceptional educational opportunities and maintaining its leadership in clinical legal education. Drake Law looks forward to the continued growth and success of the Criminal Defense Clinic under her guidance.

— Taylor Johnson, Drake Law School

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Volunteer opportunity with Al Éxito University on campus July 16

Drake is getting ready to host Al Éxito University on campus in July and there is an opportunity for faculty and staff to engage in a volunteering opportunity during this college experience camp designed specifically for Latinx students from around Iowa. This program aims to empower students by equipping them with the tools and confidence they need to succeed in higher education.

The organization is seeking volunteers to assist students in a critical aspect of their journey—crafting a compelling first draft of their scholarship essays. To provide personalized one-on-one support, Al Éxito has a goal of securing 60 volunteers. Following are details about the opportunity:

Volunteer Role Details:

  • Task: Assist students in drafting their first scholarship essay.
  • Support: Provide personalized feedback and insights.
  • Objective: Ensure every scholar leaves with a strong essay draft to kickstart their scholarship applications.

Event Details:

  • Date: Tuesday, July 16
  • Time: 3:15–6:30 p.m.
  • Location: Drake University (More details as the dates gets closer)
  • Additional Info: Training and dinner provided. Extensive writing expertise not required. Al Éxito will train volunteers to best support scholars during this event.

Interested faculty and staff are encouraged to sign up through this link:  https://bit.ly/VolunteerAEU24.

— Alejandro Hernandez, Dean, Zimpleman College of Business

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 28.  All participants will receive a packet that includes a list of HealthyU Bingo activities and a blank bingo card.  You are welcome to make copies for your family.  This is a fun activity that you can share with them. For questions, contact Linda Feiden.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Wellness premium incentive reminder

As a reminder, employees on Drake’s health plan who wish to continue receiving the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2025 need to complete a physical exam with an in-network provider between Dec. 1, 2023, and Nov. 30, 2024, and submit a Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form by Nov. 30, 2024.  This is an annual event, so if you submitted one last year, you need to do it again this year.

If you already had your physical since last December, please fill out the form and turn it in now.  If you have not scheduled your annual physical yet, you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.  Some physician’s offices require a long lead time for appointments. Also note that our Wellmark health plan allows for one physical per calendar year, so you should not need to wait a year and a day between physicals.

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.

Please contact linda.feiden@drake.edu with questions on the wellness premium discount physical form.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Staff Archive

All Staff Council open positions

Following the spring elections for the Drake All Staff Council, additional opportunities have become available. The following positions and committee members are needed for the 2024–2025 year.

All Staff Council is a good way to network with other campus staff and work to help promote a positive and collaborative campus work environment. If you are classified as a staff member, interested, and committed to serving, please contact Kevin Saunders, 2024–2025 ASC chair, at kevin.saunders@drake.edu.

Executive Committee, Chair-Elect

Members of the Executive Committee (chair and chair-elect) conduct the monthly Executive Board meetings, help to coordinate efforts of the committees, and respond to issues or recommendations brought forth by members. The chair-elect provides support for meeting minutes and agendas. The chair-elect will serve as chair in the following term.

Governance Committee

The Governance / Policy Committee finalizes the structure of the ASC by developing rules. This committee conducts yearly elections and attends to any rules changes, recommendations, or policies proposed.

Special Interest Committee

The Special Interest Committee explores initiatives, questions, and/or concerns presented to All Staff Council through research, planning, and collaboration with appropriate offices on campus.

For more information on the All Staff Council visit https://drakeedu.sharepoint.com/sites/AllStaffCouncil.

— Ryan Harris, on behalf of All Staff Council

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Collaborate contract expiring July 1

The ITS contract with Class Collaborate, formerly Blackboard Collaborate, expires July 1. If you’ve previously used or have been planning to use Collaborate, it won’t be available after July 1. Our Zoom institutional license is available as an alternative and integrated into Blackboard Learn courses. 

To save any recordings you made with Collaborate, download them before July 1 and upload into Panopto. To ask questions or request assistance with this transition, visit the ITS service portal at service.drake.edu/its and submit an Academic Technology Consultation ticket. 

— Becky Klein, ITS

 

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Ice cream week July 9–13

Ice cream week is coming! From July 9–13, Provost Mattison invites you to gather some colleagues, take a walk down to Black Cat Ice Cream on Cottage Grove, and enjoy a free cup or cone of one of their amazing ice cream or sorbet flavors.

You can pick up your ticket for one free cup at the Provost’s Office in Old Main from July 9–12.

— Madison Bemus, Office of the Provost

Campus Announcements Archive

June group fitness classes

Every Tuesday and Thursday in June, Gail Witte will be teaching Functional Fitness from 12:15–12:45 p.m. Functional Fitness is a dynamic and versatile training program designed to improve your everyday life through exercises that mimic real-life movements. By focusing on movements that you perform daily, such as lifting, pushing, pulling, and twisting, Functional Fitness aims to enhance your strength, balance, coordination, and flexibility. This approach not only builds muscle and burns fat but also increases your overall mobility and reduces the risk of injury.

— Gail Witte, Recreational Services