All posts by Courtney Conrad, On behalf of All Staff Council

Register for the All Staff Council kickball tournament

All Staff Council is bringing back the highly anticipated staff and faculty kickball tournament on Tuesday, May 21, to celebrate the start of summer. Register your team or as a free agent today. Registration has been extended and must be submitted by Thursday, May 16.

Important Details

  • First round begins around 1:30 p.m. and final round begins around 3:30 p.m.
  • Single elimination
  • Teams of 10 to 12

Spectators welcome and encouraged. Yard games and refreshments will be provided—we look forward to seeing you there.

All Staff Council will also draw a winner for the parking pass at this event, names collected for events throughout the semester.

— Courtney Conrad, On behalf of All Staff Council

Traveling abroad? Let ITS know

Will you be traveling abroad over the summer? Make sure to notify ITS before you go so we can ensure your access will continue uninterrupted. Submit an Account/Security Request before you leave and you’ll be set. Even if you have submitted a notification in the past, a new request is necessary this summer.

Also, remember that the eduroam wireless network is available at more than 33,000 locations worldwide. Check to see if your destination is on the list at https://eduroam.org/where/.

— Jeremy Calvert, ITS

Payroll deadlines moving up due to July 4

Due to the July 4th holiday, payroll deadline will be moved up.

Instructions to set up a proxy to approve time sheets in your absence are at https://www.drake.edu/hr-internal/managerstoolkit/ under Online Time reporting.

The deadlines for the biweekly time sheets and direct pays will be:

  • June 17–30 hours paid July 3, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 27, for employees and 3 p.m. that day for approvers. Please note that employees will need to estimate their hours for June 27–30.

The deadlines for student time sheets and direct pays will be:

  • June 1–30 hours paid July 12, 12 p.m. Monday, July 1, for students and 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 2, for approvers.

— Lisa Etnyre, Payroll Coordinator

Mindful and Mellow May at Drake Rec

Join us May 3 at 6 p.m. for an exhilarating Acro yoga class, where you’ll defy gravity, build trust, and soar into a world of playful balance. Ready to relax before finals? Join us May 9 at 5:30 p.m. for a soothing session of Yoga Nidra and May 10 at 12:15 p.m. for NAMAStea– a relaxing yoga workshop followed by a cup of tea to soothe your nerves before finals week. Sign up using the Drake Rec App.

— Gail Witte, Recreational Services

Cowles Library sensory tools collection

We’re excited to share that Cowles Library, in collaboration with Access and Success, is introducing a Sensory Tools Collection. Crafted by Sarah Hulstein, an Occupational Therapy Doctoral student, this collection is curated to equip students with resources for sensory regulation, increased focus, and improved task completion that may be affected by sensory processing. Visit the Cowles Information Desk to explore the kits which include wobble cushions, fidget spinners, balance boards, noise-canceling headphones, and more. Please don’t hesitate to contact Cowles Library at cowleslibrary@drake.edu with any suggestions for additional tools or resources that could further support your needs. These resources are accessible to everyone, ready to be checked out and utilized within the library or in your own study spaces.

— Joanna Stankiewicz, Cowles Library

Congratulations to this Year’s Sapphire Award and Madelyn M. Levitt Award recipients

The annual Sapphire Awards ceremony was held on April 16.  During this event, more than 30 people were recognized for having received either an individual or team Call to be True Blue Award this past academic year.

2024 Sapphire Awards

Two Sapphire Awards were also presented.

  • Michelle Laughlin, operational director, Access & Success, Student Disability Services, received this year’s Individual Sapphire Award
  • Katherine Coady, administrative support specialist, Julie Olinger, administrative assistant 2, and Cindy Liska, administrative assistant 2, all from the Zimpleman College of Business, received this year’s Team Sapphire Award

2024 Madelyn M. Levitt Awards

Congratulations also go out to the winners of this year’s Madelyn M. Levitt Employee Excellence and Distinguished Community Service Awards.

  • Sydni Jennings, director student affairs, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, is the recipient of this year’s Madelyn M. Levitt Employee Excellence Award
  • Danielle Shelton, professor of law, University Law School, is the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Community Service Award

Congratulations to them all! We encourage everyone to take time to congratulate these amazing Drake faculty and staff, and to find ways to recognize others.

It’s never too early to start thinking about True Blue awards! These will start up again in August at the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year.  All Staff Council’s Recognition Committee invites everyone to fill out an online Called to be True Blue nomination form at that time, if they know of someone deserving of this honor.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Welcome Weekend DEIJ session speaker opportunity

Welcome Weekend this fall will feature a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice session. The program will take place on Thursday, Aug. 22. The session will feature a variety of speakers sharing about their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice journey with our incoming class in a short TED Talk style about 5–10 minutes long.

If you are interested in sharing your DEIJ story, we would love to hear from you! Selected speakers will receive a stipend. Please fill out this short application by Friday, June 10.

— Marina Verlengia, New Student Programs

Mark your calendars for Roth IRA presentations May 3

Drake employees will have the option to enroll in a Roth IRA, administered by TIAA effective June 1, 2024. The Roth contribution option will allow eligible employees to make after-tax contributions that offer the potential for tax-free income in retirement.

To learn more about the new Roth contribution option, please plan to attend one of two presentations provided by TIAA financial consultant Ricardo Diaz. Reservations are not required.

When: May 3 from 10:30 a.m. AND 1:30 p.m.
Where:
Levitt Hall, Old Main

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

Join Drake’s team for the Des Moines Corporate Games

Join Drake’s Corporate Games team! This annual company-based competition for organizations in central Iowa runs from May 19 through July 31.  With over two dozen events to choose from, Des Moines Corporate Games (DMCG) is a great way to meet new people and have fun.

Events range from team-based to individual and competitive to recreational. Try everything from pickleball and golf, to a fitness walk and bags. They’ve even added ping pong this year.  If sports aren’t your interest, put together a team and volunteer at Meals from the Heartland, donate blood, or try the annual Burst Your Thirst challenge. You may participate in as many events as you want.

All in-person activities will be held in the evenings and on weekends and are free (except golf cart rental). ALL Drake faculty and staff, student employees, interns, and retirees are invited and encouraged to join Drake’s team.

One more bonus. Everyone who registers to be a part of Drake’s team will receive a Drake University quick dry sports shirt (while supplies last). Special thanks to TC&B-Authentic Brand, an Official Partner of Drake Athletics. Their financial support made the participant shirts for this year a reality. TC&B is a full-license vendor and can help with your next campus project. For more information please contact, Clark Fessler at clark@tcbcorp.com or 515-465-4693.

To participate in this year’s Des Moines Corporate Games, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu for registration instructions.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Register for the All Staff Council kickball tournament

All Staff Council is bringing back the highly anticipated staff and faculty kickball tournament on Tuesday, May 21, to celebrate the start of summer. Register your team or as a free agent today. Registration must be submitted by Monday, May 13.

Important Details

  • First round begins around 1:30 p.m. and final round begins around 3:30 p.m.
  • Single elimination
  • Teams of 10 to 12

Spectators welcome and encouraged. Yard games and refreshments will be provided – we look forward to seeing you there.

— Courtney Conrad, On behalf of All Staff Council