All posts by Carla Herling

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Update: Teams calling project, next phase

Back in January, ITS began the extensive project of upgrading the campus phone system. The first phase, now complete, involved moving faculty and staff extensions to Microsoft Teams. For the next phase, ITS staff is transitioning department extensions and conference room phones to Teams calling, and determining if any extensions are no longer required.

All indoor red security phones and outdoor blue emergency phones across campus will remain in place. Other public area phones will be removed, unless identified as essential.

In addition to the campus security phones, students, faculty, and staff can use the free Rave Guardian mobile phone app. The app includes a panic button with a direct connection to Public Safety. Learn more.

You can learn more about the Teams calling project by visiting the FAQ page. For questions, contact Jeff Regan at jeffrey.regan@drake.edu.

— Carla Herling, ITS

For Students Archive

Start a business and get paid: The Lorentzen Student Hatchery

The Lorentzen Student Hatchery is back for 2022. This unique program is aimed at fostering student startups and is your opportunity to get paid to run your own business. Entrepreneurship Centers staff provide guidance and support, access to mentors and experts, and more to Drake University students accepted to the Hatchery. Students of any major, undergraduate and graduate, are welcome to apply to the Hatchery for the opportunity to get paid up to $6,500 while working on their own startup. Even if you are not chosen to receive a summer grant, Drake University students are welcome to participate in Hatchery coaching and mentoring sessions. This summer program starts the first week of June and wraps up the first week of August but there will be educational training and coaching available in the semesters before and after formal programming.

If you would like more information, download a 2022 Hatchery Fact Sheet. Applications are being accepted online until Friday, Nov. 5. Virtual pitches for a spot in the Hatchery will take place during Drake’s Innovation Week, starting Nov. 8. Questions? Email us at jpec@drake.edu.

 — Stephanie Cardwell, Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

HR Information Archive

Yoga, movie, mini golf: Participate in Stress Relief Week Nov. 1

Are you stressed out just thinking about managing your stress? You’re not alone. COVID-19 and other events surrounding 2020 and 2021 have contributed to our increased stress and anxiety.

Although we may not be able to eliminate life’s stressors, Drake’s DU Well program is inviting faculty and staff to join us for a few stress-relief activities the first week in November.

Start the week off attending a yoga flow or meditation class in the Bell Center on Nov. 1. Then take a break and enjoy the following events, being held in the Olmsted Center:

Nov. 2 – Watch the movie Inside Out showing in Sussman Theater from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Nov. 3 – Play 9 holes of mini golf in Parent’s Hall North from 11 am. to 1 p.m.

Nov. 4 – Attend the Benefits and Wellness Fair in Parent’s Hall South from 9 to 11 a.m.

Details on this and other DU Well programs can be found in the Employee Wellness section on myDrake.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive

J-Term 2023 travel seminar proposals due Dec. 2

Interested in leading a J-Term 2023 travel seminar? Submit your travel seminar proposal by Thursday, Dec. 2, through Qualtrics. If you are new to leading travel seminars, please reach out to Global Engagement to set up a meeting to discuss your ideas and learn more about the process.

A travel seminar is a short-term, faculty-led study abroad (or domestic) program. This is an opportunity to teach a course that integrates an academic experience with intercultural and experiential learning while traveling.  To learn more about the travel seminar process, please contact Nathan Jacobson, education abroad coordinator, at nathan.jacobson@drake.edu.

— Maria Rohach, Director of Education Abroad

For Staff Archive

All Staff Council, Human Resources to host virtual town hall for staff Oct. 22

All Staff Council and Human Resources are excited to co-host a town hall for Drake staff on Friday, Oct. 22, at 1:30 p.m. The town hall may go as late as 3 p.m. depending on the number of attendees and questions. Staff are invited to join via Teams.

On Oct. 5, we invited staff to submit questions to All Staff Council to help us build an agenda that speaks to your interests. If you have a burning question, there is still time to submit questions to ASC. Please know we will reserve time during the town hall for attendees to ask questions and share ideas, suggestions, and recommendations.

To date, we have received dozens of great questions—many inquiring about staff compensation and the future of remote work. Questions touching upon these topics will prompt larger discussion suitable for the virtual town hall. In next week’s OnCampus, we will share a draft agenda for the town hall and we will address a few of the simpler questions for which there are reasonably straight forward answers.

We look forward to receiving more questions from staff to help us plan the virtual town hall. We hope to see you there.

— All Staff Council/Human Resources

For Students Archive

Register for the Sussman Leadership Conference

Each year, the Adams Leadership Institute hosts the annual Sussman Leadership Conference; bringing together undergraduate student leaders from across campus to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and gain skills that can be applied to their personal lives, student leadership roles, academic projects, and professional goals.

This year’s Sussman Conference, “Leading Back in Action,” will take place on Sunday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Olmsted Center, Parents Hall, featuring keynote speaker Sara Lowery. Conference registration and buffet brunch are provided at no cost to students thanks to alumni giving.

Space is limited. Please visit bit.ly/drakesussman to learn more and reserve your seat by Oct. 31.

— Kristin Economos, Office of Student Involvement and Leadership

For Students Archive

Application deadline extended for J-term 2022 abroad experience in Belize, scholarships available

First-year students: If you’re interested in traveling this upcoming January, apply for the J-Term first-year abroad experience in Belize. This co-curricular experience abroad will immerse first-year students in a global, reflective, experiential learning program focused on one of the pillars of Drake’s mission statement—responsible global citizenship. The application deadline has been extended to Nov. 1.

Belize experience: Ethical Chocolate: How does that cacao actually get into my chocolate bar?
The Toledo district of Belize produces some of the finest chocolates in the world. In our trip to Belize, we will look at all stages of the production of chocolate. We will go to the forest to see the tree that produces the cacao bean, see (and most importantly, taste) the finished chocolate, and look at all the stages in between. We will talk to people who are involved in the production of chocolate and learn how one organization ethically and sustainably treats both the ecosystem and the workers that produce chocolate. To provide context and contrast, we will visit other food production facilities in Belize including a large-scale banana plantation, an agro-forest, and small-scale farms. We will meet with farmers and managers to learn the benefits and challenges of the different systems. To complement the program focus, we will travel by boat to Payne’s Creek National Park as well as have fun exploring diverse ecosystems and participating in an array of adventure and cultural experiences in Belize.

Apply for the Belize program through Drake’s online application portal for travel experiences, Terra Dotta. Use your Drake ID and password to login.

$1,000 Scholarships are available! To apply for a scholarship, you complete a scholarship form in Terra Dotta as a part of your program application. Scholarship deadline Oct. 22.

For quesitons, contact Nathan Jacobson, education abroad coordinator, at nathan.jacobson@drake.edu.

— Maria Rohach, Director of Education Abroad

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Tuition exchange eligibility, tuition rebate waiver policies updated

Financial Aid and Human Resources have teamed up to enhance and clarify Drake’s policies and resources relating to Tuition Exchange Eligibility and Drake’s Tuition Waiver. The updated policies are posted now.  If you have any questions to pose or comments to share, you can click here to provide such feedback on either or both policies.

Tuition exchange eligibility
The big change is a great one: Drake has removed the one-year of service requirement to make it easier for new employees to access this benefit. This change results in tuition exchange eligibility more closely mirroring the Tuition Rebate Waiver policy. We hope this new standard will mean more Drake employees, and their dependents, will be able to take advantage of this great benefit without delay.

Additional edits to the Tuition exchange eligibility policy update language to reflect the application processes currently used by our two exchange partners: Tuition Exchange, Inc. (TE) and Council of Independent Colleges and Universities Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP). Of particular note is the elimination of the “points system” that was used to determine which employees are approved by Drake for “export” through tuition exchange. Because Tuition Exchange, Inc. eliminated its Balance Sheet requirement (which required approximately equal imports/exports), schools are no longer limited in the quantity of students they can approve for export. Accordingly, Drake will approve for export all applications from eligible employees.

Tuition waiver
This policy has been renamed and will be referred to as the Tuition Waiver Policy, as the word rebate created confusion. Name change aside, most of the edits are minor, but the policy does now place greater emphasis on the need to submit applications for the Tuition Rebate prior to class registration. Although late applications have historically been approved, delayed submissions create administrative hardships and can impact employees’ payroll deductions. These problems can easily be avoided if applications are submitted in a timely manner.

One important change to note: the limitation on the number of dependents that can use the Tuition Waiver at one time (two dependents) no longer includes dependents who are utilizing tuition exchange. We hope that this change will also allow more Drake employees and their families to take advantage of this wonderful benefit.

A new resource page has been developed for Drake Tuition Benefits. Questions related to tuition waiver policy can be directed to maureen.dearmond@drake.edu. Questions related to the application process for Drake’s tuition benefits can be directed to ryan.zantingh@drake.edu.

— Ryan Zantingh, Student Financial Planning/Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Deputy Provost 2:10: Funding for faculty development in pedagogy, research, and creative activities

Every Tuesday in OnCampus the Deputy Provost shares two informative articles with a read time of 10 minutes.

Using generous support from donors who have created restricted and endowed accounts, Academic Affairs is able to offer financial support for faculty development in pedagogy, research, and creative activities.  This year we are focusing on supporting projects that facilitate direct student engagement with scholarly and creative endeavors; enable our faculty to reimagine pedagogy as we enter a post-pandemic teaching environment; and permit faculty to remain connected to their disciplines and fields of study through conferences and workshops.

Find more details at: drake.edu/fsdo/grants/ and reach out to renee.cramer@drake.edu with questions.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost for Academic Affairs

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Deputy Provost 2:10: Funding for community building, FYS, and J-Term

Every Tuesday in OnCampus the Deputy Provost shares two informative articles with a read time of 10 minutes.

Are your first year students a bit stressed at mid-term? Could they use structured downtime and time to connect with each other, and you? Do you have some creative ideas for culture building and community strengthening?

Don’t forget: we provide funding for FYS community building activities. This can be something as simple as as a pizza party, though faculty are already using this funding in even more creative ways. They’re purchasing popcorn and boardgames, art supplies and lemonade, coffee and muffins for breakfast gatherings, ingredients for a shared cooked meal. Faculty teaching FYS this fall should contact Nicki Kimm (nicki.kimm@drake.edu) to learn how to access funding and reimbursement.

And, are you teaching a J-Term with material costs (book binding? Blacksmithing?) that our office has helped out with in the past? Please contact Renee Cramer (renee.cramer@drake.edu) to discuss how the Office of the Deputy Provost might help meet those needs.

— Renée Cramer, Deputy Provost for Academic Affairs